Horse freaking out when tightening the girth up

[kellypyart]

I really need some help on how to tackle an issue I have with a horse I've just started loaning.

This horse is a mare, and 15.2hh and her owner is off to university soon, so we're making the transition from me riding with her owner, to riding on my own. With her saddle she can freak out, she's great with her bridle, being caught and everything else, but we have to take it slowly with her saddle by doing it up one hole, then walking her around, then doing the next hole up.

She has no back issues, and her saddle fits perfectly so I would rule these out as problems. When I went to ride her on my own today for the first time, when I went to tighten the saddle she would jump and freak out. She allowed me to catch her, and I attempted to do it after she had calmed down, but she persisted.

I eventually managed to get the saddle done up, but she's never like this with her owner around, so I reckon she's doing it because I was on my own, but does anyone have any advice as to how I can stop her from freaking out??

She also started shifting when I went to get on, luckily I managed to get on and then she was perfect when I was riding her.. She's not being nasty, but i can't pin it, and she's not in pain!

Help anyone?? Any suggestions would be welcome

p.s. I've tacked her up on her own with her owner being the other end of the field and we don't tie her up to tack up we just do it in the field!

 

[amandap]

With her saddle she can freak out, she's great with her bridle, being caught and everything else, but we have to take it slowly with her saddle by doing it up one hole, then walking her around, then doing the next hole up.

She has no back issues, and her saddle fits perfectly so I would rule these out as problems. When I went to ride her on my own today for the first time, when I went to tighten the saddle she would jump and freak out. She allowed me to catch her, and I attempted to do it after she had calmed down, but she persisted.

I eventually managed to get the saddle done up, but she's never like this with her owner around, so I reckon she's doing it because I was on my own, but does anyone have any advice as to how I can stop her from freaking out??

She also started shifting when I went to get on, luckily I managed to get on and then she was perfect when I was riding her.. She's not being nasty, but i can't pin it, and she's not in pain!

Help anyone?? Any suggestions would be welcome

p.s. I've tacked her up on her own with her owner being the other end of the field and we don't tie her up to tack up we just do it in the field!

Sounds more like girth issues mainly. Search for threads on gastric ulcers and hindgut acidosis. I would always assume pain/ discomfort is a factor, horses can't tell us so we have to go by their behaviour.

 

[kellypyart]

the thing she she's never had a problem before, she's perfectly fine when she her owner is around and I'm tacking her up, it's just as soon as she's on her own with me she plays up!

 

[amandap]

the thing she she's never had a problem before, she's perfectly fine when she her owner is around and I'm tacking her up, it's just as soon as she's on her own with me she plays up!

Perhaps have a word with the owner? There's no shame in asking to nip things in the bud, the owner knows the horse well I assume?

 

[kellypyart]

yes she does!

 

[_GG_]

the thing she she's never had a problem before, she's perfectly fine when she her owner is around and I'm tacking her up, it's just as soon as she's on her own with me she plays up!

Because she is fine for the owner and when the owner is around, I would put this down to her testing her boundaries with you.

Check with owner first as she may have had the same issues or you can ask her to show you how she would stop this behaviour, but basically...

Catch, put bridle on. Put reins over head and put saddle on. The moment she tries to move or fidget, start with a non nonsense "STAND UP" in a really stern, low, growly voice. Go for the shock factor, really tell her you mean business with the tone of your voice. Very often, that is enough...but if it isn't, next time she fidgets, back it up with a good flick of the reins and another STAND UP command.

You don't want to frighten her or yank at her as you need to still catch her and for her to enjoy being with you, but you absolutely need to start demanding some respect for her and not letting her walk all over you.

Also, Never let a horse walk off with a loosely fitted saddle in a field. One roll could mean an expensive broken saddle and and potentially more expensive damaged back.

 

[Wiz201]

You say you do it in the field? I always tack up in the yard with the horse either in the stable or tied up. In your case if she's jumping and galloping off I would tack her up in the stable. Do you mount from the ground or mounting block?

 

[JennBags]

the thing she she's never had a problem before, she's perfectly fine when she her owner is around and I'm tacking her up, it's just as soon as she's on her own with me she plays up!

