Few General Questions about my new Appaloosa mare!

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JinglebellJessi & MistletoeMagic

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Hiya, I've got a few questions i was hoping some people might be able to help me out on! I've just bought a 15hh Appaloosa x New forest mare, she's 5 years old, bought from some very lovely travellers that unfortunately had no idea on her history! I got her for very cheap, described as unbroken with tack on. and she arrived with just her, a headcollar and her passport! I put some tack on her after a few days out of sheer curiosity and she took it so very well, head down, relaxed like she'd been doing it her whole life. A friend was with me and suggested i lay across her and watch her reaction so i did and she didn't care so i thought as we were going so well i'd sit on her properly and have alittle wander on lead rein. long story short she's already perfectly broken. no jumping or cantering due to wet weather attempted but perfect walk, trot, circles. Anyway to those questions!

1, after being tacked up 5 or 6 time shes suddenly become very very headshy, i can touch her ears, forlock and halter her but when i bring the bridle up to her ears its chaos. i was wondering if anyone had any tips on how to show her its not a threat. I've been working on asking her to take treats with her nose in it but as soon as its raised past the eyes she'll get so very scared.

2, as the only thing that came with her was a passport ive been running round organising farriers, vets, saddle fittings and insurance ect but when i went to transfer the passport into my name, i downloaded the form from the newforest pony society but it says i need the last owners signature. The people i bought her from aren't even on it, the last registered owner is her breeder and thats the other side of england!! what should i do?

Any help would be wonderful! or even information on Appaloosa's a im a whiz with newforest breeding but appaloosa's always seemed too exotic for me!

Heres a pretty picture of her (:
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Have her teeth checked re the bridling issues. One of our mares had a very reactive reaction to the bridle and turned out she needed 2 teeth taken out as they were broken!
Not saying it's def that...but that would be my first thing :)


Good luck with her.
 
Thank you, I'll ensure the vet gets a good look at them when she comes down. tbh she doesnt mind the bit in her mouth, shes fine with it. its the browband that gets her. i can take apart the entire bridle without the browband and shes fine, not a problem but as soon as its back she freaks out. ive made the bridle bigger, had a friend help so i dont run the risk of getting her ears caught but she still doesnt like it when i go to put it on.
 
Am guessing you have already tried different ways of getting the bridle on, but if she is fine without brow band, can you manage without for a while? This avoids a confrontation/bad associations at this delicate stage of your relationship, and you may find that later on it is not an issue at all.
 
Yes, its not a needed thing, i can do without it fine. i can literally build the bridle on her head without so much of a blink but if the whole assembled thing comes at her she really doesnt like it. Ive tried doing it reallllllyyy slowly and quickly. Im also very short! at 5ft with t rex arms when she throws her head up i can't hold the bridle in a constant position so when she throws her head it flicks over her eyes and aggravates her :( Im a definite pony person and im worried that i'll knock my confidence with horses if i push this :(
 
That sounds like it could be something in her ears then. My old pony was the same, he suffered from extremely bad Aural Plaques and were too sore to physically put a bridle on the normal way, so I had to put it on in pieces also, otherwise he'd react and was impossible to bridle for a while after. I could do it on the one off and he wouldn't react but if after a couple of times doing it, he'd really play up over it and was a nightmare.
 
The two things that sprang to my mind were ears and possibly a brow band that she finds too tight. My appy mare has a very 'wedge' shaped head, uses a horse size brow band, but a cob size nose band, although her head is only cob size in length, it does make getting bridles a bit more awkawrd to buy. The other thing I would look at, is the bit, is it long enough and thin enough, both current Appy and the Old Appy were much happier with qute thin mouthpieces. Good luck with her and keep us updated :)
 
I am not sure I should reply to this as I have an appaloosa x native and TBH I would never have another appy or appy cross.
I love my spotty lad dearly but they are IME quirky,over sensitve,very sharp,catch on incredibly fast (which can be a blessing and a curse),and certainly not straight forward or easy.

Having said all that the rewards if you can stick it out for long enough are huge because you will never find another equine friend as loyal,versatile or intelligent as a good appy.

That is of course just my experience,but having read on this and other forums posts from other appy owners it does seem to be a trend with them.They are not generally known for being anyones ride or easy to understand and train.

I'm really sorry if that sounds negative,and your mare of course might be a sweetheart and not a typical appy at all,but as you asked for info on them thought would share my thoughts.Do a search on here for appaloosa and should come across some threads dedicated to them.
My lad is the love of my life and believe me even with his 'quirks' has been a pleasure to work with because when he get's it right it's usually quite spectacular,and he has taught me loads (had him since 3 yrs old and done nothing) and is very talented riden wise,BUT there have also been many frustations along the way and even when he's been good he's never been easy!!

The bridling issue I would check teeth first as it's obvious,if not I would just keep at it,keeping calm and quiet.Appy's IME do not respond to any form of forceful training or approach.

The passport thing.I had to do this for a fell pony I sold,luckily I was in touch with buyer and she posted it down to me and I signed and sent it back.Could you get a form from the breed society and post it off with a note to the previous owners,sure they will be happy to sign and return it for you.
 
Agree with some of what devonlass says, mind you I now have a second Appy mare :eek: The current one is a good girl, compared with the old one! She is sharp and quick to learn, but has fantastic manners, having been brought up incredibly well ( I can't take any credit, but have spoken to her breeders and think it is down to them). She is however spooky and reacts in a split second, so you have to keep your wits about you. I ride her in a myler pelham as I found that the ewe neck she arrived with was almost impossible to work on erradicating in a snaffle
 
YorksG said:
both current Appy and the Old Appy were much happier with qute thin mouthpieces. Good luck with her and keep us updated :)
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Would agree with that,my lad doesn't like a thick mouthpiece and always rubs the corners of his mouth regardless of fit,height in his mouth etc.Much happier with a light and thin type of bit.


