TWH Mare help!?

Question

My horse is 5 and extremly full of attitude. Im going to try to break her, but first I have to get her respect on the ground... Everyone keeps telling me to lung her, but she's not broke to halter at all. She like strikes at you, and leaps forward. I cant lung her if I cant even walk her without her trampling me! I've tryed carring a crop with me, but it scares her and she pulls the lead away and takes off... Any advice on how to train her to lead with out being so dangous?

Answer 1

my twh filly wasnt halter broke when i got her

so what i done was i would walk around her and pet her with the halter in hand touch her with it let her smell it pet her face, ease the snout part on then take it str8 back off then keep going further pet her for 20 mins everyday with it in your hand and shell get used to it. The more you take it on and off the easier it will get, the lead part, give her some type of treat and everytime she follows the lead correctly give another, eventually shell do it

Answer 2

Sorry to hear of your trouble

You need to gain her respect 100% on the ground so that she has trust in you.

Begin with the halter training in the field and if you can tie her up do that and just do calm jobs around her so she relaxes.

Maybe once she is halter trained try leading her out in a bridle with a very experienced person with a calm horse who wont respond if she starts to misbehave.

Long reining is good as she cant get to you from the front and you're a good distance behind, but i'd say this is a long way away yet for you.  I'd begin with trying to establish a quiet 'acceptable' walk between the stable/ barn to the field and use this each day using it to get you further and further.  If she goes a step back just stand, don't let her get her way and then reward her once she stands still.  

Use voice commands - soothing not commandful and she will take lead from you so if you're nervous she will sense it too.

If she is a good buddy with any of her field mates take them out too where possible.

There could be an element of naughtiness there but there could be some fear too so bear this in mind and dont let anyone to convince you to go in with whips, straps and all guns blazing as it sounds like she needs some special handling.

You've done the hard part by asking for help, good luck and really hope everything goes well for you :)

Edited as just wanted to add - make sure you give her somewhere that she can have as her space.  I always made a point of leaving my horse alone when he was in his stable and field as these are his space and he should feel safe and secure there as well as being comfortable in that he wouldnt be expected to wprk there and could relax knowing he wouldnt be bothered

:) Kelley

Answer 3

why isn't she broke already? you're going to have to take your time with her and gain her trust 100%. its a shame that she is 5 years old and not at least halter broke. good luck to you.

Answer 4

1. Get her to trust you, get her in to a small pasture or the isle of the barn and get some horse treats and stand in one place (dont move toward her) and waight for her to come to you...make sure she can see the treats. If/when she comes to you and takes the treat (could take a long time) repeat the excrecise untill she comes to you off the bat. Step 2 is slowly walking arround the area with the treat in your hand if she comes to you give it to her. Repeat untill she comes off the bat. Step 3, walk toward her and try to give her a treat, if she runs from you slow down and go back a few steps for a day or so and try again. Once she takes the treat begin to pet her while she is eating it, she will be eating and less likely to be paying you much attention. Step 4, begin taking the halter out with you when you work with her (at first I hook it to my back belt loop and work up on belt loops untill it is in front) if she spooks at it put it on the ground and give her time to explore it. Step 5, if she is used to seeing you with the halter IN YOUR HAND get a bucket of grain and hold it while she is eating and start to rub her lightly with the halter  (start with her sholder and move arround) untill you can rub her face with it. step 6, take a hand full of grain and let her eat it, when she lifts her head to chew try to put the nose band arround her, if she is ok with it try and put it on, if she spooks really bad let it slide off. Try this and adapt it to your horse and you add a few steps or take a few away, whatever works for you. Try to not carry the crop with you but if you must have it put it on a ledge near you so you can grab it it you feel she is adapt to hurt you.

Dont give her a treat to much or she might begin to bite.

