I have a round pony, too. Our trails are up and down, almost no flat
riding. The crupper does keep the saddle from going over the neck. Paloma didn’t
like it at first, took several rides for her to adjust to it and even then I
could tell it bothered her, swishing tail, dirty looks, etc. I finally put a
THICK sheepskin cover on it and her
attitude is much better.
Crupper training was pretty easy since Paloma was already accustomed to
her tail being handled, lifted, etc., we always did lots of rubbing, scratching
under the tail. The first time you put the crupper on, do it in a confined area,
have it on a loose adjustment so it will not put any pressure on initially. I
lounged her until I knew she was not bothered by the feel, then I tightened a
bit more. Keep tightening until there is finally pressure under the tail when
the horse moves. Get your horse to trot and canter with it tightened until they
are no longer bothered by it. Ride in the confined area before you go out on
the trails. Pick a trail where the hills are more gradual at first, build up to
the steeper hills.
I use cruppers on all my horses now, not just the mutton withered. I
feel it adds a bit more security in emergencies, like the time my girth came
completely undone.
Kathy
We have no flat ground here in the hills of Southern Oregon and my Icelandic is
tough as nails on the steep trails, but she's also low-withered and
round-bodied so her saddle slips forward going downhill. I have always resisted
using a crupper, envisioning a rodeo. Will using a crupper keep her saddle in
place? Is it hard to introduce? She's a pretty stoic little thing but not quite
bomb proof.
