Trotting straight...my cob weaves!

[Looney Luna]

Hi Everyone, i'm new to this!

i'll apologise now for my rambling!

i need help with my mare. our problem is trotting straight!

i bought Luna in october in foal with her second. she had hardly been handle i've had to teach her everything from the purpose of a hay net to grooming. she has taken everything i have thrown at her. we have had plently of time to get ready for riding and i did as much as i could to prepare for riding. i introduced the bridle while she was pregnant and i leant over her and stood on chairs/ gates and leant on her she was perfectly fine with everything and shes the most amazing horse!

anyway she had cedric on 19th march this year and hes amazing aswell! perfect little gentleman. so three weeks after cedric arrived i introduced the lunge and she picked it up in the space of a day so then we moved on to getting on and leading her bare back with people on her which she didnt mind at all. so then we got a saddle which was scary for about 5 mins then all was ok. so heres where the problem comes we ride nearly everyday for about 20-30 mins but we still cant trott in a straight line. the front isnt connected to the back! and she feels really wiggly! if i try and correct with the reins or legs she thinks she has to change direction and then we zig and zag! i try to keep myself straight ie equal pressure with both legs and reins but still we weave along!

so please any advice welcome. bare in mind i have never broke a horse in before so this is all new to us! and she is doing so well and i dont want to teach her wrong.

thanks for any help!

 

[brucethegypsycob]

Loony Luna . Are u saying you've been working and riding a mare that had a foal 3 months ago cos if that is the case you are either ignorant or cruel. The mare will not be physically ready to be doing anything other than caring and feeding her foal. Stop all work and turn her out and let her be a mother. You don't need to do anything with her until well after weaning. I shall wean mine at about 6 months. Then I shall let her have the winter off and bring her slowly into work next spring. I don't usually post stroppy replies but you have seriously annoyed me. Or Re u simply a troll.

 

[Looney Luna]

Im sorry for offending u. I had been told that i could start light work with her by many people. As u have so kindly pointed out i will stop work and for.your information she is turned out. I shall not use this forum again...i am.not a troll. Thank you

 

[Looney Luna]

Also i asked for help not to be made to feel stupid or insulted by name calling.

 

[Jools2345]

in many countries they work the mares when foals are very young i was always taught that a mare that had been backed and worked at a reasonaly high level and worked till late in the pregnancy could come back into work quite soon, but that a mare that had not been kept fit and working throughout the pregnancy could come back to work quite soon.

in your shoes i would be inclined to leave backing the mare till the foal is at least 5 months old and then just separate them whilst you work with the mare then put them back together.

lots of muscles soften to prepare for labour and your issues may be down to them not having tightened up again yet.

more strain is put on the mares body producing milk for a young foal than actually growing the foal whilst in the womb

 

[Looney Luna]

Also i did seek advise from my vet who came out and gave her the ok to start work. Its not like im running her ragged. We mostly walk and stop! We had only just tried trott. But if u say its bad for her then everyone else ive spoken to is wrong. I used to ride a mare who had a four month foal at foot. I havent hurt her and i wouldnt even dream of doing so. I rescued her from a gypsy who used to beat her, pin her to a wall just to get a farrier to her. Ive gained her trust and worked really hard to help her overcome her fear of men. Ive done nothing to my knowledge to hurt her on purpose. I certainly didnt put this thread up to start a name calling mean heart breaking thread. I feel terrible that i may have hurt her and i want u to know i.never intended to offend anyone. Lile i said i havent broke in a horse before. My vet said she would be ok my friend said its ok. No one jas advised me against. But i will take ur post on board. Sorry for annoying everyone.

 

[Looney Luna]

Thank you for that post jools. I have been told by my vet to wean the foal at five months as hes huge! And as he eats mix and grazzes she said it would be best to wean him earlier than six months.

 

[Jools2345]

Thank you for that post jools. I have been told by my vet to wean the foal at five months as hes huge! And as he eats mix and grazzes she said it would be best to wean him earlier than six months.[/Q

opinions vary and your vet has seen both mare and foal but i never understand the weaning early theory, most mares cope fine unless very young/old /weak whatever the size of the foal and in the wild the foals are not fully weaned until around a yr old but the mare will decrease the amount the foal is allowed to feed before then.

where i was trained my instructor had spent many yrs on a top breeding/dressage yard and she always said the foals were always weaned by the mares. the mares were worked till 12 wks before the earliest date the foals were due and bought back into work 12wks after foals were born, they were kept together when not working or competing until the mares would not feed/accept the foals anymore.she said in14yrs out there with an excess of 40 foals per yr they never had weaning issues/stable vices or youngsters that would not hack/stable alone.

i would be inclined to contact your vet nearer the foal being 5 months and ask their opinion at that time or even better ask a vet that specialises in foals youngstock at that time.

good luck

 

[TrasaM]

The mental image of a horse weaving is making me smile. Wonder if they can learn to knit too

 

[Looney Luna]

Thank you jools

 

[mandwhy]

She will need to build up muscle tone. I don't think you are cruel at all but I would leave proper ridden work til longer if not after weaning, just because I don't know why people need to do it sooner.

It sounds like you have done a great job with this mare, but as you have not backed a horse before do you have an instructor who can guide you in the ridden work? It is great that she has taken to it well and that you are not doing anything strenuous, but maybe you need someone to help establish her paces.

I have never backed a horse either, I would not expect to be able to do it completely by myself and a few lessons don't cost that much in the grand scheme of things

 

[Looney Luna]

I have a few people that have broken horses in that i can call on!

She has lovely paces when.i lunge her but i think shes.just.not used to having someone.on top!

She has a fair bit of muscle tone already as shes very active! Plays with her foal like shes a foal!

 

[Looney Luna]

I have a few people that have broken horses in that i can call on!

She has lovely paces when i lunge her but i think shes just.not used to having someone.on top! Ill still ride her once a week just so that she doesnt forget but like before i wasnt doing much with her anyway!

She has a fair bit of muscle tone already as shes very active! Plays with her foal like shes a foal!

 

[texel]

Welcome

Do you have any photos of the lovely Luna and her foal ?

Ground work exercises are easy to do, and fun and can supple her up so she is ready to cope with a rider later on.

You can do these even with the foal pottering about.

There is a very good book available which has photos, diagrams and text easy to understand and such fun.

I am not sure if I can mention it here so maybe PM me and I can let you have a link if you are interested.