saddling

Question
QUESTION: Lyn,
 I have a 3 yr old clydesdale mare>  I've only had her a few months and ridden just a couple of times.  She was sold as"trained to ride English and drive."  My problem is she is scared to death of the saddle and pad.  I have done a lot of ground work with the parelli levels and she does great with everything.  But the minute you bring the pad near she pulls back and would run away.  Other than it she isn't spooky at all.  Yesterday I crossed tied her and put it on without incident,(I think she didn't she it before it was on and she rode perfectly).  I've tried some dis-sensitization techniques but to no avail yet.  Any suggestions?  Nat

ANSWER: Nat,

You need to remember she's a baby. If she was mine I wouldn't be riding her yet because drafts take so long to mature.  But, that aside, you've gone a long way with the Parelli work and that's your answer to this too.  If you have access to a round pen that's where I would take her and the pad.  She'll get tired of running away from it and work through her fear in the pen.  Drafts are kind of slow about learning things if that helps much.  


I assume that you have checked your saddle fit and made sure that it is not causing her any pain.  Nothing that would make her not want the pad and saddle on her?  

Other than that the best I can tell you is to persevere.  I've worked with drafts and draft crosses and it takes a lot sometimes to get through to them.  Try the round pen and desensitize her in there with the pad.  You'll get her to come around I'm sure.

Lyn

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Lyn,
 Thanks for your prompt answer.  I'd like to ask another if that's alright.  Pearl (my mare) was afraid of the saddle and pad before I ever put it on her.  I suppose she could have had a poor fitting one where she was trained that could have triggered her problem.  Yesterday I put it on her without any problem and walked her for about 30 minutes incident free.  She didn't have any rub marks following its removal and appeared comfortable the entire time. Yet the next day reverted back to her fearful self.  Today I did 30 minutes of ground work in and around the pad/saddle and got her to go to it and sniff it.  I will keep trying this for awile.  (Parelli feels you should be able to saddle your house without them tied and standing still, this is my goal.)
  My question is do you know of any good draft books?  My search turned up two that were old.  I know you shouldn't drive a horse until 3 years old why do think riding her is not a good idea?  My idea of riding is walk and minimal trot for 30 minutes 1-2 x a week.  Pearl is currently 17.1 hands and 1500 lbs.  Nat

Answer
Nat,

Sounds like she wasn't very well trained when you got her.  As to why I am against riding horses before they are at least 4 is based on several things.

Dr. Deb Bennett did a study some years ago and determined that horse's skeletons, specifically drafts as they were her study horses, did not fully ossify until they were 8 yrs. old.  The last of the bones to become fully developed were in the spine.  I also was a pre-vet student at the University of Ky.  I worked in the autopsy room for over 2 yrs.  At that time UK was where all the horses went for necropsy as part of their studies on horses.  I saw a lot of Thoroughbreds.  I saw up close and personal the extensive damage done to the spines of the horses that had been  raced and therefore ridden very young.  I want to avoid that at all cost.

I also worked this past summer with a PMU gelding that a friend of mine had purchased through a horse buyer in Calgary, CA.  We guessed he was a Percheron/TB cross.  Lovely blue roan.  Very nice.  Had issues with men, especially men with tools.  He was 3 this year.  I found out very quickly that he was slow to learn.  We had to work through some trust and respect issues.  After a month he had figured out body space with people.  But he would work with me and one day, I was ground driving him, he just flat out bolted.  We were in a paddock so it was a case of just catching him.  I didn't get the idea he was afraid, just determined he didn't want to do what I was asking him to do!  We spent the next 2 hrs. in the round pen until he decided it was easier to do what I asked.  I didn't have any problems with him for over a mo. then he started doing this under saddle.  He dumped me twice, the second time I dislocated my shoulder.  His owner told me that the man who had purchased him for her asked her what her experience with training was.  Nancy has worked primarily with Arabs and Morgans.  Then Nancy said the man told her that drafts weren't really ready to do much until they are 6.  It sort of fit.  If Sioux thought he was being asked to much he just blew up.  Showed how immature he was.  I was expecting too much to fast.  

I would concentrate on the ground work and build trust for a while.  Sort of let her tell you when she's ready to proceed with each step.  But, from experience, it took lots of repetitions and tons of treats to get Sioux solid on some things.  Drafts are really sweet horses but definately not the brightest bulbs on the tree.  At least not all the ones I've known.  

As to riding, you will have to decide that.  She's grown a whole lot and her bones have a long way to go before they are fully formed and hardened.  I don't know what you weigh.  Me, I tack about 185 with an endurance saddle.  So it's up to you.  I've given you my reasons against it.  

And if your saddle really does fit then you are lucky.  I had to use my treeless Sports Saddle, which is why I got dumped.  It rolled on his back.  But it was the only saddle I had that would fit him.  Horses change shape so much as the are growing and maturing that I have saddles with several different trees and the Sports Saddle if nothing else will work.  

Pearl sounds like a lovely mare, I wish you the best with her.  Just be very patient and content to make progress in baby steps, at least at the start.  Once she really, truly trusts you then things may progress much more quickly.  I sort of wonder if she was ridden with a pad and saddle or someone just climbed on her back?  Love her and I'm sure she'll become your best friend.

Lyn

Lyn