Kinda Scared

[FarmerJoy]

I hate it but I am. I recently got a new 15.3 Appendix QH mare and I love her to death. But when I lunge her at a trot she bucks at times, and when i'm in the saddle i never want to go faster than a walk since I don't want her to buck when she trots, The reason I am kinda scared is cause I had a bad fall a while back when I got bucked off and my thigh landed on a really sharp rock sticking out of the ground. If possible I don't want to hire a professional, I don't have a trailer for one and #2 where we live the only person who is available only does English and she's a whopping $50 an hour and we just don't have that money..

Thanks
Joy

 

[w c]

Many people feel nervous when they watch a horse play on the longe line before they ride. They see all that goofing around and then are worried the horse will do that while they're riding.

But truthfully usually it's the opposite. The more chance the horse has to goof around, play and stretch his muscles before you ride, the calmer he will be during your ride. It might be in a pasture with his pals, or in a safe play area, or on the longe.

Many Quarter Horses make ideal family horses. They don't have to be worked down til they're exhausted to behave. They don't need to be ridden every single day and they are amazingly laid back.

One of my horses has been taught to 'play'. You put him on the longe line, and say 'come on', and he canters around and bucks and shakes his head. After that he seems to say, 'wow that was great, I feel relaxed now, go ahead and get on'. You can say 'come on' all you want when he's got the rider on him, he knows it's a different situation (believe me my friends tried it).

Of course don't overdo. He doesn't need to be chased until he's tired or run ragged. Just let him have his 'moment'.

It doesn't sound like your horse is doing anything bad when you ride, though. It sounds like it's more memories of your accident that are scaring you.

Though when one is afraid, even a little twitch of the ears or a few quick steps can scare a person.

But if you are really scared, it would be good if you took some riding lessons. Some teachers will do 'baby steps', such as very, very gradually over some months or even years, have you do just a tiny bit more riding at the trot and canter.

Some will get on your horse first, and give him a good trot and canter so he is settled down for you.

Some people feel that's the only way to get over fear. Me, I think it actually makes the person MORE scared. They have so much time to think and worry, and start to feel more and more dependent on the instructor. They may not ride at all unless the instructor is there. The fear often just keeps growing.

Fear is like a weed, if you feed it it grows bigger and bigger. To fear, time is like water and fertilizer!

Others don't do that, they get you busy right away, calling out commands to turn, stop, turn, circle, stop, back up. You wouldn't think that would work but you only really can think of one thing at a time. People are often trotting and cantering without even realizing it, they're so busy. If you're busy riding your horse, you can't think about all that 'what if' stuff. I honestly think the 'busy program' works better!

The other thing you could do is ride with a more experienced friend. The friend can constantly remind you, 'See, he's not nervous, he's fine'.

But the best thing you can do is get into a routine your horse gets to expect and get into the habit of. For example, before every time you get on, you let him play a little on the longe line. Then you get on and do five walk circles each way. Then you do five circles each way of trot. Then you canter five circles each way.

It also might help you to practice what to do if a horse bucks. If you get a routine in your mind of what to do, and learn you can stop that sort of behavior, you will have more confidence. Horses have to slow down to buck, and most people, when a horse bucks, they do the opposite of what helps - pull on the reins hard to try and stop him. They may even be rewarding the horse - stopping to catch their breath or calm down, for example, the horse sees as 'well what a nice reward for bucking, mommy must like it!'

That just makes the horse more able to buck. Going forward actually works better. Some people practice, and are coordinated enough to use the reins quickly, get the head up, and push the horse forward.

 

[Mea]

Disclaimer : i an not a horse trainer, nor do i play one on TV...


Is it possible that she is so full of energy that she feels good lunging and the bucks are high spirits ??

There is nothing wrong (imo) with just walking her under saddle. When Your confidence increases, and your communication with the mare developes... You will know how to move up.

DD had an awful fall with the horse landing on her... She was really put off riding for some time. Her trainer ( bless that lady) got her back just working around the horses...no riding... and yes, it took some time, but she did get back riding..(that particular horse) and did pretty darn good with her. It took time.

Now the Real horsepeople can give advice.

 

[FarmerJoy]

I tried riding her again today, We have an acre pasture that I ride her in since she is still new, I wanted to get used to her feel then I would start taking her out of enclosure. We have a 1 yr old daughter of her's int he pasture also, and she started distracting my mare and my mare was trying to go faster to be with her baby. I tried moving the baby and putting her in the barn and I got back on my mare and she was freaking out, her baby was neighing and she was neighing back. Is there anyway I can stop this? My mare was sold when the baby was 6 months old then I bought her a week ago. And when I went to bring the baby back, the mare was running and bucking in circles, and the yr old was almost draggin me off my feet. I don't want to sell the filly since we will start training her soon for my dad to ride her.

 

[Bunnylady]

We have a 1 yr old . . . . I don't want to sell the filly since we will start training her soon for my dad to ride her.

Oh, oh. I just heard all sorts of alarm bells and saw all kinds of red flags waving around and flashing lights go off. With a few exceptions, horses aren't physically mature enough to be ridden until they are at least 3 - 4 years old. Riding them before then is just asking for the kind of joint injuries that will result in lifelong soundness issues - to say nothing about whether the animal has the mental maturity to do what it's asked to do. Has your vet x-rayed this filly's knees and declared them "closed"? Unless your father is a very small man, this filly won't be ready for him for several more years, somehow, that doesn't sound like what most people mean when they say "soon."

