charlotte26
New User
hi..i will try to keep this short as i can
i am 26yrs old i have had a dutch warmblood mare for 3 and half yrs now. she is my 1st horse and i intend to keep her for life we have a very good bond as i have always spent alot of time in the school doing join up etc with her. when i bought her she had been a sj and she was 7yrs old. she only knew how to walk and canter, it took me months of schooling to teach her to trot. she is a very forward and on her toes ride as its just her nature but in the stable she is a lovely calm horse. she is not the sort of horse anyone can jump on as she has adapted to me and is calm for me but still has that forwardness and can still be very sharp. the problem i am having is i have always wanted to show her but i cant ride her without her martingale. instructors have told me tht the martingale aint even doing anything when on her but yet when i take it off she instantly knows and she lifts her head high up, and then at any point she stops dead bounces on the spot and head butts me in the face with the back of her head. when her martingale is on she goes calmly and yes she is prob behind the bit as she drops her head low for me. she is also a very sensitive horse so using strong bits wont work but ive had her a while now and really want to do something with her but cant get past this martingale thing. another thing ive never been able to stop her doing is barring against the bit, in downward transitions or when shes had enough in trot she wil open her mouth and pull hard against the bit (a flash dosnt stop her) she is only in a snaffle i have tried 3 diff snaffles so far but she the same in them all.she is an extremely well bred horse but even so i only want to do very low level showing with her. its such a shame please can anyone help me.
i am 26yrs old i have had a dutch warmblood mare for 3 and half yrs now. she is my 1st horse and i intend to keep her for life we have a very good bond as i have always spent alot of time in the school doing join up etc with her. when i bought her she had been a sj and she was 7yrs old. she only knew how to walk and canter, it took me months of schooling to teach her to trot. she is a very forward and on her toes ride as its just her nature but in the stable she is a lovely calm horse. she is not the sort of horse anyone can jump on as she has adapted to me and is calm for me but still has that forwardness and can still be very sharp. the problem i am having is i have always wanted to show her but i cant ride her without her martingale. instructors have told me tht the martingale aint even doing anything when on her but yet when i take it off she instantly knows and she lifts her head high up, and then at any point she stops dead bounces on the spot and head butts me in the face with the back of her head. when her martingale is on she goes calmly and yes she is prob behind the bit as she drops her head low for me. she is also a very sensitive horse so using strong bits wont work but ive had her a while now and really want to do something with her but cant get past this martingale thing. another thing ive never been able to stop her doing is barring against the bit, in downward transitions or when shes had enough in trot she wil open her mouth and pull hard against the bit (a flash dosnt stop her) she is only in a snaffle i have tried 3 diff snaffles so far but she the same in them all.she is an extremely well bred horse but even so i only want to do very low level showing with her. its such a shame please can anyone help me.
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