Post by luthien on Nov 13, 2016 1:03:46 GMT 1
Hello,
I am new here & would appreciate any help or advice.
Background:
I have recently taken on an unbroken Anglo Arab mare (7 years old). She was at the livery yard where I'd had a horse on loan but unfortunately he'd been sold. I always liked her & knew she had been for sale as a brood mare.
It turns out, she was meant to be an Eventer, when she had been sent away to be professionally broken, she had spooked badly whilst being lunged, reared & flipped over, hurting her back.
Therefore, she was never fully broken & instead sold as a broodmare (so I am told) but she's never had a foal.
Anyways, since then she has pretty much been left in a field with a natural herd, both mares & geldings. I believe only really being handled for the farrier & in winter to get rugs on.
Now
I have had her for a couple of months, she has the most beautiful nature, she comes galloping over to call. Will walk beside me, do turns, go back, is super smart & sensitive.
The problem is, initially she was moved into a field with two geldings (the one I had on loan but he's recently gone) & an old horse I look after (he kind of came with the other horse, so I feed him & make sure he's ok). They all bonded quite well. I had a small paddock area fenced off & I would do work with her in the fenced off area. Just walking around, backing up etc...no head collar initially, then I introduced that). She was fantastic, once out the fenced area she would walk around the large field with me (again no head collar but a few carrots here & there).
I slowly took her out the field & around the farm, initially she didn't like all the chickens but by the 3rd day, she didn't bat an eyelid, she would get a bit nervous if I tied her up at the stable & then went to get the feed but even that got better. She was super on way back to the field, just ambling about munching grass with me. Dogs barking, cat going between her legs, chickens following us, all fine.
Then, 4 new horses were put in the field. My poor girl (Anna) & the old horse were quite overwhelmed I think. They wouldn't come when I called, I had to walk across the other end of the field. The only way they would cross the field is walking very close to me, with me separating them from the other group (tbh the other horses are very polite) & moved away to let mines come to the gate.
My issue is, my small fenced area was taken away, so I now have nowhere really to work with her. It's a palava getting her in & out the field. Now that all the horses are used to me, as soon as I call her, I have 6 horses coming over & it's making it difficult to get her out the field. She seems a little more stressed now when I do take her out, or it takes longer to calm her.
I was also told, it's probably best not to lunge her because the last time (which apparently wasnt that long), she pretty much freaked out (I am unclear what happened). I don't really feel the need to lunge her at the moment anyway, I am just not sure how to proceed.
I suppose more of the same & just getting her used to being out the field (away from the other horses) & pottering about. I aim to have her back checked to see if there are still any issues, there may not be, if not I would love to be able to ride her one day...but sometimes she feels so much younger than she is.
I am new here & would appreciate any help or advice.
Background:
I have recently taken on an unbroken Anglo Arab mare (7 years old). She was at the livery yard where I'd had a horse on loan but unfortunately he'd been sold. I always liked her & knew she had been for sale as a brood mare.
It turns out, she was meant to be an Eventer, when she had been sent away to be professionally broken, she had spooked badly whilst being lunged, reared & flipped over, hurting her back.
Therefore, she was never fully broken & instead sold as a broodmare (so I am told) but she's never had a foal.
Anyways, since then she has pretty much been left in a field with a natural herd, both mares & geldings. I believe only really being handled for the farrier & in winter to get rugs on.
Now
I have had her for a couple of months, she has the most beautiful nature, she comes galloping over to call. Will walk beside me, do turns, go back, is super smart & sensitive.
The problem is, initially she was moved into a field with two geldings (the one I had on loan but he's recently gone) & an old horse I look after (he kind of came with the other horse, so I feed him & make sure he's ok). They all bonded quite well. I had a small paddock area fenced off & I would do work with her in the fenced off area. Just walking around, backing up etc...no head collar initially, then I introduced that). She was fantastic, once out the fenced area she would walk around the large field with me (again no head collar but a few carrots here & there).
I slowly took her out the field & around the farm, initially she didn't like all the chickens but by the 3rd day, she didn't bat an eyelid, she would get a bit nervous if I tied her up at the stable & then went to get the feed but even that got better. She was super on way back to the field, just ambling about munching grass with me. Dogs barking, cat going between her legs, chickens following us, all fine.
Then, 4 new horses were put in the field. My poor girl (Anna) & the old horse were quite overwhelmed I think. They wouldn't come when I called, I had to walk across the other end of the field. The only way they would cross the field is walking very close to me, with me separating them from the other group (tbh the other horses are very polite) & moved away to let mines come to the gate.
My issue is, my small fenced area was taken away, so I now have nowhere really to work with her. It's a palava getting her in & out the field. Now that all the horses are used to me, as soon as I call her, I have 6 horses coming over & it's making it difficult to get her out the field. She seems a little more stressed now when I do take her out, or it takes longer to calm her.
I was also told, it's probably best not to lunge her because the last time (which apparently wasnt that long), she pretty much freaked out (I am unclear what happened). I don't really feel the need to lunge her at the moment anyway, I am just not sure how to proceed.
I suppose more of the same & just getting her used to being out the field (away from the other horses) & pottering about. I aim to have her back checked to see if there are still any issues, there may not be, if not I would love to be able to ride her one day...but sometimes she feels so much younger than she is.