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My mare is becoming dangerous

8K views 78 replies 33 participants last post by  cleohorse 
#1 ·
I really need some help with my mare she has a big bolting and napping issue. Last year I had a bad fall on her which has made the whole situation worse. When she bolts she will even spin on the spot and bolt or she will go into a really fast trot which you cannot stop and then go into a gallop. Last week she bolted while hacking she decided that she would not go forward and froze after 15 minutes of arguing with her trying to make her walk, she walked on. The bolt happened on the way home she went into a fast trot and then a gallop which I could not stop at all no idea whY she bolted at all. Last week she bolted just as we went to leave the yard she span on the spot and galloped up the drive way after this bolt I made her walk on but when on the road she froze and then when going back she bolted up the driveway again. Last month she bolted when she heard another horse she went into a full gallop up the road. This bolting issue is now becoming dangerous as she is doing it in front of cars and they have been many times cars have had to stop for her because of her bolting. I have tried many different things to stop her. (Stronger bit, loads of techniques, and she has been checked by the saddle man the dentist back person and the vet) She is in no pain. She is weird in the way that sometime she can be great to ride mainly when up the woods but them over days she is a pain. It seems we can not go a week without one bolt. What should I do how can I sort this issue out. Or shall I give and just take her to the woods before she hurts her self or someone else. I have been told by many including my riding teacher that she is going to kill me and other have told me it is because I am an awful rider. I am a happy hacker and I love exploring on hacks but she hates it as soon as you ask her to go somewhere new or even just turn around early she kicks up s fuss and will just freeze or walk backwards or just spin and bolt. Has anyone got any ideas at all?
 
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#64 ·
I am not trying to be nasty or put you down at all. This mare is to much for you and I can understand why you are frightened of roding her.

I will also say she is not frightened, she is just using things as an excuse and has done all her life from the sounds of it,

Cherie has a very wise saying, 'The worse behaviour you allow is the best behaviour you can expect.' This is very true and she has behaved this way for many a year.

If you are going to retire her and are going to get another horse, I suggest that you take an experienced person with you to test the horse thoroughly before you buy it. Take as many lessons as you can afford, ride multiple different horses and learn how to deal with all sorts of situations or you will find any new horse you get will soon be taking advantage of you.

What area are you in the UK?
 
#65 ·
I don't know what napping means but I would NOT take this horse anywhere near a road. You know what she's like and that is NOT safe for a road.

I would get a professional trainer to work with her and see if they can correct her, then I'd get someone to help you learn what to do and to make sure she respects you.
 
#66 ·
I am not a complete novice but i am no expert when I first got sian I was really confidence I loved going out jumping and having loads of fun. Now I am just the complete opposite even thinking about going out now makes me feel scared. She is really too much for me but I brought her as a safe school mistress that hacked out and was bombproof I would never off brought her if I had of known. I have enough money for another horse and there is a stable waiting but I am not sure if I really want another horse or not my heart is saying yes but my head is saying don't do it what If I cause the horse to nap or run off. If I am honest I will prop end up just giving up riding as sian has trashed my confidence so much so that I am not sure even the most safe horse would make me feel confident. I will defo take my instructor with me if I were to get another horse as I would want to make sure the horse was the right one for sure. I am in Wales in the uk :)

She is not hacked on the road anymore I stopped that as I don't want her hurting some else or getting hurt her self. She Is now ridden in the woods were there are no cars just some walkers.
 
#68 ·
I haven't real all the responses. From what I see in the videos, you are setting yourself up for failure. Taking a horse who you acknowledge is not listening to you, putting her on a narrow straight road where you have nowhere to circle or even put her into a bend, and surround her with high hedges full of sounds without being able to see beyond them would make most horses spooky. In the videos, her ears are pricked listening for anything to spook at, and her head is up in the clouds doing the same. Her attention is not on you at all.

She is not bolting. She is making decisions for herself since the person on top of her (you) is not making those decisions for her. You need to transition from a passenger to an effective rider. I did not read if you have access to a ring or not. Even if these road are all you have to work with, you need to engage her mind and get it focused on you.

Start with transitions. To start just work at walk and trot. Do tons and tons of walk/trot transitions making sure that she is doing them when you ask, not when she wants to. Add in some halt transitions. Never go more than 8 strides before doing something different. You will know you have her attention once she starts putting one ear back to you.

Learn and teach her the one rein stop or at least shoulder-in, anything that disengages her hind end so she is not dead straight. Straight is a position of power for her, disengaged hind-end puts you in charge. She needs to learn that, whenever you disengage her, she is to stop, no exceptions. In the video where she turned around and ran off with you, there was at least 3 seconds where you could have used the one rein stop to keep here there instead of run off.

Like other have said, she should never be allowed to turn around completely. Always bring her back the way she tried to turn. I still don't get why horses consider that a victory, but if they are allowed to make that full circle, they just get more worked up. When you bring them back from where they turned, it takes the steam out of them. They seem surprised that they are back where they started.

Please do not canter or gallop her again until you have this under control. You are way too young to be having back problems. All of your current problems are easily fixed with good riding. You can do this without getting hurt.
 
#69 ·
I don't know how long you have had this instructor, but If you've had him/her for awhile, I wouldn't trust their judgement in helping me pick out a horse if they can't teach me how to control an unruly horse. My instructor put me in many different situations, under her guidance at all times, to make sure I could handle just about any situation that might arise.

Learning to do a ORS starts on the ground. It's part of your ground school lesson. You have to know how to flex an horse, take control of their head in order to do a 1 reign stop. If you can't flex on the ground, you most certainly won't be able to take control of them while on their back.

