problems in field

Question
QUESTION: my horse is 11 and iv had her for 10 1/2 years. since moving to a busier yard where she is kept in a field with many other mares in the summer, she is very resistant to coming in. however, this summer has been an absolute nightmare. she will usually come to me when i shout on her, is very pleasant and friendly, however as soon as you put her head collor on she rears, bucks, turns her bum and reverses trying to kick me, she can launch at me with her ears back. iv tried so many different things, iv spent hours and hours with her, talking to her, reasuring her, iv beentough on her, iv went in with a lung rein and tried to lung her up however it becomes impossible without getting up as the field is on a hill and she finds a way to go for me. i find it very disheartening that she seems to have no respect for me after all these years iv run out of ideas and it is becoming a real chore. any help would be much appreciated.

ANSWER: I have two questions for you and then I can provide you with an answer.

1. How old are the other horses she is with?
2. How much time do you spend around the other horses in her yard?

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QUESTION: other horse ages vary, from say 5 to about 20, but mainly around the same age as Jenna or older. when i am on the yard i only spend time with Jenna. i sometimes give titbits to some school ponies or talk to people with other horses, but its always Jenna im with when i am on the yard. the other horses are very friendly and mostly easy to catch. noone else seems to have the same kind of problem. iv also had many horses before and never experienced anything like Jenna. Thanks

ANSWER: Thank you for getting back to me.  What it is happening is your mare is becoming herd bound.  This is very natural.  Think back to the days when you were a kid and hanging out with your friends during the summer.  If your parents called for you to come inside and clean your room most likely you would of rather wanted to continue playing with your friends.  This is how your mare feels.  I suspect your mare is middle to low man on the totem pole.  Typically in a herd the oldest mare runs the show.  So if the oldest mare or lead mare is still out in the field while you are trying to bring yours in, you will continue to have struggles.  

Additionally, after as many years as you have been with your mare she probably understands your routine.  The routine being, stop playing with the other horses and come in to the barn to be groomed and then tacked for a workout.  Boring!  Now you are going to have to demonstrate to your horse that you too are a part of the herd.  And more importantly that you are higher up in the ranks than her.  

Here is what I would try if I were in your situation.  Buy some carrots and head out to the field with these.  Figure out who is the lead mare and if you have permission from the owner, feed these carrots to the lead mare.  Spend some time watching your mare and observing her reaction to your behavior.  Do this every day for a week.  Eventually the lead mare is going to start coming to you when you enter the field.  This will in turn cause all the other horses to follow her and take interest to you.  

Now that you have your mare's attention you can add her into the treat feeding.  So for another week you feed the lead mare and your mare carrots.  After this week has passed you should notice an difference in your mares behavior with you and the others.  She will have a bit more rank in the group and she will be looking at you has a herd member worth paying attention to.  Lure the herd toward the gate with the carrots.  Now you should be able to halter your mare and take her out of the field to work with.  When you do take her from the field, spend a week or so making it fun for her!  Hand graze her.  Give her different types of treats.  Maybe only brush her and then return her to the herd.  You will have to mix things up for her so that she is not caught in a boring routine of work!  

As you go through this process take a look at Karen Scholl's techniques.  She has a great methodology when demonstrating to your horse that you deserve and will take nothing less than her respect.  Karen's web site is: www.karenscholl.com

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If you discover that she is the lead mare, please be sure to get back to me...I can offer you a slightly different approach more geared for the situation.

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QUESTION: hi there sorry to have to keep replying to you. i was in the field today and when trying to feed the horse i though was the leader Jenna just ran at her for to get away from me. i tried it with other horses but the same kept happening.
thanks again

Answer
This requires a slightly different approach, although not too different.  The end part is still the same as far as once you catch her you will have to have more entertaining sessions together.

So here's what's going on: She is the lead mare and either doesn't feel she can leave the herd for their safety, or because she isn't very secure in her lead mare status and is afraid she'll loose the position, or she doesn't respect you as a herd member.

The process you need to go through can be done as I had mentioned but it will take a while.  If anyone else can catch her right now I would suggest letting them do it so that you can have the opportunity to work together and develop the bond you once had.  If she nickers the entire time or excessively while you have her out of the field and separated from the herd, then she is herd bound or buddy sour.  Again the process is the same.  You will have to have more entertaining sessions.  And the biggest thing over all: GAIN HER RESPECT!!! There are usually a lot of clues to pay attention to that will show you if the horse is not respecting you.  Some of these clues are standing in your space, head butting, striking, biting, and as in your case, refusing to be caught.  Unfortunately this behavior will not cure overnight as it did not blossom overnight either.  I urge you to pick up some books about natural horsemanship.  These books explain how a horse thinks and behaves.  The incite will give you some tips to establish yourself in the "herd" in your horse's mind.  Here are books that I have read that are very relevant to your situation.

The Natural Rider by Mary Wanless
The Natural Horse by Audrey Townley
The Mind of the Horse by R.H. Smythe
Horse Watching by Desmond Morris
Talking With Horses by Henry Blake
The Man Who Listens To Horses by Monty Roberts