Pony Napping!

[palamino]

Please can anyone advise me on how to stop my pony napping. Its not that she won't go forward but she tends to suddenly try to veer for home (usually to the right). Usually I circle her to the right and she will go forward again , as if I try to use the left rein she sets her neck and I just can't get her to turn back. The thing thats worrying me is that she is tending to swerve into the direction of the traffic which is a bit unnerving! I've not let her get away with this so why is she carrying on doing it? I feel like I'm being really ineffective - any tips?  

[sweetie]

I had exactly the same problem with a pony i bought of a riding school.  She was always so good to hack out with other horses but when i took her out on her own she would nap terribly.  This is the same pony that i now happily hack out in a head collar.  Im not sugesting you do this aswell,  but my mare seemed a lot less tressfull in a head collar.  You dont say what you do when your pony starts napping.  I think you really just have to perservere and stay relaxed and have patients.  I remember sitting by a farm that she bluntly refused to go past for about 20 minutes until she eventually gave in.  I just took it really slowly with her and just sit and wait until she quietly walks forward.  I completely understand what you are going through.  She use to nap, run backwards, rear and buck almost at the same time.  Its quite scary.  But hopefully in time your pony will trust you more and understand that there is no reason to nap and its much more enjoyable to hack out quietly.  Good luck.