[Beastie89]

Back in December I bought a 3yr old QH mare. She has ok ground manners and she crossties well. But lately when I go to put her lead rope on when she is in the crossties or when I go to reach for her she suddenly flips out and starts backing up or rearing ( not high just hopping up slightly). I don't know why she has been doing this. She has never been hit or beaten or anything. And this problem started about a week or two ago. To give an example, today I was in her stall and I'd just taken her blankets off of her and I went to reach for her halter. When I had my finger tips on is she backed up into the corner and started rearing, I couldn't hold on to her because I still had the blanket on my arm and hardly any grip on her halter. Then I took her out and worked with her a little bit with the blanket and stuff that might have triggered it and she was fine. Then I put her in the crossties and groomed her, after I was done I went to put the lead rope on her and she tensed up and started pulling back. So I held her and then got her relaxed and made her take a step forward and stand there. After that she was fine. What would you suggest I do? How can I get her through this?

[PoochtheMighty]

Originally Posted by Beastie89

Back in December I bought a 3yr old QH mare. She has ok ground manners and she crossties well. But lately when I go to put her lead rope on when she is in the crossties or when I go to reach for her she suddenly flips out and starts backing up or rearing ( not high just hopping up slightly). I don't know why she has been doing this. She has never been hit or beaten or anything.

Be careful making presumptions like this. You bought her as a three year old; in those three years, a lot can happen to a horse. A horse has a pretty good memory.

Also, how is it that you are reaching for her? Are you in a blindspot for her? Horses have very strange vision, and if you are standing out of range of her vision, and all of a sudden a hand pops up, she's very justified in being startled. You'd be startled too! Are you reaching quickly? Snatching? It helps to let the horse know what you're doing. Put one hand on her shoulder and then clip the leadrope on.

To give an example, today I was in her stall and I'd just taken her blankets off of her and I went to reach for her halter. When I had my finger tips on is she backed up into the corner and started rearing, I couldn't hold on to her because I still had the blanket on my arm and hardly any grip on her halter.

The way you described it makes me think you tried to hang onto her- please don't do that! Especially not in a cramped space. If she is really frightened, her instinct will kick in and if she can't get away, she'll strike out. Don't put yourself in a dangerous spot! If she jerks back, and you don't have a leadrope on her- LET HER GO. Approach her (or better yet, let her approach you) when she is calm and use a leadrope, not the halter, to direct her. This way you're safe, and she's not getting away with anything.

Then I took her out and worked with her a little bit with the blanket and stuff that might have triggered it and she was fine. Then I put her in the crossties and groomed her, after I was done I went to put the lead rope on her and she tensed up and started pulling back. So I held her and then got her relaxed and made her take a step forward and stand there. After that she was fine. What would you suggest I do? How can I get her through this?

Good for you for working with her. If she pulls back on the leadline, walk with her, don't let it become a pulling match (she'll win), just follow her and stay calm and collected.

It sounds like you are doing a pretty good job with her so far. Remain consistent, fair, and calm - this is always key to working with troubled horses. If putting the leadrope really triggers a panic response in your mare, work on resolving that by making it pleasant- even if it means handfeeding a small peice of carrot as you put the leadrope on or giving her lots and lots of lavish verbal praise and a nice neckrub.

Don't react to her misbehavior.

It seems like she is also yanking your chain a little bit- seeing that it causes you to become unsettled, she's learned evasive behavior. Do you do any groundwork with your mare?

Try free-lunging (no line) her in a roundpen- drive her at all gaits, walk, trot canter, in both directions, using body and verbal cues ( and a lungewhip to reenforce them if neccessary). Then, allow her to stop when she is tired, and clip the leadrope on. If she is quiet, let her stand and catch her breath, and relax a little. If she fusses, simply make her work some more, then try again later on.

She will begin to realize that if she stands still for the leadrope, she gets to rest with you. If she doesn't- she has to work.

Horses will consistently take the path of least resistance. Repeat the exercise a few times a week or as needed and see if it gets you anywhere.

[Beastie89]

Thank you so much. To answer some of your questions, when I go to reach for her I'm not directly in front of her but I'm not right at her should either. Sometimes she is fine when I reach for her and then other times its like I beat her or something and she freaks out. I was also thinking she might have too much energy and is just ready to explode, I have no place to turn her out at the moment and no place to work her so the poor horse is stuck in her stall and I hate that it has to be that way. It isn't fair to her and I have no idea what to do. When I first got her she was perfectly fine with lead ropes, in her stall, and in the crossties. I don't know if I did something to make her this way or if someone who lives on the farm where she is boarded has done something. I don't want to blow it out of proportion. But I want to help her through it and work through it together. Is there anything else I could do with her? I do ground work with her every time I see her. I do some setting up, and showmanship type stuff, I also desensitize her to plastic bags, clippers, brooms, and anything else I can think of. Are there any ground work exercises you would suggest?

p.s. Just to add one more thing to this whole long novel About a week ago I led Lilly (my horse) into her stall to put her blankets on and put her up for the night. As soon as we got in the stall, she kind of shook her head and hopped up a little. Almost as if it was in play, I really don;t think she was trying to be aggressive. But I gave her a couple good jerks on the lead to correct her. There was no need for her to be doing that around me. Could that have triggered that whole thing? Could I have over corrected her? I didn't hit her or beat on her I just jerked on her a couple of times to correct her and get her attention. Could that have caused all of this?

