what do we do?

[Korinne]

Hi, I don't if you guys remember the post a few weeks ago about the mare we had brought home. She was doing fine and we thought she was adjusting but now she is just plain ornery!!

My daughter started riding her, and at first Sugar didn't mind, but then she started dropping her head wayyyy down, threatening to buck, although she never did. She stopped doing that yesterday, but has started backing up and dancing and not listening at all. So my husband got on her yesterday and she did fine, although she did try a few tricks but Jim got a little agressive and she stopped right away. We thought she was just being stubborn and needed a firmer hand.,

Today, he saddled her intending to take her for a ride, and she absolutely refused to move!! He said she danced on the spot and went backwards but no amount of kicking, and I'm sure he didn't kick her hard, would make her go.

This is supposed to be a well broke horse with no vices.

Help!! We need some advice.

 

[Little Wee Horse Farm]

JMHO, but I'd probably go back to ground school with the girl. Sounds like she needs a refresher in who's boss. I'd go back to basics in the round pen or on a lunge at least until she remembers who's who............hope she comes along for ya. Good luck with her.

 

[Marty]

She's testing you, all of you, to see what she can get away with most likely. She's balking and acting barn sour, pretty normal behavior for a new horse. You also need to check your tack and be sure everything fits right and that she's comfortable. But most of all, I would strongly suggest that anyone that plans on riding her needs to take basic lessons from a pro. Everyone always says "I know how to ride"......but that's rarely the case and a few basic lessons will get you all off on the right foot. I wouldn't continue to ride her again until someone that is a legitimate riding instructor with credentials is there to school you, because HER next step will be to rear and cut up and it will most likely get worse. Trust me.

 

[Laura]

The FIRST thing I would do, before ANYONE gets on her again is have someone who knows about fitting saddles check out her tack. Something may be hurting her. Ill fitting tack can make even the most well behaved horse unwilling to work. Being agressive may turn a good horse into a bad horse very quickly.

If she's OK and her tack is properly fitted (not just "good enough"), then I would go back to basics, but first make sure nothing is hurting her. Fitting a saddle is like fitting a bra, best done by an uninvolved third party

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I'd go further- you need a Chiropractor, this mare has something wrong with her back. Your Husband being more aggressive and stronger was able to make her overcome her pain and move on in spite of it, does not mean the pain went away!! The backing, the lowered head, the resisting, are all part and parcel of a back injury. This mare is in PAIN. Please, do not force her to work in spite of it. Please do not mistake her desperate attempts to communicate for her being bad- you are new to her- she is living in hope that you, unlike her previous owners, will listen, so she is trying to communicate in the only way she knows how. If you ignore her, force her to work anyway, she will do it. She will become dull and disinterested and she will never bond properly with you (what would be the point??) but she will work through the pain. I do it myself every day, as do many others on this Forum. NONE of us would ask a horse to do what we do. Horses have no choice. PLEASE get a Chiropractor before you put another weight on her back.

 

[Anne]

Saddle fit and/or condition was my first thought also, there are saddles out there that shouldn't be ridden in and sometimes people think a dassle is a saddle, if they put a 'blanket under it", not saying you don't know the difference, it's just soething I have learned the hard way on one occasion several years ago.

I don't know what type of saddle you have but I did discover once that a horse who suddenly started backing and refusing to go forward, was wearing a saddle that hadn't been thoroughly checked over for a while and i discovered a "crack" and give in the "fiberglass" bottom and frame of the saddle when i went looking. wasn't easy to find but it allowed the saddle to give a "twist" with movement and man that must have pinched and hurt, The chiropractor also helped after discovering what an idiot I was for not thoroughly checking an older saddle in the spring.

Especiall if she is well trained and the behavior has excalated, with the work and the weight of the rider. She may have "done it anyway" once with a firm hand pushing her but I could understand her not wishing to go through the ouch again

just a past experience and opinion

 

[kaykay]

id also point out that the mare has only been there a couple weeks and is still trying to adjust to new people, new surroundings etc. I would just let her settle in before i tried to do more. just do daily handling etc.

 

[Korinne]

Thanks guys, my first thought was the saddle. It is new, but of course that doesn;t mean it isn't bothering her. We are going to get someone to come have a look and see if something is wrong with the saddle. After that we will make sure she isn't sore or hurting somewhere.If that all checks out , we will start at square one with some training, for her and us!!

As mentioned as well, she is very new to us, so maybe we are rushing her. asking more from her than she is able to give right now. It is all very new to her.

Thanks again

 

[~LadyBug~]

Hi!

Sounds like you could have a few things going on here. Sounds like you are already taking care of checking her saddle fit. Good start.

Second thing to rule out, like rabitsfizz said, is soreness or pain that is non tack related. I am a certified ESMT (equine sports massage therapist) and do some basic chiropractic work. Body soreness is often a reason why a horse will go sour to working.

One area where i will differ from the others here though, while ruling out the above needs to be done first, there IS a very GOOD chance that the mare is just testing you to see what kind of crap she can get away with!!

Horses DO misbehave for other reasons besides pain, and your horse isnt nessicarily in pain!

Start with a saddle fitter and massage therapist, after that its time to let her know whos boss and that she is not allowed to get away with that. I in NO WAY approve animal abuse!!! so dont get me wrong, but she is an animal, and you bought her to serve a purpose, so theres nothing wrong with expecting that she will fulfill that for you!!

Good luck with her, feel free to PM me if you have any questions about Equine Massage and Chiropractics!

Ashley

 

[Bess Kelly]

Have Bonnie do a reading.