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Mares: The dreaded ear pinning?

24K views 31 replies 19 participants last post by  FaithCat 
#1 ·
Sooo, is it just me, or do mares seem to just hate being told what to do?
I ask my mare to trot and she pins her ears back. However, she does start trotting, so I don't think it's a total defiance issue.

Note: she pins her ears when asked to trot both on the ground and under saddle. However, out in the field or when she is free lunging or free jumping, her ears are pricked and listening to me.

The pinning of her ears isn't accompanied by any head tossing, snapping, pulling, etc.

One thing that I seem to notice is that if we're trotting fast and/or towards something of interest to her (other horses, paddock, new object) her ears are up. I don't think they would be up still even if she was in pain from just trotting. When she is asked to slow down or remembers who is asking her to trot, she pins her ears again.

MY IDEAS:
1. Is this just a mare thing? Does she just feel like saying "I don't want you to tell me what to do, but I'll do it anyway with this grumpy look on my face"?

2. Is she trying to be boss over me when I'm holding her reins or leadrope, but not when she has nothing restraining her?

3. Maybe she doesn't like trotting, even if I have her go over jumps and such?


Any advice, guys? It's nothing serious, since she still goes ahead and does what I ask, but I don't want there to be something I'm missing.

I just don't get that she only does this when she has a leadrope or reins attached to her. /:
 
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#30 ·
I posted a picture on the previous page I found that looked similar to what she looks like. I can't really tell what face she was pulling (if I'm riding), but on the ground it looks like she's grudgingly trying to resist the lead rope (she puts her neck out and has her nose pointed a bit up) when I first ask. She goes back to a normal head position once she gets trotting, but her ears stay back.
 
#31 ·
My mare does that. When we go to trot, she pins her ears, then puts them forward and continues on like a good girl!
Same with the canter, pins them at first, then puts them back up.

TO me it's like her saying "I don't wanna!" and then "Well..fine"
 
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