I find them very responsive but over sensitive souls generally,and happy to let you know if something isn't to their liking.You may not be able to see the issue easily,but sounds like she is trying to tell you there is one.I always call my lad a drama queen,bless him lol
 
Not all appys are like that, they have brains and I can get mine to pretty much anything...

I also have a TB that needs the bridle building over her head, she's very earshy, I'm assuming she's been eartwitched at some point, it's not an issue, if it started recently though, I'd have her ears checked

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YorksG said:
She is sharp and quick to learn, but has fantastic manners, She is however spooky and reacts in a split second, so you have to keep your wits about you.
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My lad is just the same!! Has manners to burn and would trust him with a granny or a toddler on the ground.Took a while to get to that stage mind simply as he was soooo spooky and prone to over reacting that couldn't always be trusted not to jump out of his skin!!

Much better now and bombproof on the ground,but sounds like yours ridden wise,have to be one step ahead and certainly not a relaxing ride,although always a fun one!!
 
devonlass said:
Certainly not saying they don't have brains,the opposite is the problem I find,way too clever lol
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They are indeed :D This can also lead to all sorts of silly games if they get bored! My current Appy is traffic proof, unfortunately the Old one wasn't and could be a little dangerous if there was large traffic about, because she thought that she was cleverer than me, she would never believe me that the traffic would not eat her!
The current girl will however spook at things at the side of the road, even if there is traffic around. The other issue we have had, with them both, is that if you introduce 'spooky' things at home, they know they are ours and therefore safe, however objects of the same sort, out and about are not to be trusted! An eg of this is plastic on the ground, after the current girl dumped me out on a fast hack in reaction to haylage wrap on a path, we put some outside the stable. She walked over it first time, with no worries, because she knew what was under it!
 
Devonlass - your first post perfectly describes my appy x!

Wouldn't have another I don't think!

Java Is extremely quirky and sensitive and extremely intelligent which can be quite frustrating

But as you said when they get it right they are fab.

We have had a difficult 18months with J but it has been rewarding to get through it and certainly given me more experience with the quirkier types!

I had heard appy's likes happy mouth bits, J quite like his but changed back to a thinnish loose ring French link snaffle which he seems to quite like

To OP - she is gorgeous :D
 
My appy is also quirky, sharp and sensitive. He has more brains than he knows what to do with which as Kirsty+Java has said, can be frustrating.

I would first of all have a dentist out to your mare!
 
Hiya, thanks for all the suggestions and advice! Today i tried something different and stood on a mounting block to try her bridle and its so far worked twice, vet will be coming to chip, check and have a look at her teeth anyway as id like to be sure! Also i loved all your appy info!! Only having her a short time i realised she hated the large snaffle i had so i bought a thin, light french link and shes much more happy!!

In regard to the passport ive emailed the breed society to ask them, the idea about sending it back was good but i have no idea if they still live at the address on the passport and dont realy want to waste any money on a mew passport if they just disregard the mail ): but i will keep it in mind!! Thank you all!!
 
My appy is an absolute sweetheart, has the same head as your girl too! I would agree with what everyone else has said, quite quirky/sensitive ponies but very talented and safe as house if you know what you are doing. Hope you have fun with her :)
 
My shetland came off the forest and has a new forest passport.

I emailed to ask what to do as last owner was a lady who lived in a flat in london who kept her in the communal garden and now moved. They said it happens lost old owners not changing details and for me to send them the passport/money with a covering letter explaining.
I got my passport back changed into my name :)
 
My previous horse was an appaloosa cross, and was the super-confident version of the intelligent appy - she definitely thought I was clearly totally scatter-brained, and had major opinions of her own on how to keep us both safe!! We tried our hand at all sorts of different things, during which she mostly humoured me, apart from the time we tried schooling with a rope ring round her neck instead of her bridle (where did we see that??!!) which she clearly thought was the height of stupidity and very embarrassing!!
 
All breeds of horse have their own different quirks! I have read this post with interest as I have a couple of American Appaloosas (and a Quarter Horse) and I really don't think they are any of the things people are saying about them on here. Each to their own though, I wouldn't have a thoroughbred to ride cos I once worked with horses and the tbs scared the .... out of me! I am getting older now and don't have the nerves I once had but I trust my boys to look after me and would always have another, and another and another Appaloosa. The jury is still out on the QH as he is a different character altogether. (Actually he can be quite boring - whereas the Appaloosas there is never a dull moment with them!).
All in all I would say read my signature below....... keep 'appy! ;)
 
For the lovely person that told me to email the breed society thank you! i did so and am sending off a covering letter to get her put in my name. On the bridle problem side i found a few ways to put it on and we havent had one problem yet. I have to stand on a mounting block and do it, it means i can see clearer and have much greater clearance over her eyes and ears! she also doesn't like too many people around when its going on. I have to make people hide in the tackroom whilst i tack her up or she gets arsey. But when doing these techniques she doesnt even pull away anymore! I'm quite amazed at her progress. I bought her from travellers what said they hadn't backed her, just put tack on but she's clearly been broken before! she works so perfectly in walk, trot and canter, works properly round the leg, perfect brakes and a wonderful jumper!! Just trying to find out when she was so cheap!! Booking a scan just in case she's in foal, no signs but something has to be wrong!! this horse is worth 4-5 times what i paid for her!
 
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