okay need some more information. 1) how old is she and how much training does she have 2) what is her diet? 3) what is your experience, how long have you been riding, ever break a horse or train a young green horse? 4) why has it been so long since you rode her? 4) what kind of horse is she?

thanks, I will try to suggest more after I get that info....be careful!

 

1.) Shes 9.. She was broke to ride and was used as a lesson pony. 2.) Two cups a day of Triple Crown complete + supplements veggie oil and garlic powder, fescque hay 3.) Helped break two-year-olds, ridden green horses, and ive been riding around 3 years. 4.) Rain, and i have other horses ive had to work with. I do frequwntly work on the ground with her. 5.) Umm icelandic/welsh grade pony. i really dont know, but shes gaited and is 12.2 hands.

 

Could you be too big for her? 12.2hh is not very big at all... Maybe you've grown a bit in the time you haven't ridden her and she's acting up because her back hurts?

Just a thought. Good luck! =)

 

That's what I'm thinking.

 

First of all, don't get upset because a horse has one bad day after you have not ridden her for a month. not trying to be rude, but it's just not fair.

Here are the reasons why I think she's acting this way:

1)You haven't been on her for a month
2) You didn't longe her BEFORE you rode after she had been off for a month
3) You tried to jump her when she hasn't been ridden in a month
4) She has lost tons of muscle because she hasn't been ridden in a month, which contributes to why she refused to jump
5) Her back probably hurts because she hasn't been ridden in a month
6) She is a mare and she hasn't been ridden in a month

see a theme here? She just needs consistent work and I would suggest longing her before you get on for the next couple of weeks. I can almost guarantee you will have your old horse back.

I would wait to call a trainer. If you have handled her yourself thusfar, I think she will be fine once she's back in work. I had this problem with one of my horses (she had a stifle injury and had six months off). After a few weeks, she had her old attitude back. After a while off, horses tend to not understand why they are being pulled out of the pasture all of the sudden.

didn't mean to sound harsh. We've all had frustrating rides!

Good luck and keep us updated on how Savannah does

 

im 93 pounds, her limit is 115. i have come to conclude the saddle was on wrong and i does not fit her right so i have to get a new one that fits her. she still has a respect issue, any suggestions? She went of for 2 reasons and one was the saddle, on was to get me off her back.

 

eventerdrew,

When i was not working on the ground with her, my mom worked with her... a lot. But Savannah has always had an attitude issue, from the first time i rode her, she took off and would not listen to any cues. I rode her bare back one day (around when i stopped riding her), and she took off galloping with head tossing and sort of leaping. I know shes got 'tude and all mares do, i just was hurt to think "my lil powniee" was that... pissy.

I have never lunged first, but before i rode today i did drive from behind her.

 

Longing is a very useful tool and if your mare is as "pissy" as you say, I think it would help her tremendously and possibly save you a broken bone or two! It allows the horses to get their "sillies" out before the rider gets on to avoid that behavior under saddle.

Another idea, have you ever considered whether or not she is cold backed? I have a mare now that if you get on her without longing her, she will do basically what your mare does... anything to get you off.

I know how frustrating it can be to have a horse that you love be "not so loving" towards you. I have a mare that is completely business all the time, no loving attitude.
Horses are still horses, and will always put themselves first. It's just their nature

 

Spend some time with her, without riding. Just lead her around on the trail, let her graze, work on ground manners, take treats for when she's being good, etc. Do NOT ride her until you get a saddle that fits her.

I would also would have an equine chiropractor out to visit her. She may be hurting besides just the ill fitting saddle.

DO NOT punish her AFTER bad behavior. That doesn't do any good as she doesn't know why you're punishing her. You can swat or reprimand her DURING a bad behavior, but not after. If she acts up like that again, you need to put her in a small area and keep working her until she behaves. Then praise her and quit.

Also, if she's on any grain, take her OFF. Any grain or feed products make my moody-mare much worse... She's on hay, hay pellets, flax, and a vitamin supplement now and she's doing much better ;-).

