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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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.
Posted via Mobile Device