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Post by Lady Equine on Dec 17, 2010 11:38:12 GMT 1
I am having problems with April under saddle. As some may know she came to be beaten and poor, my RA classed her as broken, she looked sick and sorry around people and from what I've since learnt about her past I am not surprised at all. Now we've been together for almost 4 years and her ground issues have pretty much been resolved, she occasionally relapses, but I look at myself when that happens and have learnt that if I am stressed or in a horrible place, it's best to do the minimum with her, she is that sensitive. As her physical issues have repaired we are now embarking on our ridden career, she's always been ridden with no stress but now we've upped her lateral work and am trying to establish her paces. The problem we have is I do believe she has been beaten from the saddle, on the ground she accepts noises like bags and coats rustling she will wear bags on her ears with no worries, she wears a flourescent exercise sheet no worries, but as soon as a rider comes into play she changes completely. So again I am continually trying to desensitise her to this whilst riding out or in the school, her first issue is hands if you move them to take more rein open your hands or just to pat her neck she runs forwards sideways and legs go all over the place. Any rustle of your coat or a jingle from your pocket even down to your coat brushing the pommel can send her in a spin and once she's there it is very hard to get her back. I believe I am a light rider and very sympathetic, she can be working quietly and softly then bam she's all over the place and all that's changed is leg position or I've taken or given some rein. Due to her last neck injury we are having to do lots of long and low, which with a horse who runs on the forehand with her head high, is proving a challenge, we have lessons and I am learning too, my instructor has ridden her and had good and bad responses, although mainly good..!! And she believes that this part of her nature will stay with her as she is so sonsitive, the best thing to do is not react which is what i am doing. I've tried Kanga's excercises on the ground to ask her to come round to the contact to try and focus her but she sees this in the saddle as a request for forward fast. I ride with a neck rein or with my reins bridged at the correct length so that I don’t have to keep messing with my hands and also as I don’t want to be on her mouth when her episodes happen. Cicling her makes her spin faster and I am really lost as to where to go next. Physically she is fine, she's been checked from head to toe by scan and other than her injury and her navi she is in good physical and skeletal condition… Has any one any suggestions, before I revert to my RA???
On a lighter note, during our last lesson my instructor realised she was barefoot, the reason she noticed is April's front leg and foot action has changed from knee high to more outfront and defined and agreed taking her shoes off was the a good decision as she looks totally different and much more comfortable..!
Thanks LE
x
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Post by jennyb on Dec 17, 2010 11:56:01 GMT 1
I'd say you need an RA who is experienced in tackling ridden behaviour issues, or someone like Richard Maxwell or Ben Hart. Personal preference would be Ben Hart, I was incredibly impressed with his knowledge and approach when he did a clinic with us earlier this year. Such a nice man too, no ego, just a desire to understand and help horses.
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Post by barbararob on Dec 17, 2010 13:22:11 GMT 1
I've got a mare that we don't ride, an angel on the ground and you would trust her with anything, she can do all the things you ask of her but put someone on her back and she loses the plot. I'm sure we had many gaps in our learning with her but the main thing I notice is that if I am at her head she will tolerate a rider and soon stops being scared if something spooks her - I think with our mare the issue is that she only has confidence if she has someone on the ground.
Is it possible for ground work to be over done?
Her first foal is fairly similar - we made sure we got good handling in place and the filly is so sweet and friendly but has issues if she doesn't have the person in her eye. That filly is rising 3 and I have no doubt that having had her from a foal that we will get her to accept a rider. The mares second foal is a yearling, born on Dec 1st and didn't get as much handling but will accept rugs and other stuff without needing the support of a person on the end of a rope.
We've had the mare for 13 years and despite professional help we are in the same spot - the only thing I come back to is that the mare needs and is willing in all ways with someone at her head.
Not sure if any of that fits is with your mare. Good that barefoot is suiting her, that may give her more confidence.
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Post by Lady Equine on Dec 17, 2010 13:43:22 GMT 1
Very interesting barbara, i do believe that a horse can be over faced and to an extent April has you can see in her face when she really dosen't want to do something, but once she realises it's all good she is fine. we did alot of work at the mounting block as staning to be mounted was a mission, now she sometimes refuses to go to the block but will stand to be mounted from the ground. We started April off with someone at her head both long lining and when she was re backed, we did lots of moving and rustling in the saddle and we made huge progress, she stopped reacting so often, as i did and still has days when nothing fazes her, infact the only consistant thing about her is her inconsistancy and at times it has frustrated the hell out of me, so i've backed off and let her be only asking for the things she is openly comfortable with. My instructor feels that if we can get her to concentrate on bending and flexing and showing her that low is good and comfortable then the episodes will become less as it will give us a refocus tool, and this is where i have to take ownership for some of this cos when we are in lessons she's fine it's when we are practising so maybe I need to not try so hard??? I have also decided to put April in foal next season so she will be a lady of leisure until weaning, so i hope this will give her some head space and time to mature, she is rising 12 but when i got her at 8 she was green as grass with huge educational gaps, which i hope over the past few years we have begun to fill in.. Thanks again LE x MTA - The pic is in the first year I had her, you can see in the school the mounting palava after I had mounted she proceeded to spin and that is how we stood until she relaxed, she quivers when I am so convinced that something in the saddle is staying with her. She was wearing a bungee which does look like it's pulling her in it's not but it was loose as it was the first time on her it came off after she was settled. Attachments:
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