Bringing up baby

["Blankenship, Ann" <ABlankenship@commerce.ca.gov>]

We do pony our babies a lot.    Luckily we live where we can let the
extra horse run along loose.  This puts miles on them and exposes them
to trail stuff.  They also learn the local trails this way making it
much easier when it's time to ride.  The only thing I do not like about
ponying horses a lot is that it makes them want to stick like glue to
the horse in front of them.  After all, that's what we're teaching them
to do.  If you pony correctly, keeping the extra horse right up near
your leg (out of the way of your saddle horse's feet) and not letting
them go ahead of the horse you're riding, this teaches them NOT to pass
another horse.   This can be a problem later on unless, of course, you
want to be second forever.

Another thing you can do is trailer them all over the place to your
friends houses, unload them, have a cup of coffee and a little visit
while they are tied up to something safe (while you watch them
carefully, of course) load up and go home.   All this exposure to short
trailer rides and  loading and unloading at different places is very
educational for any horse.  And if they decide not to get back in,
you're at a friendly  place and not alongside the road somewhere.