Experiences with Michael Peace?

[little_critter]

I'm having planting issues with my mare and this has been going on for 8 months now. I reached the limit of my capabilities some time ago and we are currently ruling out any medical issues (saddle & back have been checked and are fine)
Can I have your experiences with Michael. Did he sort your issues? Did he leave instructions in how to continue work?
I'm sure Michael will be underwhelmed by my laid back mare; no bucking/rearing/wild snorting animal but her stuffiness and planting mean every schooling session is a struggle as is every time I hack alone.
Thanks in advance from an emotionally drained owner!

 

[ecrozier]

He was at our yard recently with a difficult loader. Seemed a very competent nice chap and sorted the horse in question, so from my limited experience he seemed excellent. I've also used Richard Maxwell for my own horse in the past and he was brilliant!

 

[here_i_am]

I used Michael several years ago for a mare of mine who was a b**ch to load & clip. He was fab. It was a competition that i won, so the session took place at a horsey event at Stoneleigh Park. It would have been more beneficial to have it at home, as she sort of made a lier out of me there! Still learnt a LOT from him though & still use things he taught me today

 

[Tammytoo]

I had him for a horse who fought every attempt to load her using all "traditional" and "natural" methods. He had her walking in within 30 minutes doing nothing but watch her body language and understand what was bothering her. He thought she had been bullied and rushed in the past and was expecting a fight, so he took the pressure off, gave her time to look and think and she's never looked back. He gave me homework for the following few weeks, but we've never had a problem since.

He has no magic formula, he just has the knack of seeing the problem from the horse's point of view and knowing how to overcome it. Well worth the money!

I would be very interested to hear how you get on as I also have a planter on solo hacks!.

 

[Morgan123]

I know of several people who have had him with excellent results. in fact i have never heard anyone say anything bad about him, at all, and he is local to me!! I prefer him to rm, much gentler. he did a great job on a nappy mare i knew who also planted. good luck!

 

[crabbymare]

He tends to be more relaxing for the horses than some others and tries to understand why they have a problem so if the horse is nervous he will spend time with them and they are not hurried into anything. better than some of the people who try to get a quick result

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I saw him at a "demo" a few years ago; did brilliantly with a very difficult stressy mare in front of a crowd - and you could see that it wasn't a set up in any way.

My trainer thinks very highly of him; and so that's good enough for me.

I don't think he's cheap..... but IMO would be well worth it.

 

[MerrySherryRider]

Sent a very intelligent mare to him several years ago for consolidation training after backing. He was brilliant. My horse loved him and really can't say enough about what he did for her.
Worth every penny. He does train owner and horse together as well as just the horse. He also gives instructions to continue with and work on afterwards.

 

[silvester]

He was great on a horse I knew that was vicious, but if by stuffy and planting in the school you mean napping, I would have thought there were better trainers around? I'd totally recommend him for issues on the ground, but ridden work such as nappiness I'd think you could find a good instructor to come regulary and chase you with a big stick for a lot less money!!!!

 

[Tammytoo]

I'd totally recommend him for issues on the ground, but ridden work such as nappiness I'd think you could find a good instructor to come regulary and chase you with a big stick for a lot less money!!!!

What happens when the instructor isn't around with a big stick?

 

[floradora09]

A friend's used him for loading issues with her very highly strung gelding, and really rated him

 

[Ilovefoals]

Just a thought but has she seen a vet? My mare was the same. Stuffy and nappy. Turned out she had hind suspensory damage tho was never really lame as such. Just unwilling to go forward, planting, napping and sticky. She's now retired at 8yrs old. Get your vet to scan her ligaments is my advice!

 

[little_critter]

Ilovefoals- were going through vet checks at the moment. Problem is she's not obviously in pain so it's hard to pinpoint what (if anything) the issue is. She had a bone scan in September which showed hock spavins and something going on with pedal bones. X-rays showed a very small change in 1 hock and that feet were all ok. She had steroid injections into her hocks and is now off work for 4 weeks.
The problem is that sometimes she does something that makes you think it's pain, then she does something that makes you think it's behavioural (is keen and sound when hacking in company but switches off in the school/hacking alone)
If there's no improvement after her 4 weeks off we will nerve block feet and ride her. If she still plants when she can't feel her feet then her feet aren't an issue.
I will exhaust all medical options first but I want to look ahead just in case we rule out all medical issues and it turns out to be behavioural.
I don't want a big stick wielding instructor. Tried that. It doesn't fix it in the long term, I need to tap into her brain.