Every lesson that I take start off with ground work. Not because it's necessary for the horse, but it's part of a learning process that I requested when I 1st started taking lessons. My lessons are not always at the stable or in an arena. She knew I would mostly be doing trail riding, so we go on trail rides, over fallen branches, through puddles, ect. As with any instructor, if there is something that you feel you need to learn, communication is the best ticked to success you can get with a very knowledgeable instructor. Ask ?s, watch videos on yutube, get some kind of idea as to what you want to do and what you need to learn then discuss them with your instructor and make sure she include them in your lesson.

I feel that if you take some lessons, both on the ground and riding to build up your confidence, you'll be more than ready for your next horse. IMO, you didn't ruin your horse, you just lost your confidence. In time you will get it back. I know I did after I had my 1st fall.
 
#70 ·
I am so sorry that your confidence is taking such a blow that you think it will never come up.

I suggest you sell that horse. it's not that all of this is her fault, but it doesn't matter whose fault it is, , she is just too much of a problem for you. and being scared when you ride out is not fun. I would be terrified to be on a horse galloping down a concrete road. sounds like a recipe for painful disaster, or even death.

But, don't give up on riding. finding a horse that better fits you will make such a difference.
 
#71 ·
I cannot sell her as she is 20 years old and has bone spavin which is under treatment so it would not really be fair to sell her. I don't canter or gallop at the moment we only do walk and trot. We do have a ménage but it has not got a fence or a gate so she just try's to run out. I have lessons for 2 years and she got really good in the ménage but we had to stop as I could not safely get to the ménage as you had to go on the roads to get to it. My instructor is really good and is a very experienced rider she has tried her and she can control her in the ménage but does not feel safe on her and she stopped the lessons as she was worried that I was going to get injured coming to the ménage for the lessons. I also was terrified about going on the roads with her and with my confidence I just feel like I have ruined her. You are right I am 19 and my back is bad as I have damaged all the nerves in my back so my whole back is numb and I cannot lean back on it or sit up. She did run off yesterday and I did get her to stop just giving and taking the reins. Thankyou for all the advice :)
 
#72 ·
I joined this thread on page 6, so the disclaimer to my post is I'm not familiar with /everything/ that has been said. But...

Why don't you pay for some full time training? Let your trainer (or another) work with her on a daily basis. Such arrangements often include one or two lessons per week--you can negotiate more when you feel comfortable.
Also, why not stick to arena work for a while to get your confidence up? If she does bolt (or gets out of control, however you want to call it), there is no where for her to go.

If neither of these are options and you're not willing to sell her, then I think your best bet is to keep her as a pasture ornament.
 
#73 ·
I watched some of the video and it looks like what's happening is that you're not 'riding' her enough. You're just kinda going along there like a passenger. As a result, the mare ends up making her own decisions and takes you where she wants to go. It also looks like she's evading your hand by going above the bit, which would also fit in with the running off. Everyone that's trying to tell you that you're in danger of serious injury or even losing your life is correct! I don't know how seriously you want to take that, but it may be a good idea to. It's understandable that you feel responsible for her and are attached and don't want to sell her, but what can you do?

The good news is that she's a good natured horse, which is obvious from the fact that she lets you ride her instead of just bucking you off or something. So it could be worse. But you can't just be a passenger, you HAVE to ride actively. Do you know any dressage, any lateral suppling exercises? In the menage, can you take her from a walk to canter and back down to a stop without having to pull on the reins? Can you rein back, leg yeild, shoulder in? What about the pulley rein? The old masters (and the modern ones too) say that the way to get control of the horse is through the suppling exercises. When she's supple, she'll also be responsive and attentive. Then it's just a matter of reminding her when you're outside by regaining her attention through the same exercises, every time you even smell that she might be getting worried and losing track of her rider. You've got to be there BEFORE, and not as a reaction after the fact. Of course you need impulsion first, which you have. So you've got a start on it. But start asking yourself the question constantly "what do I not know? ". It's knowledge that's going to get you there and to a great extent that means forgetting the idea that you're fairly experienced already and being able to listen (but to the right people). Take what we say for what it's worth, but seek out the best teachers you can find. In person is the best, but don't let anyone tell you that books and videos aren't valuable too! They are a great way to gain insight into the minds and experience of the top horsemen who've ever lived and that definitely has a place in your education. But for the time being, I wouldn't ride this horse outdoors. I would commit at least two months to working on some of these skills I talked about. At the same time I would take her on hand walks outdoors. Ride in the menage, go for a stroll outside (and walk to and from the menage).

If you can cope with peoples strange looks. ;)

I wish you luck!
 
#74 ·
Thanks for the advice I have walked her out in hand before and she is ok but will still run off. She is a great horse but I am not sure my riding is so bad that other horses would try to buck me off but I might be wrong. I am just going to keep trying with her I am riding her tomorrow in the woods again and this time I will ride more actively :)
 
#75 ·
You're like Evel Knievel I swear LOL! I admire your pluck though. But I probably gave you too much info anyway. Forget all that stuff and just try this one thing: tomorrow every single time you 1. stop your horse, or 2. she starts to go faster than what you want, take one step backward ten times. Not ten steps in a row, I mean one step, release, pause, one step until you get to ten. Practice in walk first so that you build that response into her muscle memory, and it should be there when things speed up.
 
#79 ·
The thing is if I stop riding her she goes down hill she needs working because of her legs and she just not happy not being ridden. I would not pts as she still has a lot of life in her yet. 2 years ago she was so good and did not run off at all she only started running again when I fell off :( I am just hoping that I can get her back to how she was if that all fails then I will retire her but that is the very last resort
 
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