Helllllpppppp my mare wont stand to mount

[Gixxernic]

Hey peeps, i just got a new mare and obviously we are just getting acquainted. She had been in the previous home for 3 years without any problems, the last 8 weeks of it she spent in a loan home where i dont know what on earth they have done to her. She now has a really sensitive mouth and if i try to take up any rein contact she throws her head. So this is causing most prominent problems when i am trying to get on her... If i leave the reins she bolts as soon as im on her. Yet if i mount her from the wrong side she stands like an angel... Id appreciate any tricks or tips i could try with her. Today i did try the circling her round the mounting block.. but just left her stressed more! So i walked her into the school and it was no better still wouldn't let me get on at the correct side, yet she spun herself round stood and i pooped on the other side and it was fine.. Im not sure if shes just testing me or genuinely something has happened..

 

[Barnacle]

Forget about mounting...

Instead, teach her to stand at the command "stand". To begin with, just have her in a halter and don't bother with tack (to keep her mind calm and not anticipating). Walk her around the yard, school - anywhere really. Every now and then, say "stand" and stop her. Give it a moment and then say "walk on" and continue walking. Keep the pauses brief at first and gradually increase the time. Try to keep the lead rope slack the whole time. If she doesn't stop immediately, you can use it to pull back gently but don't over-do it. It's important that you let her figure it out for herself as if you're forcing her, she won't learn as solidly. If you're not opposed to giving treats, every now and then when you ask for "stand" and get a good one, reward her. If you don't want to give treats, it will take a little longer and she will be less motivated but it will still happen in time.

Over a few sessions, build it up. Add tack to the mix and repeat exactly the same thing (try to use a lunge line at first to lead instead of the reins - that way you can keep things slack more easily). Increase the pauses until she's standing still waiting for your cue to walk on for over a minute. Once she's doing this, start messing with the saddle when she pauses. So ask for stand, pause a moment, then walk to her side and start moving the saddle around a little and mess with the girth and stirrups. Just do this over and over until she doesn't react. If she does react, you should immediately ask for the stand again and make her wait, then move on. Don't mess with the saddle if she still seems uncomfortable. Keep going without that element until she will stand but you can still practice going round to her side as an intermediate step.

Eventually you should be able to ask for stand and act as if you're about to mount without trouble. Then you can add the standing being in front of the mounting block and you stepping up onto it before you then walk her on.

Take it slow. When she looks like she's not going to bother moving, get on, stay relaxed and keep her standing. This is where things normally go wrong for people - they get on and immediately walk off. Never do that. Instead get on and pause for a while saying "stand". Count to 30 or something... I like to give them a mint from the saddle sometimes too. THEN say "walk on" and off you go.

Make a habit of practicing these "stands" and "walk ons" at all times even once the behaviour is resolved. Even ask her to stand part way through her stall door or on the way to turnout every day. You'll see she'll start to look to you for permission to "walk on" as well, which is important.

To give you a timescale, my experience is that if you persist, this can be done in a day - or it might take a week. But it's really just a matter of making what you want very clear, motivating the horse to do it and then maintaining that behaviour once they've got it.

 

[maccachic]

Sounds like pain to me - check all that out first esp dentist and teeth.

Once pain is ruled out have a look at teaching Park (Equitation Science) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-QGGMdHctA

 

[Shay]

Maccachic is right about checking for pain first. Its always best to rule out pain before tackling behaviour. But as she will let you mount for the wrong side I suspect she is testing you. All the effort in the world teaching stand or park won't deal with that. The best thing is to get an experienced instructor to come and help. I could write you a very long essay on the wide range of things which might have caused or contributed to this - its easier to see you together.

Whilst you wait for vet / dentist etc to rule out pain and look for an instructor to help try groundwork to build a relationship where you are the leader. You can pretty much pick your path as there are lots of options. I personally prefer intelligent horsemanship and have a bit of a thing against Parelli (And IH is way cheaper!) but there are loads of natural horsemanship resources out there.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

My grey got very upset being mounted at one point. It was because the girl riding her stuck her toe in the horse's ribs as got on which was really unpleasant for the horse. Sometimes these issues are caused by idiot humans. If your horse had been fine for the previous three years, then I would strongly suspect that something has changed. It could be a pain issue it could be that the loaner did something as above, so now the horse associates mounting from the correct side with pain.

 

[Gixxernic]

Thanks everyone, ive got a dentist coming on 28/7 and saddle fitter on 21/7 so hopefully we can rule anything out.. 👌🏻👌🏻

 

[Gentle_Warrior]

Pain? Eye sight?

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Some excellent ideas above. Have you checked the bit for signs of wear?

 

[Gixxernic]

Its a brand new bit! We have had a couple of problems with sensitivity, and her leaning on the bit so i put a waterford on , but yesterday.........

Breakthrough... She stood perfectly... Omg i was so ecstatic.. I praised her so much ... So we will see how the dentist goes etc.. Ill keep posting...

But I guess she got fed up with the arseing around like the day before lol 😂😂

 

[Dave the dog]

check feet the mounting on the wrong side is a big clue maybe she has had bruised ribs and orthodox mount is a memory trigger for discomfort she has also been encouraged to move directly after mounting maybe some neck bending on the ground might help. Irritating that so much patience can be undone so easily. Back to ground work as Barnacle say's. good luck.

 

[hairycob]

Had this with Jason. Changed saddle and he was fine. But if he was stressed e.g. yard move he reverted to not st
Landing still again. Until the day I growled at him. From that moment on he was perfect.

 

[Gixxernic]

It turns out she went lame last week, she had bruising seemingly from being kicked from another pony,, but to be honest she hasnt got the best feet , the loaners home left her shoes to get ripped off, so she has quite cracked hoofs, but we are no longer lame and she is settling in nicely now, been working with her, we did join up together too, and that helped, she now knows im not out to hurt her so she is a lot better . ❤️

 

[maccachic]

It turns out she went lame last week, she had bruising seemingly from being kicked from another pony,, but to be honest she hasnt got the best feet , the loaners home left her shoes to get ripped off, so she has quite cracked hoofs, but we are no longer lame and she is settling in nicely now, been working with her, we did join up together too, and that helped, she now knows im not out to hurt her so she is a lot better . ❤️

Good on you for picking up the cues so many people are too quick to assume their horse is being naughty

 

[Gixxernic]

Hehe shes not naughty, just insecure... Who can blame her, she is probably thinking 'when am getting moved again' poor soul ☺️