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HorseAdvice.com » Training, Behavior, & Conditioning Horses » Behavioral Problems » Calming the Nervous or Excited Horse » |
Discussion on Nervous Mare ? | |
Author | Message |
Member: Thomboy |
Posted on Wednesday, Mar 24, 2004 - 10:56 am: I apologize in advance for the length of this post, but I am at a total loss!I bought a quarterhorse mare 3 years ago for my husband. She was used in endurance competition by her previous owners, but easy enough for kids to ride. My husband is very inexperienced, so it was a good fit. My husband bounced around on her back, pulled at her mouth, tugged on her while mounting, etc. She broke through 3 fences and into my stallion's paddock and ended up bred (she is a blatant hussie!). Anyway, during the pregnancy, my husband was afraid to ride her. After she foaled, when it was time to start riding again, she refused to walk. She would jig and prance constantly. She forgot how to slow-lope and would bob her head constantly. This has been going on for almost 18 months now. I have tried everything with her! Since this has started, I have put my hubby on a different horse, and I am currently working with this mare. I don't know what to try next. My trainer tells me it is going to take a lot of "wet blankets" but I would think after 18 months, we would be making some headway at least. All help is greatly appreciated. Thanks, Melissa |
Member: Cowgrl |
Posted on Thursday, Mar 25, 2004 - 10:47 am: Hi,What are you feeding her? I had a mare with a similar behavior and switched from alfalfa to a grass mix and she settled down significantly. When you ride and she tries to jig and dance, turn her in a small circle immediately and then continue. Everytime she does a gait you don't want, circle her. Eventually she will realize that turning in a small circle is no fun and we're not getting anywhere and will settle down. My QH did the same when I took him out for short ride and on the way back he tried dragging me home and jogging the whole way. Well I circled and circled everytime he sped up from a walk; it took us quite a while to get home and it was getting dark but he started to figure out it was going to take a lot longer if he went faster than what I wanted. I took him out just the other day and did the same ride and this was months after that first time but he remembered his lesson and walked like a gentleman the whole way home. So don't give up hope, you can do this in an arena or out on trails, or wherever. It worked for me and it may work for you. Good luck Holly |
Member: Thomboy |
Posted on Thursday, Mar 25, 2004 - 11:17 am: I have tried the circles, but that doesn't get anywhere with her. In fact, she tries to speed up even more to get it over with. We went for 4.5 miles doing nothing but circles about 6 months ago with a negative result. I have never seen anything like this mare. She is on coastal hay and a 14% protein pellet. She lost a little mass while at the feed lot. Her fear and nervousness seems to come from any kind of work. If I take her away from home alone, I can sometimes get her to settle down a little, but I really don't like riding alone for safety purposes. What has been working the best is to just stop her, pet her neck and speak in a soft voice. She will usually stop shaking and continue on for a short bit, but then it starts all over again. I have checked and rechecked tack, changed bits and even tried a sidepull. I have her in a martingale right now to try and take away any possibility of pulling on the sides of her mouth while turning. It's not that she doesn't know what to do, as she is very well trained, but she acts like she is scared to death for some reason. On the ground, she is wonderful! I just can't get her to relax and work. I thought maybe it was the round pen, but it is anywhere or anytime. |
Member: Cowgrl |
Posted on Thursday, Mar 25, 2004 - 12:18 pm: Isn't 14% protein a little high? We feed our horses straight grass hay with a 10% protein grain and they still have plenty of energy to carry us around the mountains all summer long.How is she when out with other horses? Does she behave then? It sounds like a loss of confidence or fear situation. The stopping and patting helps her to regroup and she realizes things aren't so bad at the moment. If she's good around other horses out on trail, take her with more experienced horses and follow them around. Then I would try letting her lead once she's following quietly. Are you sure you're not transferring any nervousness to her? Are you expecting a problem so you tense up and she thinks there's something to be terrified of? It could be why she's so good on the ground and not when you're in the saddle. I don't mean to sound patronizing and you sound like a very experienced horse person but sometimes it helps to have the most obvious questions thrown at you. Holly |
Member: Mcjewels |
Posted on Friday, Jul 23, 2004 - 7:08 pm: I am curious how your mare has turned out. My mare is resistent to the bit and won't stop. We've done the circle thing and she too speeds up. Long story - our trainer put her in a snaffle (she's just 4) and when we bought her, the previous owners had her in a big cowboy type bit. She responds well to the snaffle but not at the lope - she lopes very fast and won't stop. Any suggestions? We have her on Calm & Cool but it really isn't working either....I'm thinking it might be time to move up to a Tom Thumb.... |
Member: Leilani |
Posted on Friday, Jul 23, 2004 - 8:44 pm: Hi Julie,I wouldn't 'move up' to the Tom Thumb. It has a nutcracker affect. If you want to use a curb bit, try a Myler with the 3 pieces. I have been taught that curb bits are for finished horses, not for young or inexperienced horses. How long have you had her? Has she had enough time to adjust to you and her new surroundings? Maybe you should go back to ground work. Doesn't sound like the previous owners put a lot of time into her if they were using a curb at a young age. (Just my opinion.) It has been my experience that no bit will stop a horse that doesn't want to stop, well maybe barbed wire. Work on consistency and patience. Work on your seat, legs and voice with your hands last. Good luck. |
Member: Kthorse |
Posted on Friday, Jul 23, 2004 - 8:49 pm: Please dont use a tom ThumbReadthe posts about this bit. She needs training. She is a baby. There are no quick fixs. She needs to stop and slow down not by force but by communication. She sounds like she does not understand this. Keep her in a snaffle and find someone to help you teach her what she needs to learn. |
