*RANT!!!**Sorta* I Feel Like a Failure

Outlaws_Gunn · 03-07-2009, 07:34 PM

Why is it I always end up w the problems?? My mare, Flicka, is so smart and wonderful, really. But, they act so STUPID!!!!! I rode Flicka today w Vengeance and another friend. They rode Gypsie and Dakota. Normally, Flicka is a perfect angel when Gypsie's around. Same w Dakota. Ven's horses just make mine calm.
But, today- and the last few times we've ridden together- Flicka has turned into a dummy!!
She won't even TRY to do what I say half the time!! Idk what to do! She ignored me, looking off in the distance, stops and turns around. We can't go faster than a walk anywhere because she flings her head in the air from side to side looking at everything like a re.tard. She ends up stumbling, and I'm scared she'll either hurt me or herself.
And if something on the side of the trail moves, she turns into a jack rabbit and spooks. Even if something DOESN'T move- like a rock today. She arches her neck, looks at it, snorts, and tries to turn and run. Or, if we're going down a hill, she hears something, shoots her head up and her eyes bug. We either stop ubbruptly, almost throwing me over her head, or she trips.

She just flat out ignores me. I get so sick of it! I get so mad I cry sometimes. I just CAN'T get her to listen. I flex and flex and turn her in circles and transition gaits and flex some more. She just....idk. She won't cross anything, hardly. A bridge, stream, logs, etc. She acts like everything is out to kill her. She won't even try. She just stops and looks around. And even if I squeeze and cluck and kiss she just lokks around. I got so mad today, I made my legs tired from kicking her. SHE DID NOTHING BUT STAND THERE!! I took my reigns and gave her a pop or two on the rump, but to no avail.

I'm scared to use spurs, I don't wanna chance hurting her. A riding crop/switch does nothing but make her jump.And it makes it worse that one day she'll be so perfect and the next she acts like I'm not even there. Even if I make her work her bu.tt off.
I don't have money to pay a trainer, and the pro trainers around her have either ran off cause of family problems, or were just proffesional liars. So, I have no one to 'show' me how to do something... My farrier tells me just lots of riding. My horse savey uncles keep repeating 'it all starts in the round pen'. My grandad use to raise and train Apps, but, now, he acts like horses are just the dirt beneath his feet and I can't get him to help me. *sigh* I'm just so lost...

Sorry it was so long, guys... I feel better now that I've got it out, though...

jumpergurl87 · 03-07-2009, 08:02 PM

My horse has done something similiar to this before, actually it was this fall. For no reason at all he was spooky and terribly jerky for about 2 months, and then he gradually started being himself again. I was really scared to ride him bc he started rearing, jumping, spooking, and not listening to me. So I just spent lots of time with him on the ground. Taking him for five minute walks, standing beside him in the pasture, just getting to know him all over again, until I finally felt that we were both confident enough go riding again. I mean, I have been riding for 7 years, not that I'm an expert or anything, cause I am only 14 years old, but just spending time with my horse seemed to help me and him reastablish a bond. I hope I helped!

Outlaws_Gunn · 03-07-2009, 08:56 PM

I've done that several times. She has always ignored me. Just not to the extent of today.

Aussies_girl · 03-07-2009, 09:03 PM

First off your NOT a failure! we all have some rough patches when we first have our horses. I know if frustrated me to no end that my mare wouldn't pivot.

Now what it sounds like you need to do is ground work. You can never do too much ground work. You need to desensitize her to everything you can think of. plastic bags, bikes, tarps, water, all on the ground! then get on her and try again. It sounds like she shuts down, if she doesn't get it or is afraid of something her mind will just go blank and your pretty much stuck until she snaps out of it. work on her frame of mind. Ill admit that i cannot properly explain what I'm trying to express her so my advice to you is to go on youtube and search for Clinton Anderson, take a look at some of his videos or watch his show on RFD TV, hes an excellent horseman and I wouldn't say that if i didn't mean it!

cowgirl up 2 · 03-07-2009, 09:04 PM

start working her in round pen get her attention and respect there.introduce her to tarps ,cans,any scary thing you can think of ,work at till nothing bothers her there,then start trail riding her agian.

