Bad manners but headshy - Opinions Please

[Flame_]

OK. My mare is a difficult ride but as I'm the only rider and its my choice to deal with it, this is fine. Her personality is a bit difficult in general though and as I'm on part livery I'm worried about it becoming a problem. YM is generally very competant and helpful and is in no way inclined to be awkward, but she has told me my horse is becoming too full of herself and difficult to turn out.

The mare is big and powerful and well aware of her own strength. She is, by nature, quite pushy, cheeky and likes to mess and play about - in this respect a normal cocky six year old that needs to know the rules. However she has an iffy history that I do not know the details of but she has panic attacks when mounted, is very touchy about her head and her ears and the only time i have ever smacked her (for trying to cow-kick me) she shot to the corner of the stable cowering and I couldn't get near her head for five minutes.

Now she has taken to dragging the yard staff to the field before snatching back and legging it off. If they try to slow her down on the way to the field I'm told she has been rearing. YM asked for permission to give her a wallop and my answer was "erm, if it helps but I don't really think it would". First I suggested taking her to the field in her bridle but after thinking it through she is touchy enough about me putting her bridle on and off quietly in the stable, in the field when she's wanting to run off, they would never get near her ears to get it off.

YM is going to try taking a carrot to distract her on the way to the field and to give her as she is released, and hopefully she will settle down later in the year when turnout is more regular and not dependent on the weather. But if anyone has any more suggestions they would be very much appreciated - I really could do with improving her manners in general without knocking her confidence.

 

[ISHmad]

On a slightly different tangent I just wondered if you have ever had her poll checked? It could well be out, and leading to her being ultra sensitive around the head. One of the horses at our yard was like this, an absolute nightmare to handle etc. The back lady checked him out and yes, his poll was out and he would have been suffering blinding headaches. Just a thought, something to rule out possibly?

 

[Flame_]

Yep. Two physios and a chiropracter - also generally lots of vets and X-rays. I'm afraid I've given up looking for physical causes for now, thanks for the suggestion though.

 

[pottamus]

Sounds a bit like my cheeky Welshie! If I were you I would set aside 5 min a day to instill some manners when being lead. Get yourself a chiffney bit and get her leading nicely and stopping when asked, backing up and generally being a nicer person to handle. Wear a hat and gloves and the chifney will give you the control you need as she won't get away in one of those. Use a lunge line clipped to the chifney and if in doubt get someone to show you how to use one properly. As you know, it is not safe for people to be handling your horse if she is running off and being naughty. You need to take the time to teach her how to behave and then give little back up lessons now and then to remind her if she slips back...and she will because the cheeky ones that know their strength always do...mine included.
I would not be destracting with food because that will make her more pushy, in your face and cheeky! If she misbehaves turn her round in tight circles a few times and then ask for another 'walk on', if she walk give lots of praise but be prepared to keep doing the circles until she gets the message.

 

[SAL66]

I must agree with Pottamus and instilling some manners is the way to go forward, A horse that I have to turnout is so strong that a chiffney is used and I must say it works.

i don't think giving the horse a wallop is the way at all respect can be learnt without hitting, surely this would only add to her being wary of people, I am not a fan of hitting horses from what i've seen it only causes more problems than it actually solves, but that is just my opinion.

 

[Dutch]

MY horse, Dutchie, was really fit and he used to love to mess around on the way to the field and back, often bucking etc! He did get away from me once or twice, I never really worried about it. I also used to put the rope over his nose, and through the back of the headcollar under his chin, not tight or anything, just so he stopped him from becoming too strong! He used to passage too in from the field and gallop off rodeoing when I turned him out, he was ridden about 6 times a week and competed a lot in advanced-medium classes.

My first thing to say to you would be that perhaps your mare is getting "hot" on the food she is having, I find horses, particularly competition horses, are much more wild in the winter. Perhaps give her more hay and hi-fi instead of alfa- a etc, this might help calm her down a bit.

I don't think hitting the horse is the answer at all, like you say, it wont help, if anything it will make her more headshy and more likely to steamroll you down and go off for a gallop!

A good deal more exercise may also help to calm her down but that depends on your facilities and time.

Try not to worry or lose heart, I am sure she will calm down soon!

Diana

 

[Maesfen]

I have to agree with Pottamus and DD!
I have just taken back an old horse who learnt as a 5 year old that it was fun to p*ss off when only wearing a headcollar; many are the times he has got away with it in the past; he was actually supplied with his own Chifney! Yesterday, I got blase, he's been here a week and not put a foot wrong - in the chifney! - fetched him in on just the headcollar and the blighter barged straight through me knocking me flying! I was not amused as you can imagine, covered in mud and soaking; you lot would have enjoyed it! Caught him, stuck the chifney on and he was like a lamb, it makes that much difference, honestly. This morning, turned him out in the chifney and he's plodding along like a dobbin but I have no doubt he'd be as bargy as he was yesterday if I didn't use it.

 

[dixie]

Have you tried the Monty Roberts Dually headcollar for leading in and out. If fits just like a headcollar but there is pressure on the nose which really worked with my horse who used to barge about and take off.

 

[Flame_]

Thank you all very much for your ideas. Sounds like the chifney should really be the way to go, I'm just concerned one of the less experienced yard staff might try using it on her and could cause some damage because I was under the impression they can be very severe. I think I'll try a pressure halter first for turning out bringing in so the others stick to this, and I'll try spending some time each day doing some ground work with her in the halter or, if she needs it, a chifney until she's generally a bit more respectful. I can't cut her feed down any more unfortunately, she's only getting a few pony nuts and haylage as it is. Thanks again.

 

[elsielouise]

I had a gelding a bit like this a few years ago. Got so bad YO refused to turn himout.

He would also charge through the gateways when he got to field and was, in all reality very dangerous.

I ended up spending two hours one day riding him up and down from stable to field until I could ride him through the gateway without him bombing off - even under saddle. Had a good friend on stand by to open and close the gate.

We progressed to leading up and down the track to the field in a bridle until he was so bored his head was touching the floor. I used buckets of feed initially to tempt him to wait rather than shoot off and didn't feed him before hand.

I used a bridle with no attachments other than head stall that oculd be taken off quickly but I made him wait the time it would've taken to take off full bridle.

eventually over a period of three weeks or so he could be led down by YO then headcollar.

I was a student at the time so had the time and not saying it wold work for you but the 'bore them to death' routine worked for us.

he had got this way by being on partlivery in a different yard where YO simply opened all stable doors in the morning and allowed a free for all dash to the field. I moved him when I found out that was happening.

EVENTUALLY the YO was convinced that taking him in a bridle, with feed in sight was safe and was convinced after I showed her he was 'fixed'. He was never bad to turn out after that.

Oh and you could try a pressure halter. I had a Richard Maxwell version that I used with my young horse for a different problem and that would also probably have worked with him.

 

[Rana]

A pressure halter would probably be the way to go, especially if you can find time to "school" her in it each evening.

Perhaps you could also ask your YM if it would help to turn her out first - if she sees other horses going out, or in the field, that could be winding her up. It could be a short term solution until she gets used to the pressure halter.