From: Gail
Hi Jessica: Horse Sense is great. I've found a lot of useful information that I have put into action with my own horse. Thanks for taking the time and energy to produce this newsletter. My question has to do with my 16 year old mare. I've written to you before about her. I bought her last summer and immediately began having problems with her under saddle. Basically, she would totally resist the bit and evade my leg and seat to the point that I just didn't know what to do.
This Spring I started riding more frequently (4-6 days a week) and experimented with different things and finally got to a point where she was fairly relaxed. I still had trouble getting her to come back to the walk after trotting or cantering but it took a little less time and I was a little less intimidated as we progressed. For the last month or two, we've really been having fun - even jumping a bit, which she seems to love. She is one of two mares in a barn of 8 horses. In June, the other mare (who I might add is ALL MARE! :-)) left the barn to go to "camp" for the summer. During that time, we began pasturing all the other horses in one large field to give the other large pasture a chance to grow and get limed. Breezy, my mare, bonded strongly to two of the geldings in that field, one of whom was already the "partner" to the other mare. He became quite devoted to Breezy too in that time and they were inseparable! He's sort of a protective type.
Anyway, this week I noticed that I have been having a lot more trouble with Breezy under saddle again - almost as bad as when I first got her. She braces against the bit, tries to trot or canter if I use too much leg and seat or if I use too little and nothing I do seems to be right. Last night I left the barn screaming that she was for sale if anyone knew of an interested buyer! I love her but I am SICK of the struggle. When I calmed down and talked to a friend today, we realized that this SEEMS to be coinciding with the return of the other mare and once again separating the horses into two fields.
I guess I'm wondering if you think there might be a correlation or am I just putting a human response on this horse that might not be there. She does have a bad attitude whenever she's in heat (which seems like it's all the time!) and she seems to be in heat now but her attitude is as bad as it's ever been. I'm going to try a jumping hackamore because she is EXTREMELY sensitive in the mouth and some cartilage support meds in case it has to do with pain and stiffness. Can you tell me what you might think? And do you have any suggestions? Thanks so much.
Gail
You were obviously on the right track with your mare earlier this summer, as she was getting softer and easier to work with.
Of course there may be a psychological component to your mare's fussing, and of course it's possible that the pasture-sharing arrangements may have something to do with it. But since she was turned out with this mare previously without any problems ensuing, and since you don't mention any fighting or other odd behaviour now that she and the other mare are turned out together again, I think you might want to look elsewhere for a cause.
You mention that your mare "has a bad attitude" when she's in heat, and that she seems to be in heat all the time. THIS is something I would look into! Ask your vet to examine her. Many mares have pain at the beginning of a heat cycle, while the follicle is enlarging; the pain generally disappears, along with the "attitude", when the follicle bursts. Mares with painful follicles can become very unhappy about any pressure on their backs, and may be very reluctant to bend and turn in one direction. And no horse that's in pain is likely to have a friendly, cheerful, "sure Boss, let's do it" attitude! ;-)
It's possible for mares, like other mammals, to develop cystic ovaries -- which would be ALWAYS painful, keeping her in a perpetual state of discomfort that would, under saddle, translate to "unwillingness", "resistance," and "attitude".
The jumping hackamore is a good idea, and many tack shops will sell a jumping-hackamore noseband that attaches to the cheekpieces of your usual bridle. It's much less expensive than buying a purpose-built jumping hackamore, and it should give you a good idea of whether bit-fitting is an issue with your mare.
Have your vet look at her teeth, too. If a horse's teeth need floating, not only can the teeth hurt the tongue, but pressure on the outside of the jaw can hurt if it forces the tissue against sharp edges and points on the teeth. And even a jumping hackamore can cause pain -- so can any tight cavesson -- in this situation.
He can also evaluate her movement, and tell you whether he thinks that she his dry or sore joints -- in which case your idea of joint supplements is a good one. It certainly won't hurt her in any case, and it may help.
Your vet will be your best ally in this situation -- you haven't changed what you're doing, and your mare WAS reacting well to you and to the training routine. So something else must have changed, and a good physical exam NOW should help you and your vet start to figure out what the problem is.
Jessica
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