Groundwork Beginner - Whinnying Mare

[black beauty 1]

Hi Everyone,

I recently bought a new mare and am looking to build our groundwork partnership. I’d like to ensure she has good manners in general, but in particular she can be quite a herd bound & stressy/strong willed girl.

She’s quite happy to walk when I walk, stop when I stop, back up & turn her quarters when asked. However, I have noticed she whinnies for friends during our groundwork session and doesn’t always seem the most focussed.

Any ideas on how I can get her attention on me and try to break her interest in what others are doing? Thank you

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I would keep her focus on me by treating her when she achieved what I want.

 

[lynz88]

Mine does this. Has done it since 2 and is now 19. Never been able to break him of it but he's a bit "different" (even the vet has commented) and I just accept it

 

[PurpleSpots]

All the groundwork exercises you've mentioned are ones where you control her feet, or ask her to move her feet in a way you'd like.

It could help if you can introduce and develop tasks when she's having to really engage her mind with what she's doing so she is working things out and feeling present in her current situation - and being rewarded as PaS said - instead of being in a situation she doesn't like (away from her herd) and also having her feet controlled at the same time.

For example, placing an object on the floor or on the fence, give her a cue to 'Please touch the item' with whatever word or indication you like, then rewarding her (with food of some sort depending on how high or low value of food she needs to see it as advantageous) every time she makes an effort to do so (or gets closer to touching the object), and just being encouraging or passive (depending on her reactions) when she doesn't. A bit like a game of hot and cold, with 'hotter' getting a reward. Once she's achieved the task a few times and understands the cue, you can move the object and start again with it in a new location.

There are tons of other things you can do to get them thinking with a different focus, but this is the first that came to mind.

We're often taught that we must control their feet, and I do agree that we need to be able to maintain boundaries for safety, but from the horse's point of view it doesn't always give them the same sense of confidence and security it gives us, and sometimes it causes quite the opposite.

 

[black beauty 1]

All the groundwork exercises you've mentioned are ones where you control her feet, or ask her to move her feet in a way you'd like.

It could help if you can introduce and develop tasks when she's having to really engage her mind with what she's doing so she is working things out and feeling present in her current situation - and being rewarded as PaS said - instead of being in a situation she doesn't like (away from her herd) and also having her feet controlled at the same time.

For example, placing an object on the floor or on the fence, give her a cue to 'Please touch the item' with whatever word or indication you like, then rewarding her (with food of some sort depending on how high or low value of food she needs to see it as advantageous) every time she makes an effort to do so (or gets closer to touching the object), and just being encouraging or passive (depending on her reactions) when she doesn't. A bit like a game of hot and cold, with 'hotter' getting a reward. Once she's achieved the task a few times and understands the cue, you can move the object and start again with it in a new location.

There are tons of other things you can do to get them thinking with a different focus, but this is the first that came to mind.

We're often taught that we must control their feet, and I do agree that we need to be able to maintain boundaries for safety, but from the horse's point of view it doesn't always give them the same sense of confidence and security it gives us, and sometimes it causes quite the opposite.

Thank you. She often sighs while we are out there, probably because she’s bored.

I’ve been looking into some target training so will start that with her. She can be nappy to leave the yard so I am hoping this can be used to reinforce good behaviour in that scenario too..

 

[PurpleSpots]

Thank you. She often sighs while we are out there, probably because she’s bored.

I’ve been looking into some target training so will start that with her. She can be nappy to leave the yard so I am hoping this can be used to reinforce good behaviour in that scenario too..

Ah, the sighing could actually indicate a transition from more tense to less tense - it''s worth assessing the context of when she does it, and also taking into account what the rest of her is doing when she sighs.

Sounds as though you're on the right track with the target training already .

 

[JackFrost]

She's new to you, you are a new partnership. And she's naturally stressy. A lot of the whinnying and not being present will be stress, saying she would feel safer if she could go back to her mates. I would keep the sessions very short for now and make them fun for her. I wouldn't think in terms of trying to correct behaviour until she's relaxed and confident just being alone with you.

One thing that helps with one of mine that was like this as a youngster, is asking for stretches that require physical relaxation - these seem to also produce mental relaxation. Look at where she is holding stress in her body and help her to release this.

 

[AppyLover1996]

I would keep the sessions short and sweet, with plenty of praise and rewards throughout so she associates the sessions with something fun and positive, which will also in turn help her to build trust in you and reduce her dependence on her herd. However do bear in mind that she will possibly always call to a certain extent for her herd mates - I've had Baggs my retired lad for 10 years and he still does the occasional call to his mates when I'm doing groundwork. When that happens, I gently ask him to come back to me and give him an exercise where he really has to use his brain muscles bless him. Target training is always a good one that I go to cause it gets them thinking mentally, which naturally takes their mind off calling for their herd mate(s) x

 

[black beauty 1]

She's new to you, you are a new partnership. And she's naturally stressy. A lot of the whinnying and not being present will be stress, saying she would feel safer if she could go back to her mates. I would keep the sessions very short for now and make them fun for her. I wouldn't think in terms of trying to correct behaviour until she's relaxed and confident just being alone with you.

One thing that helps with one of mine that was like this as a youngster, is asking for stretches that require physical relaxation - these seem to also produce mental relaxation. Look at where she is holding stress in her body and help her to release this.

This is so helpful, thank you. How should I look for stress in her body?

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Ah, the sighing could actually indicate a transition from more tense to less tense - it''s worth assessing the context of when she does it, and also taking into account what the rest of her is doing when she sighs.

Sounds as though you're on the right track with the target training already .

Yes, I always think unless there is evidence to the contrary, that a sigh is a sign of relaxation.

 

[JackFrost]

This is so helpful, thank you. How should I look for stress in her body?

look at how she stands- is she soft or in a more fixed position, and which bits are fixed? . E.g., mine when stressed goes into alert position, head up, back tight, and insists she absolutely can't move her head down or round, the neck and poll don't bend. So I ask for little movements round to each side until eventually she remembers she can actually put her nose to the girth area. I may need to use my hands on the tense bits to get her to relax these. Once she has got there, there is a lot of licking and chewing, her head position lowers, and you can see her whole body relax. From that point, she has more mental focus on being with me and stops worrying about the rest of the world.

Head down is another good one, as this automatically relates to relaxation for a horse.

You can't force relaxation, so use little asks and give praise for small tries until horse understands the manoeuvre you want.

Weirdly, I often just know where the horse needs to be massaged to release a tension. I had a transformative result with an unbroken youngster on loan that for months wouldn't engage with me. After about 20 seconds of hands on massage somewhere that just seemed right, horse then went into a very dramatic 5 minutes of yawning and sighing and snorting, and from that moment, wanted to be with me.

If you can find a good body worker, they may also help you to decode what's going on in her body, and release any tension she carries round with her that's getting in the way of your relationship.