Psycho Pony - Don't know what to do!!

M

mollymurphy

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 March 2007
Messages
886
Location
Cheshire, UK
Visit site
I'm really stuck with what to do with our little 12.2 welsh mare. We bought her 18 months ago, after a riding school bought her at market. She was drugged at the auction and once they realised, they didnt want her. We took her on. She was petrified of everyone and everything. But it all turned out ok and she was lovely. Last summer, we went to the beach, on fun rides, local shows, daily hacks, were jumping, etc, and she was an angel.

But lately, she's flipped! She's reared and fallen over backwards with me on her. She's not done it since, but threatens a lot. However, she DOES rear quite a bit when being lead (for example, if she wants to pull you to grass and you tell her "NO!", she just goes up.) I got on her yesterday and was just walking around the paddock. Then out of the blue, she spun and bolted across the field, rodeoing until she got me off. I just cried. I've lost all confidence in her.

If you smack her or shout, she rears all the more, or tries to run away.
shocked.gif


Her teeth and tack are fine. I cant see anything obvious with her back, but we're having it checked anyway. If this doesnt find anything, i dont want her any more. I dont have the confidence (or the time) to fix something like this.
frown.gif


I couldnt sell her on, unless it was via 'Project Horses' or as a brood mare. God knows how much we'd get for her! She IS a stunner though.

I just feel so guilty that i cant fix her. I thought that she'd be fine once she came back into proper work (i've been at uni), but we cant even WALK around a paddock without her having something to say about it.
frown.gif


Bit of a pointless post really, but i needed a moan! Any advice would be greatly appreciated though!

Many thanks!

Lou. x
 
To me it sounds liek this pony has some serious pain somewhere. I would get a vet out ASAp to check her over. Even low grade lameness can cause bad behaviour in some
 
You could try a training halter for the leading problems, monty roberts dually halter or similar, she may be more reluctant to rear when so much pressure is applied. As for riding, id be questioning why she has changed so dramatically and id think there would have to be an underlying problem, so getting her back checked is a very good idea and her teeth too if you havnt already.
xxx
 
Well a stallion escaped and got into her field last July. She's changed a lot since then. We had the vet out to take bloods and do a pregnancy test a few weeks ago and it came back negative.
The vet said it might be worth scanning for an ovarian tumour, but everyone else reckons i'm just making excuses for her bad behaviour, and that really she's just a cow! It's such a dramatic change though, and we haven't done anything different, apart from lessen her workload due to uni commitments (i'm on easter hols now, and graduate in May, so was hoping to get her back in work, then put her on loan - im 21 and already have 2 horses - don't really need a 12.2, but she was sooo lovely!)
frown.gif

We tried her in a 'Be-nice' halter, but she wasn't impressed!!
mad.gif


Lou. x
 
Sounds to me that while you have been at uni she has got used to having things her own way and is now protesting!!!

I would of said pain but if she is doing it just because you tell her off then it sounds more like she is being a spoilt brat!!!

I perosnally would rule out any pain first and then if she gets the all clear you need to start laying down some serious ground rules and if you are too nervous to do it you may need the help of someone a bit more experienced.

I'm not saying beat her or anything but someone needs to be firm with her so she knows she cant step out of line just because she wants a moputhful of grass.

I would also start making work fun by hacking out as much as poss before asking her to school again etc and then introduce schooling and other work gradually!!
 
I'd get her scanned and try a supplement to regulate her hormones in case its a girly problem..

whats shes like to be around in general?
 
[ QUOTE ]
does she share a field with other horses? have there been any changes with companions etc?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, she shares with 4 other (bigger) mares. She's bottom of the pecking order, which makes me wonder is she's just wanting to be the boss of me, seeing as she cant with the horses. Are they clever enough to think like that?!

A mare of ours has recently come back off loan and joined her group, but the problems started before this.

Lou. x
 
[ QUOTE ]

whats shes like to be around in general?

[/ QUOTE ]

She's like 2 different people!!! One of them is the sweetest, cuddliest little pony in the world, the other is the rearing monster!!

