MY mustang

Question
 hey,
I have had my horse for 6 years and before i got her she was abused and only green broke. When i ride her bare bake with a bridle shes fine, but the minute a saddle gets put on her back she turns into a bucking bronc... im out of ideas how do i brake her of this habit...... thank you:)

Answer
Hi Erica!

I know you are frustrated and I'm sorry. Your horse does not know how to operate in a bind.  She feel trapped and confined by the saddle and she feels like her only option is to buck in order to save herself.  Here are some things to work on so you and your horse will be feeling better about the saddle and saddling process.

You have to let her know she can survive this bind.  Begin at the beginning!  Go right back to the round pen and hook her on.  Make sure she can yield hind quarters very well and can change direction by getting the front quarters to come through with freedom.  Next put the lass rope on her and yield hind quarters and front quarters again making very sure that this is a solid skill.  Do the same thing in your rope halter.  Now get your flag, tarp and slicker out and check to make SURE you can get the flag all over her and she will remain relaxed and confident.   Do this while she is walking as well as standing still.  If she does not OFFER to stand still, yield her hinds q's and keep working until she can offer to come still.  Do the same thing with your tarp and slicker.  This needs to be good.  She has to be calm, relaxed and confident before moving on.  You need to do much more with your lass rope.  Rope up her feet and get her leading with freedom by the front feet.  Get her stopping soft when you have roped up her hind feet.  Also, you need to have her pack the rope around her belly and flanks.  When you put the rope around her belly, where the cinch will lay, send her off at a walk, she may feel the need to bolt off, buck and kick.  This is where her problem lies.  Use the rope like your leg.  To get her to walk forward bump with the rope.  The second she rocks forward, release the pressure, then go back to it until she is walking out nice and soft.  Bump again and ask her to trot.  She doesn't have to stay trotting, she just has to try.  You want to get to the point where your mare can walk, trot and lope with the rope on her belly and flank without bucking and bolting.  She has to understand she can survive this.  Depending on your skill, feel and timing this could take 10 minutes or 10 hours.  If you can get her to a better understanding of this, saddling will go much better.

If you have gotten good changes with your lass rope on her belly and flanks, move on to your saddle.  Make sure you are using good equipment that can take the abuse and be stout enough to hold up!  Saddle your mare with respect and smoothness.  Don't just throw you gear on her, and don't sneak!  Expose her to the pad first from both sides.  Allow the pad to bump her in the elbows because pretty soon that is where the cinch will be.  Make sure your cinches are buckled into the keeper when you swing your saddle up, you don't want them banging her in the sides.  Be smooth with saddling.  Always put the front cinch on first and then the back cinch.  Put the front cinch on smooth, take two wraps and try and get it on so it won't slip.  There is an art to cinching up a horse that is a little tough like yours.  You will just have to watch a master at work to understand this.  Buckle the back cinch so your horse is wearing it and it is not sagging.  Now turn her lose.  She may feel the need to buck, kick, bolt and race around.  This is why hooking on and getting good layers of ground work is SO important!!!  Now when she is troubled about the saddle you can rely on the good work you have done earlier.  Let her do what she needs to do to feel comfortable.  Let her wear the saddle for several hours, 4 or 5 would be good.  Trust me, she is not going to buck around for hours!  Do this same thing for as long as it takes to get her to change.  It may take you several days if not more depending on your feel and timing.  Do all of your ground work with her saddled.  Get good at controlling every footfall.  Lead her by on the fence, take her over trail horse obstacles, take her out on the trail all of this in hand while wearing her saddle.  Only when all of this is done with quality would I suggest that you get on.

I am assuming that you are familiar with the ground work and use of the lass rope...If I have that wrong PLEASE watch the "ground work" DVD by Buck Brannaman and "Back to the Beginning" by Ray Hunt.  These will give you a better idea of what I'm talking about.  Better yet, attend a colt starting or foundation horsemanship clinic with Buck Brannaman, Ray Hunt or Ricky Quinn.  Some of what I explained to you could really get you and your horse into trouble if done wrong.  These things will help and really change your horse with real quality but only if done correctly and with a practiced feel.  I want to throw out all of the information to you.  If you understand the things I've written, and you are sporty enough to hang in, then go for it!  I want you to see how involved this really is.  I hope you find a clinic to attend.  All of the links are on my website: www.Laurelmountainfarms.com

Be Safe!  Enjoy the journey.  Your horse is teaching you so much!
Keep me posted.  If I have used terms and concepts you do not quite understand, let me know and I'll clarify!

Smiles!  Denise