I dont know if its worth training her anymore!

Question
Dear Expert,
I have been riding since i was 5 and i own a paint mare that is 8 years old. I have had her for almost 3 years and have ridden her almost every day since then. She has a very sweet disposition most of the time and she loves to be ridden. When i got her,  her old owner said that the man that had her before she did always yahooed her and did all western and some barrel racing. I found out why she got rid of her soon enough. Whenever i rode her she got very excited and i used many half-halts and used my inner thigh muscles and voice to let her realize that she could relax. Each few months she would get a little better. I was no longer sfraid of her reactions and now i can walk and trot over poles and do serpintines and be able to make her relax her head and smooth out her gaits. Whenever i canter her in 20-meter circles, it is very fast but now at least she listens to mostly what i say and eventually has a smooth normal canter. Now she listens to my leg aids mostly and whenever i ask for a canter, i squeeze gently with my inside leg and say "Canter!" and she usually goes right into it instead of the paceing trot right before. I did have a trainer that would come out but the first month i used the horse "Eddy" (is her name) , she got fed up and would not return any of my calls. I know riding her helps me be a great rider and teaches me many lessons, but i do want to start jumping again and eventually do cross-country. Whenever i do jump her less than 1 ft. she gets so excited and freaks out. None of my friends can ride her. She has BARELY learne anything these 3 years and i would like to get to my destination before i go to college. I am now 14 years. I may be able to ride my moms quarter horse mare and jump, but her pulled tandon a few years ago may not let her. Should i sell Eddy and get on with a horse thats "sutible" for showing or be stuck with her and not get anywhere but may improve her issues?

               Thank You,
                   Ashley  

Answer
Hi Ashley.  Sounds like you have come a long ways with your mare.  Some horses can test even the most pateint person.  I have a Quarter Horse mare that sounds a lot like your horse.  She was started out as a barrel horse when she was young.  Her breeding is all about speed and athletics.  Sounds like your mare might have some of the same background and is not the typical quiet Paint.  I have to keep my mare very quiet..if she gets excited then she is excited forever and I might as well hang up trying to calm her down.  Doing a lot of circle work helps but.....

Try to remember this...a low head means a calm horse.  You did not mention whether or not you are using training aides.  You need to keep a martingale on this horse to make sure that the bit pressure is always aiming down on the horse's lower gum and not just stetching her lips up towards your hands.  When you apply rein pressure the horse's head needs to come down and in towards her chest.

Also, give all pressure in small slow pulls.  Like a real slow heart beat.  Puuuuuull, let go, pullllll, let go.  Do not jerk, do not steady yank..pull and let go.  Keep pulling and letting go until the horse responds.  If you continuously pull then your horse is leaning on the bit and not responding to the cue.  You also can not HOLD the horse at the speed you want her to go.  You have to be able to set the speed and let go of her mouth.  If she speeds up then pullllll and let go, pullllll and let go.....  until she slows back down.  Remember, if you want the horse to be calm you have to be calm.  No fast movements, no yelling, no yanking, no kicking.  This stuff only upsets hotter horses and makes them hotter.

You need to do some ground work too.  Put her on the lunge line and tie the reins around the horse with them run through the martingale.  This will pull her head down and towards her chest.  You don't want to make her miserable but you want enough pressure that she has to get off of it.  You can start kind of loose and keep stopping and tightening as she adjusts.  Get her head down, not miserable but down.  She might fight a bit and jerk and try running backwards.  Stay calm and let her fight it out.  Once she has relaxed and learns to keep her head down and there is no way out... then start cantering and trotting and going back to the canter.  Do a lot of transitions.  When a horse changes gaits they tend to raise their head.

Do small circles on the lunge line with  her head tied.  Start letting the circle get bigger once she is slow and controlled and relaxed.  If she speeds up start reeling her back in again until she slows back down.  

All of these exercises will help teach your horse to stay calm amd take quiet transitions and keep her head down and quiet.  Always praise her when she is doing well and always talk in a calm and quiet voice.  

If you do not know how to use a martingale or have further questions about how tight to make it or not make it...please find someone with experience to help you or write me back and I will try to walk you through it.  If you have any questions along the way please contact me and I will help you the best I can.

I think any horse can learn.  I think every horse has the potential to be anything you want it to be.  But not every horse is a natural at it.  Sounds to me like you love this horse and shouldn't give up on her.  If she has a chance to amount to anything...you are the one to do it.  To make you feel better.....  the horse that I own that I mentioned....the ex contest horse.....I now give lessons on her.  Little kids get on her and show her walk/trot etc...  She is the sweetest horse in the barn. Yes, she can still get excited and if they manhandle her she reverts right back to barrel horse mode...but if they stay calm and she knows that this is "calm" mode..she does great.  So hang in there.

I know very little about jumping but I do know that just about every horse gets excited about jumping.  They always want to land and buck or take off or shake their head.  It gets their blood flowing and they get all worked up.  Repetition and repetition and you staying calm will help your horse to overcome the idea that she has to get all worked up when she jumps.  Keep the jumps low for a long time and go over and over and over them until it is old news and the horse is basically bored with the idea.  She'll settle down.  All beginner jumpers get excited.

I hate to see you give up on her.  Sounds like you love her and have come a long ways together.  Give her a chance.  Keep me posted.  Cheri