Kirstineridesagain
Well-Known Member
My lovely mare has had a personality change. I noticed it on Sunday - while leading her up to the yard on the grassy field she started to get more and more wired. She ended up running round me in circles, rearing and breathing like a dragon. Once we got off the grassy field and back on the stone track, she was her usual self (not a complete bombproof plod, but forward and fairly relaxed). Had a lovely hack and my eight-year-old rode her (on a lead rein) for the rest of the hack.
Then yesterday I hacked out on my own. Went along the stony track and she was nappy. Still managed to convince her to move. She stopped regularly but we kept going. Then she felt like she was going to rear or spook and I got off to lead her. After a few metres she had completely calmed down, to the extent that she just stopped. I spent 30 minutes moving about 100 metres. I then gave up and turned round. Complete mood change of course, she nearly bolted off once but I stopped her. Still managed some trotting and tolting and ended on a good note.
This morning the weather was amazing, but a bit more wind so I thought she’d be feeling a bit more eager to move. No. Today I couldn’t even move her feet after tacking up. After 10-15 minutes of trying all directions I picked up a small stick from the ground and she did start moving when I waved it at her bum
(I have never needed to use one before). We walked up the woods and she was okay, then when we got to a grassy field she went a bit nuts again. So before it escalated I took her back down the woods (this route is along fields - we’ve been doing it since Christmas) and back at the track the only place she was going was back to her field. I’d run out of time by now so I took her back.
Now I’m feeling very deflated. I don’t have riding company in the week days so I’ve been working on going out on my own and only last week we had a fantastic hack. She is usually so easy to work with, sensitive and forward, our main thing has been that she can get stressed in new places but never that she won’t move.
I’m giving her a few days off and can ride her in company this weekend, but how long does this spring grass-itis last normally - until autumn?!
Then yesterday I hacked out on my own. Went along the stony track and she was nappy. Still managed to convince her to move. She stopped regularly but we kept going. Then she felt like she was going to rear or spook and I got off to lead her. After a few metres she had completely calmed down, to the extent that she just stopped. I spent 30 minutes moving about 100 metres. I then gave up and turned round. Complete mood change of course, she nearly bolted off once but I stopped her. Still managed some trotting and tolting and ended on a good note.
This morning the weather was amazing, but a bit more wind so I thought she’d be feeling a bit more eager to move. No. Today I couldn’t even move her feet after tacking up. After 10-15 minutes of trying all directions I picked up a small stick from the ground and she did start moving when I waved it at her bum
(I have never needed to use one before). We walked up the woods and she was okay, then when we got to a grassy field she went a bit nuts again. So before it escalated I took her back down the woods (this route is along fields - we’ve been doing it since Christmas) and back at the track the only place she was going was back to her field. I’d run out of time by now so I took her back.
Now I’m feeling very deflated. I don’t have riding company in the week days so I’ve been working on going out on my own and only last week we had a fantastic hack. She is usually so easy to work with, sensitive and forward, our main thing has been that she can get stressed in new places but never that she won’t move.
I’m giving her a few days off and can ride her in company this weekend, but how long does this spring grass-itis last normally - until autumn?!
