my paint mare spooks

Question

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I paid for a year of training,she is leased to a riding school and won reserve champion HUS.She is wonderful on the trail,but in a indoor or outdoor ring she will spook.Take off to the side,in the inside in the ring in seconds.I'm 52 adv beginner.I love the mare,what can i do.Nicest sweetest horse.Wonderful ground manners,is it a trust issue?please help me.I'm afraid i won't be able to stay on her,when she does it,it's scary.
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Hi Peggy!

If your mare did not do this to the trainer AND she won HUS in a showring, I'd have to say she is feeling your anxiety and is taking terrible advantage of you.

Horses react form pain, fear, ignorance or defiance.  The first 3 do not apply here because she has proven herself in the showring.

You may want to consider private lessons on her where the instructor can warm her up for you and get her thinking about staying on the rail. Then, when you get on, you should have  specific excersises given to you where you and the mare focus on relaxing and obtaining full control at the walk before you move on to other gaits.

Some horses are lovely 99% of the time and just have one small flaw, much like husbands!  LOL!

Her flaw is "If I shoot over to the center like the show is over" or "I run to the in-gate like the show/lesson is over" or "Yikes! It's like I've NEVER ridden in this ring a thousand times!" she gets her way and you get off.

Also, sometimes a rider unkowingly tells the horse to do things through very defensive riding and the horse just stops caring about all the training you put on her and just acts out.

All of these scenarios could be solved through time in the saddle for you and guidence from a professional.  Heck, you can even ride a good old lesson horse to get your confidence back and improve your balance so if your mare does a zippyity-do to the side you are fine and the game becomes pointless to her.

Good Luck and remember to alwyas wear an ASTM/SEI approved helmet!
She does it to the pro riders also.Like she is looking for something to shy at.I have never been on her when she does it.  

Answer
Hi Peggy!

I am not sure what you mean by "pro riders".  Do you mean professional trainers or advanced students at the barn where she is.

If she is doing it to a professional trainer, well, in my opinion, they should see it coming 3 steps before she does it and then prevent her from following through with it and then train her out of it.  That's what "trainers" do.

If I were you I would not ride her until this is fixed.  As I said before, ride a schoolie until you feel more comfortable with your balance and ability and then have a trainer/instructor you trust re-introduce the two of you together.

Good Luck!

Solange