My retired brood mare

[Marsha Cassada]

I'm working to get my new-to-me retired brood mare into harness. She is wearing the bit nicely now and I have ground driven her twice on 2 mile walks. The problem is, she is so mellow I cannot get her to move out by herself. If I ask her to move by herself, she doesn't know what I want. I have to have my neighbor go with me, taking my other horse along, to get her to move out. She's beginning to respond better to a whip cue, for moving forward and for turning. But I don't think I can get her to leave her companion until she has a better idea of what her job is.

She is unflappable with traffic and animals. Loves men and women and children equally. Anything startling just causes a pricked ear look. The harness is ho-hum.

She has never been asked to do anything except be a brood mare. Playing with her feet and legs, teaching her a simple trick, deep grooming--all are different for her. She has no clue about longing.

I'm hoping another walk or two while I ground drive will give her the gist of what I'm asking. She is so sweet; I'm used to ornery young ones that have to be taught respect. How does one work with an older sweetie pie?

I remember reading about someone else who worked with a retired brood mare. Any good tips? We are not ambitious for a show ring, just a gentle tooling on the country roads.

Perhaps trailer her somewhere else away from home and do our training?

 

[targetsmom]

I am also working with a retired broodmare (9 pregnancies) named Sox and have had her hooked and pulling the cart several times now. The 4-Hers did a lot of the ground driving, once we dealt with the head tossing issue by using side reins, which I don't normally use in training. But they seemed to solve the head-tossing issue and then she progressed well. Sox has a LOVELY forward walk, just the opposite of what Princess normally gives me, and a nice energetic trot. She is going so well that I am in no hurry to hook the 3 year olds - one that is only 28 1/2" that my husband wants to drive and one that needs a bit more time. I just love the maturity of this mare!!! I hope to get her driving at a Pinto show by fall.

ETA: I only drive her in our pasture where she can't see other horses and she does whinny some, but still does her job. It is too dangerous to drive or even ground drive on our road which is a major short-cut.

 

[AFewSpotsMostlyBlack]

ok, I could be totally wrong but based on what always happens with most untried horses....when she balks and doesn't want to go forward, are you asking for her to step out straight forward? A trick with any youngster (and starting driving is still a 'youngster' to driving, IMO) is to 'unlock' their front feet. To unlock them all you need to do is to ask them make a 'turn', don't just ask them to go out straight from a standstill, at least not at first. There is something in their brain that needs to be unlocked so they can move their front feet, they don't really realize they can go straight forward sometimes. I kinda believe this is also why so many horse concepts involve circles. Think about round penning all the way up to dressage. And why to have a horse 'straight' is so very challenging. A horse has more power when it's straight but their brain doesn't always work in straight mode (think of a horse setting back on a rope when tied...they're pulling straight back.) You can unsettle their balance and get their feet moving by working them more 'sideways' perpendicular to their shoulder and a simple step to either direction will do the job sometimes, sometimes more is needed. This can be worked down until eventually all you'll need to do is kinda tip their head then seesaw them straight when they start to take that first step and you won't even notice that they're not stepping out perfectly straight. This also works with halter breaking babies too, or anytime they balk, if you just tip them off balance their front feet will 'unlock' and things will go more smoothly.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

It cooled off a little here so I was able to take Bridgette out again. We went by ourselves, but just stayed in the pasture. She is so smart, she is picking up on the turns well and already understands whoa. She is very herd-bound, but we successfully maneuvered among some obstacles out of sight of her friend. She appears to really enjoy the extra attention, too. She has a very forward walk.

Targetsmom, my girl has had 11 (registered) foals and is 20. Now that she is working some and not just standing around, she is building a lot of muscle. Her hind and chest have filled out and are getting solid. At first she was rather flaccid.

 

[paintponylvr]

That's awesome.

 

[targetsmom]

If she is herd bound (quite common) than that is what you will likely need to work on with her, but it sounds like you are on the right track! Pasture works for us!! Isn't it fun to work with mature minis?

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I got into the sulky with her this evening. She did fine. We just did a little bit as an introduction. I'm looking forward to taking her out again. She is so mellow! What a change from the fiesty young ones I've been challenged with lately.

She will need to work up her muscle tone, so we won't get too intensive for a while.

 

[paintponylvr]

wow, that is so cool!!

I know - after getting my broodmares going solid, it's a lot harder to drive the babies. Sometimes I just want to go and not deal with all the training stuff with the babies.

