Talking of Mares

[bindi]

Oh boy,

It is a windy cool summers day here today and I went out all prepared to give Lily a brush - yeah right.. :bang: :bang: :bang:

She was just plain psychotic when I bought her into the paddock near the house. We have a lot of shelter belts around our paddocks (used to be a kiwi fruit farm) and where the poplar trees are rattling Lily ain't going. I made her walk down with me to the corner that was really stressing her. Then we did a kind of controlled walk back, lots of stopping so I didn't go flying. She had becomed so placid that I find it quite disheartening when we have a session like todays.

Anyway we went back to her paddock where we had a good scratch, she had a good scratch and I got lots of snotty nose wipes on my face and shirt. It was a better way to end the day but I am hoping that she isn't just trying to put one over me. Where I groom her is right under two huge poplar trees and they were really rattling so I didn't even think twice about pushing that issue. I was going to take all of the grooming stuff over to her paddock but decided that we had ended the night on an ok note and would just leave it at that.

What do you all think, do you push issues like that, she was honestly scared - head up watching the dreaded rattley corner and occassional quivers.

Oh boy, we will get there, I just get a bit disheartened.
Bindi. :loon:

[LynnC]

My mare has episodes like that too. My boys are much more laid back. They get over things quickly and she just gets all worked up little things.

[CC]

Ya know the saying "One step forward...two steps back"?? You just experienced the "two steps back"

I used to get sooooo upset when that would happen. And at first with my guy, it would happen alot. But gradually, it gets better. Now, when we have a bad day (which is very infrequent) I just brush it aside because I know he will be better the next day.

As far as facing what she is scared of...that has to be a case by case call. I remember one lesson where an unexpected thunderstorm hit. We were in the indoor and Carambi used to spaz completely at loud noises. We spent the entire lesson in the one corner where he felt secure, making a 10 meter circle over and over again. I would make it bigger, he would get tense and anxious, so we would go smaller again. But that lesson was probably one of THE most important lessons I have ever taken. It showed Carambi that he can trust me in a scary situation. I can now ride him when thunder or gunshots are occuring and he is ok.

So the important thing is to not push her past her or your comfort zone in times when she is stressed. I probably would have taken her to a place where she felt secure and just asked for head-down until I got some relaxation (licking, chewing, sighing etc.) and called it a day. She will remember that you did not force her to go near a place she thought was scary and will hopefully start to build her trust in you.

[HokieLee]

One thing I have noticed about my mare is that she is sometimes gets worked up when she is in hand but when I'm riding her she feels much more secure and is scared of very little. I think it must be a security issue. You might find that Lily is OK under saddle if she trusts you because she feels more secure. If there are things she shies at, at least under saddle, I have read a suggestion to circle and leg yield toward the object until they are comfortable.