lauren_xfx
New User
Hello! This will be very long
I recently bought a new mare, I’ve had her for nearly a month now.
In terms of being ridden, she’s perfect. She’s good as gold and is so far proving a great fit for me. She’s not spooky, she’s not mare-ish at all to ride even when in season (which she was in when I bought her but she’s now out of season), doesn’t buck etc. Just been really good so far.
However, on the ground I’ve noticed a few issues that I’m not sure how to solve! (She’s not like this all the time, but it’s happened a few times so that’s enough)
I know all new horses tend to test their new owners, especially mares, and they need to be told who’s the boss. Majority of the time, she’s very easy to handle. However... when she has got an issue, she’s extremely mareish and just plain nasty really. But it can be quite dangerous and obviously scary. (I’m going to make her sound like she’s pure evil, she can be but she’s not like that - which is why I definitely want to get this squashed before it becomes something she does all the time)
1) she’s a cow to feed in the stable. She doesn’t like being told to go “back†and wait for her food, the second you tell her to go backwards her ears are flattened right back and she basically launches at you, but she doesn’t just stop there she actually brings her whole body on you and barges straight into you. If you then shout at her or give her a good barge in the chest to get out of your space she then retaliates to being told off by going to bite you more and going at you, but also spins round with her bum at you trying to kick you. By this time she’s corned you against a wall so it’s quite a horrible situation.. I think who’s had her previously has taught her zero stables manners
However... this is where it’s odd. She will NOT act like this if you stick her head-collar and rope on prior to entering the stable. When this is on, you can tell her to go back all you like (she pulls faces at you but keeps it just as faces) and she will even stand there and wait to be told she’s allowed her food..??? Without a headcollar on she’s the devil?
(She’s also not protective over her actual food because when she’s eating it, headcollar or not you can take it away from her, touch her face, be next to her, etc etc which is even more strange because it seems like a protective over food situation)
2) she’s a cow to change her rug in the feild. If you change the rug in her feild she will try and bite you when you’re doing the straps at the front, she then will get dead narky with you and can again try and kick you.
However this has been easily fixed by again, putting on the headcollar before doing it and she stands there nicely whilst you do it.
3) she’s typical mare and tries to bite you when you’re doing up her girth, but once you’ve done one hole she leaves you alone. Once the tack is on her she’s completely different! Sweet as anything
4) lastly... in the feild if she’s just got a grump on or if you try to make her do something like going back, she again can get really narky like in the stable and has tried to kick me a couple times.. For instance for absolutely no reason she attacked my other horse whilst I was taking her out to the feild over the fence tonight and was completely back-barrelling the fence at her (petrified my other horse to the point she wouldn’t come past anymore) and I went into the feild to move her away from the fence and because I told her to go away from me she went for me and then span round and actually kicked out at me.. I then had to get her in about 20 mins later and she was absolutely fine
She always comes over the fence when I walk over to the feild, she neighs at me, she’s easy to catch, good in hand, etc. Just these little areas.. It’s like she doesn’t like it if she’s told what to do?
The issue I have is I want to nip these behaviours in the bud especially before they get bigger or more frequent... I want her to have stable manners and be able to be fed without being squashed and without having to put a headcollar on her, I want to be able to try and change rugs without being bitten and without a headcollar, and I do NOT want her to think it’s okay to try and kick me and bite me... and I want to be able but things like the trying to kick and bite me, I thought maybe it was just a threat but it’s not?
The issue is, she doesn’t just respond to being shouted at and be like “oh, I won’t do that then†instead she retaliates and does it more as if she’s basically telling me to F off, don’t you dare tell me off..
So, what I need help with is: How can I discipline her to stop these behaviours when it just makes her do it more at me and makes her meaner? I would take a crop with me in these situations but for example I don’t think giving her a smack whilst she’s trying to kick me would have a good ending for me!😂😂 I think somebody’s just let her walk all over them before but I don’t want her to be like that, I am the boss, but I also don’t want to purposely put myself in a dangerous situation for the sake of it
Thanks!!
