breath holding mare !

[kombikids]

my lovely little mare gets very anxious, shes tb, i have been told that she holds her breath when we canter and sometimes in trot if theres lots going on around us! anyone know how to solve this? want to tell her its not that scary really!

 

[Shilasdair]

Keep cantering, taking one hand forward and patting her neck whilst speaking to her.
She'll have to breathe....at some point and should learn that it isn't a problem to breathe whilst cantering.
S

 

[Abbeygale]

Does she do this on the lunge? Or out hacking? Or only when schooling?

If she is only doing it when schooling - I would go back out hacking and let her let her hair down and enjoy trotting and cantering again.

My tb mare used to get herself all worked up when we were schooling - and in the end I just stopped schooling her for a while, and just went out jollying and hacking until she was happy enough to go back in the school.

 

[dianchi]

Keep chatting away and tell her she is a good girl when she chills out!
Breathing out loudly also helps rider to stay chilled and relaxed too! Also neddy then knows your not stressed so they tend to relax!

 

[kerilli]

lots of fuss and patting. i rode a mare for someone who did this, it was very noticeable. she had very bad damage to the bars of her mouth when she arrived at my yard, i think it was the pain/anticipation of pain from this that made her panic and hold her breath.

 

[Sare]

aargh- i keep holding my own breath everytime i read the title of this post. Will someone please talk to and pat me!