STUBBORN MARE

Question
I have recently just bought a Quarter horse mare she is 8 years old and her baby that is also a Quarter horse philly that is 18 months old. When I try to ride the mare she is very stubborn and don't want to go. I have to lock the baby up in the barn when I try to handle her or ride. I have sold the baby already and this will be her first time away from her baby with me. Will her attitude change once the baby is gone? She is very stubborn. How long does it take to get her to trust me and build that bond and how?

Answer
Hi Johnna -

These kind of training questions are really difficult without being able to spend time around your horse.  I do know that a barn sour or herd sour horse is no fun to be around and curing it can sometimes take an extended period of time unless the rider gets help from a trainer.  Even a few lessons can help which would be less expensive than leaving it with a trainer for 30 or 60 days.  I do think that once her baby is gone, that will help - certainly won't hurt - but then it is always possible that she will form a strong bond with another horse if she has that option.

I recommend consulting a local trainer and schedule a couple of problem-solving sessions with them.  It will be time and money well spent as you both learn about consistency and boundaries.  A sour horse is not only no fun to be around but they can also be dangerous to anyone around them.

Please let me know how it goes!!

Judi