Aussies_girl · 03-07-2009, 09:31 PM

Clinton Anderson training videos (lots)

some of these may touch the basics of what your going through with flicka. Hope this helps! and I hope you can get on track with your mare!

Kaysosebee · 03-07-2009, 09:35 PM

could she maybe be goin in to season?[heat]
there is a mare at the barn that has a tendensy to do things like that when shes about it be in heat

Outlaws_Gunn · 03-07-2009, 09:53 PM

Kayso, it's funny, she's actually better when she's in heat.

. I ride a lot. It's hard to just do ground work constantly and not ride... She doesn't spook at anything in the round pen. She feels safe there. She just gets so....horrified and, like you said, Aussie, she goes blank.
And also, once she gets going for a while, she usually calms down. She still looks around some, but nothing like today. I know she's herd sour, so normally our biggest problem is leaving the barn/house are. After that, she's pretty good. She starts acting bad again when we get close to home. But, the last few rides by herself have been a dream. We haven't been disagreeing nearly as much. But, idk.... I get the feeling that no matter how much work I do on the ground, she still won't listen.

tucklove · 03-07-2009, 10:31 PM

If you haven't already, you might check her teeth or body. Some little naggiing pains can create spooky behavior: the horse knows it's not feeling 100% so it goes on the look-out. Changing weights in the transitions of seasons can cause a saddle that fit well in Winter to need some adjustments come Spring. Just something else to consider.

Other than that, you've gotten some good advice here. You're not a failure, everbody's horse is a doofus sometimes, even the very best of them. I would rule out pain first, then go back and work on some basic respect/trust exercises. The more you have her confront fears in a controlled environment where you wlak her through it and she comes out fine and relaxed, the more she'll look to you for guidance in unexpected situations. Good luck, chin up!

Native Winds · 03-07-2009, 10:59 PM

One thing you can do for the barn sour problem is never dismount at the barn. Dismount from your horse on the last leg of the trail and loosen the girth. If you are still riding and are close to the barn pass it up and dismount somewhere else. IF you ride in a arena dismount on the rail and mount in the center of the arena. This will break up the cycle. I dont dismount from the same place more than twice.

I am a John Lyons person and have been for years. Everything I did from his books and what have you have worked. There are many DVDs by him and I have some of his books. Lyons on Horses, Communicating with cues I and II. He can also help you with some of your problems. Has been a while since you have ridden or has the horse been stalled quite often. THis might be a contributing factor.l

