Nudibranch
Well-Known Member
I have had a rescued TB mare since xmas, very little known about her past other than 12 yrs old with large granulated scar on hind leg. She is lovely to handle - most of the time - though she has very bad separation anxiety. She will leave the yard and sometimes wont put a foot wrong, then other days acts like a complete nutter and naps really badly. Yesterday she freaked out when I brought her out of the field, because the horses had been moved to a new field a little further away and she wanted to get back to her companions - until now they have been grazing next to the yard.
At this stage I am still working from the ground long reining, lungeing and leading out which is helping, but when she does nap, it is getting more severe (though less frequent). It is totally unpredictable where and when, and generally ends up with her either planting her feet, or trying to back into me. She reins back very well, but even using this against her doesn't seem to help. She also shakes like a jelly from the start of the napping, and on a bad day returns to the yard covered in foam. The other day she split my partners' head open with all her head swinging.
She did shy badly when I first had her, and Ive managed to cure this more or less, though I still get the odd bruised foot. In 20 years of horse experience I have never met such an unpredictable horse!
I am using a variety of approaches, lots of pressure-release, etc etc though I have given her a smack with the whip now and again. Her napping is equally bad with a "soft" or "tough" approach and as I say, it is unpredictable and erratic - some days nothing, some days awful (even on the same routes).
Any suggestions? Btw I am slightly concerned at the number of whip-them-til-they-crack replies on here, I am 100% sure this would cause her to have a nervous breakdown,she is far too highly strung and sensitive for that kind of approach!
At this stage I am still working from the ground long reining, lungeing and leading out which is helping, but when she does nap, it is getting more severe (though less frequent). It is totally unpredictable where and when, and generally ends up with her either planting her feet, or trying to back into me. She reins back very well, but even using this against her doesn't seem to help. She also shakes like a jelly from the start of the napping, and on a bad day returns to the yard covered in foam. The other day she split my partners' head open with all her head swinging.
She did shy badly when I first had her, and Ive managed to cure this more or less, though I still get the odd bruised foot. In 20 years of horse experience I have never met such an unpredictable horse!
I am using a variety of approaches, lots of pressure-release, etc etc though I have given her a smack with the whip now and again. Her napping is equally bad with a "soft" or "tough" approach and as I say, it is unpredictable and erratic - some days nothing, some days awful (even on the same routes).
Any suggestions? Btw I am slightly concerned at the number of whip-them-til-they-crack replies on here, I am 100% sure this would cause her to have a nervous breakdown,she is far too highly strung and sensitive for that kind of approach!
