Felt like crying, so I did (long)

Try taking the hind shoes off and hacking on gravel, don't feed anything other than hay and Fast Fibre, also it is worthwhile trying a mare type supplement.
She needs more schooling in her flat-work and no more solo hacking until you have it sorted.
A good rider may sort it out for you, but you need to be confident you will start riding her again.
Long reining is better than lunging if you can cope with two reins, but with this lady, you need to have absolute obedience.
 
Take time out with your mare,give her the summer off and really get to know her inside and out,lead her out on the roads inhand for short distances,lunge her. A mare when they trust you, will give so much,but you have to respect them and you will find the respect and trust comes back ten fold.
 
Honey08 thanks for your reply, it's not traffic she is scared of, infact she is fantastic with all traffic, the problem is the village is quite small including the roads, so when a lorry comes through you have to move to a driveway/gateway to let them past, and as soon as you stop to let the lorry past she won't go forward again!

Also as long as she gets the all clear from the vet definately think lunging first is a good idea.

Miss l toe, excuse me for being ignorant but could you explain the reason behind taking off rear shoes and hacking on gravel, I've never heard of this.
 
Jen_Cots said:
I think you've probably got to the stage where you need some help, both for moral support and technique. So I would find someone local to you with a good reputation

To use that full cheek correctly for this sort of thing you need to do a bit of lateral work with your horse. By that I mean flexing the neck and moving the quarters if desired.

In broad terms the minute she starts to act up you use one rein and pull her head to your foot (and I mean full flexion), from here she cannot rear and the only thing she can do is spin round, you do not release until all feet have stopped moving and you have counted to at least 3 - pat and release

Ask her to move forwards, if same reaction flex again (I do it on both sides to even up the muscles).

This really works, with no flapping. However its something you need to practise before trying it in a dangerous situation (road and cars)

This is the degree of flexion (mare was rearing and fell over with me, a kind Aussie bloke taught me this to stop her)

229434_10150261092512095_532297094_9544484_1440302_n.jpg
Click to expand...

/\ /\ This /\ /\

One rein stop technique - It works on all manner of problems and is explained well in a book by Mark Rashid 'Considering the horse'
 
welsh_mare said:
Honey08 thanks for your reply, it's not traffic she is scared of, infact she is fantastic with all traffic, the problem is the village is quite small including the roads, so when a lorry comes through you have to move to a driveway/gateway to let them past, and as soon as you stop to let the lorry past she won't go forward again!

Also as long as she gets the all clear from the vet definately think lunging first is a good idea.

Miss l toe, excuse me for being ignorant but could you explain the reason behind taking off rear shoes and hacking on gravel, I've never heard of this.
Click to expand...
She will have to take all her weight on her hind feet, which is going to make her sore when she rears.
She is taking the pixel, when you have to get out of the way of a lorry, can you ask her to turn to face the oncoming traffic and just stand still, I know this seem a ridiculous suggestion, but my boy naps, and yet he is excellent in traffic, and will always stand quietly when asked to do this.
I see she then won't go forward, well ask her to travel in a very tight circle, pushing your offside leg hard against her barrel, if that makes sense. Keep presenting her head the way you want to go, with a nudge of your fists on her withers.
What happens if she is standing in a gateway, and you just do nothing, will she stand there for ever?
 
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I think you are doing the right thing checking her over for physical reasons first,
then is there an instructor or experienced freind that can ride her and get an idea of why she is doing it and how far to push her.
My old appaloosa, bless him, was a nappy old git. This is what worked for him.
He used to do the rear, buck, rear, buck when pushed on in a straight line.
I found the one rein stop ( shown earlier :D ) using an opening rein, and spinning him, not just a couple of times, but 9 or 10 times, then as soon as you are facing the right way, kick on. If they nap again, spin again, really tight fast circles, really push them around with your legs as well as using your reins, until she'll be desparate to move forwards rather than in circles, then kick on as soon as you are facing the way you want to go.
My boy then started walking backwards.... a trail ride going backwards cured that little tactic, he soon wanted to walk forwards.
Good luck
Kx
 
Mare is napping because she is scared of going out on her own. She is not trying to 'win' or be naughty. I had terrible problems with my mare when I first got her only she didn't rear so badly. Her trick was to run really fast backwards into whatever car or horse or bush that happened to be in her way. I did solve it. The key was to understand she was doing it through fear, lack of confidence and lack of trust in me. To solve it I rode her out in company, giving her short spells in front but not presurising her too much. When on my own I just got off when she napped and led her past whatever was the problem, or if it wasn't anything specific, I just led her for a hundred yards or so and got back on. That way she knew a) that she would have to go in any case, no matter what she did. And b) that I was taking her fear seriously and giving her the support she needed to overcome her fears. She became the best hacking horse I have ever had when on her own. In company, she always preferred to tuck behind someone else but would take the lead if required. Good luck.
 
Ditto the head to the foot and just keeping going round and round and round until your horse really, really wants to stop, then go once more, release and pat. If she's immediately an ar$e, do it again the other way.

When you have to go into a gateway, when there is space to move again, don't ask for a forwards walk, ask her to back up or to turn, with head to nose. Do something that she isn't expecting. All done nice and quietly, no need to be loud or anything else with her (not saying you do), just make sure that she trusts you as in your voice and your presence, but that she doesn't know what you want to do next so she has to concentrate on you.

I had it with the Dizz when I got her, minus the rearing, but we did an awful lot of spinning and going backwards. Narrow lane with a ditch. Interesting. When she span I'd pull that side and keep her going - the bit would come through but I just kept pulling. Then stop when I was 'ready' (usually dizzy by that point, hence her name!), quick sort out of the bit if necessary, then I'd turn her round the other way. When riding along the road, on the long straight bits so's I could see what was coming, I'd have her leg yielding from side to side, and doing tiny serpentines that were just the width of the road. She seemed to need the input and the something to think about. Now I can hack her out on her own just about anywhere and past just about anything (we used to go past things backwards, often at speed, but we got past them - not much traffic on those roads though).

Well done for sticking with it so far hunny. I think a few or a lot of tears are to be expected really!
 
What are you feeding her? Some time ago a lady was having similar (but much more dangerous) problems with her horse, who was lovely when he wasn't having an explosion. If I remember rightly it was down to sugar intolerance. Try cutting out all sugars (even speedibeet has some sugar) and feed sugar free like Pure Horse Feeds.

Oberon is our feed guru on here,perhaps you could contact her for advice?
 
Great advice from Jen-Cots and when you long rein as suggested by others, use a clear voice command to go forward backed up with a whip the minute she hesitates. Once established you can use/transfer the verbal command to ridden work. You're a brave woman:)
 
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