03-07-2009, 07:34 PM	#1
Outlaws_Gunn Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: The 'Hollow' Posts: 1,121	RANT!!!Sorta I Feel Like a Failure Why is it I always end up w the problems?? My mare, Flicka, is so smart and wonderful, really. But, they act so STUPID!!!!! I rode Flicka today w Vengeance and another friend. They rode Gypsie and Dakota. Normally, Flicka is a perfect angel when Gypsie's around. Same w Dakota. Ven's horses just make mine calm. But, today- and the last few times we've ridden together- Flicka has turned into a dummy!! She won't even TRY to do what I say half the time!! Idk what to do! She ignored me, looking off in the distance, stops and turns around. We can't go faster than a walk anywhere because she flings her head in the air from side to side looking at everything like a re.tard. She ends up stumbling, and I'm scared she'll either hurt me or herself. And if something on the side of the trail moves, she turns into a jack rabbit and spooks. Even if something DOESN'T move- like a rock today. She arches her neck, looks at it, snorts, and tries to turn and run. Or, if we're going down a hill, she hears something, shoots her head up and her eyes bug. We either stop ubbruptly, almost throwing me over her head, or she trips. She just flat out ignores me. I get so sick of it! I get so mad I cry sometimes. I just CAN'T get her to listen. I flex and flex and turn her in circles and transition gaits and flex some more. She just....idk. She won't cross anything, hardly. A bridge, stream, logs, etc. She acts like everything is out to kill her. She won't even try. She just stops and looks around. And even if I squeeze and cluck and kiss she just lokks around. I got so mad today, I made my legs tired from kicking her. SHE DID NOTHING BUT STAND THERE!! I took my reigns and gave her a pop or two on the rump, but to no avail. I'm scared to use spurs, I don't wanna chance hurting her. A riding crop/switch does nothing but make her jump.And it makes it worse that one day she'll be so perfect and the next she acts like I'm not even there. Even if I make her work her bu.tt off. I don't have money to pay a trainer, and the pro trainers around her have either ran off cause of family problems, or were just proffesional liars. So, I have no one to 'show' me how to do something... My farrier tells me just lots of riding. My horse savey uncles keep repeating 'it all starts in the round pen'. My grandad use to raise and train Apps, but, now, he acts like horses are just the dirt beneath his feet and I can't get him to help me. sigh I'm just so lost... Sorry it was so long, guys... I feel better now that I've got it out, though... __________________ "We horses don't get to choose the people in out lives.For us,it's all chance" -Black Beauty

03-07-2009, 08:02 PM	#2
jumpergurl87 Full Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 57 Images: 5	My horse has done something similiar to this before, actually it was this fall. For no reason at all he was spooky and terribly jerky for about 2 months, and then he gradually started being himself again. I was really scared to ride him bc he started rearing, jumping, spooking, and not listening to me. So I just spent lots of time with him on the ground. Taking him for five minute walks, standing beside him in the pasture, just getting to know him all over again, until I finally felt that we were both confident enough go riding again. I mean, I have been riding for 7 years, not that I'm an expert or anything, cause I am only 14 years old, but just spending time with my horse seemed to help me and him reastablish a bond. I hope I helped! __________________ "The daughter who won't lift a finger in the house, is the same child who cycles madly off in the pouring rain to spend all morning mucking out a stable."

03-07-2009, 08:56 PM	#3
Outlaws_Gunn Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: The 'Hollow' Posts: 1,121	I've done that several times. She has always ignored me. Just not to the extent of today. __________________ "We horses don't get to choose the people in out lives.For us,it's all chance" -Black Beauty

03-07-2009, 09:03 PM	#4
Aussies_girl Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Where the Black Top Ends, Northern Michigan Posts: 305 Images: 26	First off your NOT a failure! we all have some rough patches when we first have our horses. I know if frustrated me to no end that my mare wouldn't pivot. Now what it sounds like you need to do is ground work. You can never do too much ground work. You need to desensitize her to everything you can think of. plastic bags, bikes, tarps, water, all on the ground! then get on her and try again. It sounds like she shuts down, if she doesn't get it or is afraid of something her mind will just go blank and your pretty much stuck until she snaps out of it. work on her frame of mind. Ill admit that i cannot properly explain what I'm trying to express her so my advice to you is to go on youtube and search for Clinton Anderson, take a look at some of his videos or watch his show on RFD TV, hes an excellent horseman and I wouldn't say that if i didn't mean it! __________________ "You may not always get every thing right, But you Never get everything wrong." -unknown http://paranormalresearchandinvestigation.webs.com

03-07-2009, 09:31 PM	#6
Aussies_girl Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Where the Black Top Ends, Northern Michigan Posts: 305 Images: 26	Clinton Anderson training videos (lots) some of these may touch the basics of what your going through with flicka. Hope this helps! and I hope you can get on track with your mare! __________________ "You may not always get every thing right, But you Never get everything wrong." -unknown http://paranormalresearchandinvestigation.webs.com

03-07-2009, 09:04 PM	#5
cowgirl up 2 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: minnesota Posts: 844 Images: 45	start working her in round pen get her attention and respect there.introduce her to tarps ,cans,any scary thing you can think of ,work at till nothing bothers her there,then start trail riding her agian.