Keep in mind that most mares are "thinking" horses. Like the old saying, "You can tell a gelding what to do, ask a stallion to do something, but you have to Discuss it with a mare." You can't just hop on most mares after not working with them for a month and expect them to be perfect, especially one you haven't had for years and aren't well bonded with.

 

Maybe because you haven't ridden her for a while, try lunging her for about 10-15 minutes before you ride, that usually calms my horse down alot.

 

Ok, i'll start lunging her before i ride, after i get a saddle that fits better.

 

This entire thing gives me an incredibly bad feeling. First of all, your mom and cousin were running behind her. Since when is chasing a freaking out horse a good idea? I mean seriously people, common sense. Chasing a freaking out horse is just going to make it worse.

Second of all, you said once you stopped her you hit her a few times and then decided to put her in the goat pen as punishment because she 'didn't deserve to eat hay with her friends'. I guarentee you, that mare is NOT going to make the mental connection between misbehaving and being hit/putting her in the goat pen. Horses don't have that long associative memory. You got emotional, lost your temper, and dealt with it badly.

Thirdly, after your horse was misbehaving, you STILL decided it was a good idea to lead with just a halter. Are you looking for a Darwin award? I can understand being upset with the bucking and bad behaviour earlier, but this one was your fault.

Fourth, reading your second post, she's not your "little powniee". She's a horse. No matter how much you think she 'loves' you, she is STILL going to be a horse. Horses behave like, guess what? HORSES. Ergo, there is always that unknown factor of not being entirely predictable. Plus, she was in pain.

How to fix it:

1. Attitude adjustment. The only two emotions that belong on the back of the horse is patience, and a sense of humour. You owe it to your mare to be fair and reasonable at all times. You losing your temper isn't something she should have to deal with. Punishment should be delivered swiftly, with impartiality and a cool head. If you're really mad, take a bag of marshmellows, go behind the barn and throw the bag as hard as you can at a tree, until you feel better. Doing stalls and scrubbing blankets is a great way to blow off steam too. Pretty much anything where you can work your anger out without affecting the horses.

Along with the 'will not lose my temper', you need to understand the nature of horses. You can have a great relationship, but if she's in pain or scared, she may behave badly. The best horse in the world is still a horse.

2. Get a saddle that fits. Don't ride her until then, just work on ground work. Additionally, I'd get the vet, chiro and/or massage therapist out to give her a work over. Chances are she's in pain somewhere else, due to riding with a badly fitted saddle over a period of time. It's not fair to your mare to ride her if she's hurting.

3. While you're waiting to get a new saddle, do lots of ground work and stuff. Give her a bath, groom her until she sparkles. Pick up a book on equine massage therapy and learn to give her a massage (I'm telling you, horses LOVE it). Work on lunging, ground manners, walking/jogging/backing in hand. Do carrot stretches, work on vocal cues etc...

4. When you get a saddle that fits, I'd invest in some lessons with a knowledgeable trainer who can help you out. You sound like you're getting frusterated and in over your head. A trainer can help you learn to enjoy your mare, instead of being frusterated by her.

 

Well said misfit ;-).

 

I completely agree. I don't believe anything that happened was her fault and her trying to be bad. It takes a good partner for a horse to understand and be reasonable. She was off for a month and out of shape from it, and you tried to jump her with all that energy built up and no muscle. Totally not her fault, I wouldn't expect any horse to have to even think about that.

Plus, she's a mare. And she's a horse. And horses don't think like humans and don't put two and two together like a human would. I think you're judging her too quickly and expecting way too much from her too soon. Just be fair and be more understanding.. that's all a horse really needs from their partner.

 

Ok, i have read through this a few times.

1.) I had NOT jump her, they were poles (the sizes of trot poles) on the ground, together. It was actually a jump at all. Just TWO trot poles.

2.) She just hadnt been ridden, she had been worked with almost everyday that month.

