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New horse pulling, evading bit and not listening

4K views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  Bondre 
#1 ·
I recently acquired a rescue-style mare, and now she's settling in it seems she has a fair few issues to deal with. She's fine with her ground manners but under saddle she is very stroppy. I reckon she's around 12 years, Spanish-cross, recent history unknown although I would bet money on her previous owner having ridden her in a harsh bit to try and control her.

I would call myself an average rider, English-style. I rode a lot as a teenager and then didn't sit on a horse for decades (!) until I bought my first mare last spring, followed by a filly that I started in late summer. I think I am up to dealing with this new mare but I'd like a few pointers from some people with more experience.

I plan to use this mare for trail riding. She is unflappeable and if she accompanies my filly she is fine. It's just when I take her out on her own that the massive holes in her education really show. Going away from the stables it's like riding a snake. She won't go a straight line and doesn't know much about leg aids. She doesn't know how to do a decent corner but cuts in and goes sideways. And when we're going towards home it's all pull pull pull and jogging. Apart from pulling, she tucks her head in to her chest to try and evade the bit. And when she gets really annoyed she jerks her head up in the air. Fortunately she's not a bolter because at present she doesn't have any reliable brakes. I am riding her in a snaffle but as I said, I bet she's been in a curb.

I don't have a fenced arena to school her in: it has to be an open field. This afternoon it took fifteen minutes to come back across the field because I refused to let her jog. I did small circles and halts to make her relax and allow her to stretch her neck a bit. This seemed to work.

I reckon the first thing I need to teach her is that we don't tank back home and how to walk on a long rein. She's not listening to me while all she's focussing on is getting back to the stables. I need to get her to forget all that and to relax. She sweats something crazy when I ride her on her own and keeps neighing to my filly (who she bosses terribly when they're together, it's not like they're bosom-buddies or anything).

The business of evading the bit has me worried. I've never dealt with a horse like this. I don't think I have hard hands normally but she obliges me to be much harder than I wish. Which lead me to try circles and halts so I can let off the pressure as much as possible, see if she gets the idea that her new rider has a different approach.

Any suggestions would be very gratefully received!

I suppose if I were more experienced I would have known what she's like from just looking at her: she has a well-muscled neck and pathetic hind quarters. She's all up front. I don't think she's ever been taught
collection....

I even wondered whether it's worth trying her bitless or if that would be a recipe for disaster? I ride my filly in a bitless and she is going great.
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#2 ·
Sounds like a bad case of buddy/barn sourness. I'm subbing so I can see the responses too! :)
 
#3 ·
I'm certainly not a knowledgeable enough person to offer you much in the way of meaningful suggestions, however I am going to watch as the thread progresses and learn from it.

If it turns out this was a horse who was ruined at the hands of a previous owner (hence now a rescue) I'm going to bookmark it as a "Here's the road you're headed down if you don't seek the help of a pro" reference for some of the newbies here who take offence at being told such. ;)
 
#4 ·
Start with her on the ground and so lots of lateral bending, and work on getting control of her five body parts: head, neck, shoulder, rib cage and hind end. Teach her to be soft and supple on the ground. When you ride her do lots of lateral exercises practice controlling each body part on her back. Once you have control of each body part and she is soft on each side then you can start to ask for straightness, and collection. What you do on one side you have to do on the other and just like people horses have stronger and weaker sides, you will spend 2/3 on the weak side and 1/3 on the strong side.

Some examples of exercises would be: head and neck- lateral flexing at a standstill, shoulder-yield the forequarters, rib cage-bending at the walk, hind end-yield the hind quarters.

I like to do serpentines when I have a horse that would rather rush then walk they can trot but their going to work. Serpetines do lots of changes in direction (which gets them thinking), keeps their feet moving, and requires lateral bend.
 
#5 ·
You can also do the serpentines going away from the barn, if she wants to go crooked use it to your advantage. Don't pull on two reins she has learned how to avoid the bit, instead use one rein at a time. Rein and leg on together off together, practice at a stand still disengaging her hind quarters, then at a walk with forward motion while bending, then a trot to teach her to work off your leg. You can stop her with one rein as well, if you don't pull on two reins she has less leverage to pull against you.
 