Oh, forgot to mention, she's also started 'smiling' a LOT (flehman). Is it true that this can be a pain response, as well as hormonal?

Thank u!

Lou. x
 
thats interesting as my old horse did this too and he was a terrible rearer, couldn't get him from the field as as soon as you said no to biting you or eating grass he went straight up. he went back to dealer eventually but we think he had been beaten in the past +/- handreared.
if vet says all well I'd get a behaviouralist out
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
does she share a field with other horses? have there been any changes with companions etc?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, she shares with 4 other (bigger) mares. She's bottom of the pecking order, which makes me wonder is she's just wanting to be the boss of me, seeing as she cant with the horses. Are they clever enough to think like that?!
Lou. x

[/ QUOTE ]

yes they are! However I think it might be more than this and think she should be checked by the vet if this behaviour is recent and persistent
 
I'd get someone competent (very, very competent) to check her back, but I'd also start thinking of professional help. My filly did this (you don't mention the age of your mare?) - was an angel - rather like having a giant black labarador puppy- and at Christmas, in the space of 3 days, turned into a rearing teeth-and-feet monster.

I found a natural horsemanship practitioner (NOT Parelli, I wouldn't touch them, tho' there are plenty who would, Or Monty Roberts (ditto)) but a sound, sane woman who practised the principal of 'setting her up for success'.
It's taken 3 months of hard work and a lot of money, but I rode her bareback in the school today and led her out down the lane and neither of these was remotely possible 3 months ago

or sell her as a broodmare, tho' whether we should continue to breed from ones the kids can't sit on is entirely another question...

good luck

E
 
I believe the flehmen response can be a sign of pain as I know someones horse who did it when he had serious colic. Whereas mine does it either when she's tasted something she doesn't like or smells something.

I would put your pony's attitude down to her seasons as I have known angelic ponies go from quiet to that in a matter of days, but usually they go back to how they were a few months later.

Rule out all the usual things then a trip to the vet for bloodtests maybe?
 
I agree with the person who advised getting her womans bits checked out, I do know of a couple of mares with cystic ovaries, which caused them to behave in a terrible way. Get that checked out first, then decide if you really want to ride her, we had a couple of ponies come to us as riding ponies that literally couldnt be sat on, but in every other respect were lovely ponies. Not sure about breeding of her with the behaviour, but if she is a stunner and has breed papers then thats for you to decide.
confused.gif
 
Just how much has her worked been reduced by? My TB mare was sold 4 times in 2 years before I got her due to being excessively sharp & chucking people off/frightening them. The only thing I've really done any differently is gotten past the 1st few weeks of tantrums & WORKED HER THROUGH IT rather than giving up & LESSENING her work load through fear.

Point being - she is a gem 95% of the time now, almost a novice ride a lot of the time BUT if I reduced her workload, I know she start to earn her bad repuation pretty quickly again!!!
 
Well I have to say knew this horse. Bought in poor condition and given some TLC. Started rearing. Had to be ridden at the gallop into the school. Reared at every oportunity.They went down the teeth, back etc. route. Nil. One day he did it once too often and his owner (a very brave girl) just pasted him and I mean pasted, she raised lumps. Hasn't reared since and is an absolute angel on the local riding club jumping circuit. To see him go you would neverknow he had ever had a naughty thought in his head. I am all for doing the checks first but sometimes they just need to know who is in charge.Could you send her to someone? I must admit something like this would be well out of my abilities as a rider and then there is the trust issues BUT you have had a brilliant year with her, and you know she can behave.
 
Thank you all for your feedback. I was just so frustrated with her yesterday and was thinking irrationally. I'll deffinately get a few tests done before i do anything else. I'd feel awful if i sold her, then found out later that it was medical.

As tempting as it is to give her a good hiding at times, i'm always very wary of her past abuse by previous owners.

I know she's got such massive potential - her paces are amazing and she's got unbelievable scope when it comes to jumping - has easily cleared 2 five-bar gates (jumped out of fields when we first got her!) and was jumping beatifully with me last summer - she really seems to enjoy it.

Would insurance pay for tests to be done, or would it all be down to us?

Thank you all again.
grin.gif


Lou. x
smile.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top