A BIT of a situation

[BlizzardBudd]

i have a welsh D mare, who is quite strong. she doesnt like leaving her BF and if i want to ride her have to drag her away from the field with her screaming to the stable. she then spins her bum round and screams a little more. by this point she is dripping in sweat, before being worked
but anyway back to the point:
when i take her out she just gets a little too worked up. she jogs a bit and when i try to make her slow down with 1/2 halts, she just sticks her head up and strides on.
i am currently working her in a loose ring snaffle, but i'm not sure what sort of other bits to try

 

[ofcourseyoucan]

she is obv the alpha in your relationship. you need to be the alp0ha in the relationship. then you have the clingy ness. is she kept in a pair with this other horse? hard if there is only 2 of them. can you split the mare from the gelding?

 

[LaurenM]

Sounds like you would benefit from doing groundwork. How long have you owned her? Are you confident or nervy?

Alternate the rein used to half halt (squeeze left then right). Speak to her calmly. Consciously sit deep, think slow and relax if your nervous.

 

[Luci07]

You need to see if you can split her away from her BF as that situation never improves. My old mare became incredibly clingy with a friends mare when she came back to the yard to the point of becoming hysterical if the mare moved out of sight and yelling constantly. YO moved the gray mare away (she had been stabled next to my mare) and split them up. Both mares are more settled now and no hysterics.

Welsh D's often have a surfeit of attitude and energy. Could you lunge her before getting on board to get rid of some of her energy and get her focusing on you? also lessons to help? Finally, how much work are you giving her? with this new grass coming through a lot of horses are suddenly finding a few extra batteries they didn't have before!

 

[Ashgrove]

I agree with all of the above.

But I would also change your bit, I used to run a bit bank and the majority of section D's I dealt with went better with a mullen mouth bit, I'd try an eggbutt and see how she reacts to that.

But your main priority is the ground work and the seperation of her and her boy friend.

 

[SultanaRama]

My gelding used to ocassionally do this with another gelding he was on the same yard with all his life' riding out he would shout for him but never got as worked up as your mare, I moved yards start of march and with more horses around he hasn't shouted for the gelding once! Maybe your mare should be split up, allowed to interact with other horses to be able to keep her mind off the other horse?

 

[Flicker]

I'd also pop her in a running martingale for the time being

 

[Brandy]

I have a section C that can be a bit dramatic. He is in a french link loose ring snaffle, which is normally ok, except when he is being an idiot. Which is when the mouth opens and the head goes up and all control goes out the window.

I was having lessons and the instuctor recommended I tighten my running martingale as it was useless on the setting I had it, and also to use a drop noceband- old fashioned but worked brilliantly!

Several people told me to change the bit but to be honest I didn't want to as he went very well in it other than the silly moments.

The drop noseband isn't done up mega tight but it does stop his mouth opening and that means control! I don't worrk about having 'gadgets' as they only come into play when he is having a moment, and I do dressage and showing without them - though have beenknown to take the martingale off just before going in the ring.

 

[BlizzardBudd]

Sounds like you would benefit from doing groundwork. How long have you owned her? Are you confident or nervy?

Alternate the rein used to half halt (squeeze left then right). Speak to her calmly. Consciously sit deep, think slow and relax if your nervous.

i'd like to say i am quite confident, i sometimes get a little nervous when she starts being an idiot. but in trafic it could be dangerous

You need to see if you can split her away from her BF as that situation never improves. My old mare became incredibly clingy with a friends mare when she came back to the yard to the point of becoming hysterical if the mare moved out of sight and yelling constantly. YO moved the gray mare away (she had been stabled next to my mare) and split them up. Both mares are more settled now and no hysterics.

Welsh D's often have a surfeit of attitude and energy. Could you lunge her before getting on board to get rid of some of her energy and get her focusing on you? also lessons to help? Finally, how much work are you giving her? with this new grass coming through a lot of horses are suddenly finding a few extra batteries they didn't have before!

i couldnt lunge her, she is on a farm with no arena and she apparently doesnt get it. although i am going to see if she does, then i will try lunging before i ride

My gelding used to ocassionally do this with another gelding he was on the same yard with all his life' riding out he would shout for him but never got as worked up as your mare, I moved yards start of march and with more horses around he hasn't shouted for the gelding once! Maybe your mare should be split up, allowed to interact with other horses to be able to keep her mind off the other horse?

we couldnt move her as there are only 4 horses. 3 mares and a gelding, my mare hates the gelding so we had to split the field. there would be no way of moving her what so ever. they are stabled together and hare the field.

I'd also pop her in a running martingale for the time being

i also have her in a running martingale too

I have a section C that can be a bit dramatic. He is in a french link loose ring snaffle, which is normally ok, except when he is being an idiot. Which is when the mouth opens and the head goes up and all control goes out the window.

I was having lessons and the instuctor recommended I tighten my running martingale as it was useless on the setting I had it, and also to use a drop noceband- old fashioned but worked brilliantly!

Several people told me to change the bit but to be honest I didn't want to as he went very well in it other than the silly moments.

The drop noseband isn't done up mega tight but it does stop his mouth opening and that means control! I don't worrk about having 'gadgets' as they only come into play when he is having a moment, and I do dressage and showing without them - though have beenknown to take the martingale off just before going in the ring.

i might try her in a drop nose band the. just dont want to have her in loads of gadgets either though

 

[Tickles]

Get an instructor to help with this. And try searching on here for threads on overcoming separation anxiety.

Personally I wouldn't want to be using a sensitive part of your horse (mouth) to punish her for natural (though needs-to-be-trained-out-of) behaviour.

If she likes the bit you have stick with it.

Depending on how safe your hacking is you could try making her walk forwards away from the other horse and, as soon as she is doing this nicely turning her back. Then walking past in the opposite direction. Don't always make leaving in one way mean leaving for a long time. Mix it up a bit.

Try schooling (leg yield, transitions, whatever shapes you have space for) as you hack. Anything to keep her mind on something besides the other horse.

You could even try treating at certain distances from the other on the hack (although that is not always popular). Letting her graze a little/bend (good stretching!) round to your feet on each side for polos etc can all help to make her experience more positive.

Good luck!

 

[BlizzardBudd]

Get an instructor to help with this. And try searching on here for threads on overcoming separation anxiety.

Personally I wouldn't want to be using a sensitive part of your horse (mouth) to punish her for natural (though needs-to-be-trained-out-of) behaviour.

If she likes the bit you have stick with it.

Depending on how safe your hacking is you could try making her walk forwards away from the other horse and, as soon as she is doing this nicely turning her back. Then walking past in the opposite direction. Don't always make leaving in one way mean leaving for a long time. Mix it up a bit.

Try schooling (leg yield, transitions, whatever shapes you have space for) as you hack. Anything to keep her mind on something besides the other horse.

You could even try treating at certain distances from the other on the hack (although that is not always popular). Letting her graze a little/bend (good stretching!) round to your feet on each side for polos etc can all help to make her experience more positive.

Good luck!

i am going to ask my old riding instructor to come and see what she thinks, but the problem is that she is 20 and the owner doesnt want to put her through the stress of having to seperate her from her BFF. i currently do give her a treat if she stands (with her bum in) for cars and heavy farm machinry/milk wagons to pass. i have tried leg yield etc. she just gets more excited and puts her head up and goes. i know this may be the breed but i am just wondering if a different bit might help as someone said to me that not many welshies go well in a loose ring snaffle. she didnt say why but i wish she did now