Please help

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herbert

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About 2 months ago I bought a supposedly untouched 4 yr old mare. Got her home and it was obvious that she had worn a bridle and had been lunged. Was also obvious that someone had been very cruel to her as at times she was a nervous wreck. Put a pad and roller on and she was fine however when I put a saddle on her she blew. Not the usual buck and kick but the full scale scared rage. Now she panics at the thought of a saddle although she doesn't mind the roller. What do I do? Husband says send her for meat but she is a good looking extravagant moving pony and is very sweet when not threatened by a saddle. Have been trying for 2 months with the saddle and nothing works and I've been breaking ponies for 40 years.
 
personally for something like this I would try black box treatment or decent whisperer by recommendation as a final try.....a lot of people pah at black box treatment but its works for my friends dads race horses and he is typical farmer/trainer and doesnt give money away lightly!
 
I would forget all about trying to put a saddle on for now and give her another six months to learn confidence in you - there are plenty of things you can do on the ground to build a bond.
In the meantime you might want to consider getting her back checked - whatever has happened to her might have caused injuries that are contributing to her problems
 
i think i'd try all other avenues before giving up on a horse completely. maybe she could be sold/loaned out as a companion if it is a case of she'll never tolerate a saddle? has she had her back, teeth, general health checked by a professional? sorry if i'm stating the obvious. 40 years experience is a lot more than me.
i'm just a sop, i couldn't bear the thought of any horse going for meat. plus if its not a physical prob there's no reason why she can't live a life unbroken and happy and healthy.
the whisperer idea is also a great 1. never heard of black box treatment. what is it?
i really hope things work out
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Has she had the once over by the vet?
2 months isn't a long time to build trust with you if she has been badly treated in the past - spend some time just building a relationship - lots of grooming etc. and getting her used to the things she can cope with at the moment - the saddle pad etc. Leave the saddle for a while - she's likely to become uncomfortable with just lunging etc if she knows that it always ends with the inevitable saddle being placed on her back.
 
If it was me I would have the back checked first. Then I would try to desensitize her to seeing the saddle and take it from there. Just bring it out every day so she can see it but not put it on her. Does she go mad when she sees it or just when you put it on? I should think it would take a bit of time, but might be worthwhile. Good luck
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Will she wear the saddle in the stable,I feel there is a way around this but I understand that you don't want to send her away to a trainer as it is so expensive and as she is a pony ,will she ever be suitable for a child. Will she wear a felt pad to start with?
 
She sounds as if she is already brokn, and someone did a proper bad job and she was labelled a nutcase.
You need to work out exactly what has happened. Did you put it on in the stable? If so try outside. Did she go beserk when you did the girth up? If so just place it on her without a girth for a while.
I would make sure her mouth is 100% before you try anything drastic. Basically get her ready to back, just without a saddle on.
I would also get a thorough physio check and a blood test done. I had a horse like this (broke through a breezeblock wall), Found out 4 yrs later she had previously had a colic op. She could be in pain from anything internally, so to check things is a good idea. It could be the extra weight of the saddle which is the problem.
 
I agree with the_watcher on this one...2 months is no time at all for a horse to learn trust when they have 'issues' or problems. It took my horse 6 months to truly settle when he moved to me and even though he had been ridden regularly by his previous owner, the change of home sent him so far backwards that I had to start almost from scratch with him on everything. He was just terrified and worried by everything because he was so upset at the change and did not have his previous mummy there anymore.
 
I agree with everyone else that you need to get her checked out to ensure there is no physical problem.

You say she is OK with the roller, so I think you need to work in very small stages to blur the distinction between roller and saddle. Start to make the pad under the roller bigger and bigger until you can put a numnah under it. Don't move onto the next stage until she is comfortable with the previous one. Then try a kids felt pad saddle and secure that with the roller. Then the felt pad with a girth. If she is nervous with the felt pad at first, then cover it with the numnah you used previously. Then try a small, light saddle with no stirrups, again covered with the numnah. Then introduce the stirrups etc., etc.
 
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