At a loss with sensitive mare..

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EquestrianFairy

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I've owned my girl for 3 years, I know her inside and out. She has always been very very sensitive in her mouth, she is ridden in a Neue Schule loose ring team up snaffle and a micklem bridle- I have bought the best I can afford to make her as comfortable as possible. Her teeth are done every 6 months, she has bit seats rasped in to give as much comfort as possible.
In addition her saddle and back are checked regularly.

The slightest pressure on her mouth, her head goes up, she tantrums and will, if pushed, rear and/or buck.
This makes a consistent contact fairly impossible as it becomes a fight, she can work in a lovely outline but will fight the entire time, in addition, add a strong leg with a consistent contact and it's a receipe for disaster.
She is very forward going so I don't need to use my leg much but it's hard work having lessons when I'm being told to keep my leg on and keep a consistent contact which she hates to make her work correctly.

I've tried bitless and she was even worse.

Any suggestions?!
 
Does also sound like she uses her sensitivity to do what she wants. I would keep the contact constant (not strong!) so that she realises that it will always be there and become a comfort, work her towards it. I would also play with the contact in ground work. Flexing etc so that she fully understands what the contact means.
 
jemima*askin said:
Change instructors.
Click to expand...
This.

She sounds like my maxicob. He is a delight to ride if you start by sitting quietly and with a very relaxed contact. He is a resistant disaster if you jam your leg on and demand an outline. Alas, too many instructors don't 'get' such a sensitive horse. 'Rounder' and 'More leg', they insist. Wrong.

I warm him up in 'economy mode'. Within a few minutes, he is swinging through his body and powering effortlessly forward, with lift and expression. I can use my leg and hand, but with very relaxed aids.

He is ideal for a lazy rider! Disastrous for a busy one.
 
I tend to let her work long and low mainly for schooling (which I'm actually no good at tbh). I don't ask much of her, she's so forward going that I really don't need to. A small squeeze will pop her straight to canter without hesitation.
When jumping I let her have her head so I don't need to mess with her and she is happy as larry!
 
Can I ask what breed she is?
Im used to riding sensitive arabs for endurance and rein contact is usually a no go. Shorten the reins and she's off or bucking...
She is ridden in a snaffle bridle with mid-long rein or sometimes a bitless bridle.

She works a lot on reverse psychology, completely different to the usual horse which is why I love them, intelligent breed...
 
what happens if she is lunged in side reins? if you haven't tried may be worth starting with side reins loose and very carefully and gradually shorten them so she can seek the contact herself...apologies if you have already tried this . if this isn't an option try asking her to maybe do shoulder in or leg yield which may help her to be rounder and sometimes they accept the slight pressure from 1 rein rather than 2.and do lots of change of direction and circles...also have you ever tried a sweet iron bit?. I also think trying a different instructor may help...can you load a video of a lesson? may give people a few more ideas. good luck...
 
I might try a hard rubber pelham with 2 reins, not because its a 'strong' bit its not if used properly, but because many fussy beggars seem to suit it being v quiet and still in the mouth, as well as a new instructor, strong leg contact + strong mouth contact isn't great.

Try an EE instructor they're usually really good at thinking outside the box

http://www.enlightenedequitation.com/teacher_find.htm
 
Perhaps the problem isn't in her mouth, but in her poll? Ask the chiro to take a really good look at it. My mare was checked over routinely at least twice a year, and every time she was sore right at the top of her neck - three guesses where the arthritis started?
 
Maybe even take her back a step with bitting say a happy mouth? Logic doesn't always work with horses. Mine has a vast selection of different NS bits but guess which one is happiest is in...plain hanging snaffle.
 
Is it being put under pressure she doesn't like (so in-hand, can you ask for her to 'give' to the bit without her rearing/flinging her head up/resisting)? Will she let you take a contact if you don't ask her to round up and work from behind? If you can't take any contact at all then it's either a personality thing (doesn't like being forced to do anything) in which a different riding style will work fine, or pain in her head/neck (e.g. poll). If contact is only an issue when you're asking her to work from behind, then the problem could well be in the back or quarters.

I have a horse who has a very low palate and just about tolerates a bit. For her, the problem IS in her mouth, and you can see that because she's ever so keen to please when ridden bitless. So to see the same problem in a bitless bridle, I'd think the problem does not lie in the mouth.
 
I used to own a horse which sounds very similar to yours OP. When I first got the horse she was ridden in all manner of gadgets and strong bits, and I rode her in them to begin with and then I got absolutely fed up of it so my thoughts were to change bits to something really soft and gentle and took off all gadgets. Friends thought I was mad as she was a terribly strong (physically and willed!) horse but it was the best thing I ever did. I put her in an old fashioned bendy rubber snaffle and never looked back. She loved it, would seek it and remain in a lovely contact. She was great to school in it and hack and showjumping. I had to change to another bit to do XC though as I'd have had no hope in heck of holding her XC in a rubber.
 
I'm in your area OP and pretty familiar with quite a few instructors as involved with organising lessons and clinics for my riding club. PM me if you want some recommendations.
 
Few things to work through. I'd certainly see what she's like to lunge in the bit your using now and side reins.

I'd also be interested in knowing what Bitless bridle you tried. I have a light rider Bitless bridle, (after a recommendation from someone on here), my horse loves it and goes very well in it. Best of all, you can buy just a noseband to attach to existing bridle to give it a go.

I also agree with the chiropractor idea; have you had more than one dentist look inside her mouth - a second view may reveal something that needs fixing.
 
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