spoilt disrespectful napping mare

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EJ87

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Need help my mare has turned into a real nightmare. we were doing so well going to first show and jumping double clears but now she has gone totally flipped personalities. I thought it was due to having a season but has lasted about 3 weeks now and getting worse. she has started coming at me while im trying to lunge her bites me regulary kicks out when trying to groom her but worst is her napping when hacking and in arena. she will back up and not go forward or turn and now is threatening to rear. iv had her teeth done back done and general check up and there is nothing phyically wrong with her her tack has never changed and her diet hasnt changed she gets rough grazing on a farm lane as shes a greedy sort and is turned out 24/7. i have put an experienced rider onto her and she napped with him to and he said id be better to sell her before i get hurt i just dont understand why she is now like this. i no i have spoilt her with treats and letting her get away with everything but i am trying to cut that all back and treat her more like a horse. but i just dont no what to do can she be fixed with say a few weeks training away from me and me shown how to treat her so she respects me aka dosnt try to kill me on a regular basis at min or is the damage done and she will just revert back to her self again? shes 12 by the way and iv had her a year with previous owners having her 6 yrs and she is my first horse.
 
Get a bucket of water up her backside to send her forwards when she naps! Sit tight and keep the momentum going forwards. Chuckl it at her everytime she goes to spin or stop. She'll soon get the message!

Mares can be funny creatures, and it sounds like you need to reassert your place at the top of the herd! Be firm, but be nice- and don't spoil her, stop the treats unless it's for a reward.

The spring grass is coming through with avengence now. it's going to be a rocky few weeks for alot of people!
 
Best guess is that mare has decided she's the boss, so its not purely nasty, she's just putting you in your place, same as she would with a horse below her in the pecking order. It's far from ideal, let alone safe, but no reason it can't be put right. Find yourself a good trainer or instructor who can help you with ridden & handling issues. Sending her away will only work long term if you are involved too. A confident, experienced person might have little trouble getting her respect, but you need to learn how to gain it too. No reason to decide you have to get rid though, its usually a fixable problem.
 
Get someone out like an intelligent horsemanship recommended associate who can help you sort this out quickly. You will both feel better for increasing your trust in each other by your setting boundaries and expecting good behaviour. Do not start throwing water over her or hitting her as it will escalate her behaviour rather than improve it.
 
yes, it sounds like you have a an alpha mare! My advice would be to invest in some professional help with her, that's if you like her enough to keep!! Mares like yours can be worse than stallions sometimes.

My mare is very opinionated and it took us a while to ' click' however she has never gone to kick or bite me or shown any aggressive behaviour towards me. I just had to learn her personality and set a few ground rules. She also had to learn to trust me.
 
I agree that you should try natural ground work. It will let her know who's boss without any pain. If its any consolation all the mares at our yard are being rel pains at the moment. My girl has changed in the last couple of weeks. I've been thrown she is spooky and I've just heard that she galloped through the fence which is unbelievable because she has always been a horse that stays inside the fence! Im cracking down on her at the moment but I put it down to the grass and the weather.
 
could be symptoms of ulcers, did your vet mention this or scope her?

I think it's unusual for horses living out 24/7 to get them but the can.
 
EJ87 said:
Need help my mare has turned into a real nightmare. we were doing so well going to first show and jumping double clears but now she has gone totally flipped personalities. I thought it was due to having a season but has lasted about 3 weeks now and getting worse. she has started coming at me while im trying to lunge her bites me regulary kicks out when trying to groom her but worst is her napping when hacking and in arena. she will back up and not go forward or turn and now is threatening to rear. iv had her teeth done back done and general check up and there is nothing phyically wrong with her her tack has never changed and her diet hasnt changed she gets rough grazing on a farm lane as shes a greedy sort and is turned out 24/7. i have put an experienced rider onto her and she napped with him to and he said id be better to sell her before i get hurt i just dont understand why she is now like this. i no i have spoilt her with treats and letting her get away with everything but i am trying to cut that all back and treat her more like a horse. but i just dont no what to do can she be fixed with say a few weeks training away from me and me shown how to treat her so she respects me aka dosnt try to kill me on a regular basis at min or is the damage done and she will just revert back to her self again? shes 12 by the way and iv had her a year with previous owners having her 6 yrs and she is my first horse.
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this has just been happening to me.

she only nip and i know she wants to do more then she does but im quite hard with her as i know if i give an inch she will take a mile. she is also kicking when i do the leg straps on her turnout when its on and she is doing a lovly reversing and leaping and bolting forward routine. she also fires in at me on the lounge and she did it twice last time i lounged her and i decided this was to stop and so when she tried to do it today she got the whip cracked on her shoulder and then was much nicer to lounge.

i think the key is to be hard but fair. dont send her away as it is you and her that need to be sorted out and if someone comes to help, do just that let then help but not do it for you.

i agree with what everyone else said and i think its just that time of year.
 
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Agree with faracat, pain that hasn't been diagnosed YET. Not a catch all but possible a course of bute would help in diagnosing pain issue, certainly a dramatic change in behaviour, I'd be discussing with vet. Tbh your 'experienced' friend is an idiot! Suggesting you sell a dangerous mare on to potentially endanger someone else, plus it would leave you in a very vulnerable position, the only dangerous horse I ever sold was to someone who knew the mare, fell in love with her and signed a fully detailed disclaimer which indicated In my opinion she was dangerous, should not be ridden and described her faults and behaviour... I sold her for a pound the woman was willing to have her if only as a field ornament, the mare was damned lucky because otherwise I'd have had her shot... I would never have sold her as rideable. I suggest u stick with it and do some further investigations with professionals and ignore your 'experienced' friend as his advice could get you into trouble and you won't be doing best by what seems like a lovely mare who by the sounds of it was a gem and perfect for you. X
 
Also, if it started when she came into season it could still be hormonal. The season could have triggered an imbalance, have you spoken to her previous owners to see if they experienced it with her?
 
If you are completely sure this is dominant mare behaviour then def get an instructor in to help you.

I have a big mare now 8 yrs old, owned her since she was 4 months. As a 5 year old she turned like this with me. She still does kick out on the lunge at me (not as much as she used to) and will once in a blue moon try pin me in corners, she has kicked me twice in the bad phase whilst I was handling her.

I was really struggling - riding wise she was better but handling wise a nightmare. I ended up paying my riding instructor for handling lessons and learnt how to deal with her properly from the ground. It really helped me and she is now a lovely mare nearly all the time but she will still 'try it on' if she doesnt want to do as she's told. She's very aggressive when she wants to be. She can also be very aggressive with other horses and cannot be turned out with geldings its scary.

Sounds similar to what you experience, big strong horses and although I never spoilt this mare she perhaps got away with some things she maybe shouldnt have.

Get some help, start with groundwork and the riding will follow. Good luck.
 
I would agree with the people whoe have said pain and/or hormonal. My friends mare became 'difficult...she was told by everyone it was behavioural, she got vet had saddle checked...bla,bla,bla

Then...a better saddler and a genius back person were brought in...confirmed she was in severe discomfort...its taken 8 months...but she is a happy girl again.

I would investigate further...do not just sell her on like this...it isn't fair on the new owner or the horse...she will be passed on and on.
 
My bad tempered mare was in pain her problem was hormones.We tried regumate and change was nearly immediate so vet suggested marble and it has stayed in her ever since.She hated saddle rugs and grooming she still pulls faces but doesnt try and bite so often:rolleyes:.Ridden work improved as well as she accepted leg contact.
One more thing you could look into before you call specialist in. :D
 
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