But in your first post, you infer that it's a problem that the owner (and you) know about and it's about getting round it.

I agree with amandap, it could well be ulcer issues, you cannot rule out pain.

Are you & the owner a similar weight? How long have you been riding? Maybe when you're bending over to do the girth up, you're not balancing well and it's worrying her.

 

[JillA]

That's a classic symptom of gastric ulcers - all the info you need is here http://equinenutritionnerd.com/2014...tions-for-stomach-ulcer-treatment-prevention/ including Dr de Paulo's diagnostic palpation

 

[kellypyart]

thanks for the advice i will try doing that! When I growled at her today she stopped!

She's not galloping off, she just jumps then darts to the side about a metre away and then waits for me! She's normally alright, and the saddle was done up at that point! But again, thanks for the advice, unfortunately there is no where we can tie her up and she's normally fine with being tacked up in the field. I also mount from the ground as she's normally okay with that! She is fine when the owner does it and she's mounted from the ground since she was backed...

Yes, me and the owner are a similar weight, if anything I'm a lighter and I only ever do her girth up from the ground before mounting!

But again thanks for the ideas!

 

[kellypyart]

I read the article and she is displaying none of the above symptoms luckily! At the minute she is just on grass and her coat is lovely and she's nice and round!

 

[amandap]

yes she does!

I would definitely speak to her then. Even if the horse doesn't do it when the owner is around it doesn't mean the horse never has at some point and it might be easier for the horse if you take a similar approach.
Do remember that horses do try and tell us stuff and we can either take note or assume the horse is being awkward and perhaps get a bit tough to stop it 'talking'. It can be a fine line.

ps. I wouldn't tack a girthy horse up in a stable, if she jumps about or worse you are in there with her.
Girthyness is a sign of gut problems with no other obvious symptoms so don't assume that isn't a factor.

 

[kellypyart]

I will speak with the owner! Thanks for the advice

 

[FestiveFuzz]

You say you only ever tighten the girth from the ground, therefore could it be a case of you over-tightening it and her reacting to it?

 

[kellypyart]

no! She starts to freak out when you first do it up.. on the first hole even

 

[kellypyart]

it's definitely behavourial! She doesn't do it with the owner.. she only does it with people who have started riding her because she's testing me.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

it's definitely behavourial! She doesn't do it with the owner.. she only does it with people who have started riding her because she's testing me.

She obviously has done it with the owner in the past, hence the walking round between holes. It is good practice to finish tightening the girth after you have mounted, as your weight should make a difference to the girth. You really should not be tightening the girth enough to mount from the ground, especially on a horse which is obviously uncomfortable.

If this were my horse, I would insist on mounting from a portable block and I would at least try feeding Aloe Vera juice to minimise any stomach acidity, in case the horse has ulcers, which she may have. There are many reasons, such as having been given hard feed in the past, why horses get ulcers and sometimes very few 'typical' symptoms. It takes a good 'horsemaster' to hear what a horse is trying to say.

 

[amandap]

it's definitely behavourial! She doesn't do it with the owner.. she only does it with people who have started riding her because she's testing me.

I read this reason given by humans so often. Think about it, why does she choose that particular behaviour to 'test' new riders? Why not something else or a variety of behaviours? It is easy for experienced horse people to shut a horse up (or down) so it is unable ( is reluctant to because of consequences) to show it's not happy for some reason. Obviously I am speculating but the reason given (testing you) leads me to think this may be the scenario and I am not talking about beating btw!
Perhaps the horse thinks people she doesn't know might take note?

In the end I am sitting here not there on the spot but do think about things horses do, what could it mean from the horses POV and always question reasons you are told. You may agree but it never hurts to try and see the horses perspective as well.

Good luck with her.

 

[kellypyart]

we have had some progress! Reason we know it is behavioural is because she has been testing me when I go to catch her as well!

When I go up with her owner who is the only person she's known since being a foal (no other person has ridden her before), shes perfect when she is caught and saddled by her, but when she gets me to tighten it up a hole to see how the horse acts she starts walking off and around, so her owner does it instead and has no problems!

I suppose she's just getting used to me after being around the same person for years! But the past couple of days she has been perfect! She started to walk off and i just gently pulled her back with the leadrope and she stopped!