Horses are herd animals. It is very natural for your mare to want to be with other horses, doubly so if it is an animal that she has such a strong bond with. Teaching this horse to ignore the baby, and focus on her rider, would probably mean keeping the two of them in separate areas, where they can't be together even when not being worked with. It would be best to have both animals worked at the same time (different areas and different people, obviously!) with each trainer ready to correct their charge any time it calls to the other horse, or shows any other sign of inattention to its handler. It can be very difficult to get a horse's attention when another horse is pitching a fit where it can see or hear it! Babies have fragile bodies and minds, and short attention spans, so these lessons would have to be geared to what a baby can reasonably be expected to tolerate. Breaking up the "buddy sour" or "herd sour" mindset is a challenge. I have known many horses that were sold because of it!

 

[patandchickens]

I think you should VERY VERY SERIOUSLY consider taking some lessons (at someone else's barn is fine - but it needs to be a good instructor, and someone who focuses largely on greater horsemanship skills and good judgement, not just 'heels down'). I am not sure where to even begin in terms of describing the errors of judgement that have led to your various predicaments and that seem quite likely to lead to further, worse ones.

Fear is not necessarily altogether bad. Sometimes fear is the smart part of your brain trying to get you to stop and rethink what you're doing

If I can't talk you into lessons or into (hate to say this) turning the horses over to someone else to care for and train, then please at least sit down and think about WHY these things are happening and what you could do differently to PREVENT them. (For instance, why even get ON a horse you're afraid on when she is being all crazy over being separated from her child/companion? That is just a recipe for Bad Things).

Then work on decisionmaking and ground-handling skills for a while. I am totally not a Parelli fan but if you must rely on books/videos then his system lends itself reasonably well to that, at least compared to some others; so does John Lyons. Recommend you stay away from anything involving faster or looser work, e.g. Monty Roberts.

Really, I apologize if this may offend you but you seem to be in WAY over your head and would greatly benefit from stepping waaaaaay back and rethinking things.

Best of luck,

Pat

 

[michickenwrangler]

If you are frightened, then please don't go off half-cocked to ride a horse you're afraid of. Lessons would be best, even if you have to take them from a western trainer.

BTW, most horses don't buck at a trot. With the way that the legs are moving, it's hard for them to get both front legs out to plant while trotting. Some can, but it's not something most will do.

Also time to wean baby. Try to keep the mare at a friend's house for a few weeks--or even try to board at a trainer's.

Where are you at? (pm me, you don't have to say on here). If you are in Michigan, I can help with your trailer situation.

 

[Bunnylady]

Also time to wean baby.

My mare was sold when the baby was 6 months old then I bought her a week ago.

Since the filly is a yearling now, it sounds to me like she is weaned, at least off the mare's milk (but not necessarily her influence).

 

[FarmerJoy]

We have a 1 yr old . . . . I don't want to sell the filly since we will start training her soon for my dad to ride her.

Oh, oh. I just heard all sorts of alarm bells and saw all kinds of red flags waving around and flashing lights go off. With a few exceptions, horses aren't physically mature enough to be ridden until they are at least 3 - 4 years old. Riding them before then is just asking for the kind of joint injuries that will result in lifelong soundness issues - to say nothing about whether the animal has the mental maturity to do what it's asked to do. Has your vet x-rayed this filly's knees and declared them "closed"? Unless your father is a very small man, this filly won't be ready for him for several more years, somehow, that doesn't sound like what most people mean when they say "soon."

Horses are herd animals. It is very natural for your mare to want to be with other horses, doubly so if it is an animal that she has such a strong bond with. Teaching this horse to ignore the baby, and focus on her rider, would probably mean keeping the two of them in separate areas, where they can't be together even when not being worked with. It would be best to have both animals worked at the same time (different areas and different people, obviously!) with each trainer ready to correct their charge any time it calls to the other horse, or shows any other sign of inattention to its handler. It can be very difficult to get a horse's attention when another horse is pitching a fit where it can see or hear it! Babies have fragile bodies and minds, and short attention spans, so these lessons would have to be geared to what a baby can reasonably be expected to tolerate. Breaking up the "buddy sour" or "herd sour" mindset is a challenge. I have known many horses that were sold because of it!

Well she's about 1 3/4 year old, were starting with getting her used to a saddle , then my dad. Our vet said she was fine to slowly accept a rider at about 5 minutes at a time and adding on every week. She's almost 2 and she's 16.1 so she's pretty big and is 75% foundation QH. The mare was an Appendix TB/FQH and the dad was just a FQH. It's not like were going to go on trail rides with her, just small work in the arena. Were gonna start with 5 minutes, then next week 10, and so on until she's. Then we'll see if we want to train her to be a reigning horse like her mom

 

[michickenwrangler]

Height doesn't mean she's ready to accept a rider. Her joints have to be done growing.

I'm used to Arabs, and Arab people often wait until the horses are closer to 4 years old before riding. A friend of mine and I went to go look at some Andalusians and the trainer there said even though the two 2 yr old stud colts were 15.2 and 15.3, they wouldn't be broke until they were about 3 1/2 yrs old.