i need help

Question
QUESTION: HI, i just bought a 4 yr old mare, and she is great on the ground she is a sweet heart and shes easy to tack up and lunge. When i get on her she is great at the walk, but when i ask her to trot she tucks her head in and pinns her ears and then she swings her head around to me. what do i do to make her stop doing that? please help me.. thank you

ANSWER: Hi Lauren!

I really need more information to correctly answer your question.  Are you saying that she will not trot at all?  Or she trots but, does it grumpy?  When was she broke? Did you break her?  What is the tack you are riding her in?  What is your level of experience?  Are you 100% confident you are asking for the gait correctly and consistently the same each time?

With more info I can give a better solution.

Solange



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

QUESTION: HI
Yes she will trot, but does it grumpy. I broke her, she was broke on the ground when i bought her but she hadnt been ridden much at all. I dont know anything about her past b/c we got her from a friend who gets them from a breaker, and we dont know anything about her. The tack that i am using on her is english. I am only 14 yrs old but i have been riding for ten years. I ask her to trot and she goes right into it but she is very grumpy about it. I dont know what to do when she acts like that, i had been slapping her on the shoulder but that didnt work, it mad her scared and hateful so what do i do?

         thank you
lauren


Answer
Hi Lauren!

OK.  She is doing the gait you requested and that is a big step in the right direction.  However, you say her attitude is poor.  Let's think about that right now.

Babies (and she is still a baby mentally) have short attention spans and need to work frequent but short periods of time.  Also, you cannot pick, pick, pick at them about the same thing over and over in one training session.  They will act out for sure.

So, think about that.  How often are you riding her and for how long.  Optimally, 3 -4 days a week for about 1 hour each time.  Set an achievable goal in each training session and work towards that one goal.  Reach it and praise her and put her away, happy and fresh.  Turn her out on grass the rest of the time and let her be a baby.

I would not use a crop on her unless absolutely necessary.  If the crop becomes a part of her training, she will need one forever.  That goes for using your hand to slap her too.  I would longe her before every ride at all 3 gaits using voice commands until she is doing them perfectly.  That control will transfer to the saddle and then just ask for the trot lightly with your voice and a little leg cue.  See where that gets you.  Always start off small and kind and then escalate if need be.

I would not ride in spurs either, again if they are used now she will need them forever.

Lastly, she may need to just grow up.  Everything takes time and she is on her schedule, not yours.  If you take the time and energy to train her correctly now you will have a wonderful riding partner for the next 20 years !

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

Solange