my mare hates the school

[cassie summers]

i bought my mare unbroken in april she is 8 anyway have backed her in the school but have been hacking out for the last 4 months no problem great on the road nothing bothers her have lunged her in the school no problem but as soon as i go to ride her in the school now she plants herself she paws the ground and even trys to sit down like a dog would on its bum i can get her to move forward but shes not not fluent in her paces and really doesnt want to listen,so i have been doing schooling when i am hacking without her relising but i would like to start doing some grid work and popping some small jumps i also wanted to start doing basic walk and trot tests in the new year so do i carry on and hope she will start listening or just carry on hacking for now as dont want to sour her

 

[Rose Folly]

Sure this'll be considered a very un-PC answer, but do you need her to go in the school at all? What are you going to use her for. If dressage etc. then yes, you've got a problem. Otherwise, forget it.

Hunting was my sport and NONE of my horses ever set foot in an arena, nor was it considered necessary. They were schooled as we hacked, so they never probably realised it was happening. Their first jumps were usually over streams or logs, following an older horse, and they learnt the good manners of life (opening and shutting gates, standing to be mounted, dismounted, learning to stand unattended (the most useful thing which nobody seems to do now), balancing, changing legs, without going round in circles.

Later I hung about on the periphery of LDR, and I can't remember any of my friends one or two of whom were extremely successful, ever going near a school either.

I sympathise with your horse, and I know my current horse would agree with her wholeheartedly.

 

[cassie summers]

Sure this'll be considered a very un-PC answer, but do you need her to go in the school at all? What are you going to use her for. If dressage etc. then yes, you've got a problem. Otherwise, forget it.

Hunting was my sport and NONE of my horses ever set foot in an arena, nor was it considered necessary. They were schooled as we hacked, so they never probably realised it was happening. Their first jumps were usually over streams or logs, following an older horse, and they learnt the good manners of life (opening and shutting gates, standing to be mounted, dismounted, learning to stand unattended (the most useful thing which nobody seems to do now), balancing, changing legs, without going round in circles.

Later I hung about on the periphery of LDR, and I can't remember any of my friends one or two of whom were extremely successful, ever going near a school either.

I sympathise with your horse, and I know my current horse would agree with her wholeheartedly.

yes very true never going to be a dressage star being a shire x and looking a like a very big section d massive hoofs and dishes would look great in a cart lol and i hate schooling to so maybe she is picking up on that maybe i could find some logs to practice over but i would like to do a walk and trot test and also want to do maxi cob classes next year i have been schooling her out on the common on some grass maybe i could do a dressage test which includes the command sit as we acn do that or get a job in a circus

 

[teasle]

Maybe your horse has read Laura Wheelers post about her horse and got a few ideas!

 

[0ldmare]

My old mare hates the school (over zealous schooling in the past, which was why I got her cheap ). I just used to school on a hack like you.

But before you give up you might want to try teaching him to jump in the school. If he enjoys it it might just transform his view. Old mare would light up if I put a couple of jumps up (as long as I didn't do too much twiddling around in circles before allowing her some fun that is )

 

[Queenbee]

Whilst I agree with the sentiment 'do you really need to go in the school at all' I also think that it is nice to know you can if you want to I haven't really experienced this in any horse so just thinking off the top of my head here for a few ideas.

Walk her in hand in the school
Loose schooling in the school
Go in the school with another horse and rider and slowly move to other ends of the school.
Riding in the school with her on a lead rein, the person on the ground slowly moving away from her.
Walk in, do one circuit in walk get off, untack and feed some chaff from her feed bowl and leave it there, working up to a bit more work every time.
A shire x will be a big horse and you don't want to be picking a fight with her (Its not fun, and gets you nowhere fast)
Does she like jumping? I always used to reward ebony with a jump at the end of any schooling session, take her tack off and let her have a mooch around.

Anyway, a few ideas there. Hope you get it fixed

 

[-Sj-]

Does she lunge?

 

[ichliebepferd]

If you're not wanting to be in the school, why should she?
You gotta think positive, even if it means hacking out first, you come back from that and do a 5min walk in the school. Then build it up, but if she associates the school with proper work now, and does those things, you're going to have problems whenever you approach something she doesn't want to do.. get my drift?

My mare did the same when I asked for leg yield not too long ago, she's not been under saddle long either... and she scared me witless being 18.1hh! My instructor saw, gave me a rollocking first, and then her basic words were 'kick that horse in her ass' She's here to do a job, and you have to be the one telling her that job. What if, god forbid, she decides she doesn't like hacking out anymore because its raining? You'll be in trouble then.

You don't have to school her in there, but she has to know if you say jump, she says how high. As a shire x I'm imagining she's a big lass, and I wouldn't want to be sat on that when it says no.

Good luck.

 

[Farma]

yes very true never going to be a dressage star being a shire x and looking a like a very big section d massive hoofs and dishes would look great in a cart lol and i hate schooling to so maybe she is picking up on that maybe i could find some logs to practice over but i would like to do a walk and trot test and also want to do maxi cob classes next year i have been schooling her out on the common on some grass maybe i could do a dressage test which includes the command sit as we acn do that or get a job in a circus

Ahem... mine is a Suffolk x and is a little BD star thankyou very much so they can do it and I like that we look a little different to the others, I even keep her feathers on

I can count on 1 hand how many times I have been in our school this year, we only hack and school whilst on hacks or out in the field after a bit of a blast or popping a few jumps etc. When I try to school her too often she turns into a beach donkey so I have to keep away from the school to keep her mind sharp. I think with coldbloods you definitely have to be mindful of keeping them sharp enough to do dressage or they end up like bored plods going round (well mine does anyway!)