My mare is beyond green. She's "yellow and we just haven't added the blue yet," as my best friend likes to put it. Since she has been at my house, she has been "ridden" (as in sat on) twice and she was incredibly tense and somewhat "bucky" both times. She gets really clumsy when walking with someone on her back, though she is fine when lunging and such.
I have just been spending time with her on the ground and have been getting to know her. She is a very sweet little mare, but she works herself up very easily. The good news is, she is easy to calm down.
I just am not sure if I should just start sitting on her for a few minutes a day to get her used to my weight, or if I should just wait completely. I am lunging her with side reins currently and she is doing pretty well with that.
Thanks!! I attached some pictures of my Piper, just couldn't help it.
Edit: I have been doing some groundwork with her as well. Just trying to figure out all of her buttons right now. I am wanting to continue doing groundwork before we start doing any serious riding, I'm just wondering if sitting on her would be good to do to help her relax about someone on her back.
I have done training on one green broke horse (that was the horse I had before Piper), but aside from that no, I haven't trained a horse before. I have minimal professional help, but the help I do have is lovely.
Piper HAS been ridden, though it was always as a trail horse. She hasn't ever had her own human it sounds like, which is surprising because she has a wonderful disposition. Long story short, she is a 12yo pony mare with pretty much no training. LOL!! I know how to pick 'em! (; Kidding of course.
She just seems very unsure of how she should react.
Are you positive the saddle fits? You said she'll longe fine saddled and all, but only clams up with a rider? Have you had someone longe her while you sit in the saddle?
Well first of all: ADORABLE HORSE. Second of all: If I were you, I would get a trainer since you don't have much experience. The trainer doesn't have to do the training...They could just basically supervise and give you tips. But if you don't want to get a trainer: Assume she knows nothing. She already knows practically nothing, but I would just start from the beginning. 2 things I wouldn't do that you're doing though, I wouldn't sit on her yet, and I wouldn't put side reins on her. Like I said, if it was me, I'd just start over. Even though she's been ridden in the past, you said she acts tense and ''bucky''. Check out some books from the library about breaking a colt, look online. I love Stacy Westfall's methods It might seem a little over the top to just start over, but I think that would be best because of her experience and personality. And I know what you mean when you said you know how to pick out good horses (; I got a crazy greenie this summer. (first horse) He's the best thing that's ever happened to me though. We BOTH gained so much experience with the help of our trainer
EDIT: I agree with Bubba, please make sure her tack fits her.
I got on her with a saddle that she is fine with while lunging and the other time she was ridden it was bareback. She was better with a saddle than she was without. I want to get the chiro out at some point, just need to talk my mom into it haha.
Trust me, I'd have a trainer if I could afford one. There is a working student position I might be trying to get, but we'll see what happens with that (school keeps me rather busy).
She knows her stuff when it comes to lunging. She is a smart girl, I just need to figure out the best way to break things up and get in her mind. I have a few experienced friends who are willing to help me with her, but it is just hard to get them out to me. ):
If she was ridden as a trail horse before then just get on and ride her. It sounds to me like you're pretty nervous about riding her and you're transferring that to your horse. She may not know a lot but that doesn't make her unsafe to ride.
If you think she is unsafe to ride then get a job and hire a trainer to ride her for a month. YOu can usually find a trainer for $400-600 per month. Having had a couple horse related trips to the emergency room I can tell you that even with insurance $600 gets eaten up pretty quick.
I wouldn't say that I'm necessarily nervous to get on her, I'm just being cautious. I got this mare thinking that she had the basics down, and the longer I have her the more I am finding that she doesn't know much at all.
The one time I got on her I did my best to be as confident as possible, but I have NEVER ridden a horse like her before. She is WAY shorter than I'm used to to start off with. She is also built slightly downhill (just seems to me like I'll get bucked off easier hahaha).
She also does this thing where she walks 5 or so steps and then stops and tenses her back and this is when she acts "bucky." I was trying to ride with an encouraging seat and every time she stopped I make her walk on. I was being beyond dumb and it didn't click in my brain right away that I need to anticipate her every move and beat her to the punch. By the end of my ride she was going at a decent walk and I was able to keep her moving 80% of the time. There were a few times where she just decided that she was done walking and started to get a little "bucky" again and I just turned her in a tight circle and made her walk.
I am going to start riding her western for a little while, just until we have each other figured out and get most of our large kinks out. Just have more to hold onto.
What are some exercises I can do undersaddle to help her relax and become more balanced? I'm talking suuuuper easy for her to understand, something that I can take at a slower pace (for her sake).
Well, I wouldn't go faster than a walk at this point. I would do lots of big circles, figure eights, and serpentines..(spelling?)
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