Thank you Glen.
I'll find a large packing crate and smuggle on a ship for a while. I am just frustrated because he was doing things so nicely and has decided that he has other priorities. His lovely square halt was in place on the ground and ridden, now he simply uses his short strong cobby neck and goes where he chooses in his bitless bridle.
Daniel did give me a lift from our bottom pasture a couple of days ago, in his naked state, after I climbed on we began walking nicely, then Ben came racing full gallop from 500 yards away and Arthur trotted past us, and we trotted a little, then Dan walked up his preferred path on the hill to the barn for dinner.
I have no control with him naked, and the same amount with tack.
My fault, my pony has been allowed too much input and too few boundaries, but it severely limits being safe and going out to explore, there is not often someone to accompany. But if I can find a few hours extra work to cover fuel costs of driving, I can go and help lead out a youngster once a fortnight and his owner will come to us and walk with us once a fortnight.
I also notice that Dan comes to me to beg for tummy rubs and divert anything that equates to work, but if a friend asks for a few ground steps he might look displeased but offers them without thinking a smile can soften into his chosen pastimes.
Watching him in the field and asking for a turn inside the barn I can find no injury or reason for not turning right.
Although gelded, Daniel is father of five, and will always be my little stallion.
I have thus far resisted suggestions to mouth him, work with a bit and then return to bitless.
Previous bunch of ponies bought from auction and kept for 4 and 5 years all managed bitless from foal to ridden.
Older horses now buried in the field were bitted and then we went bitless. (or rode without tack or in a halter in the field, never on the road.)
It is going to take some Glen style perseverance but I will have a happy riding pony and manage to get out and about with him.
Dan is fully 5 years old now and streets behind where horses I started 30+ years ago would be at this stage, so it is me rather than Daniel who needs training/retraining to accept instructions for both our sakes to be safe.
I may even have the more malleable, willing, Arthur ready to ride before Dan is ready, then if I can find a rider I can go out on my lead rein pony!
Plenty of help for me on the AND pages, now I just need to get the members to train my pony or get my pony to live with the members for a while.....and I'll enjoy reading about all their hard work. xx