Stubborn Mare

Beth206

Beth206

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Hi All, after some training advice for my stubborn little mare. We are on a yard with no facilities but do have a very well draining field which I do my schooling in. Now it's winter I can only do this on a weekend, and to get to the nice field we have to walk through the muddy field. My mare isn't a mud phobe - she is turned out 24/7 and always plastered in the stuff. Once she is tacked up and we head toward the field she just plants, or sometimes I can get her in the field, but again she will plant. I can not physically get her to walk, on one occasion I had some pony nuts in my pocket and I literally had to bribe her to walk on, which she only did when her neck stretched so far she became unbalanced and would walk forward (it's ridiculous, you have never seen anything like it). The other day I lost my temper a bit and used my whip on her shoulder - not my proudest moment but after this she did walk on. Once we get to the top field she is absolutely fine, is nice and calm and does as I ask when being ridden. She doesn't try nap and she will walk back down to her stable fine.

I think I have probably caused the problem myself as I do a lot of groundwork with her in our yard and used to reward with pony nuts during training. I now just reward her with a pat and pressure/release but even the pressure/release doesn't work when trying to get her to shift.

She is perfect to do in all other ways, when we go hacking and go out of the other gate she is fine.
 
sounds like she taking the p if she is planting in the same place just before you approach give her a few sharp leg aids and a few flicks of the whip, don't let her get the opportunity to stop if she does stop use your whip you don't have to wallop her just let her know you won't put up with the stopping, I would also use the whip behind your leg not on the shoulder as it's meant to be a back up aid to your leg.
 
Find something that is an aversive but doesn't scare her or make her less trustiing of you. The German "mill" is very useful - turn her as tight as you can round and round a couple of times, (nose to boot tight) then ask her to walk in the direction you want. Usually it takes no more than three or for times doing this each time she plants to convince her it will be easier to just do what you are asking of her - turning that tight involves a whole lot of effort she would rather avoid.
 
Thanks PB - she is taking the p, it's a pain. I thought she would only do it once but it's every time at the moment and in same place. Then by the time we get to the field to ride - it can take about 10 mins - i'm fed up and don't feel like our ride is as productive as it could be.

I usually walk up the field with her inhand as there is a gate at the top to get into the top field which can be temperamental to open and she sometimes leaps over the mud in the gateway but I think going forward I will open it before hand, ride her up and just hold on if she leaps! When I ride her I use my whip behind the leg it just felt easier to use on her shoulder that day as I was on the floor and it was the closest area to me in my frustration.

Maybe instead of doing our groundwork in the yard on a night we practice walking up the field!!

ETA: Thanks Jill - that sounds useful. When she gets silly I turn her in away in a circle so I quite like the idea of the tight circle!
 
Beth206 said:
Maybe instead of doing our groundwork in the yard on a night we practice walking up the field!!
!
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Personally this is what I'd do. I wouldnt go down the whip / force type route of getting her out of the habit as IMO its making a deal of it. Id simply take her for the odd wonder up and down the field to where you ride and a polo when she does as she asks willingly. Then same when under saddle, give her a polo when she gets past her sticking point. May not suit everyone but Im always for looking at other options to approach issues as opposed to force / punishment type.
 
Thanks for your comment MM - I felt so bad the other day when I lost my temper and whipped her. It was just literally a very firm, sharp smack on her shoulder but it's not what I do or am about.

So in terms of getting her past the planting stage would you just wait until she walks on herself / encourage her to walk forward with a polo bribe / or when she plants, turn her to circle straight away then reward once she walks forward? I walked her out of her stable the other day and turned toward the field and she literally planted half way out of her stable, so we did some groundwork in front of the gate and she soon relaxed but we didn't venture up the field as it was pitch black.
 
I'm sorry, when I posted that I was under the impression you were riding her - do I take it you are leading? In which case, can you get hold of an american rope halter? Fit it properly then lead her around for a while. When she plants, keep walking until you reach the end of the lead rope (ideally a 12 ft one) and then keep steady pressure on it, without turning to look at her. Keep it there until she moves forward toward you, then carry on walking. The reward is the release of pressure, and that is a useful lesson for any horse to learn, that the way to get rid of pressure is to move towards it. It's her responsibility to not get into that steady pressure situation again, i.e. to keep at the proper distance from you. After a few times of that she will get fed up of the game and then lead her down the field where you have had problems. Hopefully she will have learned that the proper response to pressure on the lead rein is to go forward - if she continues after, say, a dozen times I would say something is worrying her about that spot.
 
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I lead her up at the moment as the gate into the top field can be funny and she sometimes bunny hops over the boggy gateway - i have always lead her up and have never had any issues up until recently.

I hadn't thought about a halter, I used to use one on an Arab i had on loan as she was a pain to get in fron the field and would plant too - good suggestion.

I think she is just testing me more than being worried but will see how she gets on. It has literally just started as the field has got more boggy
 
I like to lead in a traditional rope halter but with a 'planter' I would always carry a schooling whip, don't hit her on the shoulder but at the girth, where your leg would be if you were riding. If you can do it behind your back, so that you don't have to turn round, so much the better.
 
Thanks PS, it is a schooling whip i use. Definitely going to look into getting a halter.

Riding tomorrow night so will see how I get on with all the useful tips you have all given me. Think the most important thing is for me to keep my cool and be vigilant in what i'm asking from her
 
Might be a stupid question but where do you put your feet? If you're leading and won't walk through the deepest mud yourself (e.g. jump over/sneak around to keep boots clean for riding) then mare will pick up on that... Sounds as though she doesn't trust the ground/isn't comfy for some reason that is exacerbated by deep going. If she was 'taking the p' she'd do it all over not just to avoid mud!
 
Beth206 said:
Thanks PS, it is a schooling whip i use. Definitely going to look into getting a halter.

Riding tomorrow night so will see how I get on with all the useful tips you have all given me. Think the most important thing is for me to keep my cool and be vigilant in what i'm asking from her
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When I say use the whip at the girth, you only need to nudge her with it - not a wallop.
 
GirlFriday said:
Might be a stupid question but where do you put your feet?
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The field we walk through is that bad there is no option to avoid the mud so we are in it together in that respect. She is turned out in the same field so I'm unsure as to where her new uncertainty has come from - but she is my first horse so every day is a learning day for me
 
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We did it!! Not ridden as it has chucked it down all day so just went armed with headcollar. Had two stand offs but with pressure/release she gave in. Got to the gate and headed back down the field then circling and walking back to the gate with no problems. :D
 
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