New horse issue

[kizzy_100]

Hi everyone, I've just purchased a rising 3 year old mare tbxwb. She's a great horse and I've only had her a few days. I've been riding her around the arena for the past 3 days. First day she was fine and now she's started to find her feet. She is lifting her head up very high to the point where she could hit me in the face. I've booked a vet to look at her teeth in a months time.shes already had her wolf teeth out at the beginning of the year. She was Broken in at the start of the year and ridden on for 3 months. And had a spell for 3 months. When I tried her out she wasn't throwing her head around so I'm thinking the new environment might be something to do with it? I've booked an instructor to help me.
Has anyone experienced anything similar?

 

[Leo Walker]

Shes rising 3yr old, so she was backed as a youngish 2yr old? In which case turn her away for 6 months and let her grow and mature. riding round and round the arean every day on a 2yr old isnt ever going to do any good.

 

[kizzy_100]

Thanks for the reply. I'm not just riding around and around the arena it's just more getting her going forward and a lot of walk and half transitions. I also am doing ground work with her. I'm in australia and they do tend to start them young here. I see what the instructor says on Sunday

 

[Shay]

In the UK we don't start them so young so I'm not sure how much help you would find on a UK forum. My thoughts were with BP's - far too young. Turn her away for 6 months and try again. But different countries have different standards in this.

 

[Circe]

I'm also in Australia, so I do appreciate that horses tend to be broken in as 2 year olds here, and then you just crack on with them, however 3 is still very young.
You say she was ridden on for 3 months. Was this mainly trail riding, or work in the arena. Also, if she has had 3 months off, are you bringing her back on ? if so, she might not be used to arena work, and as a baby doesn't really understand what you want, and doesn't have the muscle / strength to cope with the arena.
She would benefit from more of a break, but if you are not able to do that are you able to ride out on some trails with her, or do some ground work until you can get an instructors opinion ?
Kx

 

[texel]

Your mare's behviour is not unusual she is telling you she isn't ready or comfortable with that you are asking her to do.

1. Long reining and groundwork, not just at your yard or in a field you work up to going out and about. This will help your youngster learn to trust you and get confidence. You can work over poles, do circles, serpentines. The execises are only limited by your imagination.

2. Horse agiility - a great way to have fun with your younster or a horse of any age or size. https://www.thehorseagilityclub.com/

3. You don't need to start off with a bit - less is more.

4. She still needs to have quallity time to romp around a field and play with other youngsters/ horses so she can develop into a horse that is sound in mind and body.

 

[Pinkvboots]

In the UK we don't start them so young so I'm not sure how much help you would find on a UK forum. My thoughts were with BP's - far too young. Turn her away for 6 months and try again. But different countries have different standards in this.

agree with this and please don't take this personally but you don't really sound knowledgeable enough to be starting a young horse, get some professional help to make sure it's done properly it's so easy to ruin a young horse but very hard to put it right after the damage is done.

 

[Northern]

Thanks for the reply. I'm not just riding around and around the arena it's just more getting her going forward and a lot of walk and half transitions. I also am doing ground work with her. I'm in australia and they do tend to start them young here. I see what the instructor says on Sunday

Just because they "tend" to start them young here, doesn't mean it's the right thing for every horse. If you really insist on riding, I would be getting her out on trails and forgetting about the arena altogether. Forget about where her head is at the moment too. You can do plenty of forward and transitions on trails, bonus is that they get out and used to seeing things. I would be looking at getting an instructor to help you along as well, so you don't run into common rookie mistakes along the way. Best of luck!