Member: Parfait |
Posted on Friday, Jul 23, 2004 - 9:00 pm: Julie,I know that others might disagree but I have found that with nervous horses and maybe nervous mares in particular, I will go with a lighter bit in instead of heavier if I'm not getting results. Especially if they run through it like that. Sometimes a sensitve, hot horse will get strong if they are in pain in their mouth. I switched a horse that would get strong and excitable at the hand gallop to one of those apple long cheeks until she became more secure. She still hates the snaffle pinching so I ride in an ultra 2 joint or the full cheek and I'm always careful to ride one side of her mouth at a time--you know--just light with her. I would also make sure that she totally comprehends that she should yield to the bit on each side and start over at a walk to the whoa then trot to the whoa etc and then "easy" or whatever so that she gives in a relaxed manner and totally understands it. This is just as much for you to make sure that she knows it too. Then I would canter a bit and stop her and wait for her to relax. Wait for her to settle or as one cowboy told me, "Smoke a cig or whatever". Then pick up and do it again. Keep her quiet. Work on her schedule--it seems we have x number of minutes to ride and forget that they need their own time to get certain things done. For years I got stuck pulling some broodmare out of my Mom's broodmare band to show and I have worked mare after mare for many years. I do use regumate for big regional or national shows due to the level of performance we require but I don't expect any less behavior from the girls because they are mares on any given day. They are I think, more sensitive and that means less is more, but that means more finesse and a lovely ride. JMHO Kerry |
Member: Liliana |
Posted on Saturday, Jul 24, 2004 - 11:26 am: Good advice all round, but have you had her checked since she foaled, head bobing normaly denotes pain. We do not ride our mares until at least 8 to ten months after they give birth and we know they are back to normal hormonewise etc.If as you mentioned your hobby, pullede her and bounced on her it sounds to me that you have to be very patient with the retraining, also after giving birth very often they need their teeth done. All the best |
Member: Thomboy |
Posted on Saturday, Jul 24, 2004 - 12:25 pm: My mare has now settled down significantly. I have put her in a hackamore and done a lot of round pen work to get her to respond to voice commands more than hands. She is still a little touchy with leg aids, but is getting better every day. I agree with the post on the Tom Thumb snaffle. I have a couple of horses that only want that bit, but it is too harsh for a nervous or hypersensitive horse. If you even attempt to put a bit in this mare's mouth, she starts sweating nervously. With the hackamore, she DrOps her head right into the headstall. I can also ride her bareback with just a halter and leaDrOpe now. Thanks for all your help!!! |
Member: Liliana |
Posted on Saturday, Jul 24, 2004 - 2:35 pm: Oh just a note on the barbwire! no it does not work I have seen the torture caused to horses by that apporach. Pain and punishemnt only make things worse! As someone mentioned above, sometimes we forget the obvious in our efforts to have our way. Horses are very gentle forgiving animals, but, they also have their limits.Please be patient, |
Member: Kthorse |
Posted on Saturday, Jul 24, 2004 - 8:36 pm: Have you ever heard of the bitless bridle. I have turned so many people on to it and they will never go back to a bit. Bitless bridle .com to read about it. This is way more gentle than a hackamore . Its as gentle as a halter with excellent stopping power. Everyone I know loves it. Some will never use a bit again. My horse loves it. I do ride also in a bit. I use this bridle for trail riding. Something to think about,. Katrina |
Member: Priscds |
Posted on Monday, Jul 26, 2004 - 2:26 pm: I have a 10 year old mare that has been showing for 6 years. Always before we get to the show she starts off with diareaha, and she is very nervous shile we are in the ring, she doesnt like hand clapping, the loud speaker .. she tends to shake her head and starts bunny hopping and pinning her ears, and jigging.... can you think of anything that might help to keep her calm during our shows and trips away from home ?This all begins when we start to band her and wrap her for the show prior to hauling her in the trailer. She will also run around the ring instead of lopeing just to finish sooner.. thank you for your help |
Member: Parfait |
Posted on Tuesday, Jul 27, 2004 - 1:20 am: Priscilla,Six years of nerves are a lot to try and train out of a horse. It's interesting that she has paired the banding and the wraps with anticipation of stress. Now, if she were a human we would teach her to extinguish the behavior by replacing it with another behavior. You would want to replace the anxiety with relaxation. One time I taught a horse to flex--not crazy to-the-boot-flex but just at the pole and at the jaw and it became a relation technique for her. There are many other ways to get her desensitized/relaxed: there is flooding, emerge her in the scarey stuff and have her learn to deal with it. Tie her up to the show arena for the day (or many days) and let her just take it all in and eventually it might get boring. Don't ask anything of her. I would also put another quiet horse next to her if she was really fretting but if not--just leave her tied to see everything. I would also take away her cues and I would band her for no reason during graining. I would haul her all over the place and walk her around/work her at new arenas. Do like we used to do on 4-H horses and sit on them all day at shows. I would do no showing at first and just progressively work up to asking for more as she settles. I would get a recording of a loud speaker and play it at the barn. I would have lots of commotion. Horses, like people are tough. They can learn to deal. You would be doing her a favor to roughen her edges. But it will take time. My favorite line out of "All the Pretty Horses" is "Any horse broke in four days is liable to become unbroke in four more". Good luck. It's great that you are still working with her. I, like you, never give up on a good horse. Kmb |