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c1tyof4ngels
14 Sep 2012 13:49
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I have a just turned 6 ex race, chestnut mare. I have had her for just over 2 years. My Partner, my Farrier and my yard friends have told me I should get rid of her. I dont want to but we can't carry on anymore like this.
1. I have had 5 farriers refuse to shoe her. She has reared, refuses to stand still, becomes very dominant, standing tall and will only be shod with a sedative, and even then its never easy. As far as I know, she has never had an injury that way. I have no idea why she is like this. I recently put a natural calmer in her food, it's made no change at all.
2. She has recently been away for 6 weeks for training on the road. She has come back, and is no different to when she went. She will just about handle a car going past, but anything bigger, or bikes, she simply goes beserk. Swinging around in the road, threatening to rear up, seems like she is trying to throw me. Cars have to turn engines off, and I have to head back to the stables, and she almost RUNS back..
3. If we have to pass a stream, or anything where you can hear water running, even on a bridle path, she does the same thing. Refuses to take a step forward. We end up spending 20 minutes arguing. Her spinning around, bucking, threatening to rear up, walking backwards, and in the end, I have to give up.
I have good experience of horses. This one is something else. I love my horse, I want her to work with me, respect me and let me help her feel more relaxed but I simply have run out of ideas now and it breaks my heart because I have her, but I can't ride her, because of the road. I can't have her shod without a sedative. She pushes me around the stable, and refuses to stand still EVER.
She has always been like this. I dont want to give in but I can't do this anymore. Im so sad. Can anyone help.
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Scotty
15 Sep 2012 21:31
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Try Richard Maxwell?
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Horse Hero Guru
16 Sep 2012 22:20
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Hi CityofAngels (what a nice name)
You have so many problems that you do need help from an expert who is used to dealing with horses with problems. I would recommend contacting Richard Maxwell or Jason Webb. There are videos on this site showing the work of both of them. Watch the videos and decide who you feel would be best for your mare and who’s techniques you would be happy to follow, because no-one is going to be able to solve all your problems in one day or even several. You are going to have to follow their techniques too if you are to turn your mare around before she hurts you, herself or someone else.
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Fiona Price, Horse Hero Founder
16 Sep 2012 23:19
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Also, consider Emma Massingale. She does amazing work de-spooking horses with traffic and hazzards in general. Emma, Richard and Jason have biographies on the site and you can contact them via a link to their website on those pages.
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dodiemac
17 Sep 2012 13:01
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You sound very patient! A mare with this sort of attitude is not always badly behaved by choice. The other option you may like to investigate is wether she is suffering from a hormonal unbalance. Some mares suffer from a variety of issues that can lead to strongly unsettled bahaviour, that can't be re-trained.
good luck!
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free style
21 Sep 2012 07:40
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Hi City of Angels
I would seek professional help with her if you really want to keep this mare because at the moment she is a very dangerous horse.
The good news is there is hope ! because I have been there with my 5 yr old warmblood mare who had so many multilayered issues with everything - dominance, respect, trust, confidence, fear of things, sounds, and not being able to relax - so many things ! but at the end of the day (1 year) with a lot of therapy and training she is now a pleasure to work with and very sweet.
First using the principles of Monty Roberts plus touch, massage and Bowen to help her body to relax plus a therapist with flower essences to work on her emotions (calmers did not work)
Not many people would be prepared to do this therapeutic work because it's so time consuming with highs and lows - and during this time I was lucky to have another horse to ride while I did all this rehab work with her, as she was not rideable. So I spent a lot of time doing Roundpen work, longlining everywhere and desensitizing to scary things and sounds etc and giving her the time she needed.
It has all been worth it and I smile when people say to me I am lucky to have such a lovely mare !
Good luck
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c1tyof4ngels
22 Sep 2012 13:09
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The farrier came to re-shoe Amber. I had been putting a new calmer in her feed for the last two weeks. He removed one shoe, and left. He told me he would not come back unless she was sedated. I went to the vets, purchased a sedation gel which the vet suggested. I gave her the required amount. The farrier managed to fit two new shoes to the front, but has left the back. She reared 3 times, once hitting her head on the roof of the cover we were standing over. She dragged me forward, and played up as usual. The sedation seemed to wear off the second she saw the farrier setting up. Oh dear.
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c1tyof4ngels
22 Sep 2012 13:13
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I watched Richard Maxwell, teaching the horse how to walk without dragging the walker. Also how to do turns in a respectable way. I was all set. I led her into the school.. I began swinging the rope just like he did and she never batted an eye.. it could have hit her in the face and she would not have moved.. :-(
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Scotty
23 Sep 2012 15:56
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You need the expert to actually work with your horse (and you) as they will then be able to work through their techniques if something does not work and also to get to the root of her problems - , it can be a mistake to try out experts techniques without the knowledge, know how and reasons for doing them and also what to do if it does not work (if that makes sense!) particularly when dealing with an extremely difficult horse like yours, the problems sound complex and I really do think spending some money on a good person to help you would be worth it. I know of someone (an experienced person) who had an extremely difficult horse (bad to shoe, clip, mount etc) and Richard Maxwell sorted it out. Good luck!
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free style
25 Sep 2012 13:09
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I would be handling her legs and feet on a daily basis, every time you handle her, getting her to change her weight and feeling comfortable on 3 legs. If the hindlegs are difficult you can stroke her legs with a padded glove on a pole and then when she accepts that use your hand in the same way, then move on to lifting each leg just a few inches and then down again for 10 mins or so. Make sure she takes the weight off the leg you are lifting by moving her over. When she is very relaxed about all this move on to gently tapping the shoes with a hammer.
When she accepts you doing all this, ask someone she does not know to do the same.
She is also learning to stand and relax.
Just a little bit of work everyday and your farrier will thank you for it.
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