Unbridled
4th Apr 2005, 07:30 PM
Okay, I've not posted for a very long time so most of you probably won't remember me. But I got my 14 year old Appy mare from my husband's family back in December. They'd been neglecting her (feeding her but little else) and she hadn't been ridden in about 2 years. Before that I found out that she had been ridden not only in an ill-fitting saddle but also with a bit that was almost an inch too large. I knew about the bit before I rode but I did not know the saddle was too tight until she began bucking (I'm still a novice and the problem wasn't really obvious to an untrained eye) Anyway, we got tack that actually fit and have been working with a great trainer. Sugar now rides well and is enjoying learning learning the Parelli games. She also stands so well ground-tied that I can walk from one end of the arena to the other without her moving.
But there's still a problem.
Whenever I groom her I ground-tie her as practice (suggestion of trainer since Sugar was having problems getting back into the obediance thing after 2 years off). She now stands great for grooming but when I pick up the saddle pad it's another matter altogether--she immediately moves away from me. She doesn't run or act hateful, just begins a quick walk forward to avoid the pad being placed on her back. Once it's actually on her back she's fine, however, and will stand. But when I try to place the saddle it's the same problem. When I pick up the saddle she will usually stand still; when I carry it over to her she will stand; but the moment I raise the saddle to place it on her back she will, once again, walk forward. The trainer told me to keep back her into the same spot again until eventually she will stand for the saddle and this is what I've been doing. But the problem is that sometimes just saddling her takes me 15--30 minutes! Then, once saddled, I have the same problem while mounting. I mount from a block to save her back (and my legs, which aren't yet strong enough for comfortable ground-mounting). I can place the block next to her and she's fine; I gather the reins and she's fine; I step onto the block and she's fine. But the moment my foot slides into the left stirrup she begins to walk away. Again, I back her up to the same spot. As with the saddling it sometimes takes me 15 minutes to get onto her back. I KNOW the saddle fits because I had the trainer check it for me and he said it's great. I also had him watch me saddle her to be sure I wasn't doing something wrong that might be uncomfortable for her--he said I was doing it perfectly. And I know her back is no longer sore because the vet checked her out in early March and said her back is in perfect order now.
The thing is....once I'm on mounted she's great. She stands like a lady until I ask her to go and she responds perfectly to the lightest of cues--I can ride her in a Parelli halter and rope reins and she does just as well as with the bridle and bit. She also seems to enjoy riding, so long as I give her mind something to focus on (circles in the arena bore her and make her a little balky, so if I ride in there I have to set up barrels and poles as obstacles). She also stands very well for dismount and will continue to stand after I dismount even if I walk away, unless I "ask" her to follow. She and I have bonded so well now that when she sees my truck on the road she will run up from the far end of the pasture and be waiting for me at the gate when I come out of the barn. I don't have to "catch" her because she's always standing right there, ready to be haltered and led out. So I know that she isn't unwilling to work. Is it just bad memories from the discomfort she experienced before? My trainer also said she acts like a horse who has been struck from the saddle (since she was ridden by spoiled kids before I don't doubt this). But she's fine once I'm in the saddle...so why does she hate the idea of tacking up and mounting? My trainer suspects its just stubborness and says that it will take her a while to finally stop arguing with me about it. But is there anything else I can do that would be quicker? I've thought about putting her in cross-ties but the trainer frowns on that because he's a great believer in ground-tying. He says that there is no point in making a horse behave through artificial methods--it should behave because it has respect for it's owner, not because it's tied to a post. So would putting her in cross-ties negate the training we've done? HELP!
**edited to add some new pics of my girl.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v162/Unbridled_Brunette/SugarPasture.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v162/Unbridled_Brunette/SugarandGang.jpg
But there's still a problem.
Whenever I groom her I ground-tie her as practice (suggestion of trainer since Sugar was having problems getting back into the obediance thing after 2 years off). She now stands great for grooming but when I pick up the saddle pad it's another matter altogether--she immediately moves away from me. She doesn't run or act hateful, just begins a quick walk forward to avoid the pad being placed on her back. Once it's actually on her back she's fine, however, and will stand. But when I try to place the saddle it's the same problem. When I pick up the saddle she will usually stand still; when I carry it over to her she will stand; but the moment I raise the saddle to place it on her back she will, once again, walk forward. The trainer told me to keep back her into the same spot again until eventually she will stand for the saddle and this is what I've been doing. But the problem is that sometimes just saddling her takes me 15--30 minutes! Then, once saddled, I have the same problem while mounting. I mount from a block to save her back (and my legs, which aren't yet strong enough for comfortable ground-mounting). I can place the block next to her and she's fine; I gather the reins and she's fine; I step onto the block and she's fine. But the moment my foot slides into the left stirrup she begins to walk away. Again, I back her up to the same spot. As with the saddling it sometimes takes me 15 minutes to get onto her back. I KNOW the saddle fits because I had the trainer check it for me and he said it's great. I also had him watch me saddle her to be sure I wasn't doing something wrong that might be uncomfortable for her--he said I was doing it perfectly. And I know her back is no longer sore because the vet checked her out in early March and said her back is in perfect order now.
The thing is....once I'm on mounted she's great. She stands like a lady until I ask her to go and she responds perfectly to the lightest of cues--I can ride her in a Parelli halter and rope reins and she does just as well as with the bridle and bit. She also seems to enjoy riding, so long as I give her mind something to focus on (circles in the arena bore her and make her a little balky, so if I ride in there I have to set up barrels and poles as obstacles). She also stands very well for dismount and will continue to stand after I dismount even if I walk away, unless I "ask" her to follow. She and I have bonded so well now that when she sees my truck on the road she will run up from the far end of the pasture and be waiting for me at the gate when I come out of the barn. I don't have to "catch" her because she's always standing right there, ready to be haltered and led out. So I know that she isn't unwilling to work. Is it just bad memories from the discomfort she experienced before? My trainer also said she acts like a horse who has been struck from the saddle (since she was ridden by spoiled kids before I don't doubt this). But she's fine once I'm in the saddle...so why does she hate the idea of tacking up and mounting? My trainer suspects its just stubborness and says that it will take her a while to finally stop arguing with me about it. But is there anything else I can do that would be quicker? I've thought about putting her in cross-ties but the trainer frowns on that because he's a great believer in ground-tying. He says that there is no point in making a horse behave through artificial methods--it should behave because it has respect for it's owner, not because it's tied to a post. So would putting her in cross-ties negate the training we've done? HELP!
**edited to add some new pics of my girl.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v162/Unbridled_Brunette/SugarPasture.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v162/Unbridled_Brunette/SugarandGang.jpg