BARN SOUR MARE

Question
HI, I HAVE A 6 YEAR OLD APPALOOSA MARE WHO IS VERY BARN SOUR.  WHEN YOU TAKE HER OUTSIDE THE PASTURE AND TRY TO RIDE SHE STARTS ACTING UP AND CROW HOPPING AND WANTING TO REAR UP.  I USED A TIE DOWN WHICH HELPED WITH THE REARING A LITTLE.  AT FIRST I THOUGHT SHE WAS BUDDY SOUR.  WE BOUGHT HER AND HER PASTURE MATES TOGETHER IN A PACKAGE DEAL.  ONE OF THE OTHER HORSES WAS HER FOAL.  THEY HAD NEVER BEEN SEPARATED AND WERE NOT RIDDEN MUCH.  WE HAVE RECENTLY TRADED ONE PASTURE MATE FOR ANOTHER HORSE WHICH IS KEPT SEPARATE FROM HER AND SOLD HER FOAL 2 WEEKS AGO.  SHE IS IN THE PASTURE WITH ONE HORSE NOW AND THEY ARE NOT CHUMMY.  I THOUGHT I MADE HAVE CURED THE PROBLEM BUT WHEN I WENT TO RIDE HER OVER THE WEEKEND SHE ACTED UP AGAIN.  I CAN RIDE HER BARE BACK ALL DAY LONG IN THE PASTURE AND RIDE HER ALL DAY LONG ON THE FENCE LINE OUTSIDE THE PASTURE.  I JUST CANT GET HER 10 FEET FROM THE FENCE LINE OR SHE ACTS CRAZY.  I HAVE TRIED WALKING HER FAR ENOUGH AWAY WHERE SHE CANT SEE THE PASTURE THEN GETTING IN THE SADDLE BUT SHE MAKES A SHARP TURN AND RUSHES RIGHT BACK PAYING NO ATTENTION TO ME PULLING ON THE REINS.  I HAVE LED HER ON LONG WALKS NOT RIDING HER JUST WALKING WITH HER AND SHE ACTS A LITTLE NERVOUS BUT NOT CRAZY.  I HAVE ALSO TRIED TO RIDE HER WITH OTHER HORSES THAT SHE KNOWS AND SAME THING STRAIGHT BACK TO THE GATE.  WOULD IT HELP IF I LOADED HER UP IN A TRAILER AND TOOK HER TO SOME RIDING TRAILS A FRIEND HAS OR SHOULD I KEEP WORKING WITH HER CLOSER TO HOME?  ALSO SHE MAY BE PREGNANT I HAD HER WITH A STUD APP FOR 3 WEEKS AND IM HOPING IT TOOK.  SO WHAT CAN I DO TO KEEP HER AND MINE STRESS LEVEL DOWN WHILE I WORK WITH HER TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM OR SHOULD I JUST WAIT UNTIL AFTER SHE FOALS AND THE BABY IS WEANED AND THEN WORK WITH HER?  IM AT A LOSS AND ANY ADVICE YOU CAN GIVE ME WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.  THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.

Answer
Hi Sally!

I think the first thing you should do is stop riding her.  Wait until you see if she is in foal.  If she is, forget riding her...you are right when you say it would be too stressful.  If she was a well trained mare and the vet said to ride her, that would be different.  If she is in foal take this time to work only on ground manners and establishing a working relationship with her.

Now, if she is not in foal...I still say stop riding her.  You are going to get hurt.  Saying she is barn sour is like saying a person with a gunshot wound has a "boo-boo".

Right now your mare is making all the decisions and you are allowed on her back through her good graces and luck, nothing more.

You need to step back and really look at her.  Is she the Boss Mare in her herd?  This can make her even more difficult to deal with.  What can she really do as far as training is concerned?  If you thought about it, I bet she never does anything that isn't HER idea.  That is not a trained horse or one who can be trusted to be ridden.

You need help.  From what you have told me you do not have a real grasp on what to do with a green horse or a disrespectful mare.  Speak to your vet, farrier or tack shop about them recommending a local trainer who has experience in Apps/QH's and breaking them.  Have the trainer out to your place to evaluate your situation and discuss your goals.

Your mare needs tons of ground work where she begins to understand you are HER Boss Mare and YOU make all the decisions.  Then, move up to a round pen and longeing exercises that get through to her how to respond to your commands.  And finally, riding her in small training sessions that are all focused on her learning to be your riding partner.

Just throwing a saddle on her and driving her to a friend's house will never, ever work.  You have to slowly and consistently build a foundation of training that she can fall back on when she is feeling stressed in new situations.

Lastly, please break this cycle of ignorance.  If you do breed her...start working that foal on Day 1.  They should be imprinted on you, wearing a halter and responding to you as they would to their very own mother.  There are books and tapes on this subject of imprinting foals, you can Google it.

If you insist on breeding it must be done with knowledge and respect for the animal and it's welfare.

Good luck and remember to always wear an ASTM/SEI approved helmet!

Solange