Naughty/frightened mare!

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millyspaniel

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Well i got the maps out last night and planned a nice hack for me to take my 4yr TB mare out alone this morning. I planned to be out for 1hr or so............well all was going well, she was such a good girl untill we tried out the 2nd bridleway, it was blocked off with a cattle grid and no gate either side to get in. So rather than turn around and go back the way we came we tried the next bridlepath which led us round a ford crossing, i got off and led her over it as she was trrified, shaking and snorting! then she was okay. We went onto a wooded area, over a very narrow bridge (1 horse width and it was tight) and quite long - all fine. Then we came to an old railway bridge which we where underneath and she would not walk past it, she reared ( lots of times, mini rears) she was shaking again and seemed genuinly scared, but after 15 mins or so i could see she was playing up, it took 40 minuates to get her past! she would not move, i got off because all she did when i was on was rear when i asked her forwards and run backwards and it was a narrow pathway. Then she just planted her feet and would not move, i pulled pushed wverthing!! in the end i got a huge stick (about 6ft long) and waved it at her backside whilst pulling her, she did a huge buck but eventually ran and leapt forward then i got back on (this time a took a little stick i found - i never normally ride with a crop as shes very forward) and she tried to rear again so i turned her head and smacked her behind my foot and she went forwards, after that she was really good.
We arrived back at the field 2hr.15 mins later and she was really sweaty!
Although we had the mishap in the woods am really pleased with her, apart from that she was a good girl! next time though i think i shall take a crop with me just in case!!
 
Lots of horses find the prospect of going under a bridge very, very frightening. And sometimes just staying on board, sitting there and allowing them to have a good old look does the trick.
 
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Lots of horses find the prospect of going under a bridge very, very frightening. And sometimes just staying on board, sitting there and allowing them to have a good old look does the trick.

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We tried this but it didnt work
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at first she was scared and i tried talking to her and coaxing her forward, after about 20 mins of this i knew she was playing up when she started spinning and running backward with that look in her eye she has when shes nappy!
 
first of well done getting her back.But did you go out on your own or with company.
2) find out 2nd bridleway closed, getting in contact with your rights of way officer at your county hall as it is illegal to block off a right of way if there is cattle grid there should be a swinging gate next to it.
 
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first of well done getting her back.But did you go out on your own or with company.
2) find out 2nd bridleway closed, getting in contact with your rights of way officer at your county hall as it is illegal to block off a right of way if there is cattle grid there should be a swinging gate next to it.

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Thank you
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I went out on my own with her.
Will be contacting the council regarding the bridleway this afternoon
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well done for getting through it. just remember that your horse is still only a baby. the shear fact that you saw it through tis time will probably mean that she will be better next time. as she didnt get away with behaving the way she did, it will hopefully be a lesson learnt. well done you. xxxxxxxxx
 
Personally i cant advocate using a stick on a frightened horse. She eventually went forward because she was more scared of the stick than the bridge.

Next time i would go out with a different attitude. rather than 'i must take a stick to get her past the bridge'- how about ' i will take another older, more experienced horse to get her past the bridge'. That way she can learn from a positive experience rather than a negative one.

In my experience, beating a horse past something they are scared of only stores up more trouble for the future. If the horse is given time (even if thats an hour!) and help to work out that the scary object wont eat it then it will be happier to pass scary things later on. It builds trust in the rider.

Your horse is four. It isnt naughty, it is uneducated -and that takes time, not whips!
 
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We tried this but it didnt work at first she was scared and i tried talking to her and coaxing her forward

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I'd take an older and more experienced companion with you next time. From your previous posts it doesn't sound as if your little mare has done much - and may benefit from a reliable 'friend'. There's a really fine line between giving them the confidence to overcome their fear, through their trust in you, and knowing when they're taking the micky and using strong arm tactics. Unfortuantely they rarely work to the benefit of the horse that is nervous or frightened.

From what you wrote in your original post she sounds like an honest little horse, and allowing her to absorb new situations without bullying her will be the making of a tremendous team.
 
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Personally i cant advocate using a stick on a frightened horse. She eventually went forward because she was more scared of the stick than the bridge.


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I appreciate what you are saying, but as i pointed out earlier she wasnt frightened at this point, it was naughtiness - rearing, running backward and bucking and genrally trying to turn back the way we came. (i know her well enough to determine when shes frightened and when shes playing up as she does have a tendency for being nappy which is understandable as she is a 4yr old)
She was scared at the ford and for that i led her over it and talked to her and gave her lots of reassurance and she was fine. I would never take a stick to her (i didnt beat her if thats what you think - i used it once when i was on her to reinforce my leg aids) i just showed her it from behind and she went forwards.
 
How do you know that the rearing, etc wasnt because she was frightened though? Nappiness is a sign of insecurity, especially in a four year old. Its not ncesarily naughtiness.

A 4 year old on its own coming across things its not sure about isnt naughty when it stops- its because its assessing the situation and wondering if it will be harmed. The rearing, running backwards, etc was because you were forcing her past and she hadnt yet made up her own mind that it was ok. She was under pressure from you AND the bridge and so she reared/bucked/ran backwards to try and get out of the situation. That doesnt make her naughty! It is perfectly normal horse behaviour that just needs a bit more understanding from you.
 
