Getting my mare on track - advise and opinions please!

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moocow

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Hi, just looking for some advise re my mare. She is 5 now (it being january and all!) and I have recently moved her to a fab yard. she was in schooling since may and was coming on a treat. At teh new yard, she gets about 30-40 mins in the walker 3 times a week and is ridden at weekends. She is very fit. She is on cool and easy mix with beet pulp and haylage. She is stabled and her turnout paddock is quite small - she doesn't go out with the others and she is a fighter and we are just getting them used to each other over the fence at the mo. its so wet at the mo as well, turn out is seriously reduced.

I rode her at the weekend and she is a nightmare. Problems that I see are - she has got really mouthie, leaning on the bit, she wont maintain a steady pace in any of her paces. In walk, she starts to jog, in trot she gets faster and faster and leans on the bit, canter is not that bad but forget it if you want to do any trot work after she has been up in canter forget it. when you ask her to halt, she responds well and stands.

My plan is, getting her teeth checked on thursday, getting saddle fitting and bridle checked tonight - her saddle fits her but i am just not happy with the fit. Starting some lessons on her tonight as well. Then going to cut back on her hard feed as she is probably getting too much for the work she is doing. If all else fails, send her for more schooling.

Have I covered all the bases or have I missed ssomething? she is a good girl but her nature on the ground doesn't add up with what she is like under saddle.

would like to your opinions, please be gentle!
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I'd have her back checked as well, just to complete the checks
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I'd also vary your riding routine a little - do you always go in after cantering? If the horse gets used to 'walk round twice, trot round twice, couple of canter circles' and we go in, she will expect that each time and not play ball when you want to change the plan!

Having her teeth checked is a good idea - what bit do you ride in?
 
yeah will get her back done too! sorry, forgot to mention that. I ride in a snaffle. i think the problem with her is in the place where she was getting schooled they always worked walk, trot canter jump finish. I do lots of transitions with her - think she needs to learn that riding time isn't necessarily running time! i brought her over some poles at teh weekend and she jumped them. I think its really back to basics with her!
 
My mare used to pull like a train so I tried her in flexi reins. We have started using normal reins again and the pulling has stopped.
 
she is turned out for about 4 hours a day but her paddock is really small and muddy as she cant be turned out with the others as she would beat the hell out of them! She gets turned out in the arena as well for a couple of hours a day.

Not sure what her breeding is really as there is no breeding on her passport. She is a TBxID type - big ID head but she isn't as heavy as an ID. I think there is a good bit of TB in her. Was meant to go for a lesson last night but she had other ideas. she wouldn't load and when we finally did get her in, my friend had left the lights on in the 4x4 for it wouldn't start!

Rescheduled for sunday!
 
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