Naugty pony!

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The_Connemara_Queen

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Right guys, I really need some help! Basically, my 7 year old 14hh Connemara now thinks that she doesn't want me to get on her in the arena! I lead her into the ménage, and she starts getting annoyed and swishing he head in anger, and then on her back 2 legs! She gallops, bronkes, rears around the arena and will not let me get near her..! So then it comes to the feed bucket which usually works, but after a while it stops working and I'm back to square 1 to catching her again! She is fine when I get on her in the indoor stabling area. She has just had: her teeth done by a very professional, advanced dentist (who has been doing it for over 30 years..and for £60 I think they should be pretty good haha) a brand new saddle fitted to her, her back checked out by a physio..so I know it isn't pain related! I know it's not her bit, she has a lovely NS verbindend loose ring that she loves! The annoying this is, is that when I am actually on her she is flawless! Never puts a foot wrong, flows round the arena gorgeous! But, this naughty stage of me trying to get on in the arena is becoming a joke..and also dangerous for myself and her. Any advice would be great please! (She has had no feed change or excersize change either) thank you x
 
If she has just had a brand new saddle fitted and has started doing this since, I would have it re-checked and possibly by a different fitter. Just occasionally, something goes wrong in the fitting.

Are you getting on from the ground or do you use mounting blocks both in the school and stable area?
 
Hi chestnut cob, When I ride her in the ménage, I get on her in there because I can then close the gate etc and there is a mounting block in there. And yeah, I hack her out once a week x
 
What is she like if you were to mount in a field or outside of the school? Do you have an instructor or anyone who could help you to get on her?

I would suggest getting her saddle checked by a different fitter to who sold you the saddle. If they think the saddle is fine I would possibly contact a behaviourist who should be able to advise further. I've used Richard Maxwell on a chronically bad loader before and he is worth every penny. Behaviour like this is dangerous and you need to get to the bottom of what is causing it as it is not always as simple as changes to the back/teeth/saddle etc.
 
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That's interesting.
I have a loan pony who sounds slightly similar. Sometimes he is almost phobic about people getting on him. He's fine once you're on, but some days you could get on and for no apparent reason he will start bronking for a minute or so, then he is fine after that. I know that's different so bear with me, this is relevant - his problem arises from having had a loaner who had a badly fitting saddle and got on him from the ground and it hurt him - carry on bearing with me, i know that's different too.
We've worked with him and like i say, he is now fine 99% of the time but sometimes something triggers him freaking out; we haven't been able to work out what it is because it's now quite rare.
Could it be that something has happened to your mare, e.g. something about getting on in the arena that hurt her - it could be that she has extrapolated one of them hurting her to 'people getting on in the arena hurt' and she thinks that it will therefore be painful? It sounds like she is pretty anxious about this - given that she doesn't do it elsewhere, I wouldn't say from your description that she is being 'naughty', but that something has really upset her.

I agree with acorn that I'd have the saddle rechecked and then a behaviourist is a good port of call.
 
what happens if you get on elsewhere, then ride her into the arena? Is she upset about entering the arena then, or is it literally only if you get on in the arena?
 
Hi yes she is fine when I'm not getting on her in the arena. A field I probably couldn't get on her..she would want to gallop (she's a hot showjumper so fields are seen as race tracks lol)! Had her saddle double checked and said it fitted her lovely! Bloody ponies, I'll have a look at the behaviourist person aswell! Thanks x
 
Morgan123 she does find the bottom area a bit spooky sometimes (it's the scary end for all the horses on my yard haha) but most of the time, when I'm riding at the spooky end she isn't even fazed..but she will still do the naughty thing when getting on beforehand! Thank u xx
 
I bought her 4yrs ago tomorrow (wow!) as an underweight little 3yr old. She came with a saddle (worst fit in the world) and basically had a crap life before! She was put on a trap at 2, some gypsies got hold of her at about 2 and she got tethered up(she didn't like it so struggled, and ripped her chest open so now has a little scar from it:-(!) so I know she hasn't had the best start in life, but she has now overcome that all now! She has never been nervous or anxious surprisingly, very confident and bold! she hated having her saddle put on at first when we got her (teeth, front legs, back legs) which is obvious its from the bad saddle fitting! (We got her a new one fitted obviously). She still not 100% with the saddle, but it's only a few threats with the teeth that I have to dodge haha! But I don't think she will ever change doing that (typical moody mare!) she has done it once before about 1year ago for the first time I rode her at my new yard, but never did it since until now! Arghh
 
Thank you everyone for all your replies. I think that on Saturday (out competing on Sunday) I'm going to lead her in the ménage with a lunge line so she won't be able to get away from me when she tries, and literally take about 30 mins getting on and off in and out of the school! The annoying thing is, is that I will ride first, but when I get off to let me sister have a go..she gets on her in the arena no problem at all! It's as though that after she has been worked, she is fine with it all (maybee because she knows there isn't anything to be scared off??)
 
Has she been like what for 4 years? If you mean rearing up and running away when I try to get on then no, she hasn't been like that for 4 years. She has been doing it for about 2 and a half weeks x
 
Couldn't be ulcers and she's reacting to stress signals? If she's a hot little pony and maybe gets a bit wound up, she could end up making her stomach hurt and illiciting the reaction? Just an idea? Could try feeding a scoop of fibre/chaff before riding and see if it helps? Otherwise, get her back looked at again xx
My little mare was very much like this, except she would run backwards a million miles an hour, and she was purely terrified after we had an accident - de sensitised her to the whole people above her / jumping/ moving about and she's absolutely fine now xx
 
Sounds to me exactly like I said - something has happened at some point which makes her think it's going to hurt her when you (specifically you, hence not doing it for your sister) get on in the arena. Who knows what - perhaps you just pinched a nerve and got on too quickly sometime or something, but the fact that she doesn't do it anywhere else shows it's a real problem to her and not just naughtiness (well that's what it sounds like to me anyway). Horses often overgeneralise fears or do exactly the opposite - think they're linked to stimuli we can't necessarily get. She hasn't decided that it's going to hurt EVERY time you get on, she just thinks something in the arena hurts.

Anyway - I'd do what you say and spend a while getting on and off if it is safe to do so, but doing so really gently with a friend there and lots of rewarding and treats when she is good.
If it's not safe, I would start from scratch and do a tiny bit every day. The first day just go into the arena tacked up, walk near the mounting block, lots of reassurance and pats/carrots, then take her out again. The next day stand on the block, lots of reassurance, walk lout again. Next day put a foot in the stirrup, carrots, walk away. Etc etc. This worked for my horse when he had a fear of me getting on.
 
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