Giraffe horse and rearing... help please

K

Kate260881

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 February 2008
Messages
802
Location
Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Visit site
As some of you may have seen I got Penny, 5 year old kwpn mare, about 3 weeks ago. Schooling and ground work have been going OK but we had major 'issues' on Saturday. I didn't lunge her before working which is probably a mistake for starters (we don't have more than an hour's turn out in the winter) but she spent nearly the entire session with her head as high as she could get it (not nose high, just really really tense from her poll all through to her withers). Then on 4 occassions when she decided she didn't want to do something (which was generally at the far end of the school) so stood up on her back legs. These weren't verticle but are certainly not a habit I want her to keep, obviously. So I just concentrated on working her through it and trying to get her to relax. I did eventually manage to get her poll horizontal to her withers which is a first but literally spent about an hour just in walk to get there.

I didn't ride on Sunday as my confidence was knocked a bit. I know that I can work throught this and deal with her as I've had many problem horses before but have had a break of a couple of years of owning horses. I've also advertised to try and get an instructor who speaks English as my Dutch is virtually non-existant. I just wondered if anybody had any tips or tricks with regard to nipping this in the bud before she really gets dangerous. She is also a bit funny off the leg. We have been doing LOADS of transitions and in halt if you ask her to walk you have to boot her in the ribs and often use a stick as back up, once in walk you barely have to ask for trot and she is so quick off the leg. Also, halt to trot is a lot better than halt to walk. I do use voice commands as well.

This has got a bit rambly but I hope you kinda get what I mean.

Cookies if you got this far!!!
smile.gif


K xx
 
If this is out of character i would say..Either you need to have it all re-checked since sat OR its the weather/somthing in the air, cos mine are mental at the minute! Paid for saddler/vet and physio just last week and nothing major, she is just being a twat, more than usual.
 
Could she be still sore from the wolf teeth being removed? I realise she's in a hackamore, but if I had toothache I'd be in a foul mood!!!

Alternatively, have you considered a second opinion on her back? What sort of back person did you have out? ie osteo/physio etc.

With the rearing, if you bend her head right round she can't rear. Then keep kicking til she goes forwards - works for me
smile.gif
 
Since she is getting so little turn-out she could be just very fresh. I would give her a good lunge before the next schooling/hack.
 
A very quick bit of advice is, if you ride her in a shoulder in position it is much harder for them to stand up so try working her with this in mind and every time she gives you the feeling of about to rear just put her into shoulder in.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top