Napping and Rearing

Question
Hi there,

I own a IDXTB 13 yr old chestnut mare.  She has been in her home since January (moved due to location), I bought her last April 2006. When I bought her she used to hack nicely (until I got her home). I keep her on a DIY livery and at the moment she is out all the time. Over the winter due to my yard she is in full time. She naturally over this period (winter) gets very fresh and excitable, but at the moment she is fine. I've been having problems with her for some time. She used to go really nicely in the school, no problems at all but now she naps in there all the time and cuts the corners. I can't hack her at all, she won't leave the yard with me. Its very annoying, you keep asking her nicely she just naps and its impossible to get her forwards because of her shoulder block. If you tell her off with a tap she rears straight up in the air. I don't understand why she is doing it. I have spent a fortune getting her tack fitted and refitted and on physio and they all say she is fine and I have had her teeth checked.  I have asked instructors and stronger riders than myself and she is worse with them than me. At least with me she naps in warning, but with them she just rears vertical. Its very upsetting because I love her and she goes so beautifully and we have such fun when she does go and she rarely bucks, just little ones when she is fresh or excited. At the moment she is just on grass and hay and limited grazing at the moment to keep her weight down.  In the winter she loses a lot of weight and she has a small amount of cool mix and alpha a. I think part of it is she is reluctant to leave her friends in the field or she just doesn't trust me - either way am really getting very sad about it all.  People have given up trying to help me on my yard because they are fed up with me and her. They say I am a bad rider and she is a brilliant horse but then they can't get her off the yard either so I don't think thats fair. I am studying equine at college so I have lessons every week, only not on her. I am considering taking her to college as my last bet but then what if she hates it there even more? She is fine hacking in company but she will just follow and not listen to you at all.

Desperate


Answer
Hi Natasha!

I was very surprised when I read your last sentence.  You are taking equine studies/management and you are wondering what is wrong?  Do you feel your money is being well spent at that college?  Shouldn't you be able to diagnose this yourself or with the help of your professors?

You have told me in your own words what is wrong.  You have no communication skills with this mare.  She has stopped listening to you because she quickly learned that there would be no repercussions for her disrespect of her training with you.  You said "you keep asking her nicely"!!  Well.
Let's think about that.  When you ask a headstrong 5 yr. old child to do something "nicely" and they ignore or refuse....and there is no punishment for it....what happens?  Don't they just become more unruly?  More disrespectful?  With no care for you because they know there are no boundaries for them to follow?

My advice is to take her to a professional trainer.  I feel she does not need to be "trained".  Just have a little refresher course in who is in charge here!!  All the while you should be watching and listening to the trainer and if what they do works, mimic it.  Take your lessons on her with the trainer's guidance and see if the 3 of you cannot work something out.  I bet anything the trainer has her going correctly in a few weeks and if you learn how you will too.

Your mare will not change.  She has been trained and communicates a certain way.  Now, you must learn to speak her language.  That is all there is to it.

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

Solange