3.) She has a history of taking of and being as i would say it "being bad", shes just a spoiled rotten pony. From the previous owner she was known to take off galloping and bucking for no reason, and they took very good care of her.

4.) Yes it was very unwise of my mom to chase her, actually when she first took off... my mom tried to grab her. "Mom get in front of her" is what i said when we first stated picking up the pace. When we wooshed past, mom started chasing her and i said "stop" (which didnt stop her).

Im not blaming everything on Savannah but i am saying it wasnt all MY fault. We are both to blame for said incident. Id close this topic but truthfully, i have no idea how.

 

hang in there, everyone just wants to help. lots of good ideas on this thread and sounds like you are listening to them. give us an update in a while.

 

Doesn't someone around here have a signature that says "Good riders blame themselves, bad riders blame their horse"? Touche.

If you've only been around horses for three years, stop blaming the horse. That is nowhere near enough experience to make a judgement call of it being HER fault. A horse doesn't care how "good care" you take of it, they don't understand. Proper care is an equine right, not a privilage. Horses don't bolt and buck because of bad care, they bolt or buck because of pain or fear or any of another of reasons. You just admitted yourself the saddle doesn't fit properly.

And she's a pony to boot. Ponies are known for cheeky attitudes, and being smarter then the average bear. They also don't take crap. Shay-la has a 4 year old pony that she gifted to our 14 year old lesson kid - last year, Justus not only bolted and bucked her off, but also reared so high she almost flipped (the kid fell off). Now is she being a "pissy" pony, or is their an underlying issue since she has never been anything but 110% well behaved for both me AND Shay-la? This pony was objecting to a novice being on her, and didn't feel safe enough to trust her rider and reacted out of fear, and probably pain when she reared.

As soon as you step back and realize the reasons for her doing this are almost definately due to the riders and not the horse, then you'll be able to objectively go about fixing the problem. Until then, you're stuck with the problem.

 

Doesn't someone around here have a signature that says "Good riders blame themselves, bad riders blame their horse"? Touche.

OP take this statement to heart. Get a trainer and move forward. If she had a history of bolting it was really unwise to have your Mom chasing her. You need to really think before you do things like that.

Do what everyone has advised you to do. Get the horse a vet check to make sure there are no health/injury issues. Then do ground work. Get some manners established. THEN get back on and work from there.

 

very well said Macabre. its really bad sportsmanship to blame problems on the horse. 99% of problems are rider error and the 1% that is the horse, is usually caused by the rider

 

If the pony has a history of bad behavior, then I'd want a serious health check done on her. Have a vet run blood work, palpate her for uterine or ovarian issues, check for ulcers, and do x-rays of the lower limbs.

Have a good equine chiropractor out to give her a good work up. If the chiro does acupuncture, then also have that treatment done.

If the pony is on ANY grain, take her OFF. If she's on Alfalfa hay (more than 50% of her diet), take her OFF. Feed sensitivities CAN cause behavioral issues. Put her on an all-hay diet, Timothy or grass hay, no feed, and see if she improves. If she does, then you know she was either getting too much sugar/starch, or she has a feed sensitivity. Put her on a hay pellet with vitamin supplements to round out her diet, and keep her off any grain or feed.

And lastly, do not ride her until you get her checked out physically, 100%. And do not ride her until you get a saddle that fits. I'd also suggest using a ThinLine Saddle Pad or Skito Interpad to make sure her back is as comfortable as possible with her new, well-fitting saddle.

This pony either has something wrong with her or has some serious bad habits from previous poor owners/riders. If she checks out okay 100%, then I would either have a trainer help you, or sell her (or give her away) to someone who has the experience to "fix" her.

 

First time in a month that you've been on her gives away alot, especially if she's young...

If she's a young horse you need to do ground work before you even think about setting foot in the stirrup; if she's not focusing on you on the ground, geuss what? It's not going to happen in the saddle.

