What to do with a mare that will not walk forward when being ridden

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eddy123

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Hi,

I have been riding mine and my partners horse recently as we have her on loan, she was broken in last year as a 7 year old she is pure bred Andalusian, she is perfect on the lunge and lunges her self around me and does exactly what I ask. As soon as I get on her she starts to walk backwards and either bucks or bunny hops, once she has had her five minutes of being stupid she tends to get on with what is being asked of her.

We are now having difficulty with walking forward when long reining and when being ridden, we have decided to take her back to the very basics, I want to start lateral movements with her but for some reason every time I ask her too move over with my leg she stops and does nothing, then if I kick her to move forward she ends up walking backwards.

I then decided to walk around by the side of her and push her over from her shoulder which worked rather well, today I tried to long rein her as I did try yesterday when riding her, but for some reason or other she decided that she wouldn't walk forward at all, I then put her on the lunge and she was good, but for some unknown reason she keeps stopping and not walking forward.

I have never come across a horse that has issues with going forward and really don't know what to do next.

Her back and teeth have been checked and she isn't in any pain when being ridden.

She isn't scared of the whip and I have tried spurs but nothing seems to bother her.
 
If she is not going forward in walk trying to start lateral work is probably confusing her so she is resisting going forward at all.
What is she like trotting and cantering, is she happy going forward out hacking or long reining out in a field, I would concentrate on getting the reaction to move forward from the leg and encourage her to just go on when asked, make it fun for her.
Going out with another horse would help get her thinking forward.
 
help her with alot of assistance from someone on the ground. ride as if the person on the ground isnt there but she can follow them when she doesnt understand ur commands. helped my stroppy mare get moving forward on hacks.
 
I would agree with be positive. For a horse who has just been started, it does sound like a lot is going on and she is trying but getting confused. Lunging, long-reigning, lateral work on the rein and ridden too.

Like you say, take her back to basic stuff and hack out lots concentrating on going forwards. Without that, you won't get much impulsion for all the rest of the work you are asking for at the moment.
 
I would go right back to basics. And IMO lateral isn't right back to basics. Basics is leg on - go forwards! I think hacking is the best way to teach forwards. How does she lunge? Does she go off your voice, in which case I'd use it when you're on board with the same style as you do lunging. But mainly, I think hacking is the answer.
 
Well, the theory is simple - she has to go forwards, straight and calm (in that order of priority).
You must do whatever you must do to get her to go forward on the lunge (smack her with the whip if you have to, but be careful where), long reining and under saddle.
Until she goes forward from an aid, you can't do anything else.
S :D
 
I'm with Shils on this one. Sound advice.

Same issue with my mare, wont go forwards. Worked on forwards forwards forwards on the lunge. Today I got on after lunging and had a happy forward girl keen to show off a medium trot! worth stepping back to end up further forwards :D
 
I would go back to long reins if she doesnt go forwards then bumpstart her left or right, keep her feet moving, she will soon realise that being stubborn will only mean more work.

When I say bump start I mean ask for left/ right turns on the spot, ie she wont go forwards therefore she has to still to move her feet. Or go straight back basics ie halter training. Get a headcollar on asking her, firmly, to back up, move over, basically your incharge of her feet and where they go one thing that really helped my mare was a lunge line on a halter, that line along one side of her body, apply pressue and she learnt to turn on it. She will learn that resisting pressure gets her no where.
 
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