bubsqueaks
Well-Known Member
So we bought a beautiful 14.1 7 year old Irish Cob Mare in April who has the sweetest of temperaments & is for my 17 year old daughter to do pony club & generally have fun on, & she is a dream to ride & jump.
She has thrown in quite a few moves (no not dressage ones!) over the past few months - jumping out of stable, attempting to jump over breast bar, testing farrier, refusing to load on way home, & following a very interesting lesson last year with a local natural horsemanship lady (different pony!) we already had the halter so have been doing groundwork with her - this has really helped with the return journey home where I groundwork for 10 minutes before loading & I have taught her to self load at home.
BUT we have nappiness when at competitions. This is when she is asked to go into the arena whether its indoors or outdoors, once in she doesnt nap just gets on with the job very nicely. It would seem that its when shes been standing about waiting for her turn to go in, its like she has planted her feet & doesnt want to move them, obviously its also asking her to move away from the other horses which isnt what they want to do but Im now wondering after a comment my physio made about her being really heavy in the foot as though shes planted firmly on the ground possibly because of being unsettled by the move, if the answer is not to let her stand around - tricky I know!
Being a mare its very much "ask a mare, tell a gelding" so if you use a whip to back up your leg or aids my daughter says pony gets scared, so I am popping her on the leadrein telling her to walk on & she follows me in.
Anyway wanted to ask if anybody has any tips or advice from their own experiences - thank you.
She has thrown in quite a few moves (no not dressage ones!) over the past few months - jumping out of stable, attempting to jump over breast bar, testing farrier, refusing to load on way home, & following a very interesting lesson last year with a local natural horsemanship lady (different pony!) we already had the halter so have been doing groundwork with her - this has really helped with the return journey home where I groundwork for 10 minutes before loading & I have taught her to self load at home.
BUT we have nappiness when at competitions. This is when she is asked to go into the arena whether its indoors or outdoors, once in she doesnt nap just gets on with the job very nicely. It would seem that its when shes been standing about waiting for her turn to go in, its like she has planted her feet & doesnt want to move them, obviously its also asking her to move away from the other horses which isnt what they want to do but Im now wondering after a comment my physio made about her being really heavy in the foot as though shes planted firmly on the ground possibly because of being unsettled by the move, if the answer is not to let her stand around - tricky I know!
Being a mare its very much "ask a mare, tell a gelding" so if you use a whip to back up your leg or aids my daughter says pony gets scared, so I am popping her on the leadrein telling her to walk on & she follows me in.
Anyway wanted to ask if anybody has any tips or advice from their own experiences - thank you.
