Stopping a runaway!

Crazycob06

Crazycob06

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Hi everyone. I posted on here already about the problems I was having with my mare... We had a really good week schooling and she was listening to me perfectly so I took her out again this weekend hoping that last week was just a one off! Well she didn't bolt with me but I struggled to hold her back the entire ride! When she spooks I give her reassurance and she is great now with 'scary things' but she was just full of it! I am riding out again today but wanted some advice first, half the time she doesn't listen to my seat and I really don't want to be pulling on her mouth!! Any tips?
 
Circling might work (where there is room) as for leg yielding.... She does not know anything other than the basics, she was late broken and still very green. She has a lot to learn for a 6 1/2 year old bless her.
 
I wouldn't mind but I can't even relax at all other wise she is off! Not just nice and forward (that would help because other horse has bigger strides and we can left behind sometimes! Lol) ATM she just wants to RUN! We tried to trot yesterday (we usually trot and a little canter fine) but that was like saying 'run as fast as you can!'
 
Lateral work before for a few days until she is soft to the flexion and then tight circles one rein stops, hold her nose towards your knee and wait until she stands still then release instantly and repeat till it becomes soft.
when your out do not continually pull with both hands,in fact dont pull at all with both hands she will just take hold and pull back at you and it will help her make off .
Think every time you have ever seen a horse bolting the rider is always pulling hard on the reins and nothing is happening.
Dont shout at her as this will only excite or frighten her just quietly repeat wow!
Good Luck and dont give up ;)
 
It takes two to pull my dad always said :) think she is just excited an fresh :) is there anyone with an older plod you could park her behind ?
 
I never pull with both reins, I know she would just lean and run. We already ride with a fantastic older horse and until she got her confidence it was great because she would just follow behind, now she is too bold and wants to run off ahead! I'm hoping its just a case of repetition like when we first started taking her out, I'm just worried she will get worse! She is already knocking my confidence!
 
Sounds like she's tanking off, my lad used to do that, but is so much better these days, he's calmed down, and rather chilled on hacks. Might I ask, how old is she? He was 5 when this started and he stopped doing it around the age of 8.
 
I have done a lot of ground work with her and can't fault her there, she listens and respects me. She stops with just the word whoa when im on the ground, she used to do the same in the saddle too. Today she wouldn't even stop in the school for the first 30 minutes! Once she had had enough she was better and I actually managed to teach her rein back (then she wouldn't go forward tho! Haha!) she seems to be getting worse... Not sure what to do with her!!!
 
And how fresh is she? And what are you feeding? Even my nicely chilled 5 year old is being a bit of an idiot out hacking today but I can pinpoint this to him not having enough work with all this wretched freezing weather!
 
Yes she does clamp down on the bit and stops listening! I have been thinking of a different bit but I would rather solve the problem with out using a different one is possible!
 
Transistions, loads & loads. If she's full of it, you ask for trot, rather than waiting till she launches off. And after 10 strides, ask for 2 strides of walk, then 10 strides of trot & then 2 more strides of walk. Then 8 strides of trot, 3 of walk, and so on. And vary it depending how full of it she is. If she'll walk nicely for 50m then do 3 strides of trot, fine. If not then more trot less walk. But if she's full of it, be careful how much trot you do without breaking it up with a transistion. Too much trot & she'll just get fast, too little & she'll jog or tank off.
 
I am riding at least 3 times a week, if not more, either schooling or hacking. She is out for 8 hours grazing a day and has plenty of hay plus a handful of safe and sound (oh and the people at the livery yard now give her 3 carrots at night!) she is a very good doer and has some weight to loose, she seems to be slimming down nicely since getting her.
 
The transitions work wanders in the school! They really make her listen but out on a hack if I let her go up to trot she tries to tank off right away! She was doing great! This has just started!
 
Crazycob06 said:
Yes she does clamp down on the bit and stops listening! I have been thinking of a different bit but I would rather solve the problem with out using a different one is possible!
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I, too, would be looking for a different bit. Not necessarily a more severe bit (although we all know that a bit is only as severe as the rider's hands) but one made from a different material, e.g. sweetiron/salox etc.

I would also follow littlelegs' advice and also keep changing the trot diagonal - this stops my mare getting strong.

ETA, how long has she been having carrots? Sister's mare gets very silly if she has even a small amount of carrot.
 
I will look into a different bit and also try changing the diagonal and see if it makes a difference with her. I will also see if I can get her doing the transitions. She just seems so full of it ATM!
 
Only about a week or so! I asked the YO and he said it shouldn't make a difference! I might just leave them out and see how she gets on!
 
I just read that they not only have a lot of sugar in but also female hormones! Apparently lots of mares can't have them!! Maybe it can be easily fixed after all!
 
Crazycob06 said:
I am riding at least 3 times a week, if not more, either schooling or hacking. She is out for 8 hours grazing a day and has plenty of hay plus a handful of safe and sound (oh and the people at the livery yard now give her 3 carrots at night!) she is a very good doer and has some weight to loose, she seems to be slimming down nicely since getting her.
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She may not be a horse who is happy with going out 3 x a week and needs more work. How about lunging her before you go out ?
 
What bit are you using? Have you thought of keeping that style and trying a sweetiron version to see if that encourages her to mouth the bit? A stonger bit isn't always called for, but one she's happy with is, it's just finding the happy medium (might be worth trying a bit bank)..
 
She doesn't usually care how often we go out but I usually ride more than that, 3 times is the minimum. It's just lately she's been like this.
 
Above all, try and be relaxed around her, if your thinking about whether she's going to play up or not, even before you get in the saddle, she'll know your anxious, and play on it. Always think positive, because that will rub off onto her, and if you can ride in company, youngsters often respond better with an older experienced horse along side them :)
 
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