Step 7, the lead first try and lead her with the halter on once she gets used to it on teach her that if she walks with you she is rewarded with kind words and rubs. Then once she can do that with ease bring out the lead rope, let her snif it, rub it on her a little and then when you think she is ready, clip it on (try to make as little sound as possable). Walk her as if it is not their (holding her halter) then slowly give her lead length as not to spook her. There are faster ways to do this but this way is one of the less stress full ways. If she lunges or pulls POP her back (POP- a short tug on the lead hard but fast) dont drag on her head it wont do much but make her want to pull harder. Hope it helps and if you want any more help feel free to e-mail me at [e-mail].

Answer 5

Sorry but a 5 year old unbroken mare with attitude is not a project for a novice. For every ones best interest and safety, she needs to go to a professional trainer with a good track record and reputation. Find a few you are comfortable with, get references and spend as much time as you can watching the process. Much can be learned by paying attention first before you start ground work with this mare.

Best of luck to you.

Answer 6

This mare doesn't respect you or your space and you may have to be firm to reinforce yourself as "alpha" with her.  Once you establish that you can begin to do ground training.  As with horses in a herd situation, you may still have to carry a riding crop and swat her if she tries to hurt you.  If you need a chain over her nose, so be it.  You might even want to work her in a round pen to tire her out before you work on leading.  She can't be allowed to treat you as something lower than she is in the pecking order.  Be very firm but praise her lavishly when she backs off and does something right.

Answer 7

my horse was the same way. i stopped that habit by takin a whip-not using it, just holding it to her shoulder so she couldnt come any closer to me-but make sure if you can that you do it in an inclosed pen so if she takes off you wont have to chase her all over to get her back. also use a lead with a chain and hook the chain over her nose so if she starts misbehaving you can yank down on it and get her attention. the other thing i learned is make the right thing comfortable adn the wrong thing uncomfortable. i learned this from clinton anderson. what it means is taht if your horse does good, let her stand for a couple seconds. if she does bad, turn her in tight circles for a while.

if this doesnt work, maybe you should consider takin her to a local stable/trainer for a couple weeks or so until she learns how to walk calmly on a lead.

or you could also find books by clinton anderson or other horse trainers on how to make them walk calmly on a lead.

hope this helps!

Answer 8

I have a TWH mare that is also five years old, but she's been in the show ring, so I have to retrain her completely.. and she's not too fond of the idea of having been in the pasture, on "vacation" for two years, and then suddenly being put back into work -- so I know how you feel.

First of all, it is DANGEROUS for you to go out into the field with her. Set up a small area in the paddock, preferably a small flat or something, with temporary fencing, in the corner. If the pasture has stalls attached, open one of the stall doors, and try to run her in there. If none of the above applies, get a trailer, hook it up to a truck, and back the trailer up to a gate. Open the gate, open the trailer doors. Make sure she can't squeeze out through the gate. Get a few friends, and herd her into a stall, a temporary small corral that you can build in the corner of her pasture, a trailer, SOMETHING. Once you have her confined, she's going to be very, very scared, and very upset. If she's in a trailer, shut her in, and back the trailer up to a round pen. Leave the doors open, and, again, make sure she can't get out of the round pen, and let her come out at her own pace. This would be the most ideal situation.

Let her cool off. She's going to be mad and upset. Let her relax, and after an hour or so, when she's returned to a state of tranquility, go over to her, and offer her dinner. If she attacks you, take the food away. Make her wait, and be polite, before you give her the food. Don't EVER take the feed away from her, though. Once she displays some kind of positive behavior, reward her. Give her her dinner, and let her be.

You have to treat her like a wild horse. She needs to learn to respect you before you should try leading her. This is why I prefer she be in a round pen -- you can perform join-up. Get the book, "The Man Who Talks With Horses" to learn more. If you can't get her in a round pen, you're going to have to slowly get her used to being touched, being rubbed all over..

Honestly, from what you've said, I don't think you're qualified to halter/saddle break her. Get a professional in there, and have him/her do it. She's too dangerous for you to handle.

The best of luck.

Answer 9

I would get a professional trainer to help with this mare. At her age, she's got some bad things going that are quite dangerous for you and best left to someone equipped to deal with this.