My mare rears in hand/when ridden- HELP!

NINA WANTSA COB

nina founda cob - bella
Apr 14, 2005
71
0
0
Hi everyone,

Does anyone else have a horse that rears to get their own way or when they are very stressed? Mine rears when she naps on hacks, which is bad but at least I can comfortably stay on and not get hurt, along with training her not to slowly but surely. She also rears in hand which is the main problem - if it's at all windy or if she wants to protest against me taking her a certian direction (ie towards her hated field...)

Unfortunately she is in a very difficult situation whereby she is being turned out into a field that has scary woods along 2 of its 3 sides, and by herself. :( She is turned out there because she USED to kick other horses in the field, but is now upset with her isolated life. I am, of course, desperately looking for another yard to move her to, but until then I have to somehow cope with a stressed, 15hh cob mare who rears...There isn't even another field available for me to move her to - when next to some geldings she jumped in with them (and looked so HAPPY, I must add) so now she has to be in a field that has a gap between it and the next field.

Please help if you can - recommended yards near Amersham (Bucks) also greatfully recieved.

Thank you!:)
xxx Nina xxx
 
I used to have a cob mare who would rear in protest to being made to do what I wanted. She had been allowed away with it in the past and though she'd try it on with me. She thought she could intimidate me into giving her her own way.:rolleyes:

As it was a temper tantrum, when she saw it didn't work she stopped.

In-hand I used to get out of the way enough that she couldn't injure me then continue as I was before when she came back down. The same applied for riding.

But the turning point was when I got fed up of it and caried a long whippy stick with me. When she went up I smack her on the underside of her belly (by her belly button). She slammed her feet back on the ground and only tried it a couple of more times then decided it wasn't worth it. Because of the length of the stick I could do it ridden too.

I however was very very sure it was just temper and there was no more severe underlying cause to it. I wouldn't have done it if I thought she was trying to tell me something important.

You will probably find most of it stops when she gets a companion though - she must be so stressed on her own.
 
Even though using a whip worked for you I don't think it would do for me. If I use pain at all when she's stressed it only makes her think that I'm being cruel - ie. putting her into a field she hates or making her suffer pain until I have enough control to carry on. The problem is, when faced with danger or stress, she would much rather turn around and fight it before or instead of running away from it. This means that if I'm the one physically preventing her from escaping something she finds unpleasant (ie by holding on to the leadrope), she'll turn to face me in mid air which is when I have to let go. She then runs off realising that her method worked - and I'm left to start again.

I am trying very hard to find a new yard for her with field friends.
Thank you
xxx Nina xxx
 
Hi there,

Can I join you in the big, stroppy rearing mare club ? My Big Fat Stroppy Mare also rears when fear overcomes her respect for me. In her case it is either out on hacks when she's chosen one route an I choose another... and the in-hand time is trailer loading when she has occasional flash-backs to previous man-handling ... seems like she just loses it and gets into this rearing thing.

But you're in a real bind. For me, I do heaps of groundwork, at the end of a line, get her into a relaxed pattern away from teh trailer, of moving her shoulder two steps, then her butt two steps, then step toward me two, and back two. We repeat this everywhere, and get closer to the trailer, not even mentioning going into the trailer. Some days, she offers to get in the trailer after just one repeat. You can do the same sort of thing with your mare as regards the field. Don't make it about the field, just about her taking one step in the right direction, and rest, then put her feet to work again, and ask for one step forward again.

However, at the base of my groundwork with Stroppy Mare, is that at the end of it all, there is nothing to fear. I ask her to trust me, that I'm a good leader, she does, and I prove it each day by not crashing the trailer, and making the whole outing a good one, with lots of oats and carrots. You on the other hand, have a major battle, because every day, despite your best intentions, you show her you're not a good leader, by leading the herd to an unsafe place, and then deserting. :( It's a very unfortunate situation. In that case, I'd be moving heaven and earth to get her out of there. Even to a no turnout stable situation. Trouble is, the longer this goes on, the longer it's going to take her to trust you when she is settled.

Good luck with your search for a new place for her.
 
Thank you - I've realised this, and I know she has every right to not trust me. I can't wait to sort of start our whole relationship again, in a fresh and quiet environment that she can enjoy with other horses. Until then I think I'll just have to take it day by day and not expect much from her.

Thanks
xxx Nina xxx

P.S. She HATES being kept in for long periods of time - I have thought about that option.
 
My YO recently recently showed me a way of dealing with "tantrummy" rears in hand. They were intended to intimidate me and they were working! We had him on a lunge line -- that's important, because it lets you get to a safe distance but still be in control. She asked him to move forward and he went up. Because she was at a safe distance, he couldn't hurt her by rearing -- he wasn't charging or anything like that! She asked him to move forward again, and when he went up again she swished the whip in front of her (didn't touch him with it) which kept him out of her space, and just kept up the pressure to move forward. Every time she asked him, he went up, but after the second one, they started to get smaller and smaller, and in the end he was too tired to do it any more and stopped. In effect, she took control of the rearing and kept "asking" him to do it, until it got to the point when he didn't want to do it any more. Then she stroked him all over with the whip and invited him forward again, to his great relief.

