Dazed'n'confused
Well-Known Member
So for those of you fortunate enough not to have come across one of my previous rants, I have a rising 5yr old Irish x WB mare who I bought last year at this time, backed at a friends professional yard & the took to a livery yard for some summer fun & education. What sold her to me was the fact that as an unbroken 3yr old they could stick her in a trailer, take her down what I can only describe as an off road mountain to a school, loose school her to show me, pop her back in & whizz her home, no fuss, no panic!! We picked her up & brought her to Yorkshire in a Trailer & she travelled a few times over the summer in a wagon with my friend's horse, she was a saint (despite her horse pawing & being a cretin)!! I then brought her home at the beginning of November to live with my fat pony & home bred 2yr old. She travelled from the yard to home on her own in a trailer with no fuss!!
So we've had separation issues but she will now wait in her stable until I have turned the others out/got them in & whilst she's not overjoyed, she stays still & will eat carrots till I return. I can take her out hacking across the main road with no problem, however she is a pain in the backside jogging & wanting to get back when I go round the farm - it's as if she too near the others to resist their pull!! The others are generally not bothered till they see her when they whinney (understandably).
Anyway, (are any of you still awake at this point, sorry), my problem is that, after years of saving up I've finally managed to buy a 3.5t box. It's made really well, we went through every safety feature we could think of as I usually deal with uber ridiculous warmbloods who like maiming themselves!! I didn't think that the mare would be a problem having been so good previously, I thought travelling backwards might take her time to get used to but I didn't expect her to have a full blown tantrum!!
I went for a lesson & before I even set off she climbed on the tack locker... She sat down, fought her headcollar, bit the partition & climbed on & off the locker most of the way. Thankfully I have a camera so I could see if she was stuck or not! She was calm when I arrived, stood whilst I went to find my instructor & went really well! On the way home she sat down as we set off but then was perfect all the way home until she heard the others whinney & then she went for it & got a hoof stuck on the locker lip. Thankfully she waited as I jumped out & free'd her!
Took her out again the next morning, just a short journey & back & she was stroppy but didn't try any antics...
Five days later, I try again - 4 times I had to stop to get her down (it's quite a good party trick but it's a good job I was on the lane to the Castle & not the main road) & in the end my husband drove home & I travelled with her as she was going to end up flipping herself over backwards..... I know it's not right to do this (legally or safety wise) but I knew it was separation temper! She stood like a soldier, never moved.....
So, those of you that haven't lost the will already, any bright ideas??!!
Am going to take her out on a short trip every day whilst my husband is off if necessary, but I'm not sure that if I don't keep doing it every day she won't revert to being naughty every time I give her a few days not doing it!! ! I've ordered her a mirror as I have one in her stable which I do think helped settle her there. I've even considered getting a little pony but then I have 4 equines, a lot of work & cost just to ride one horse!! Surely it shouldn't be this difficult!!
Short of tying her to the floor or hobbling her (which I think would result in her throwing herself on the floor) I can't think of anything else other than shooting the damn thing (which I'd have gladly done today if I had a gun & could shoot)!!
So we've had separation issues but she will now wait in her stable until I have turned the others out/got them in & whilst she's not overjoyed, she stays still & will eat carrots till I return. I can take her out hacking across the main road with no problem, however she is a pain in the backside jogging & wanting to get back when I go round the farm - it's as if she too near the others to resist their pull!! The others are generally not bothered till they see her when they whinney (understandably).
Anyway, (are any of you still awake at this point, sorry), my problem is that, after years of saving up I've finally managed to buy a 3.5t box. It's made really well, we went through every safety feature we could think of as I usually deal with uber ridiculous warmbloods who like maiming themselves!! I didn't think that the mare would be a problem having been so good previously, I thought travelling backwards might take her time to get used to but I didn't expect her to have a full blown tantrum!!
I went for a lesson & before I even set off she climbed on the tack locker... She sat down, fought her headcollar, bit the partition & climbed on & off the locker most of the way. Thankfully I have a camera so I could see if she was stuck or not! She was calm when I arrived, stood whilst I went to find my instructor & went really well! On the way home she sat down as we set off but then was perfect all the way home until she heard the others whinney & then she went for it & got a hoof stuck on the locker lip. Thankfully she waited as I jumped out & free'd her!
Took her out again the next morning, just a short journey & back & she was stroppy but didn't try any antics...
Five days later, I try again - 4 times I had to stop to get her down (it's quite a good party trick but it's a good job I was on the lane to the Castle & not the main road) & in the end my husband drove home & I travelled with her as she was going to end up flipping herself over backwards..... I know it's not right to do this (legally or safety wise) but I knew it was separation temper! She stood like a soldier, never moved.....
So, those of you that haven't lost the will already, any bright ideas??!!
Am going to take her out on a short trip every day whilst my husband is off if necessary, but I'm not sure that if I don't keep doing it every day she won't revert to being naughty every time I give her a few days not doing it!! ! I've ordered her a mirror as I have one in her stable which I do think helped settle her there. I've even considered getting a little pony but then I have 4 equines, a lot of work & cost just to ride one horse!! Surely it shouldn't be this difficult!!
Short of tying her to the floor or hobbling her (which I think would result in her throwing herself on the floor) I can't think of anything else other than shooting the damn thing (which I'd have gladly done today if I had a gun & could shoot)!!
