My mare is a COW today!!!

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Holidays_are_coming

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Just need a Rant, moved my mare to a new yard 2 weeks ago and since then she has been hacking so nicely on her own, I knew it wouldnt last well this morning ive been in 2 ditches half way home backwards and she was a dragon I lunged her for 20mins and then she was a little better, but didnt get that far. She is trying to see if she can scare me like she did last yr, but im afaid I now find her a bit amusing as she has far to much self preservation to hurt herself and maybe me!! Any ideas, I make her go forwards and even had her cantering a little on the road (I know thats bad) but she just grinds to a stop and then runs backwards or tries to spin and rear, will be trying again in the moring and hoping she wakes up on a better side of her stable!!!

Thanks, just needed that!!!!
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If she stops have you tried spinning her or asking her to walk backwards (I prefer spinning as less likely to rear).

That way you are taking charge of the unwanted movements.

I bet she won't be quite so keen to go back or spin when you say 'thanks now let's do it again.

Make sure you spin her 2 or 3 times before you ask for forward again, she will find it hard work and be relieved to go forward.
 
I used to ride a horse that would nap back to the yard once he got to a certain point on the road.He would spin round and then I would get him to take a few strides forward and he would do it again.
One day,when he spun round I let him think he had won and let him walk a few strides for home. I then turned him back and went forward again.It took me best part of an hour to get him to the end of the road past the point of his horrors. The locals thought I had lost the plot as all we seemed to be doing was endless circles up the road.
We didn't look back after that as he knew I was going to make him go there regardless.
Obviously this road was quiet enough for me to do this.

Does she have a particular spot where she misbehaves ?
It might be worth stopping her before she starts being a wally.That way you are in control and calling the shots.Give her a pat/polo and then ask her to go forward when you are ready.Try not to make a big thing of it and hopefully she will improve.

Good luck
 
Mares are a nightmare sometimes aren't they? So bloody stroppy. Mine didn't like hacking on her own too much - she would just turn into a super spooky monster. Everything was so much more scary when she didn't have another horse with her.

I hope she gives up eventually! Silly old fruit!
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She did this last yr when I brought her and she terrified me, she kind of jumps sideways near the ditch as a if she is saying I will if you try and make me!!! We did a lot of walking backwards but I will try the spinning in the morning, Ive just got to win the once and then she will behave, cant really blame her for trying!! It all started this moring cause I tried to get her to hack in a outline!!!

These quirks are why I love her lots really!!!
Got to go to work now, ill catch up with it again later
 
That sounds EXACTLY what my mare did on sunday! She spins round, backs up, heads towards the ditch, backs into the middle of the road, is generally an absolute nightmare! Unfortunately the road we were on was too busy to spin her, back her up, so I ended up taking her back to the yard and beasting her in the school
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I used to have to spin my pony ( yes pony
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) he was a nightmare, we would just stop and buck and bronk whilst going backwards, if he didn't want to go forwards you could not make him, but spinning him rather confused the poor little soul and after 3years we could happily hack out anywhere.
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I know exactly how you feel! Mares are so stroppy! My four year old will merrily be working away/hacking out and when she's had enough she just stops and stamps her feet. Unfortunately, she can reverse (beautifully!) at great speed so that's not an option for us, but the spinning around does work, followed by lots of praise we get through that current 'issue'!

Good luck! It's difficult trying to have the patience of a saint, isn't it?!
 
Oh yes and my instructor always says I need to be calm and patient with her but my god its hard!!! Wanted to try again in the moring but it looks like there might be a frost and in her possible mood it would be very dangerous!!!

Good job she has the heart of a lion and can jump for the stars!!!
 
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