Could you attach a lunge rein to her bridle so that when she goes up you can continue to work her but from a safe distance?

On the solitary turnout -- it's not great, but what you have to remember is that you're doing your best for her in a difficult situation. She may think you're not so hot as a leader at the moment, but she doesn't see you rushing around looking for a better yard! You're actually being a good leader by putting her in the best place you can while you look for a better place to move her too. And while she may think the woods are scary, you know that they're not actually dangerous. It's awful when you have to ask them to do things that they don't want to do, and they actually have a good point -- but part of being a leader is taking those unpopular decisions. I'd try not to let her see your own concerns about the situation -- you're the boss, and you're putting her in that nasty place for a reason. Then when you get back to the car if you're anything like me you can have a little fret and a weep about it ;) -- but in front of her, I would try not to feel or show any doubt at all.
 
Thank you, neen. You and I sound very much alike! :p I like the idea of putting her on a lunge line rather than a leadrope - I wouldn't have to let go then...and using a whip to sorta shoo her out of my space may be useful too. Kelly Marks recommends a brightly coloured umbrella!

Thanks
xxx Nina xxx
 
You could try a duelly they're really good as they put pressure on but not sore pressure. I saw monty Roberts use one at a seminar and bought one for my friend who used it for her big shire X mare who was bargy and reared as she knew she could get her way. It worked, she would still do it if the dually wasn't on when she was walked in hand and schooling stopped it on the hack/in the school, we think because she couldn't get away with it in hand that she stoopped quicker when ridden.

The dually's don't hurt the horse as they are designed and endorsed by MR and the lunge thing is a must as it keeps you safe.

Nikki xxxx
 
Yes, I was wondering that too ... but then 'Nina Wants a Cob' has a cob and 'Nina neen' has a cute lil pony, so I figured you're not the same person after all.

Of course, ... what neen said about you being in fact a good leader ... I had to go back and re-read what I'd tried to say :eek: :eek: ... of course I meant that from the horse's point of view it looked like you weren't being a good leader, not that you aren't a great leader. :eek: :eek: :eek:

Ok, now I feel like a twerp... might go hide in my car and weep a bit too !
 
Yes, I was wondering that too ... but then 'Nina Wants a Cob' has a cob and 'Nina neen' has a cute lil pony, so I figured you're not the same person after all.

Of course, ... what neen said about you being in fact a good leader ... I had to go back and re-read what I'd tried to say :eek: :eek: ... of course I meant that from the horse's point of view it looked like you weren't being a good leader, not that you aren't a great leader. :eek: :eek: :eek:

Ok, now I feel like a twerp... might go hide in my car and weep a bit too !

Come on Kate -- you're not the weeping kind! ;)

That particular vicious circle rang a bell with me because I've been round it too many times myself:

Fluke: How can you expect me to do that, it's just not reasonable
Me: Oh gosh, maybe you're right
Fluke: I knew it! You're rubbish
Me: Sorry :eek:

I have recently been reworking the end of this dialogue:
Fluke: I knew it! You're rubbish
Me: Well you're stuck with me anyway so just get on with it. *Later, weeps in car while Fluke looks on over fence, puzzled*

Our final goal is:
Fluke: How can you expect me to do that, it's just not reasonable
Me: I'll be the judge of that. Get on with it.

Got a way to go yet though! Largely because I still haven't fully got my head round what's reasonable. :rolleyes:
 
Heck, I can weep for England - did you not see me riding Rosalita mare today :eek: You will. I just love those neen-Fluke dialogues. There's a lot in them. You might be the next Dennis Reis (ok, I know, nobody gets the reference, I'll have to dig out a video).

Can't wait for the next update from NINA HASA COB - the lungeline sounds a great idea. Not sure I'd go with the brolly from Kelly Marks though, those MR derivatives seem to take great delight in introducing a new object into the situation when an old one will do just fine. I think you'd get enough drive with a regular old stick, NINA H C. Plus, she might look at you a bit odd if start with the brolly each time.
 
Phew, loads to reply to! Thank you all! :p


nikki - I do use a dually!

neen - Yes, yes I am you...;)
"Fluke: How can you expect me to do that, it's just not reasonable
Me: I'll be the judge of that. Get on with it." - this sort of attitude really helped me today - thank you.

kate - Don't worry! I knew what you meant.:)


Soooooo...the update:
I am now going to split her 1 feed into 2 each day. The plan is to give her half as normal up at the yard and then have the rest waiting for her inside the field. I did this today, after doing some fab cross country!:D Hopefully this will get her to look forward to being turned out a bit more.
As for general handling when turning her out, I don't think I'll need the lunge line or an umbrella! She now just whirls about everywhere or refuses to walk forward at all - which is, surprisingly, much better. Now I can get her to the field by doing groundwork-type-stuff rather than hold-on-and-cope type stuff!:eek:

Thank you all for helping me and Bella out! :D
xxx Nina xxx
 
newrider.com