[JBandRio]

I know you don't want to hear this, but I have to say it. You are a green rider (and presumably therefore a green horse handler as well), with a young, green horse. The problems you are describing in your various threads are going to get you and her into trouble sooner or later, so your best option (sooner, rather than later ) is to either find a trainer who can work with your horse and work with you and the horse together. Or, sell her and buy an older, more experienced horse who is suitable for a beginner.

The behaviors you are describing really need to be worked through by someone who can read intentions before actions are taken, and who can react quickly and appropriately once the action has been taken. To do otherwise is just going to confuse the horse as to what you want, and lead to further undesirable behavior.

Some young, green horses just don't do the the things you're listing, and in those case green on green can at least manage. But some are like yours, and those are the ones who can get dangerous in a hurry if not corrected and taught how to behave in a suitable manner.

[pittmd]

First thing is to listen to JBandRIO. I wonder if you only work your horse when you put the lead on her? My horse used to be hard to catch until I started mixing up what we do on a given day. Sometimes I just take him out and groom him and give him a bucket with a couple of treats in it and other times we go to work.

[Beastie89]

Thank you guys for the advice. To clear things up, at the moment she doesn't get worked, I recently got her and She hasn't been able to be worked do to no area at this moment in time for me to work her in. She only gets groomed and ground work done. I have no round pen that is completely set up at this time, and no place to turn her out due to the owner connecting the round pen to the only pasture on the property and that pasture having a bad fence that needs to be fixed. Thank you guys for the advice though. It was very helpful.

[Rhythm 'n Blues]

You're compounding your possible future problems with everything I'm reading.....green rider/handler, young green horse, no turn out, no place to work the horse....

This of it this way, you have a little 2-3y/o kid who is locked up in her bedroom all day and all night, and is only out to be groomed and do a tiny bit of "in-hand work" with a young teen mom, who doesn't have all the skills ideally needed to raise the little one. Poor kid has all this energy built up, and no friends to play with to work it all off.

In all honesty, I'd be moving my horse. No turn-out is a HUGE deal killer for me, even with an older been-there-done-that horse, let alone a baby!

[luvs2ride79]

Hmm, I would want to know what goes on with her when you're not there... How are the stall cleaners handling her? Does she get turned out daily? If so, how do those people handle her?

I would also have the vet check her eye sight.

[luvs2ride79]

Originally Posted by Beastie89

Thank you guys for the advice. To clear things up, at the moment she doesn't get worked, I recently got her and She hasn't been able to be worked do to no area at this moment in time for me to work her in. She only gets groomed and ground work done. I have no round pen that is completely set up at this time, and no place to turn her out due to the owner connecting the round pen to the only pasture on the property and that pasture having a bad fence that needs to be fixed. Thank you guys for the advice though. It was very helpful.

Oh goodness. What are you feeding her? If she's on ANY grain or pellets, stop now. She should be on just grass hay or timothy. Too much energy from food and no turn out can quickly turn in to behavioral problems. If she's not working, then she shouldn't need grain or feed. Good hay should be enough.

You could add a vitamin supplement and some alfalfa pellets (1-2 lbs) if you want to "cover your bases". Something like Balance II or Select II, or Smart Pak's SmartVite. Or you could use a ration balancer, but that still might give her too much energy by the way of molasses and ground up grain products. If you do try a ration balancer, feed just 1 lb or less. Purina makes one called Born or Win. I think Nutrena is the only feed supplier that doesn't make a ration balancer.

[Beastie89]

To update and answer any questions,
She is now getting turned out and I am setting up the round pen so that she van get in shape and actually be a horse. I clean her stall but I'm wondering if when someone fed her they might have hit or done something to freak her out. She was much better today and is learning showmanship quickly. She gets some kind of sweet feed stuff and grass hay, I'm switching her to Buckeye Gro n' Win rathion balancer, she also will get turned out at least 6 hours a day. And to clear up the Green Rider/Handler thing, I've been riding 6 yrs, 4 years solid. I've been a groom, I've shown a lot. I've had tough horses to deal with, this is just new and different kind of problem and I want to be sure I handle it in the proper manner. I also want to avoid being abusive towards her, as I was taught that was the only way to train a horse. So I'm trying to reteach myself to work with her not against her and it has been going better.I've been working with her the past couple of days with the cross ties and lead ropes. She has improved dramatically. Hopefully since she'll be getting turned out and worked, plus better quality food and grass she will feel better. Thank you everyone for the advice. You were all really helpful.