Caramac71
Well-Known Member
We have a 14 year old pony on loan. She has apparently never been particularly hormonal. She had a foal 2 years ago.
My daughter started loaning her at the end of July last year - and there was only one occasional last year where she was noticably in season (flirting and squirting at the horses next door). No obvious changes in behaviour at that time.
Over winter there have been various issues that we have resolved (back/stifle problems addressed and treated, new saddle) - but during the times she was having issues this was only shown in problems with canter lead, otherwise she was still her usual sweet natured, willing self.
She's never been a natural jumper, its not something she's done much of but she seemed to enjoy it and would give most things a go. Anything too complex and she would run out, but if the jump was simplified and she was allowed to build up to the more complex version, generally they'd get there in the end.
Since end of March this year she has changed (ridden only, she is still sweet and loving and well mannered on the ground). She has become very very stubborn and nappy. It started with a xc clinic where she was very selective about what she'd do. We put this down to her inexperience as it was their first xc outing together, and she'd only been a couple of times with her owner. But it was very odd what she would jump and what she wouldnt. Instructor got on and still didnt manage to get her over one particular jump. But she would jump bigger/more complex jumps. No logical explanation! Then a few weeks later at a SJ clinic she decided, after having jumped a few jumps, that she wasn't going to jump any more. Instructor put the jump down to a pole on the ground and she still wouldnt go over. Very difficult in a clinic to manage that behaviour, so instructor got them to wait til the end and then get her round a tiny course.
It's progressively got worse in that some days she will go out and do anything that is asked of her, and others she wont do a thing. We thought it was a confidence issue - on a pc xc rally recently the instructor suggested getting her to follow another pony that she likes, and once she got going she would jump anything and everything. Instructor then suggested we build on this and come back to same course with same companion for schooling which we did a couple of weeks later. Second time, pony just wanted to nap back to the lorry, wouldnt even go forward and canter around the edge of the field. They did eventually jump a few jumps, but only those heading back towards the lorry.
On Friday, at home, we put up some tiny jumps and she was stopping or running out. I stood the other side of the jumps and then she would jump them. She was trying to nap to me the whole time (she knows I have treats!).
Yesterday they went out SJ and in both classes, pony jumped the first jump and then wouldnt go over the second so they got eliminated. Different course both times, at a venue and set of jumps that she has successfully jumped many times (last time they were there was last month and she had a couple of great rounds). First class was about 2'3, second was about 2'6, both heights that she has happily jumped previously. In fact at this venue she has done a 2'9 course before.
Other than the stubborn/nappy behaviour and the fact that previously she was the kind of pony that loved to please but now is completely indifferent, she has been very noticably in season since April. She is obsessed with a mare at our yard, stands gazing at her and squirting constantly. Strangely, when this mare arrived at the end of last year, she was terrified of her!
I am keeping track of her moods and her seasons and we thought it all related - however yesterday she was not in season (I think she is due to come into season in about 5 days) and she was the worst I have ever seen her
.
I think she has learnt that she can get away with napping since the 2 clinics where she first displayed this kind of behaviour. I've asked her owner, who I know had problems with her stubborn behaviour when she was much younger, how she dealt with it. She said that the pony learnt the owner was more stubborn than her. But honestly I dont know what else my daughter can do and she is getting so frustrated.
In the last fortnight we have had teeth, saddle, weight/nutrition and back checks - all of which have been really happy with her. My gut feeling is that there is not a physical problem and in flatwork lessons and dressage tests she is working really well.
Everything I read about hormonal mares says about how they are dangerous - but she isnt at all. Nor is she sensitive to being tacked up or being ridden (and she is sensitive to her saddle, so we are able to identify subtle changes when she's feeling discomfort). There is no nasty behaviour going on, she is so safe to hack out, doesnt buck, rear or do anything remotely dangerous. She just will refuse to go forward (or at the other extreme will go fast and strong and run out of jumps). And if she is really pushed, she switches off. Dead to the leg and the whip. We have had different instructors and knowledgeable experienced friends all witness her at her worst, and they all declare her the most stubborn pony they have ever met and put it down to her being a mare. Sadly no one seems to have much of a solution.
We are actually in the process of moving yards next week and we have managed to book a couple of lessons next month with the pc instructor who did successfully get her going round the xc course, so I am hoping a change of environment and a fresh approach from an instructor that has only met them both once, may give them something positive to work from.
It's just hugely puzzling as to why the pony has changed so much since Spring this year, and I'm questioning as to whether it could be hormonal as that is the only thing we can think that has changed in recent months.
Sorry its long and waffling, but we really are so disheartened at the moment and I just wondered if anyone on here had any experience with anything similar? Or even if someone could explain a mare's cycle to me so that we can see if there is a pattern to her behaviour.