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Personally i cant advocate using a stick on a frightened horse. She eventually went forward because she was more scared of the stick than the bridge.

Next time i would go out with a different attitude. rather than 'i must take a stick to get her past the bridge'- how about ' i will take another older, more experienced horse to get her past the bridge'. That way she can learn from a positive experience rather than a negative one.

In my experience, beating a horse past something they are scared of only stores up more trouble for the future. If the horse is given time (even if thats an hour!) and help to work out that the scary object wont eat it then it will be happier to pass scary things later on. It builds trust in the rider.

Your horse is four. It isnt naughty, it is uneducated -and that takes time, not whips!

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Totally agree! It was good that you made her go past, but usually a horse who behaves in that way is generally scared and trying to tell you that they don't understand what you're asking them to do, and that they need time to work exactly what it is and exactly what you want them to do.

Next time definitely go out with a more experienced horse so it gives her time to understand what she is meant to do as she might be even more frightened and this time do you or herself some harm - which we don't want!!
 
Young horses are like little egg timers and the confidence can sap out of them very quickly meaning they can get increasingly scared and shut down as they cope with a variety of challenges that a hack like this may throw at them.
 
I never intended to go this way with her as i know its quite a long way on her own (we normally go a different way) but with the bridleway being closed off i didnt want to turn her back home the way we came. Its not always possible to ride out with somebody else - i do try when i can.
What would have you have suggested i should of done in that situation? normally getting off and leading her past scary objects/obstacles and reassuring her gives her the confidence to go past things.
She was scared at first and i gave her time to look, coaxed her etc and then i knew she was playing up when i got on her and asked her forward she started her rearing - (she does this similar rearing when she dosent want to do something - like for instance when we have a lesson when we come round to the gate she will nap and rear, although she has stopped this now as when we approach i use lots of leg- same as when she gets to the top of the lane in a particular place she will do it again, at first i used to get off her all the time and lead her past but then she started stopping at places she never did before and no she wasnt scared she knew i would get off her so now when she stops i put my leg on (never carry a whip) and talk to her and she goes forwards.
Someone mentioned that there is a very fine line between naughtiness and being scared, and yes i agree there is 100% but when you know your horse you know when they are genuinely scared and when they are playing up.
I am very patient with her and very gentle with her all the time. I feel as though people now assume i am impatient and completly lack experience - this is not true.
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I would try to build her confidence as much as possible with other horses, whenever you get the opportunity.

What i would have done in that situation is when she very first stopped i would have sat there and talked to her, stroking her withers. No leg, no suggestion of asking her to go forwards. Then when her heart rate went down or she felt relaxed and not tense under saddle i would have asked for her to go forwards. if i got one step forward i would have said good girl and then sat still again. Start the whole process all over again. One step forward is progress! Yes, you have to sit there for a while sometimes but this method has never failed me, with many young horses or nappy ones. I would never get to the point where i had pressured the horse into rearing/bucking/etc as this is unproductive and dangerous. Everything should be kept as calm as possible, however annoying it is that the horse wont move! Turning the horses head to one side can help because they have to move to balance but be careful that they dont spin. The only time i would get off is if i have to because of a car, otherwise i stay on and wait. (sometimes through gritted teeth!)

You said it yourself- she starts rearing when she doesnt want to do something. well maybe thats because shes insecure or frightened? Just avoid getting to that point, where she has to rear to communicate with you that she is unhappy.

I honestly believe your horse is not being naughty in any of the circumstances you have described. She is just doing what horses do when they are insecure/nervous/scared about a situation. Then she just wants to go home, back to her friends and her food i.e. things that she likes and understands.
 
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I am very patient with her and very gentle with her all the time. I feel as though people now assume i am impatient and completly lack experience - this is not true.

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I don't think that, but we're all learning even if we are experienced! I agree with what teddyt says above. It's a behaviourists way of dealing with a situation to stop any future bad behaviour reoccuring. Like you said she does this behaviour because not only is she scared and unsure, but because she's learnt to do that to a new situation - it's not naughtiness it's how she's been conditioned. When she stops and is "scared" you get off and coax her past - she now needs to learn that she can go past scary things with you on her back, and rewarding her for any step forward is the right way in the correct behaviour reoccuring when you're asking her to go past something scary.

I hope that makes sense! But please don't be offended!
 
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I am very patient with her and very gentle with her all the time. I feel as though people now assume i am impatient and completly lack experience - this is not true.

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I don't think that, but we're all learning even if we are experienced! I agree with what teddyt says above. It's a behaviourists way of dealing with a situation to stop any future bad behaviour reoccuring. Like you said she does this behaviour because not only is she scared and unsure, but because she's learnt to do that to a new situation - it's not naughtiness it's how she's been conditioned. When she stops and is "scared" you get off and coax her past - she now needs to learn that she can go past scary things with you on her back, and rewarding her for any step forward is the right way in the correct behaviour reoccuring when you're asking her to go past something scary.

I hope that makes sense! But please don't be offended!

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Thank you for your advice and i will take it on board
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I am planning to take her out again tomorrow alone, this time the way we normally go, planning on taking a friend next time we go that way with her older mare.
 
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