Advice for fizzy mare with no concentration.

[Missiecb]

Hi all

Looking for advice to help with my mare concentrate and try to relax and calm down during flatwork and jumping. She has zero concentration and sticks her head up in the air looking at everything. It takes me over an hour to get any decent work out of her and to get her using her rear!\

Im disappearing as she wont let me ride her if you know what i mean.. I cant use my leg as she just scoots forwards and when i relax my contact she is forever going into canter.

I have changed her food and she is on high fibre cubes and molasses free chaff. Her back is checked regularly and teeth are due in May. Saddles have been checked.

I dont know what else to do but my riding is definitely being put to the test as she is just pushing me back and my lower leg is forward as i cant seem to put it on her!

Thanks in advance. x

 

[texel]

Hi Missiecb
Reading your post and what I glean from your description is a horse and rider that are not 'singing form the same page' so to speak. As you can appreciate we can't see what is going on so we can only make suggestions.

I suggest your mare is showing signs of tension, there is a reason or reasons she is not concetrating and sticking her nose up in the air. She is telling you that she is not comfortable and she is hurting somehwere. She is probably also fearful and if horses do not feel safe they will want to run and escape. If it takes over an hour to get any decent work out of her it is time to stop and go back to basics.

The challenge is to work out what the issue or issues are you have to be a bit of a detective. You also have to be patient.

It is more likely to be the tack and this has to be checked thoroughly. Saddles are the cause of most behavioural problems in horses. What did the saddle check involve ?

The saddle could be pinching the accessory nerve as this will cause the horse to hollow it's back and possibly raise the head. Have a look at this video;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40WzB00NhF8 (saddle check)

I also suggest finding an instructor who can teach and show you how to school from the ground. This worked wonders for horse and rider and lays the foundations for relaxed ridden work.

All the best.