Showmanship Problems

Question
QUESTION: Hi Lyn. I have been working with my new horse for about a week now. She is a 5 yr old quarter horse mare named embers. I have been doing showmanship and she is very good but when i get to trotting her she has her ears back and looks unhappy. She even tried nipping at me. I think becasue i was giving her a treat, but i still don't understand why she has her ears pinned and looking unpleasent. Could you help me fix this. Thanx!

ANSWER: Chelsea,

I need a little more information.  You are trotting her in hand in Showmanship classes, correct?  Is then the only time that she exhibits this behavior?  How about when she's on a lunge, or just free in a paddock/pasture?  Does she do it under saddle?  Does she trot freely at those times without all the attitude?  Let me know and I'll get right back to you.

Lyn

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QUESTION: Hi she is new. I got her from my aunt. She is greenbroke but i have never ridden her. Im starting with ground work and forming a bond type thing. She does not do it when she is turned out. She is a happy horse over all. Any more questions please ask.    Chelsea

ANSWER: Chelsea,

OK, she doesn't do it at liberty.  How about on the lunge line?  You shouldn't be lunging her more than 30 min. tops, 20 is better; 10-15 min. in each direction.  More than that and you are kind of looking to create problems later in life.  Lunging, especially if on a line, not free, and in a smallish circle, is a lot of torque (twisting) on the joints, especially the knees and hocks.  If she does it lunging too then is sounds like it may be an attitude thing.

That's one of the reasons a lot of people, especially men, don't like to ride mares.  They can be "mare-ish", especially when in season.  They can have PMS-like symptoms during their cycles; some turn into real witches/bitches and can be downright dangerous to work around unless you pay close attention to their body language and get after them/avoid whatever they do right away.  The days are getting longer, she's probably starting to cycle, and being "witchy".  

Now it's time to establish some ground rules. Number one, you will not tolerate disrespectful/rude behavior from her.  Ever!  NO EXCUSES!!  Get after her.  Shank her a couple of times with the lead, yell at her, let her know in no uncertain times that you will not tolerate that sort of behavior.  She may simply resent being asked to trot around on a lead.  Perhaps she wants to trot a little faster than you are jogging or slower.  Whatever, she doesn't like doing it and is telling you.  But that's her problem and she needs to get over it.

I had a Mustang mare who when I first started riding her in competition could see absolutely no sense in trotting around in circles after she'd finished running 25 or more miles.  And she let me know it.  I tried the carrot thing, carried a dressage whip for a number of years before she finally got businesslike and would do the trot out without complaint.  That took about 3 yrs.!  And there were lots of times that we both had PMS and a ride to do.  So we went out and did the ride but didn't "talk" to each other most of the ride.  I love my mares but they can be challenging to deal with.  But also the most loyal, devoted horses I've ever ridden.  I've had the boys, both geldings and stallions, "quit" on me on rides but I've never had a mare quit.

Sorry I rambled on but I wanted you to understand why I am suggesting this.  Mares are the leaders of the herd, not the boys.  She has to accept that you are her "lead mare" and not to be disrespected or challenged.  In return you have to remember she's a girl and likes to be asked to do things, not forced.  And they can be very opinionated. :).

If you are not an adult she's going to tend to treat you like a "kid" and not the one who runs the show.  Put your foot down.  Do it as often and as many times as you have to.  Read her body language so you know how strong you have to make the correction.  Horses are very attuned to reading body language so you have to have a confident, assertive attitude when you are working with her.  A real bond is made up of love and respect.  

Let me know how you progress, please.

Lyn  



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QUESTION: Hi Lyn. My problem is not lunging. I am talking about when i am doing showmanship and i trot off. Her ears are back and she looks unhappy. She even tried to nip me but i hit her in the nose so hard she didn't know what to think. I didn't beat if thats what you think i had 3 seconds to get after her and i did it in 1. She does not walk all over me trust me. I just don't understand why she looks unhappy the second i trot off. Maybe it is a mare thing. I have never had anything other than mares and i have never seen this display of behavoir. If you can help i would appreciate it but if not thank you for your time.  Chelsea

Answer
Chelsea,

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply you were having problems lunging her.  I was just looking to see if she exhibits the same behavior when on the lunge or does she only do it when you ask her to trot in hand.  Because I'm considering whether she has a possible physical problem vs just attitude problems.  That's why I asked.

But if she only does it when you trot her in hand then it's a real attitude problem.  I'm glad you did what you did.  You go girl!!  That's what I would have done!  Then probably added a couple of shanks with the lead and some choice words uttered in an angry yell after which we go back and start again.  

It may take you a couple of times to get your point across.  She may not lose the sour expression and ear attitude, at least not for a while.  She just doesn't want to do it and is making no bones about it.  You could try an animal communicator if you really want to know what the issue is.  I would seriously consider that if after a couple of times she is still persisting in the witchy behavior.  

What I found worked best for my mare who had such a sorry atttitude was to give her a treat when we were done, one that she really liked and didn't get often.  She adored butterscotch candies and would do almost anything for them.  Have you tried just trotting her in hand anyplace but the ring?  This may be a case of she simply sees no point in trotting 25-50 ft., stopping and turning around and doing it again.  Horses can be so funny at times, mares especially.

As far as this being a mare thing, it most definately sounds like it.  You just may have been lucky so far and dealt either with less dominant mares or older, more experienced horses who had learned to suppress things.  She's a youngster and she's got a lot of growing to do yet, both physically and especially mentally.  You said she's an otherwise sweet horse, but you haven't had her that long yet.  

So this is best advice I can give to you.  You sound like you know how to take care of her unacceptable behavior so you should see results.  Let me know how it goes for you OK?

Lyn