Mare forgot manners?

[Jess P]

Chantilly has been giving me trouble.

Today I went out to work on her showmanship/obstacle things and I ended up going back down to basic halter with her. She is too strong on the lead, trots when I walk her, won't stand still, moves away when I try to get her to pivot (I think this one is a result from her obstacle/sidepassing training) She also is too strong when I am doing jumper/hunter with her. Do you have any ideas why she is doing this? I am going back to square one with her. I am trying not to get frusterated but she is seriously acting like a weanling and she is turning 7!

Thanks,

Jessica

 

[Shari]

Could she be in pain from anything? I would have the Vet out to check her over. Then go from there.

 

[Marty]

Jessica when you have a horse that muti-tasks and is that versitile and talented they should know what to do when after they are well seasoned and not get confused.

Since show season has already begun, seems like everyone is scurring about and trying to acomplish so much with their horses in a short period of time. That's a lot for any horse to take on after he's been sitting a spell over the winter. Not sure that's your case, but it might be.

In this case, I think that maybe Chantilly needs a break from the muti-tasking and you should just concentrate on one thing at a time and not all of it right now. She could be getting sour and ready to blow on you. You know, like when you just get so stressed out when everyone seems to want so much from you and you just have to say "get off my case".......that's what I mean.

I would back off. Review your schedule with her.

I would just concentrate on the very basics right now for very very short periods of time.

If you want to work on showmanship with her, do that for a few minutes a day and I mean a few. Don't get over zealous and push her to her limits and demand perfection at this point, but do leave your sessions on a good note. Don't add other things in there like the jumping and obstacles right now. Better to get one thing down right than many things all screwed up.

Remember to wear a watch. You would be surprised how time flies for YOU but not the horse and a 15 minute session can end up easily to a 45 minute one.

Good luck. Just take it easy with her.

 

[MiLo Minis]

Have you been working with this mare on all of these things consistantly? If so then I agree with Marty and you should back off and give her a break. Don't overwork her and concentrate on one thing at a time. If not and you have left her over the winter and are just starting to work with her again then she could just be full of beans and need some free lunging to get rid of the excess energy and get her mind back on track.

 

[lyn_j]

[SIZE=14pt]Jessica, Didnt Chantilly founder last year? Could be her feet hurt still and she really doesnt want to work.[/SIZE]

Lyn

 

[countryrose]

My first filly I pushed too hard to multi task.

I made the mistake of practicing both obstacle and jumping together.

The first obstacle class she jumped over a 4 foot tarp instead of walking across it! We had practiced side passing so much that if you raised your hand in halter she would side pass instead of standing still. I realize now I should have been using different halters for the different classes to help her understand.

Now she is a little pill in obstacle driving. She knows she gets praised for her pivots so will pivot perfectly when she is anxious to be moving on not standing. Aren't they funny creatures!

Just back off on the training and concentrate on one only for now. Praise her well and she will work thru this.

Good luck

 

[Jess P]

Thanks everyone for your input

I actually haven't worked her in a few weeks. Last week she got her shots and I did not want to stress her out since that was the time she foundered last year. She knows how to do the things I was asking her, I was reviewing. I was also just working a bit on her pivotting.

I am going to take it easier on her, I have a lot to handle right now, but I do think I figured out why she was acting like this. I went back out a few minutes after posting this topic and I went to work on the basics again, just to see if I can figure out if she was in pain. She was perfectly calm and was not hard on the lead.

This mare loves her grass, and I think that because I brought her straight from the stall without letting her out first she was antsy and agrivated at me. I think she just wanted some grass.

However, I am taking your advice and will be slowing down a bit on her. Maybe just some basic obstacle one day, then the following day jumping, and the day after jumping/hunter and later in the day driving. Then a day of break, then the next three days in the same schedule.

Jessica

 

[Fred]

I know this won't be popular but I live in Jessica's area and EVERY single horse I have had to deal with in the past two weeks has been acting stupid! Maybe its the weather I don't know but I have noticed a change in all the horses large and small in regards to attitude. Linda B