MoodyMare101
Active Member
Ok so I have had my mare for nearly 6 months now. I knew when I bought her that she was nappy, stroppy, very green for her age (8 and half) and generally a bit of a diva! None of this really bothered me as I bought her as a bit of a project to really work on and make her my own.
Basically, before I got her, she had been in the same home her whole life, but had never really done much (probably due to the nappiness!)
Now for the first two weeks that I had her, everything was grand (probably a bit of a shock to the system for the poor love going from the life of luxury - the horses were treated like royalty where I got her from - to being chucked in a field and having to learn to survive like a horse - which, albeit a few hiccups, she has coped with rather well and she seems to enjoy living out!) However after that , things started to change (I knew they would as she began to settle in!) so I gave her time to find her feet and suss out that life really isnt as big of a drama as she likes to make out that it is!!
Here's the problem:
She rears.
And I'm not talking 'I'm throwing a strop' rears - I'm talking throw herself in the air with potential to flip over backwards rears.
Backstory Part 2:
She rears in hand - always has done since I got her and although this has improved, she still does it occasionally if you ask her to do something she doesn't want to do e.g. Come in from the field, or tie up or go in the stable or load (all of these are being worked on and have improved - apart from the stable - since I got her!) However this I can deal with and she doesn't do it anywhere near as badly as she used to or as badly as she does when ridden! The one thing she does do is (when tied up) she will randomly rear and break off of the baling twine but then just stand there for no apparent reason!!
When ridden, she rears as a form of napping and to begin with, they are very small and they get progressively larger more violent (leaping into it/whilst rearing, throwing her head around - nearly smacking me in the face multiple times). I can deal with pretty much all of the rearing by just ignoring her and pushing her forward however once she starts she will not stop - she refuses to move anywhere other than upwards backwards or spins.
Rearing is her first defense - her go to move if you like!
So my instructor suggested draw reins (horse already wears a martingale and it makes no difference at all!!) Now don't get me wrong I hate draw reins and I would never in a million years have ever put her in them, but it worked for her horse (massive warmblood) and I trust my instructors judgement - she really has worked wonders with not only my horse but all the horses/people she teaches at the yard I'm at. She said to me to ride her in the draw reins all the time (until my next lesson in a couple of weeks) to see if it stops the rearing (that is all the draw reins are being used for - to stop the rearing!).
Today:
I went out for a hack on my horse with the calmest horse on the yard. We had been riding for about 20 mins before my horse decided to nap and rear. This didn't bother me, I kept ignoring her and pushing her forward until she decided to throw herself in the sir so high that she almost went over backwards (this was with the draw reins on!). Now I thought the whole point of the draw reins was to make her stop rearing (which it actually did for a while when she started napping!) not make her worse?!!
She is not in any pain, and she is the sort of horse you can't get angry at or use a whip/smack (have tried it and it makes her a lot worse!) Every episode of rearing is very random and generally happens with little warning!
I am very much at a loss of what to do!! She is so talented and has the kindest nature ever - nothing she does is done with the intention of hurting me!!
Any suggestions??
Sidenote:
She DOES NOT scare me in any way (if she did then I probably wouldn't have persevered this long with her!) - what worries me is the fact that she could end up seriously hurting not only me but herself without intending to do it!!
Basically, before I got her, she had been in the same home her whole life, but had never really done much (probably due to the nappiness!)
Now for the first two weeks that I had her, everything was grand (probably a bit of a shock to the system for the poor love going from the life of luxury - the horses were treated like royalty where I got her from - to being chucked in a field and having to learn to survive like a horse - which, albeit a few hiccups, she has coped with rather well and she seems to enjoy living out!) However after that , things started to change (I knew they would as she began to settle in!) so I gave her time to find her feet and suss out that life really isnt as big of a drama as she likes to make out that it is!!
Here's the problem:
She rears.
And I'm not talking 'I'm throwing a strop' rears - I'm talking throw herself in the air with potential to flip over backwards rears.
Backstory Part 2:
She rears in hand - always has done since I got her and although this has improved, she still does it occasionally if you ask her to do something she doesn't want to do e.g. Come in from the field, or tie up or go in the stable or load (all of these are being worked on and have improved - apart from the stable - since I got her!) However this I can deal with and she doesn't do it anywhere near as badly as she used to or as badly as she does when ridden! The one thing she does do is (when tied up) she will randomly rear and break off of the baling twine but then just stand there for no apparent reason!!
When ridden, she rears as a form of napping and to begin with, they are very small and they get progressively larger more violent (leaping into it/whilst rearing, throwing her head around - nearly smacking me in the face multiple times). I can deal with pretty much all of the rearing by just ignoring her and pushing her forward however once she starts she will not stop - she refuses to move anywhere other than upwards backwards or spins.
Rearing is her first defense - her go to move if you like!
So my instructor suggested draw reins (horse already wears a martingale and it makes no difference at all!!) Now don't get me wrong I hate draw reins and I would never in a million years have ever put her in them, but it worked for her horse (massive warmblood) and I trust my instructors judgement - she really has worked wonders with not only my horse but all the horses/people she teaches at the yard I'm at. She said to me to ride her in the draw reins all the time (until my next lesson in a couple of weeks) to see if it stops the rearing (that is all the draw reins are being used for - to stop the rearing!).
Today:
I went out for a hack on my horse with the calmest horse on the yard. We had been riding for about 20 mins before my horse decided to nap and rear. This didn't bother me, I kept ignoring her and pushing her forward until she decided to throw herself in the sir so high that she almost went over backwards (this was with the draw reins on!). Now I thought the whole point of the draw reins was to make her stop rearing (which it actually did for a while when she started napping!) not make her worse?!!
She is not in any pain, and she is the sort of horse you can't get angry at or use a whip/smack (have tried it and it makes her a lot worse!) Every episode of rearing is very random and generally happens with little warning!
I am very much at a loss of what to do!! She is so talented and has the kindest nature ever - nothing she does is done with the intention of hurting me!!
Any suggestions??
Sidenote:
She DOES NOT scare me in any way (if she did then I probably wouldn't have persevered this long with her!) - what worries me is the fact that she could end up seriously hurting not only me but herself without intending to do it!!