My mare ........so close yet so far

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Songbird

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Hi all


Can anyone help with some issues i'm having with a new mare - i feel under a bit of pressure to make this work out as is didnt bond at all with my last horse this is my "first horse" but its my second attempt at buying a good solid safe first horse. I have owned her for only 5 weeks & she is only 7, i have hacked out on her this week three times & twice she has lashed out & kicked other horses. She also keeps snatching her head to the left & its a bit like riding a loaded gun tbh!!

I'm losing confidence as a novice rider - she spooks at all the usual stuff 7 i can handle that as it is all new but kicking!! ??

any advice would be most wlcome x
 
She's taking the mick and needs to be told that kicking out is not tolerated. If it were my boy I would have given him a sharp telling off.

She's putting her head to the side to avoid the bit. Do you ride with really short reins? If she's avoiding the bit it's a sign that someone has had a very strong contact with her at some stage. Does the bit fit? What bit is it?

Focus on relaxing your hands and body while riding her as this will stop her becoming so tense.

What was she like to ride when you tried her before you bought her?
 
Its still early days and shes just warning others not to get too close, maybe because she feels insecure. When going out with others just keep a good distance so she doesnt feel the need to lash out and eventually she wont feel so threatened.

As for the snatching head i would suggest all the usual things- teeth, saddle, is the bit comfortable, could it be the rider, etc?
 
LaurenM said:
She's taking the mick and needs to be told that kicking out is not tolerated. If it were my boy I would have given him a sharp telling off.
?
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Totally disagree. Of course kicking is unacceptable but horses dont kick out to take the p! its normal behaviour amongst strange horses (and even between friends) if a horse feels that another is invading its personal space. The mare just doesnt know that the other horses are friends yet, shes only been in her new home 5weeks!
 
Ride her in a position where she can't kick out to start with. Go behind, or if you want to ride along side another horse, have her head at the other riders knee. That way, she can't kick them without some serious movement!

Does she warn that she will kick? Face pulling is usually a good sign. The instant you think she will kick, turn her head towards the horse she istrying to get and use your leg on the same side to swing her quaters away. Be firm. Tell her 'NO!' I am sure she will get better. These are hroses she doesn;t know and should hopefully settle in better after a while and become less antsy with them!

Good luck with her. You say you didn;t bind with the last horse - how about this one?
 
Hi. Sorry you are having issues with her.
Don't panic too soon. She is still new to you and the environment. Try to do some bonding work on the ground with her, be it grooming, fussing etc. When you go out with others, try to avoid putting her in a position where she can lash out at the others. Keep her at the back if you can. What is she being fed? Is she in season? She is probably feeling unsettled and anxious and if you are feeling tense, she will pick upon this too. Try to remian calm and quietly assertive with her and she will hopefully feel more secure. Hope this helps.:)
 
teddyt said:
Totally disagree. Of course kicking is unacceptable but horses dont kick out to take the p! its normal behaviour amongst strange horses (and even between friends) if a horse feels that another is invading its personal space. The mare just doesnt know that the other horses are friends yet, shes only been in her new home 5weeks!
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I've only said that as I've had a horse reverse into my leg whilst riding before and it hurt! I wouldn't want anyone else having similar treatment.

Is your horse in the field with the ones you hack out with?
 
Hi there,

With regards to your query. What breed is she? And what was she like when you tried her out?

Snatching at the reins, could be LOADS of things, could be the bit, the way you ride, your tension creeping down the reins, 'your' pressure on the reins, her mood!, the way she has been ridden before, the bit; type, shape, size.. What I am trying to say is there is not cut and dry answer for us to help you on here with that one. Try and identify more of situation, where, why, when, does she do it on the way back from a hack, the start, in the school etc

Being a novice rider (as you said) and having a new horse, the best advice I can give is to have loads of lessons for you two to get on the best start of this new relationship.