#6 ·
You also need a lungeline and do exercises that use this. You can either go with the methods that use a knotted rope and 15 foot lunge/lead, OR with the traditional Hamilton-like (even leather) or lunging halter and 30 ft. lungeline, so that you can work in that non-fenced in area and not lose your horse.
The whole idea is:
1) You are the herd leader
2) You horse must listen to YOU, every time you are near, just like she would with a dominant mare, gelding or stallion.
Work until the responses are perfect, and then train mounted as if you don't quite trust that she will be obedient, by praising correct responses and disciplining incorrect ones. Drill, drill, drill and she will become obedient and safe. =D
 
#7 ·
Thanks for the ideas and help. I tried lunging her yesterday, but she runs round in circles and I'll have to teach her to walk at the lunge with someone else to lead her.

Today I rode her and spent a while doing circles and turns at the walk right outside the stables. The closer she is to her friend, the happier and more responsive. Once she was going ok on a loose rein and without tucking her head back behind the bit all the time, I took her further away. Her nervousness is in direct proportion to the distance between her and my filly. At 500m she was sweating, snaking, trying to cut corners and the whole business.

But today was good because after circles and serpentines at w,t & c, and lots of halting with her back to home, I achieved maybe 20m at a walk on a loose rein going towards home. This was a big improvement over the last time! And for the first time when she started jogging, she responded to my dropped hands and a tweak on one rein, and she dropped back to a walk. The other day she didn't listen to me AT ALL, so this was a good breakthrough.

I hope that in a week's time we'll be able to walk home calmly.
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#8 ·
I recently acquired ...but under saddle she is very stroppy.
Firstly I'd ensure she wasn't in any pain/discomfort. Get her teeth checked/attended and a bodyworker to check her over, who will also be able to evaluate your saddle for fit.

How recently did you acquire & how much/what have you done with her on the ground & under saddle? It sounds like, pain aside, you need to establish leadership & meaningful, effective communication with her, that she has maybe been forced but never taught to *yield* to pressure.

I'd first ensure she's soft & responsive on the ground, before doing it on board. Teach her to yield to fingertip pressure wherever on her body, including where your legs will be, as well as soft rein pressure & lots of bending & yielding her head. As it sounds like she's practiced at resisting pressure from 2 reins, especially if you keep the snaffle, I'd teach her to yield laterally - as in 'one rein stops'.

I'd keep riding sessions very short & sweet, and start out asking for yielding at a standstill, before then at a walk & then faster, as she becomes soft & reliable at slower paces. Especially as you reckon she's had bad experiences with bits, I'd be getting this going in a halter first, & if/when you revisit a bitted bridle, ensure it's a comfortable one for her(single jointed snaffle may not be great) & she's educated enough that you only need to use it softly. I'd also start in a controlled area she is comfortable in. Eg. for now, not away from her mate. You don't need an arena, a field can be fine, but if too big, you may want to fence off a corner or such with tread ins & elec fence tape or such, to make a portable 'arena'.

Especially as it sounds like there is a bit to work on, I probably wouldn't be inclined to take her out alone just yet. Once you've got a good relationship, you may be happily surprised that those issues just cease. But if not, understand that she's still relatively new to you & the environment, perhaps has had bad experiences or associations previously & does not yet see you as a trusted leader. So, bearing that in mind, be considerate of her attitudes while working to change them. Again, short & sweet is one key. Ask her to go out the gate with you, but so long as she does it, reinforce that by turning around. Gradually ask for a little more before turning. Take her out & make it your idea to do a few serpentines before turning around(your way). Make sure there are Good Things where you're going, whether it's a patch of grass, strategically placed treat, another horse to visit, whatever.

I need to get her to forget all that and to relax. She sweats something crazy when I ride her on her own and keeps neighing to my filly
I think you need to start at the start with her, not expect so much. The sweating & neighing, tanking for home is her anxiety & if she's too upset/frightened, she CAN'T listen to you & relax. Work within her comfort zone so she learns to trust & enjoy you first, then start 'stretching' it further.
 
#9 ·
You're right, Loosie, I was expecting too much too soon from her. BUT she was sold as a quiet mare *suitable for children* !! so I didn't think a few circles in the field to try her out would be too much to ask. Sigh. Also I didn't expect this degree of anxiety over being separated from my filly who she only met a week previously. She is very dependant on equine company and I agree that she needs to build confidence in me to get over this.

Our schooling sessions are improving slowly, I start her doing simple things right outside the paddock so she can see her mate. She is starting to extend her neck a bit, at least when she's relaxed, and with gentle contact and only ever using one rein she goes fairly ok.
When I take her out of sight of her friend she forgets all this but after plenty of trotting circles and serpentines she starts to listen. The biggest challenge still is walking home on a loose rein. Her previous owner must have thought it was cool to jog home with her nose touching her chest, cos she does that just fine. :-(
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