My daughter started loaning her at the end of July last year - and there was only one occasional last year where she was noticably in season (flirting and squirting at the horses next door). No obvious changes in behaviour at that time.
Over winter there have been various issues that we have resolved (back/stifle problems addressed and treated, new saddle) - but during the times she was having issues this was only shown in problems with canter lead, otherwise she was still her usual sweet natured, willing self.
She's never been a natural jumper, its not something she's done much of but she seemed to enjoy it and would give most things a go. Anything too complex and she would run out, but if the jump was simplified and she was allowed to build up to the more complex version, generally they'd get there in the end.
Since end of March this year she has changed (ridden only, she is still sweet and loving and well mannered on the ground). She has become very very stubborn and nappy. It started with a xc clinic where she was very selective about what she'd do. We put this down to her inexperience as it was their first xc outing together, and she'd only been a couple of times with her owner. But it was very odd what she would jump and what she wouldnt. Instructor got on and still didnt manage to get her over one particular jump. But she would jump bigger/more complex jumps. No logical explanation! Then a few weeks later at a SJ clinic she decided, after having jumped a few jumps, that she wasn't going to jump any more. Instructor put the jump down to a pole on the ground and she still wouldnt go over. Very difficult in a clinic to manage that behaviour, so instructor got them to wait til the end and then get her round a tiny course.
It's progressively got worse in that some days she will go out and do anything that is asked of her, and others she wont do a thing. We thought it was a confidence issue - on a pc xc rally recently the instructor suggested getting her to follow another pony that she likes, and once she got going she would jump anything and everything. Instructor then suggested we build on this and come back to same course with same companion for schooling which we did a couple of weeks later. Second time, pony just wanted to nap back to the lorry, wouldnt even go forward and canter around the edge of the field. They did eventually jump a few jumps, but only those heading back towards the lorry.
On Friday, at home, we put up some tiny jumps and she was stopping or running out. I stood the other side of the jumps and then she would jump them. She was trying to nap to me the whole time (she knows I have treats!).
Yesterday they went out SJ and in both classes, pony jumped the first jump and then wouldnt go over the second so they got eliminated. Different course both times, at a venue and set of jumps that she has successfully jumped many times (last time they were there was last month and she had a couple of great rounds). First class was about 2'3, second was about 2'6, both heights that she has happily jumped previously. In fact at this venue she has done a 2'9 course before.
Other than the stubborn/nappy behaviour and the fact that previously she was the kind of pony that loved to please but now is completely indifferent, she has been very noticably in season since April. She is obsessed with a mare at our yard, stands gazing at her and squirting constantly. Strangely, when this mare arrived at the end of last year, she was terrified of her!
I am keeping track of her moods and her seasons and we thought it all related - however yesterday she was not in season (I think she is due to come into season in about 5 days) and she was the worst I have ever seen her
.I think she has learnt that she can get away with napping since the 2 clinics where she first displayed this kind of behaviour. I've asked her owner, who I know had problems with her stubborn behaviour when she was much younger, how she dealt with it. She said that the pony learnt the owner was more stubborn than her. But honestly I dont know what else my daughter can do and she is getting so frustrated.
In the last fortnight we have had teeth, saddle, weight/nutrition and back checks - all of which have been really happy with her. My gut feeling is that there is not a physical problem and in flatwork lessons and dressage tests she is working really well.
Everything I read about hormonal mares says about how they are dangerous - but she isnt at all. Nor is she sensitive to being tacked up or being ridden (and she is sensitive to her saddle, so we are able to identify subtle changes when she's feeling discomfort). There is no nasty behaviour going on, she is so safe to hack out, doesnt buck, rear or do anything remotely dangerous. She just will refuse to go forward (or at the other extreme will go fast and strong and run out of jumps). And if she is really pushed, she switches off. Dead to the leg and the whip. We have had different instructors and knowledgeable experienced friends all witness her at her worst, and they all declare her the most stubborn pony they have ever met and put it down to her being a mare. Sadly no one seems to have much of a solution.
We are actually in the process of moving yards next week and we have managed to book a couple of lessons next month with the pc instructor who did successfully get her going round the xc course, so I am hoping a change of environment and a fresh approach from an instructor that has only met them both once, may give them something positive to work from.
It's just hugely puzzling as to why the pony has changed so much since Spring this year, and I'm questioning as to whether it could be hormonal as that is the only thing we can think that has changed in recent months.
Sorry its long and waffling, but we really are so disheartened at the moment and I just wondered if anyone on here had any experience with anything similar? Or even if someone could explain a mare's cycle to me so that we can see if there is a pattern to her behaviour.
