Unresponsive horse please help!

[SirenaXVI]

Well she is definately not being overfed, and, if you are not riding her everyday it should give enough energy, although I would suggest she is lacking in vit and mins and could do with a general purpose supplement. If she is also bad tempered,(you say she both kicks and bites) it certainly suggests pain somewhere and/or she could have an acid stomach - a probiotic would help with this.

Having said all of that, I do feel that there is a management/riding issue here and can't help but feel that you need to seek the help of someone with more knowledge, an instructor who can come and watch/teach both you and the owner, as this sounds like one unhappy mare.

 

[not_with_it]

She sounds uncomfortable to me and is telling you by acting in this way. I would do lots of work on the lunge getting her balanced and if shes ok on the lunge with no rider then you know its a rider issue.

 

[lilym]

sounds like she is having trouble balancing in the canter, which is probably why she canters better on a hack as she has room to get going, one excercise i found useful for my girl, who would either trot like a stream train or stop and buck going into canter, is to spiral in off a 20m circle in a steady trot make a transition to walk on a 10m circle, then spiral out again, pick up a steady trot and then ask for the canter transition on the outer of your circle, this should help to balance the mare and encourage her to listen to the inside leg, make sure you keep a good outside contact to avoid her falling out, and just aim for a couple of strides of canter to start with. as you say her back etc is o.k if she fails to listen to your leg give her a tap with a schooling whip to send her on. i also found loads of leg yeild etc useful for geting mine to move away from the leg without resorting to spurs.

 

[teddysmum]

Sounds like there's no such horse!!! Troll alert!!

 

[SirenaXVI]

I did wonder

 

[GTs]

I FIGURED IT OUT

If she is bucking when you whip her on the bottom - smack her over the head and she will pick up her front feet.

 

[SirenaXVI]

 

[sleepingdragon10]

[ QUOTE ]
I am concerned about your suggestion of feed, bucking required a lot more effort than cantering -

It is funny how many people insist that the 'horse need manners' - I think horse manners are directly protional to their owner's skill.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hit the nail on the head there GTs......I really pity this horse,if infact it exists....