Horse issues?

Question

I am in love with a horse at my barn. She came maybe about 4-6 months ago and had some problems but they were all fixable (like bobbing her head). But she has just been acting up for the past 3 months. I stopped riding her for a while because we had been trying to hard to fix her during my lessons that we wouldn't work on my riding.

She doesn't like to stand still, or trot slowly, she over-reacts if you squeeze her and won't canter in a line, she just spirals inward. When i rode her this morning, she picked up her feet really really high at the trot because i had to hold her back, and when i asked her to canter she totally flipped and got strong and bucked a little almost happy buck. She doesn't get ridden often because of her problems and when she is turned out, she is alone...i'm not sure why, probably behavior problems, but i have no clue, and i don't think she gets turned out in a feild very often, i think it is a shoot. Are there trainers in Maryland that work with this?

Answer 1

i think it's a good idea to get a trainer, but what you also may want to consider, is finding a rider(that you've personally checked out/like their riding style)  and lease the horse out to them.

make sure 1. they're an experenced rider(by that i mean they know how to handle themselves on a horse/around a horse)2. have a trainer help them with lessons (that way you have two people helping and you dont have to pay as much). 3. keep tabs on the horse and the progress.

Answer 2

The other 2 people have good advice on helping her with her problems but wanted to add that if she seems very hyper it could be feed related. Some horses when given too higher protien get extremly hyper.

From what you are describeing it sounds more like she just has too much energy rather than puposely being bad. I think the spiraling in is just an offshoot of the hyperness, not another problem in itself. But for it just start teaching her to move off your leg really well in the lower gaits, horses are creatures of habit and if she's really good at moving off leg pressure even when she gets upset she'll still respond. After she's learned that as soon as she starts shifting in just block her with your inside leg, very lightly, sounds like she's a h**e with light sides which is good as they tend to hate pressure and move away from it more readily.

Try checking into what she is being fed. Unless a horse is doing excessive amounts of work every day they do not need higher than a 12% protien ration, averaged out between grain and hay...ie a 10% grain and 14% hay (any good hay is at least that high) averages out to 12%. Oats and alfalfa are both also notorious as a "energy boost" feeds.

Also, try turning her out before riding for a while then lunging her as well. Don't just willy-nilly run her about to try to get her tired but actually work her, work on transitions, voice commands just like a regular training session from the ground. This serves a three-fold purpose1-- it helps get rid of some of the excess energy before you get on. 2 -- it re-establishes leadership and gets her mind on you. 3-- and lastly if she's been standing in a stall she needs to stretch out move around and get herself warmed up.

When you can see the hyperness gone and she's responding to you willing from the ground when you ask her to slow down or do transitions, then mount up. I'm sure you'll see a difference the first time, especially if she was on too much protien and you lowered it. Would be great if she could be worked more often as well.

Answer 3

First, you have to start working her more often.  I highly recommend clinton anderson's training methods, they have worked wonders for all of our horses.  Try lounging (sp?) her at all three gaits, and work at the canter first.  Then, when she gets so she wont hold a canter anymore, let her go down to a trot.  She should be going slower that normal.  If not, then bring her back up to a canter and work some more.  Once she gets so she consistently goes slowly at a trot, stop her and praise her.  Work on standing still then.  She should be very tired by this point, which will make it eaisier to train her.  Stand in front of her, and if she steps forward, back her 3 or more steps back.  Make her back quickly, bump on her halter if you need to.  Then let her stand again.  She will learn that it is a treat for you to let her stand still, and eventually will not go forward.  If she does not move for a minute or two, then go a praise her.  

For the over reacting, work a lot on desensitising her. Before you work her, rub her all over.  On her head, her legs, all the touchy places horses have.  If she moves, keep rubbing her in the same spot until she stands still.  Then progress to your dressage whip.  Put a long lead rope on her, and start walking away, slapping the ground hard with your whip.  as you go.  She might freak out behind you, as long as she doesn't run over you, ignore it.  Keep walking away from her (leading her behind you) until she quiets down.  Then turn around and walk backwards, still slapping the ground as hard as you can.  Wait until she quiets down, then shorten your lead rope and repeat.  Eventually, she will become curious enough to come up to you.  Then stop her, praise her, and let her stand.  Then, start slapping the whip at a 90 degree angle to her shoulder.  Once she relaxes, stop, praise her, and start again, lessening the angle.  You want to get to the point where you can slap the whip right next to her without her moving.  Work on both sides.  Then start throwing the string on the whip over her back.  Once she relaxes, progress to her legs and neck.  Work on both sides.  Use the same method with plastic bags (tie them to your whip) and anything else you can think of.  Rub her with the shoes you use while riding.  If you use spurs, desensitise her to those.  You can tell a horse is relaxed when they c**k their leg, l**k their lips, lower their head, or stand still for a fairly long period of time.  If your horse moves while you are doing any of these exercises, don't stop, wait until they quit moving then take the scary object away and praise them.  

As for spiralling to the center, all you need to do is ride her in fast circles in the center of your arena until she is very tired, then go back and walk along the rail.

Also, if she is hyper, ask whoever is responsible for taking care of her to turn her out as often as possible.  It can do wonders.

Good luck!  You won't get it all done in one or two lessons, do a lot for a few days until she will do it moderatly well, then do a little bit every day before you ride.

Answer 4

Is she young?

She sounds like she's just full of energy and dying to get out and run with the herd.  She's bored alone in her stall and alone in her run, and can't work off steam anytime except when she's being ridden.  Poor girl.

If you can, free lunge her in the arena for a while.  She'll probably run and buck and enjoy herself, and then she'll be ready to listen when you're riding her.

If' you've been riding her with other horses, try riding her alone.  As she's alone so much, she can't concentrate on you when they're other horses around, because she's longing to be with them.

Here's a llink for trainers in Md:

http://www.newhorse.com/page/ridinglesso...

Good luck! I hope you're able to help her.