help, VERY forward going mare

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EmmaAndSummer

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is very quiet when lead around... as soon as you get on her she gets excited. ridden in snaffle... any ideas what to change it too... shes not dangerous or try to hurt the rider just pulls and pulls on her mouth to go as fast as she can?
 
if you haven't already, i'd have back and saddle checked.
what's she like if someone leads her around from the floor for a bit? would that calm her down? then they could walk by her shoulder for a while. it sounds as if it is nerves to do with being ridden.
the answer really is to work out why she gets so excited, and try to solve it from that end if at all possible, rather than stronger bitting. is she okay if a ploddy horse goes along to calm her down, would that work? is that possible?
when she pulls, do you pull back, or can you give and release, so it doesn't become a tug of war? make sure you aren't tensing up expecting her to rush, which will make her worse. sometimes sitting like a sack of spuds and breathing out and consciously relaxing can be the best thing to do.
hope that helps.
 
Yep saddle fits her perfect, never had her back checked though....
when I ride her (or anyone else) she gets excited and pulls constantly.... but if you drop the reigns she lets go for a few mins and walks happily along then starts to charge off so i have to start pulling again... all she seems to want to do is canter around? ive tried lunging her before riding but she never tires out, if anything she gets more wound up! Also she rides out with a 28yr old 13hh pony and will not let him infront she has to be first or will bronx or try to canter infront
 
very difficult to say without seeing her, tbh i'd get in touch with a good local instructor and see what they think, might be a good idea to ask them to ride her too to see if she does the same with them, sometimes they can get you in a vicious circle of expectation and reaction, and it takes a new pair of eyes to break it! best of luck with her.
 
This is exactly like Oliver the horse I have. He is an abslute NUTTER when you sit on him, but an angel on the ground. He will do everything at a gallop, but anything other than a snaffl and he goes backwards. So, I cant really tell you what to change, because ive tried just about everything, but nothing works
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If you do find out something works then please tell me!
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Although, I do find showjumping at 1000mph quite fun
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I have a mare like yours.

I had to change the way I ride. If I don't do it 'correctly' - then It just causes problems. With us it's all about rider balance and not giving her an opening to knock me off balance. I have to keep the bit 'flickering' when trotting as she is constantly trying to grab it to take charge.
I have to ride the shoulders, steer with my weight, seat bones etc and generally try to ride very 'correctly' I've found Mary Wanless very useful - and also good lessons. For me, Sylvia Loch etc assumes you have a horse who actually wants to cooperate.

I've just put her into a Verbindend loose ring snaffle and was very impressed. Minimal stress (for us) and maximum control.
 
I thought it coudl be my riding but I know its not as a few very good riders have riden her and she is exactly the same...my friend used to be african show jumper who rides her every sunday and shes the same for her....

Going to try a stronger bit and see what happens.

And yes RachelStar she likes jumping too at 1000 mph haha
 
Once you've established it's not related to back, tack or teeth have a look at her diet.
The grass where we are is pretty good at the moment & my (very forward going) mare gets plenty of energy from grazing plus hay at night so needs very little hard feed....an extra handful of nuts in her feed makes a noticable difference to her behaviour the following day so it's definitnely worth looking into with your girl.
 
i have a mare just the same. she has always been in a snaffle. so i changed it to a snaffle with cherry rollers. much better as she now cant bite on the bit and take over. It also helps her to work on the bit better. maybe try that before u try something stronger.
 
Please don't resort to a stronger bit until you have had her teeth checked (by an EDT) AND her back checked. If you put her in a stronger bit and she is in pain somewhere you will just exacerbate the problem and could cause her to bolt/rear/buck through pain and really hurt someone. Just because she hasn't done it so far doesn't mean she hasn't the potential to do this if pushed.
 
Have a mare very much the same, my husband and a previous owner described her as a headcase, have spent a year sometimes just walking and trotting, schooling "thinking" transitions not asking, only jumping when competing and prepared to pull up and come out when she "loses" it! Management important this mare is turned out on baldish paddock 24/7 9 months of the year is never fed anything other than fast fibre and maybe chaff apart from worst part of winter when fed calm n condition, plenty of turnout when stabled and lots of exercise now jumps affiliated and only occasionally blows up, if that happens then work work and more work, the rider gets worn out much quicker than she does, we reckon 3 hour warm up when in "headcase" mode and that is no exageration - oh forgot to say snaffle mouth always! good luck
 
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