rescued Arab Mare Saddle breaking

Question
Hi,

I have a 5 year old Arabian mare that I rescued 2 months ago. The little bit of information I have is that she was mostly neglected ( left in her stall 24-7 for god knows how long)I was told she was ridden at some point, Im thinking no! or she had a real bad experience. She was 100 + lbs underweight and scared to death of everything and everybody. I have her boarded in a nice facility and she is fitting in well with the older mare she is turned out with. I spent the first two weeks just sitting with her and talking to her every day sometimes twice a day. She wouldn't let anyone near her feet to clean or trim them. I have went through a couple of blacksmiths and finally found one that has patients and now i can clean her hooves daily with no problem and she stands for the fierier. I have had her out everyday and she trusts me now to groom her and lunge her. I started to try to ease her in to the saddle by putting a pad on and walking her around for about a week. She didn't seem to have too much problem with it. I made a girth out of wide elastic with velcro attachments and put that around her for a few days, she never balked at it. I moved to a pad and a regular girth, and again a few days and she didn't seem to care. I sinched it tighter every day to get her use to it. About to weeks ago I put a regular saddle on her and she didn't like it and seemed afraid but tolerated it. Again I walked her and lunged her with it on for about a week. I tried to get on her very slowly ie.. I put weight in the stirrups and let her feel my weight she shied the first couple times(danced and moved away slowly side ways). I did that for a three or four days.Then when I actually tried to get on her she flipped out and was scared to death. I backed off for a about a week on the saddle and went back to ground work and spending time with her. I put the saddle back on her today and she went nuts she was so scared I thought she was going to break her legs. She was in an outdoor arena but she was running in to the fence because she was so scared of the saddle she wasn't watching where she was running. She is ok physically just some nicks and cuts on her legs. I just don't know what to do. It is getting dangerous. She is sweet like a puppydog. She dosn't bite she is very trust worthy any other time. She will play in the out door arena. She leeds, follows commands and comes to me without hesitation. She seems to trust me.  I need help but don't know where to turn. I have broken and trained two Arab mares before the way i am doing it with her, only much slower because I had to work hard on trust. I thought I was going at her pace but maybe I wasn't catching her clues. I am in no hurry to ride but I don't want to stop on this note either.

Answer
Hi Stacy,

I would think this is either physical pain, or remembered physical pain.  She is displaying the classic 'flight' response from what is, to her, a potential danger to her.

I would suggest that you carry on as you are doing, but make a dummy....some old pants and an old t-shirt, and some old boots, stuffed with straw, and weighted to feel like a person.

This will help her to realise that it's not scary, and as it is totally passive, she should be ok with it.  As for being scared of the saddle, get your vet to check for any physical injury, or signs of previous injury, and if that comes back clear, get a qualified saddle fitter to come out and check that it isn't pinching her.

It will take time, but with a bit more bonding, she will repay your faith in her, and give you her trust.

I hope this has helped, and good luck with this girl, and thank you for giving her a second chance.

If there is anything else I can help with, then please feel free to contact me.

Emma xx