I recently bought a new mare, I’ve had her for nearly a month now.
In terms of being ridden, she’s perfect. She’s good as gold and is so far proving a great fit for me. She’s not spooky, she’s not mare-ish at all to ride even when in season (which she was in when I bought her but she’s now out of season), doesn’t buck etc. Just been really good so far.
However, on the ground I’ve noticed a few issues that I’m not sure how to solve! (She’s not like this all the time, but it’s happened a few times so that’s enough)
I know all new horses tend to test their new owners, especially mares, and they need to be told who’s the boss. Majority of the time, she’s very easy to handle. However... when she has got an issue, she’s extremely mareish and just plain nasty really. But it can be quite dangerous and obviously scary. (I’m going to make her sound like she’s pure evil, she can be but she’s not like that - which is why I definitely want to get this squashed before it becomes something she does all the time)
1) she’s a cow to feed in the stable. She doesn’t like being told to go “back†and wait for her food, the second you tell her to go backwards her ears are flattened right back and she basically launches at you, but she doesn’t just stop there she actually brings her whole body on you and barges straight into you. If you then shout at her or give her a good barge in the chest to get out of your space she then retaliates to being told off by going to bite you more and going at you, but also spins round with her bum at you trying to kick you. By this time she’s corned you against a wall so it’s quite a horrible situation.. I think who’s had her previously has taught her zero stables manners
However... this is where it’s odd. She will NOT act like this if you stick her head-collar and rope on prior to entering the stable. When this is on, you can tell her to go back all you like (she pulls faces at you but keeps it just as faces) and she will even stand there and wait to be told she’s allowed her food..??? Without a headcollar on she’s the devil?
(She’s also not protective over her actual food because when she’s eating it, headcollar or not you can take it away from her, touch her face, be next to her, etc etc which is even more strange because it seems like a protective over food situation)
2) she’s a cow to change her rug in the feild. If you change the rug in her feild she will try and bite you when you’re doing the straps at the front, she then will get dead narky with you and can again try and kick you.
However this has been easily fixed by again, putting on the headcollar before doing it and she stands there nicely whilst you do it.
3) she’s typical mare and tries to bite you when you’re doing up her girth, but once you’ve done one hole she leaves you alone. Once the tack is on her she’s completely different! Sweet as anything
4) lastly... in the feild if she’s just got a grump on or if you try to make her do something like going back, she again can get really narky like in the stable and has tried to kick me a couple times.. For instance for absolutely no reason she attacked my other horse whilst I was taking her out to the feild over the fence tonight and was completely back-barrelling the fence at her (petrified my other horse to the point she wouldn’t come past anymore) and I went into the feild to move her away from the fence and because I told her to go away from me she went for me and then span round and actually kicked out at me.. I then had to get her in about 20 mins later and she was absolutely fine
She always comes over the fence when I walk over to the feild, she neighs at me, she’s easy to catch, good in hand, etc. Just these little areas.. It’s like she doesn’t like it if she’s told what to do?
The issue I have is I want to nip these behaviours in the bud especially before they get bigger or more frequent... I want her to have stable manners and be able to be fed without being squashed and without having to put a headcollar on her, I want to be able to try and change rugs without being bitten and without a headcollar, and I do NOT want her to think it’s okay to try and kick me and bite me... and I want to be able but things like the trying to kick and bite me, I thought maybe it was just a threat but it’s not?
The issue is, she doesn’t just respond to being shouted at and be like “oh, I won’t do that then†instead she retaliates and does it more as if she’s basically telling me to F off, don’t you dare tell me off..
So, what I need help with is: How can I discipline her to stop these behaviours when it just makes her do it more at me and makes her meaner? I would take a crop with me in these situations but for example I don’t think giving her a smack whilst she’s trying to kick me would have a good ending for me!😂😂 I think somebody’s just let her walk all over them before but I don’t want her to be like that, I am the boss, but I also don’t want to purposely put myself in a dangerous situation for the sake of it
Thanks!!