I've owned my appendix mare for over a year now. whenever i canter her, she won't stop pinning her ears flat against her head, swishing her tail, and bracing her back against my seat at (which makes it very hard to sit). when i bought her, i thought she'd learn to relax but so far she hasn't! She's a bit happier when i walk and trot her. She's perfectly sound, and i started out in a rubber coated lose ring snaffle but then switched to a French link. Also, she hates having her sides touched with even the lightest leg pressure. What can be wrong with my horse or my riding?
this is a tough one, especially if you know for sure that she's sound. there is something that YOU are doing to cause this (not meant to be an insult, but almost always this is the case). I would try to get back to basics, do lots of groundwork on a lead rope & lunge line. does she do the same thing outside the arena? like on trails? do you use spurs? does she disengage her hindquarters when you ask her to from the ground? you should be able to move your horse anywhere you want from the ground before you even ride her (ultimately w/out touching her...just using body language). try this and see if it helps you gain trust & partnership w/your horse. Good Luck
you have to desensitize her;; its hard & takes a long time but U HAVE to ride her with ur leg on!!! its frustrating; this horse i rode was like that! eventually she will get used to ur leg! even put ur leg on & circle so she duzn't bolt & stuff & teach her leg [the slight bit] doesn't mean go
i think mares are overly sensitive. because my last mare was totally like that, and i had to do a lot to relax her. but you should NOT avoid using your leg with her, that just makes things worse when you DO have to use your leg :]
Even if shes sound she could be experiencing some back pain that is making it uncomfortable for her to canter. Talk to your trainer/vet to make sure thats not an issue.
Check the saddle fit. You said she did this before you bought her?? Is it possible she was abused or just badly broken? Have a vet check her back. Have your trainer watch you ride, and then have a different trainer watch you ride. Sometimes a different trainer will notice something yours didn't. Try lungeing her. Also, try long-lining. If she did this before you bought her, you might not be the culprit. My mare had the same problems, and it turned out she was just pushed waaaaaaaaaay too hard when they broke her. She couldn't canter without getting angry and charging, it was just a mental switch that had gone quirky for her. We couldn't train her out of it, even after 7 years of trying everything. She ended up being a great walk-trot horse, but nothing more.
Originally posted by lilmaggs: Check the saddle fit. You said she did this before you bought her?? Is it possible she was abused or just badly broken? Have a vet check her back. Have your trainer watch you ride, and then have a different trainer watch you ride. Sometimes a different trainer will notice something yours didn't. Try lungeing her. Also, try long-lining. If she did this before you bought her, you might not be the culprit. My mare had the same problems, and it turned out she was just pushed waaaaaaaaaay too hard when they broke her. She couldn't canter without getting angry and charging, it was just a mental switch that had gone quirky for her. We couldn't train her out of it, even after 7 years of trying everything. She ended up being a great walk-trot horse, but nothing more.
I used to lease a pony that hatted to be riden alone. She sometimes stiffened up to maybe trick me into thinking that she needed some rest. Do you ride in a arena by your self?? Another thought is that she might have Lyme, horses stiffen up alot when they have Lyme and just need some time off. I hope you find the problem!! Good luck!!!
Hello, When I was young I rode on the USET Junior team. One of the most valuable lessons I learned was to relax, and prepare your horse for the q you are going to give him or her. I rode mostly large warmbloods, however it is all the same whether riding English or Western, when asking for a canter, make a slight adjustment in your seat, turn your horses head ever so lightly to one way or the other, ie., if you are asking for the left lead, pull on the right side and with your right leg, q him/her with that. It may sound complicated, however if you make sure to do it every time, and push ever so slightly, the horse into the bit (many people think a horses mouth is like iron, it is not) then when the horse is about to put the right hoof (for a left lead) down, q him or her for the canter and if you relax, the horse will relax. If the horse does not go into the canter right away, stop and try again. Keep it up until it becomes automatic, and the more you relax, the more the horse relaxes. I'll never forget when I was at the Ventura National Horse Show, and I was in the ring and we had just asked our horses for a left lead, and just then a horse got away from it's rider outside the ring, it was a pleasure class, colour to be exact, and my horse remained in a nice canter, while all the other horses were going crazy inside and outside the ring. That is the relaxation, confidence and concentration your horse must have in order to listen to you. And yes I still train. Sincerely, Nanette
HOW OLD IS SHE? I ASK THIS BECAUSE I USED TO RIDE A HORSE NAMED STEP ASIDE AND SHE DID THE EXACT SAME THING AND SHE WAS PERFECTLY SOUND BUT JUST TO MAKE SURE I HAD THE VET COME OUT AND LOOK AT HER AND THEN I FOUND OUT THAT SHE HAD ATHRITIS IN HER HOCKS AND THAT IT WAS PK TO STILL RIDE HER BUT HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT SHE WOULD HAVE GOOD DAYS AND BAD DAYS WITH AND YOU WOULD JUST HAVE TO WORK THROUGH IT ON A BAD DAY (THE ARTHRITIS WAS MINOR)
I know a girl who has a appaloosa that she rides that does the same thing. She goes to canter and she flatens her ears and swishes her tail. I don't know why they do that. I was thinking it may be the saddle or something.
