Anyone else have a horse that refuses to move in a school?

[Hutchlou]

(And I mean point blank plants! Refusing even a few steps of walk with spurs & whip!) But will happily then go out & willingly gallop up a decent hill & still have energy & enthusiasm for a few good canters! I'm totally stumped as I'm assuming it is phsychological & she is just tuning out & being stubborn! Any suggestions how I can get her 'turned on' again in the school?

 

[JillA]

How is she at being led in it? With or without a rider - and lunging? Could she be worried about the footing - what is the surface? HAs she had a really bad experience of some kind - is there any electric fence nearby which could be shorting through the surface?

 

[AdorableAlice]

Bought one and managed to knock the price down nicely.

My mare had been drilled, beaten and turned sour by the then owners yard manager. The mare herself was incapable of school work through lack of physical strength. All I did was not take her in the school for a very long time and when we did go to the school, no spurs or whips were in sight.

She was long lined and then lunged and finally ridden. Every attempt to go nicely or to try for us was rewarded with a treat. It took over 12 months to make her realise no one was going to hurt her, no one was going to make her try to do something that hurt her body.

Today she is happy in the school, is in front of the leg, responds to voice requests and has given up pinning her ears flat back. We keep her interested by doing lots of sideways and gear changes within the pace. She would chuck the towel in if she was drilled on a never ending circle.

The only downside in how we got her sweet is the fact she knows what 'do you want a polo' means and stops dead should she hear me say it.

My mare also refused to let anyone get on her. I did have her looked at because her reaction in the school made me wonder if her back was ok. She was fine and all her problems were in her head and in the fact her previous rider had not done progressive work and considered the mare's physical limitations (she is a heavyweight maxi cob).

 

[Hutchlou]

She is fine being lunged, the surface is woodchip & isn't overly deep or slippy. She happily went in & rider mounted from block once in. She literally did a few steps then decided she didn't want to do anymore! She is a decent rider & is firm but fair. Orla would jyst stand & kick out occasionally with a back keg. When I went in the school she would walk around with me, with rider on board & also when she hopped off & she led her, she was happy to move! She also rode her out of the school & up & down our track a few times (would willingly trot!) before trying the school again, then the refusal to walk once more!

 

[Tiddlypom]

How long have you had your mare? Did she used to be happy to be ridden in the arena or has she always been reluctant to work in it? Is she ok lungeing or long lining?

 

[Hutchlou]

She's never been the most forward horse but we were happily jumping her in the summer & she was going well. I've owned her for nearly 5 years, she is 12 this year.

 

[Hutchlou]

Thanks for your advice from experience AA. I do think you're right in that she is sour in there now. We have been down the whole hock pain investigative route, being diagnosed with mild arthritis, nerve blocking, steroid injections & most recently, Tildren. This has been quite stressful & all the lameness work up has been in this school, so I do believe she has bad pain memories, but she seems to be ok now (unless you're in the school!)
Time is a good healer. I am probably asking too soon. Hacking only fir the foreseeable future!

 

[Goldenstar]

Fatty does not do schools he consents to be lunged in my outdoor .
And will jump grids in while getting fit but once hunting starts forget it.
He's happy to school for short periods in the schooling field.
We took him once to an indoor and he just would not move .
He sees no point to it we don't make him he's amazing at his job so we leave him be .

 

[Meems]

The only comparison I can make with taking my horse in the school (so you get the idea of how much she dislikes it) is that it is like riding a bike uphill with a flat tyre. And a VERY steep hill at that! It would be less effort if I got off and carried her round.

So we stick to what we enjoy, mooching around the countryside!

 

[Goldenstar]

The only comparison I can make with taking my horse in the school (so you get the idea of how much she dislikes it) is that it is like riding a bike uphill with a flat tyre. And a VERY steep hill at that! It would be less effort if I got off and carried her round.

So we stick to what we enjoy, mooching around the countryside!

Sounds like fatty .
He was shown I think it's a hang over from that he hated that too .
He's a very clever horse who knows his own mind .

 

[Hutchlou]

Funnily enough, my vet keeps saying that she is a very clever mare! Even jumping, if the poles weren't high enough she'd never bother going into canter as she could happily clear them from trot!
Think I may have to accept the fact that she hates our school now! Any thoughts whether she'd be the same if I box her up & take her to a school elsewhere?!

 

[AdorableAlice]

Funnily enough, my vet keeps saying that she is a very clever mare! Even jumping, if the poles weren't high enough she'd never bother going into canter as she could happily clear them from trot!
Think I may have to accept the fact that she hates our school now! Any thoughts whether she'd be the same if I box her up & take her to a school elsewhere?!

Possibly not. My mare was at her worst when I tried her at the vendors livery yard. At home and with different people around her, no spurs or long whips she began to relax. My mare is also very clever and learns (good and bad) very quickly. We have to try to be making things fun and easy for her so she enjoys herself. She has other quirks, she will hack for 35 minutes and stop and attempt to turn around, nothing violent or dangerous but just a 'gone far enough now'.

I think you just need to ensure your mare is comfortable and make everything fun for her, maybe hunting will cheer her up.

 

[pansy]

I have one similar to this !!!!

I have put it down to have being a being a stubborm stroppy git

We stopped going into the school & concentrated on hacking out he could still be nappy hacking but we could normally get where we wanted even if we had to stop a couple of times

Although I have a good idea of what I am doing, I am not a professional & we are getting there slowly I have now sent ours away for a few weeks to a professional to be help with this issues fingers crossed xx

 

[little_critter]

Sounds just like my mare. After 2 years of this problem and every back, saddle and vet check under the sun I got Michael peace out. Instantly she was a different pony. He showed me how to ride her to keep her interested and motivated. We are still not totally perfect but we have come such a long way. I have gone from trying to sell her last summer to entering our first dressage test in 18 months.
The one thing that makes a noticeable difference to my girl is I no longer carry a whip. Just picking one up makes her shut down again.
Keep things interesting, lots of changes of direction and pace. Keep your hands and chest up. Rewards efforts to move forward.
Good luck, I know how utterly frustrating this can be.

 

[kerrieberry2]

my mare used to canter on the spot! I felt like a right t*t, I couldn't get my horse of 8 yrs to walk or trot in the school, I'd just moved to a yard with no hacking, so how the hell was I supposed to ride her? Oh yeh, move yards again! she'd happily school on grass, but not on sand! very odd!

 

[Hutchlou]

Thanks for your replies, sounds like I'm not alone owning a stubborn mare ( did I also mention that she is chestnut?!) I will just go back to basics & keep it fun! She loves her hacking & I have a trailer, so no excuse not to get out once the weather/ground improves! I have a physio & saddler booked for the week after next & also a vet follow up to see how her hocks have been. Think I better take my vet hacking to show her how well she's moving!

 

[Spencer93]

I had a friend who rescued a little coloured pony. Never seen anything like it. She used to sit on it in the school and crack a lunge whip against the floor (not the pony!) on each side. Never moved a muscle or even pricked its ears. I thought she was being ridiculous so got on it. Could not get it to take a step, couldn't even get it to move away from the mounting block. Yet it was forward and quite a handful out hacking! Not really a suggestion but you're not alone...

 

[Potato!]

My gelding is like this. I have just spent the last year or two hacking and hunting etc. will try to do some schooling in the summer, failing that he will go to a professional for a few months.

 

[maccachic]

My mare has been doing this turns out I wasn't listening to her and her saddle which I had just brought and thought fitted did not fit. Bad mother