03-07-2009, 09:35 PM	#7
Kaysosebee Full Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: North Georgia Posts: 85 Images: 18	could she maybe be goin in to season?[heat] there is a mare at the barn that has a tendensy to do things like that when shes about it be in heat __________________ "Cowgirls like us..sure do have fun Chasing the wind..Chasing the sun"

03-07-2009, 09:53 PM	#8
Outlaws_Gunn Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: The 'Hollow' Posts: 1,121	Kayso, it's funny, she's actually better when she's in heat. . I ride a lot. It's hard to just do ground work constantly and not ride... She doesn't spook at anything in the round pen. She feels safe there. She just gets so....horrified and, like you said, Aussie, she goes blank. And also, once she gets going for a while, she usually calms down. She still looks around some, but nothing like today. I know she's herd sour, so normally our biggest problem is leaving the barn/house are. After that, she's pretty good. She starts acting bad again when we get close to home. But, the last few rides by herself have been a dream. We haven't been disagreeing nearly as much. But, idk.... I get the feeling that no matter how much work I do on the ground, she still won't listen. __________________ "We horses don't get to choose the people in out lives.For us,it's all chance" -Black Beauty

03-07-2009, 10:31 PM	#9
tucklove Senior Member+ Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Oregon, USA Posts: 1,571 Images: 166 Blog Entries: 207	If you haven't already, you might check her teeth or body. Some little naggiing pains can create spooky behavior: the horse knows it's not feeling 100% so it goes on the look-out. Changing weights in the transitions of seasons can cause a saddle that fit well in Winter to need some adjustments come Spring. Just something else to consider. Other than that, you've gotten some good advice here. You're not a failure, everbody's horse is a doofus sometimes, even the very best of them. I would rule out pain first, then go back and work on some basic respect/trust exercises. The more you have her confront fears in a controlled environment where you wlak her through it and she comes out fine and relaxed, the more she'll look to you for guidance in unexpected situations. Good luck, chin up! __________________ There's one bit that works on every horse; a bit of knowledge. Driftin Page 1982 AQHM Royally Smarter 1992 AQHG Savvy Shootin Tucker 2002 AQHG DirtySongNDance 2007 AQHM Simon 2007 cowdog RIP Peso Love you Weazer Miss you Tibby

03-07-2009, 10:59 PM	#10
Native Winds Senior Member+ Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Lexington KY area Posts: 2,044 Images: 10 Blog Entries: 19	One thing you can do for the barn sour problem is never dismount at the barn. Dismount from your horse on the last leg of the trail and loosen the girth. If you are still riding and are close to the barn pass it up and dismount somewhere else. IF you ride in a arena dismount on the rail and mount in the center of the arena. This will break up the cycle. I dont dismount from the same place more than twice. I am a John Lyons person and have been for years. Everything I did from his books and what have you have worked. There are many DVDs by him and I have some of his books. Lyons on Horses, Communicating with cues I and II. He can also help you with some of your problems. Has been a while since you have ridden or has the horse been stalled quite often. THis might be a contributing factor.l __________________ They say money does'nt buy you happiness, but I know it would solve alot of my problems which makes me unhappy. "Trust No One" x-files

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
uuuum ok? (rant...sorta)	jazzyjumper	Tack & Equipment	10	05-24-2008 07:48 AM
Everyone thinks they're a trainer rant sorta	Eventer98	Horse Chat	15	01-03-2008 12:43 PM
Rant I feel so down about riding and need to release it...rant	skysthelimit	Horse Chat	12	10-30-2006 05:17 AM
I feel Bad sort of a rant	Barn_Brat	Horse Chat	0	05-14-2006 01:49 PM
I feel like such a failure	CrazyHorse	Horse Chat	36	04-25-2005 07:49 AM