 

[targetsmom]

Older broodmares are vastly underrated!!!! Our 13 year old that we just trained to drive (shown above) has also been trained for hunter and trail and is used as a 4-H project. She was shown the past two weekends, first by a 4-Her where she was High Point Small Equine in the Youth Division and yesterday by a young adult (i.e. NOT ME), and was AGAIN High Point Mini in stiff competition. In both shows she won halter and hunter, and in the first one she also won trail. Yesterday, one of her SONS won trail. Oh, and she is winning halter after 9 pregnancies, no neck sweating,no tail bag, and very little work! After dealing with a heavy-crested, non-sweating, IR mare with a white tail, this is like a vacation. (Or the yearling we also took to the show!)

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Second time in the sulky today. We went to a friend's house who lives in a tiny town (not even a gas station). Lots of interesting places to drive there, light traffic, loose dogs but they are tame. My friend has miniatures also. We went about 2 miles--didn't want to do more until she is in better condition.

She did amazingly well! Her ears were up, nice saliva working carrying the bit easily, good hind action. She has a lovely forward walk and her trot really covers ground.

She hasn't figured everything out yet, but is game for learning a new career.

I'd be curious if any of her foals work in harness. If anyone wants to bother looking up info I can give her AMHA #. I inquired about her show career, but each foal would have been a seperate request. (I no longer subscribe to the online studbook)

 

[Knottymare]

My driving horse is a retired broodmare who really hated taking care of babies but she LOVES to get out with the cart. Not a fancy driver but settled, unflappable and LOVES to get out and see her adoring public. We drive in the neighborhood, out on country roads, through fields and seek out all kinds of obstacles. When she sees people, she tries to make a bee-line to them because she really thinks they are all out to see her. When she sees me pull the cart out of the garage, she gets so excited. I just love her!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Love hearing about another retired brood mare learning to drive!

 

[targetsmom]

I'd be curious if any of her foals work in harness. If anyone wants to bother looking up info I can give her AMHA #. I inquired about her show career, but each foal would have been a seperate request. (I no longer subscribe to the online studbook)

Checking the stud book will only tell you if they were World Champion or Reserve World Champion. You need to contact AMHA and pay I think $5 each for actual show results. Ironically, the ONLY horse we ever did that for was our retired broodmare Sox, who was shown in halter as a yearling and has 14 AMHA halter points. I know that at least two of her six foals have been driven and shown in AMHA driving classes.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Checking the stud book will only tell you if they were World Champion or Reserve World Champion. You need to contact AMHA and pay I think $5 each for actual show results. Ironically, the ONLY horse we ever did that for was our retired broodmare Sox, who was shown in halter as a yearling and has 14 AMHA halter points. I know that at least two of her six foals have been driven and shown in AMHA driving classes.

That is such fun information to know about Sox! That's what I'd like to find out about my girl's foals.

 

[WeeOkie]

Marsha, I loved reading this thread about Bridgette. Remember I saw her at the show when Wilma brought her to you! Sounds like she's coming along great for you.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Marsha, I loved reading this thread about Bridgette. Remember I saw her at the show when Wilma brought her to you! Sounds like she's coming along great for you.

Yes, she is such a sweet girl. Very expressive in a ladylike way. (Dapper Dan is expressive, but rather like a rhinocerus.) Bridgette is so different. I shaved off her mane this week. It was brittle and bleached and I couldn't get it to look nice. So I thought I would just shave it off and start over. She was rather outraged, in a ladylike way, and let me know that somehow she had been insulted. It was so funny. But she is fine now, and appears happy to have all that hot hair gone.

Never having had much experience with breeding or mares, it has been fun to be introduced to them in such a charming way.

I'm glad other drivers are enjoying theirs, too.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Had her out on a two mile drive today. She really moves out and uses her hind well. Ears up, and fairly responsive already to cues. She is a gem.

 

[paintponylvr]

Enjoy your "gem"! They are great and the best to have with driving.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I never could connect with the person I wanted to try and get Bridgette's picture, so I asked my husband to try today. Bridgette is getting her winter coat and I didn't want to wait any longer to try for a picture. She is doing so well in the cart. I can see a big improvement in her muscle.

I want to send a picture and a little note to the Journal and World, as I'd like to encourage people to give retired brood mares a chance for a second career.

www.cassphoto.com/bridget10-13.jpg

 

[studiowvw]

Beautiful pic! and I like the cart too. Congrats on getting her going so nicely.