My horses gets lay and stroppy when riding the school - Western Training & Behavior - Western Training & Behavior - Horse Community, Horse Pictures, Horse Forum and Information

Posted : 2/5/2013 6:25:32 PM

Im 15 and I have a 5 year old mare, who I've owned for about 1 1/2 years

She's mostly been quite a sweet mare, sometimes quite spooky and bucky as she was very young when i got her and gets nervous on her own. Sometimes she will try and bite when you do up the girth, which she did not used to do, she has had some new saddles so i dont know whether it could be that?
But the main problem i have is last year after the new grass came through every time i rode her in our manege she continually bucked the whole time i was in there every time i rode her in there. The bucking has mainly stopped now but she gets very lazy whenever i ride in the school now. She's fine on hacks, very well behaved and forward and is completely the opposite to lazy in new places(which we dont go to that often as we are very busy, maybe that might help if we went to different places?), very sensitive and jumpy until she's been there a while. Basically if i warm up outside the arena, for example riding up and down the lane, she'll be fine for about 5 minutes but then will become sluggish and feels kind of sticky like she's purposely getting slower and will put her ears back, making it very hard for me to do anything with her. Also if i canter her she will look angry and occasionally buck aggressively. She's normally quite a sensitive horse apart from is quite dominant, top of the pecking order in the field.
I was just wondering if anyone had any tips on what a could do, maybe she's just bored or stoppy i dont know?? Sorry if i went on a bit just trying to help you get the full picture!

Thanks and i'd greatly appreciate it if anyone has any ideas!! xxxx

danastark

Posted : 2/6/2013 4:21:04 AM

Welcome, Emi ':)'

Welcome to the forum. I guess one thing that stands out to me is the possibility of her saddle not fitting. You said she has become nippy when being girthed up, bucks more than she used to, you've tried some new saddles and after 5 min., she doesn't seem to want to go in the arena. When you go on hacks do you use a different saddle than when working in the arena? if you can, find someone experienced in saddle fitting and have them check out the saddles you use. One of our geldings was good for the first 10 min. of a ride, then would start swishing his tail, stopping, backing up, shaking his head like bugs were bothering his ears and would evolve into kicking out and then bucking, all because of saddle fitting problems. With the proper saddle, he does very well.

Most horses are more laid back in the arena vs. out on trail, can you blame them? Is she fed on pasture grass during the summer and spring? That would certainly make her more frisky at first ':)'

tripleluckyprince

Posted : 2/6/2013 5:06:31 PM

You also might want to see if she is ouchy somewhere, like her hips are out of place or if she has a knot in her back, something like that, You said she was 5 years old? things like that can still happen to younger horses. My twelve year old has a sensitive leg that started when he was about eight, some days he would be perfectly fine but some days after he was warmed up he just did not want to work, he didn't feel good so he didn't want to work. Um..have you changed her feed lately? That could be something, if her feed isn't working for her she might feel yucky and be in a bad mood and not want to work for you cause she doesn't feel good.
mmmm that's all I can think of right now
Welcome to the forum and good luck

hunterseat

Posted : 2/7/2013 4:06:54 AM

Do I detect a bit of an accent? [ ':D'

]

I agree with the above and add the fact that she may be doing the mare-in-season thing? Possibly? Still, teeth can cause their entire top-line to be out of whack. Her feet may have issues? Maybe a vet check is in order? I have a great therapist in the Memphis TN area! [ ':)'

]

Emi3000

Posted : 2/8/2013 6:42:58 PM

Thank you for the reply!! I always use the same saddle and after she went into her bucky mood we did have the saddle fitter out again and she seemed to think it was fine. She has filled out a bit since then so i guess mabye its worth checking again! Yeah i suppose that is true i guess if i was a horse i would prefer hacks and stuff! Shes out all the time we think mabye the spring grass was what triggered the bucking to start with, but then it continued so it was hard to tell!! Thanks again and i think i'll ask if we can check the saddle again just to be sure! ':)'

Emi3000

Posted : 2/8/2013 6:49:14 PM

Thankyou!Yeah i did wonder weather mabye she could have been in pain or something but then its weird that shes fine on hacks??! I will definatly consider that and try to get her checked out! No her feed is the same all the time, its very simple food! But thankyou for replying and that was useful!! ':)'

Emi3000

Posted : 2/8/2013 6:53:28 PM

what do you mean?? Im english if thats it?!! ;D ':)'

Yeah that is probably likely thats what my mum thinks that she could just be a moody mare!! wow i didnt know that yes i think a vet check probably is!! Shes just had shoes off a while back but it started before that so i dont think its her feet. Thanks for the reply!! ':)'

hunterseat

Posted : 2/8/2013 7:35:55 PM

[

] I should have been born British. I love so much about your culture... what little bit I've been exposed to. Just feels right.

Anywho, I wanted to add that my horse used to pitch a fit if he had to carry me around the neighborhood. He hated it there and would be a totally different horse. (quite a handful) But trailer him off to the woods and he was a perfect gentleman! Like night and day. Sounds like you might have a real thinker on your hands. You have to outsmart her. Like the nipping as you cinch up/tighten the girth... I read somewhere that if you do something totally unexpected, like shove a carrot in her mouth as she comes at you... My horse did that too. I didn't always have a carrot but I had to outsmart him somehow. I guess what I'm saying is she might think she's smarter than you. (bringing the topic back to moody mare...)

Emi3000

Posted : 2/18/2013 7:07:36 PM

Haha!

Yeah ive looked into it quite alot myself and as you say that sounds exactly like she's clever and knows she is, which im pretty sure she is; when she understands something shes a very quick learner!! just coming up with ways to outsmart her is the hard part! Thanks ':)'

hunterseat

Posted : 2/19/2013 7:10:06 AM

What breed is she?