Very tricky hack on the Mare - advice / help?

[bandit]

hi guys

took the mare out for a hack yesterday, and when we got on the gallops, i trotted once circuit and wanted to canter a 2nd circuit - managed this on monday, so thought no worries...

anyway - when i asked for canter she shot sideways to the left, and then kept spinning around, would then ask for trot and usually managed to trot in a straight line, but when asking for canter, would again shoot sideways. we got into a sticky situation whereby she then started to nap and rear and lunged into the crop field and then almost onto barbed wire!! felt it best to take her off the gallops and try and resolve hte issue in the grass paddock. she was much better but it took ages for her to stop napping.

then, after she got things right i stopped and rewarded her, but then walking back to the yard, again she started napping. she likes to really walk out, but i woudln't let her just barge down the hill, so i htink she threw a strop.

she is a mare owned by someone who lets her get away with everything, so part of me thinks she's testing me, and part thinks perhaps i'm doing somehting wrong. also i've only ever had geldings, and this is hte first mare i've ridden so know they can be tricky.

pls can i have some advice on this, or even if it's just to confirm you guys think i've got hte measure of her, and she's just testing me out???

thanks in advance

Bxxx

 

[elaineh]

Hello,

I'd first see what she's like on the ground. If she's not listening to you in the saddle (napping, not doing what you want, even bucking and bolting) then she won't be listening to you when you are handling her. Because her previous owner didn't set many boundaries for her as you say, this could be the case. (If it is, it is easy to fix though with some training from you) There's a good exercise you can try to investigate:

Walk her in a headcollar determindley, on a loose rein. Then stop dead. Do not pull on the rope. Does she stop exactly at the same time you do? (if she does she's listening to you) Does she bump into you (not listeing to you) does she continue walking on for a few more steps (not listening to you)


If she doesn't stop exactly when you do, she's not really with you 100% and not really listenign to you, and this is coming out in her riding a bit.

It's not her fault, as this is what the previous owner has taught her. So I wouldn't say she's naughty, just hasn't had a very good teacher in the past, so she hasn't learnt what's expected of her yet.

It's probably safer to address this issue on the ground, as you don't want problems when your riding on roads and when out and about.

I'd advise you do the leading exercise above, and when she doesn't stop WITH you, ask her to back up a a step or two. Then give her a rub and a rest. Then ask again. There's more info at:

http://www.teachnet.ie/eheney/act_04_kp01.html

There's other groundwork exerceises you can do to (standing desentisation, moving away from pressure, sidepassing, fore and hind q yields, all of which will help her to see you as the leader and someone she respects and trusts, on the ground and in saddle)

Another reason, is pain. Pain of any sort will cause unwanted behaviour, from refusing to work, to misbehaving when working / bucking / bolting / etc. Have you checked teeth & back?

Good luck

 

[Sparklet]

Could she have been prevented from going forwards in the past by either a severe contact or strong bit when out on a fast hack? It sounds like she is worried about what will happen when she goes forward in a faster pace.

I must admit having only owned mares they do tend to argue less but are more likely to get emotional if they dont understand what you want.

 

[guisbrogal]

I have a stroppy mare too!

I personally would be checking that she is not in pain first and foremost. Then are you asking with your aids correctly? Does she know what you are asking of her? Does SHE know the aids for canter?

When you are trotting I would personally just make sure you have her gathered together and very gently ask for the transistion so that she almost only has to step into it. I find with my mare that I have to be very firm in what I want but I have to ask VERY nicely or she retaliates just as your mare has.

I would practice lots of upwards and downwards transistions on her in the school first to make sure she understands what you want, before taking her out into a big open space where she is obviously quite excited and getting a bit aheadof herself.

I hope I am not teaching you to suck eggs here but it is just what I would try with mine.

Good luck
A

 

[Tempi]

shes a typical mare, like you said the owner has let her get away with it, and you didnt. You definately did the right thing. Keep at it and she will soon get bored of trying it on with you when she knows shes not going to get away with it. Just make sure she NEVER gets her own way, even when shes being good!!

I was reminded of Blossy's 'mareish' streak when schooling last night. I was quite happily working on shoulder in as she finds all lateral movements really hard its taken a long time to get her to do it. Anyways she suddenly decided she couldnt do it anymore, had a complete silly fit and reared straight up and refused to move forwards. I had draw reins on (*waits for the stoning*) so it wasnt the safest of situations. i got her moving forwards and cantered a few laps of the school on a long rein to let her chill out!

 

[Kelly1982]

She sounds exactly like Ellie!!

I bet if you dropped her reins and asked her to gallop she would of gone like a bat out of hell without thinking but coz you asked her for a collected canter she didn't want to play the game.

Ellie is the same in that she is fine all the time you let her do what she wants or she is happy doing but when you ask for something more difficult or something she doesn't like it turns into a battle.

i NEVER let her get away with it, even if it means being in the school for over an hour and when she does do it right she gets praised so she learns that its easier and less hard work to do as i ask.

She is getting a lot better though as she is getting fitter and more muscled as she is finding things easier now so more willing to do them.

I think she is just being a typical mare and throwing her dummies out of her pram. Keep on at it and you will get there

 

[Madam_max]

Definately a mare thing I am afraid. You will have to be firm but kind with her. It's exactly what PG says, never let them get there own way. She will eventually get bored on trying it on 'all the time' at least.

 

[elaineh]

It will also help her if you can make what you want her to do easy, and what you don't want her to do difficult. When she gets it right, make sure you tell here.

Then she'll learn more quickly what it is you want her to do. It comes back to being a good, consistent teacher, rewarding and encourageing when she gets it right, and steering her back 'nicely' into the right direction when she gets it wrong.

If you get stressed, she'll get stressed, and stressed horses are hard to teach

Good luck. Make your training sessions fun for her, and reward her with a rub or rest every so often, and she'll learn much faster.

 

[bandit]

thanks PG - it's all a learning curve to me after geldings and i know that i have to keep 'asking' her and not demanding it... she got there in the end, but it was a battle....

 

[bandit]

yeah - as you say it's a mare thing, and although her owner loves her, she never schools her 'properly', and she gets her own way!!!

it'l be an interesting training sesssion

 

[Vey]

I am totally with Elaineh - excellent advice. This has nothing to do with mares, and everything to do with her haveing been taught bad ways of behaving before. You need to reschool her.

 

[tashyisaudrey]

aw that is a cute website elaineh!

 

[horsesrock]

Could it be possible her back is out??
You said she trots in straight lines fine but when you asked for canter she napped??
Also you said she was funny going down hills when she's normally fine going down hills??

If thats right sounds very much like she could have slight back or saddle problems and defin worth getting it checked out x

 

[elaineh]

Thank you!

The website was done with teachnet.ie for Irish schools, and its free

It will be promoted in Irish primary schools next year, but anyone can use it.