Re your little hurricane Chester, this is just a thought, but maybe you could pony
Chester off your older horse the first few times out, assuming the older horse ponies.
I have ponied numerous youngsters off my older horse (he hates it when I call him that)
Cato and they seem to latch onto him, and take his word for it that everything's OK and
they're just there for the sightseeing! They still can get silly (what kid doesn't) but eventually
they settle down and just go along with the crowd. You can also go a bit farther as they don't have to
pack a load, but you ARE wrapping/booting young legs, right? Also be sure to wrap all four legs on your pony
horse even if you normally don't as accidents do happen with all those legs so close to
each other. Also, temper tantrums are sometimes easier to deal with from the back of
another horse than on the back of the tantrum himself. It's not a perfect solution,
but a possibility. Karen Clanin (kclanin@fix.net) ponies alot of her kids (the novelty and thrills
of getting dumped in the river any more than absolutely necessary has mysteriously lost its allure.
Go figure), and she seems to have very good results. She has my hurricane Cato's baby brother
Hooter, and the family motto seems to be When in Doubt, Buck, Run Faster or Hide in Mom's Pocket.
Obviously, try ponying in a small enclosed area first and the young horse really does need to
lead well---the no pull halters help alot. Also WEAR GLOVES or be prepared to explain rope
burns that look like you tried to rope a passing school bus.
Good luck, it sounds like Chester just needs some experience and confidence. You'll get there!
Susan