As for kicking other horses, well some horses are more sensitive to their space, it could be she is a bit moody with things like that, or the other horses were simply getting too close to her and she has already pre-warned them.

xx
 
As i said i know its not acceptable- of course its dangerous. But horses dont behave like that for no reason, you just have to look at it from their point of view. If she did it for no reason and had been in her home for 5 years then thats a different matter.

OP- dont panic, it really is early days. It takes a long time for horses to settle in a new home (new surroundings, owner, food, management, water, grazing, friends, etc) and of course you have to get to know each other and how you each communicate. Take it slowly and you wll look back in 6 months and see how far you have come.
 
thanx guys -

the problem may very well be me, the other riders were buffering me somewhat from the traffic - i am riding out with experienced riders who have checked tack, made the same commment about the bit & she's had a flash on today wich helped. The problem is i'm not massively experienced on the roads & no one is mad keen to ride out with us! out of 3 days she's kicked the horses on 2!!

One comment which did concern me was a friend saying that once a kicker ..... i feel like she might turn round & run home!!

I only rode her in the school when i bought her & she had been ridden for me to view by very experienced rider beforehand. I dont panic & do cope with her but its a bit of a wrestle & i just want to enjoy going out x my goal is to lead my daughter on her pony & do shows & fun rides & dont want a kick out of the blue aimed at my daughter & 11hh pony.

The people i bought her off are lovely & helpful & are happy to do whatever i want.......i just dont know where to start.

teeth are ok as is back & tack fitted - no expense has been spared x x
 
I wish i could take you lot out with me!!!! lol


She is an Irish Sports Horse.

i try really hard to be calm & i think i am when somthing happens i am not ridgid etc i cope very well - i definitely would like lessons on her - she has her own field next to the others she hacked out with. She doesnt seem to want to be ridden goes to the back of the stable when i come in with tack & makes a fuss at the mounting block - i think now you mention it perhaps i am a bit short on the reigns.
 
Oh the mounting block thing. It will no doubt be frowned upon but I solved that problem, very easily, with treats. Stand still, get a treat. Works wonders, and can be used anytime anywhere - at shows things can be very exciting, but its FAB to know your horse will stand to get mounted.

Its very early days. Give her time. But do firmly point out to her that kicking is not acceptable. I know its natural behaviour but still, its dangerous, and it hurts. There is no reason why she can't improve in this respect a lot.

e the going to the back of the stable, again, early days. Make sure you go in for fuss and for nice things, not just with tack. And try to enjoy your horse. :)
 
totally agree with the others, you have only had her 5 weeks, that is nothing at all. It will take much longer than that to get to know each other and for her to get used to the place and the other horses. Mine kicked out a few times on hacks when we first moved yards, that was over 4 years ago and once she got to know them all she never did it again. It is just defensive action to tell others to keep their distance.
as for the head thing, if she is trying to evade the bit, it may be that she has a sharp bit on a tooth that hurts, clamping her mouth shut with a flash might hurt her more. Might not be that but tbh a horse which is tense snd worried might react worse or become more unhappy with being more trussed up. i would be trying to get her to relax more, i am just not a lover of flash nosebands or the likes unless they are really needed. I saw a horse at the weekend who was just so tense and unhappy and it had a flash on, the poor thing looked like it was baring it's teeth.

If it was me, I would spend lots of time grooming, and bonding on the ground. Do you have to ride on the roads? I just think that if you are tense and feeling like she is going to run home, then maybe the roadwork could wait til you both had more confidence in each other.
I know very few people who would get a horse and have an immediate relationship with it where they could go and just do whatever. It takes loads of time.
You will get there, you just need to be patient.

I would also say also that the best way to get confidence is to have lesons. I lost my confidence with my horse a few years ago and i got a great instructor which helped masively.

what about her feed, is someone helping you with that? Also, this time of year, mares can be a bit funny with their seasons until they settle.

Please don't be despondant, it really is early days and there are jsut so many variables and things to be considered.
 
thank you i must remember that i havent had her long.

i'm not feeding her - she has hay & is out grazing - i was giving her dengi light but she doesnt eat it! she is a good doer!


xx
 
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