As far as today's issues, I think you need to cool off first. Even an older horse can get fresh on a lay off; ground work can help here too, because it helps mentally prepare your horse for the ride, by getting him tuned into you as his rider.

Two, you may want to check your saddle fit, and your pad...perhaps there was something caught in her pad, that you couldn't see, and that may have set her off.

She also could be coming into heat (I hate to say it, but unfortunately with mares, it inevitably comes around, and some just act horrible during their time of the month).

I also advise getting her off of any grain, if she's on any; I only give grain if my horse is being worked, or has some need that requires it. They can surive just fine on hay, grass, and a good mineral supplement.

I think the biggest issue I see here, is that, from what you have written, you have no 'real' bond with this horse; your mom works her for you prior to rides? That does not prepare the horse to listen to your cues...she's listening to your mom, not you, there is a huge difference. From this point on, you need to be the one taking care of, working with, and riding the horse; spend time with her just to spend time with her...take her for walks, hand graze her, work on ground work (desensitization, longing, bending, flexing, etc). Help Savanna learn and recognize that you are her partner.

 

Ok, i'll try to get her off of grain (shes had grain daily since she was 4, im not sure hows its going to affect her). My parents are divorced = i cant be with my horses all the time. And no, my dad wont take me to my farm, he'll throw a total fit (doesnt think its right because he think i want to move to my moms place full time... i do but i cant tell him that. He has no girlfriend and i feel bad for him and dont want him to live alone). So, Mondays and Tuesdays im never there, and every other weekend im not there. I think we bit off more we could chew anyways. We have 4 horses that all have their days and all are pretty much green. I will try and work with her the days i am around.

For the record, they eat Fescque and usually dont have a mineral block because its gone withing 3 days. The blocks we buy are from Tractor supply its the Dumor brand ones (my horses and goats love that brand). When she is in withthe goats theres a salt block she gnaws on.

She also runs from me when i have a halter in the pasture... do this have to do with our relationship issue?

 

With the mineral blocks, horses don't just lick it for fun or out of boredom (There are exceptions), they lick it because they need the minerals! If the block is gone in 3 days, they need more salt! Keep it available if at all possible! Free choice minerals are great that way: if their system calls for it, they use it.

I'm way oversimplifying, but the grain/feed basically gives the horse more energy. If your mare is only getting ridden once a month, she doesn't need grain unless she can't keep weight, and then there are other options besides hopping her up on grain that others can (and have) describe better than me. Don't stop the grain cold turkey (to avoid upsetting her GI tract), but cut back over time to eliminate it. Horses survive just fine (I've even seen horses get utterly fat on hay alone)without grain.

The running from you with the halter is definitely a relationship issue. IMHO, the true test of anyone's relationship with their horse is catching her. Probably the most basic thing you can do to improve your relationship is just move her around from the ground. Press your hand against her shoulder until she moves it, then praise her. Do this on both sides. Back her up. Press her hindquarters away. YOU need to do this for it to work with you, not your mom. She can help, but at the end of the day, Savannah has a relationship with her, not with you.

Also, how much time does she spend in the pasture versus stalled or in a small enclosure? Even the slow walking of a grazing horse will do wonders to wind them down, and turnout is vital, again IMHO, to the continued soundness and sanity of any horse. A horse who doesn't eat anything can get spastic if they don't have adequate turnout.

 

OP you sound like sensible person and you are in a difficult situation with your parents and you recognize that you all may have more than you can handle. You are getting lots of good advice. kudos to you for reaching out to everyone and trying to follow good advice even though you don't have a lot of options.

 

Have your parents read this thread. I think they will get a lot of insight.

 

I think you already solved your problem:

I think we bit off more we could chew anyways.

It's no fun to be frustrated, for you or the horse. If you don't have the time or know-how to work with her and can't afford or find a good trainer that will come to you, then it sounds like this pony should be sold or given away to someone who can help her.

Try taking her off grain and see if it helps. If it doesn't then I'd put her up for sale.