Appendix Mare

Question
QUESTION: My daughter is 13 and has been riding for 7 years.  Two years ago we bought her a horse, Maggie.  She is an Appendix Quarter Horse and is almost 7 years old.  She is an absolute doll to do anything at all with.  My daughter has been riding her for the past 2 years with a young trainer, but very experienced rider.  They get along great, but the trainer went to Palm Beach for an internship and an older trainer has taken her place.  She tells me that Maggie is way too "crazy-eyed" for a child.  I have a pro ride her 3 days a week and she tells me she is unsafe for any child to ride.  Maggie is a doll, but when you get on her she is very energetic to say the least.  She does not buck or try to throw you, but she does like to go and spooks easily.  Em (daughter) has always been able to read Maggie well and if she gets on her, she can tell within 5 minutes if she's going to be skiddish.  She is devestated that she can't ride her own horse and I don't understand how she has been fine for a year and half and now she's not.  I don't want to tell her to ride her anyway and have something happen.  The farm ownder says that we thought we were buying a volkswagon and ended up with a cadillac.  I don't know, I just want my daughter to be able to ride her.  Is there a technique or feed mixture, anything that can work with mares?  She gets Mare Magic daily and is just the nicest horse to be around.  I don't get it.

ANSWER: Hi Debbie,

Sounds like your daughter is a natural horseback rider, that's great. I need a bit more history to answer your questions. You mentioned she's ridden her for 2 years already. Has she been like this the entire time? Or did her disposition change overnight? Did your previous trainer think she was unsafe? I am doubting that, as she appears to have worked with her for quite a while. Is the new trainer riding her? How does she behave for the new trainer, versus your previous one? Has anything changed in the mares lifestyle? Housing, location, stall buddies/pasture buddies, health, tack, feed, etc.? You mentioned Mare Magic, is she only like this when she's in heat? And if so did this just start or have you dealt with it every month, even with the old trainer? I'd love to give you some input, just need a bit more background.

Jen

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

QUESTION: Thank you for the RSVP.  To answer your questions, Mare Magic is daily, everything else has remained the same.  The new rider is a "slow and steady" rider and talks calmly, tries to get Mag in her comfort zone before going to the next step.  We had another young (21) rider before her, just cuz we can't get there everyday and she needs to be ridden.  She was also more soft spoken and really loved Maggie.  No one until Amanda (Em's trainer/teacher) left, said the horse was unsafe.  Both Em's new teacher and the new rider/trainer are older women and advised to keep Em off her.  Amanda is back and wanted to see what was going on so Em rode Maggie for the first time since Christmas last night.  She is a beautiful horse, but spooked and took off on Em 5 different times.  Em is a tough rider and was able to bring her to a stop.  It is the inside ring and she's fine going clock-wise - perfect very few issues.  She crosses on the diagonal to change directions and at one particular area (last 1/4 of the ring) she just balks and backsup and runs like crazy.  Nothing there, the trainer leads her and she's fine, Em has to struggle w/right reign, left leg and gets her through it, but it's continual.  Em is not afraid, loves the horse, but I'm a wreck.  The farm owner and trainer think Mag is neurotic.  Amanda (trainer) says she can see the fear in her eyes when they approach that corner.  Outside she is a dream.  She loves to jump and if her mind is occupied on that, she forgets her fear.  They want Em to trade her for a more solid/seasoned horse, but Em is determined to not give up.  She's little but tough but just not strong enough to control this mare.  She's about 16.2 hh and we love her to death.  She's in the same stall, same people, same horses, and we visit her all the time and Em grooms her even when not riding.  Can you think of anything that can help her overcome this fear she has or that would help Em to work with her?  She gets her to the "spooky" area and pulls out on her right reign (outside) lots of left leg and a couple kicks and continually saying "walk maggie" over and over.  We have a pro trainer, Amy Mumro(sp?), in Albany, NY that we may take her to.  Maybe she's just neurotic and can't be changed.  We just love her and Em feels like she's giving up before she's really had a chance.  Any advise is helpful.

ANSWER: Hi, Okay, so the arena fear is new, she didn't do that with the other trainer or your daughter until the new trainer started riding her? Is that correct? If so it sounds like there is a personality conflict with the new trainer that is spilling over to your daughters riding as well. Have you had a vet check her, including her eyesight recently? How is she outside the arena or in a round pen? Does she doe the same thing? You mention it's only going counter clock-wise, was she ever by chance on the race track? There has to be something triggering it, sorry for the additional questions, just trying to get to the bottom of this for you.

Jen

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

QUESTION: Never thought of the eye-sight thing.  She has always been a bit skiddish in the one corner of the indoor ring.  She came to our barn from a place that only had an outdoor ring so riding indoor was fairly new to her.  We did find out yesterday that she was boarded at one time and ridden in a ring that had cats that would jump out.  We have no cats, no dogs, no mice, etc. Outside she is very good and as long as we keep her at the one end of the indoor ring, she's fine.  It's one corner and there's nothing there.  I suggested hanging some long sheets with an outdoor mural on at an angle to round it out down there.  It is a well lit, quiet, large and very clean ring.  I've also heard that playing music is good.  I'm not a horse person, that's my Em and she is in love with riding and in love with this horse.  Last night she was backing up and pulling away when she approached that corner which is totally new.  Amanda (trainer) said that she had not seen that behaviour before.  Not sure, maybe she senses Em's weaker leg/control over her as compared to the adult that rides her.  Maybe she's mad cuz Em hasn't ridden her in so long.  I know my niece's horse will misbehave if she doesn't give him regular attention.

Mag has never been on a race track.  We bought her from the woman who raised her.  Her mom is "Expensive Coffee" and her father is "Artful Moves" if you have ever heard of him.  I hear he's famous, but means nothing to me and when people see her they just get all "She's going to be a great horse..." yet I don't know.  I listen to the farm owner who has been in business for 12 years and has been riding for over 40.  Her daughter has ridden all her life and now have Em who has ridden 7 years.  The farm is small - 12 horses total.  Mag loves Em and will follow her all around the ring and is not in anyway mean or aggressive -- just skiddish in the one corner.  She does scare easily when she hears sudden noises, but not to the point that Em is taken around the ring at a fast gallop like when she's approaching the "spooky" corner.  We did try the things in her ears to keep her focused, but those distracted her even more.  Thanks for any help.

Answer
Hi,

Okay, I'd start by ruling out an eyesight problem and get an overall vet check, including teeth. Next I'd comb that area of the arena. I know of a horse that suddenly started refusing to go out of the barn in one direction, for months they tried everything, even had the vet out twice. Finally when they were re-doing stalls, they move the  mats at that end of the stall and found a dead snake, the humans didn't know it was there, but the horse sure did. Once the snake was removed, presto, the horse was fine again going out that gate. The other suggestion I have is that it sounds like she tends to be a bit spooky, period. I'd work on a bunch of desensitizing lessons on the ground, everything from baggies, to tarps to tires, to ropes, whatever you can think of, you need to get her using her thinking side of her brain more than the reactionary.

Let me know how it goes and if I can be of any further help.

Happy Trails, Jen