The Dynamics Of Riding 'Alone'

Hi there, I have recently purchased a new horse she is 10 yrs old done pony club, campdraft and trail. The mare has been with the previous owners since a 2 yr old so hasn't been passed around. You cannot fault her in the paddock. She comes to you when called, is amazing to handle and saddle up. Great in every respect. Really she is a dream.

I have had her for only 6 days now yesterday. I got on her in the paddock for the first time, not a worry. But as soon as I took her out down the dirt road, she was not happy. So I just led her down the very quiet country road a few hundred meters and led her back to the paddock. I was fairly surprised at the change in her. I do have another older horse in the next paddock to her so she is obviously clinging to him.

I rang the original owner she said it was out of character for her but did say that she had not ridden her out on her own but in company. That is no good to me as I have to ride alone most of the time. Maybe the mare needs a little more time to settle in to her new environment.

Your theory of her needing to settle into her new environment sounds like it's on the right track. Remember that YOU are part of her new environment. You and your other older horse are her new herd. If she's frightened at going out on her own, then keep doing the leading away and back, and work on her confidence in you. Whenever you go out riding 'alone' you are actually a herd of two. And the horse needs to look up to you.

  

Labels:barn sour,buddy sour,horse behavior,horse behaviour,horse lead,horse problems,horse training,training horses

13comments:

I got a 9 year old quarter horse,in fact he was the same way,and I led him out about a mile down to some land that I have permission to ride and he was really fussy for the first hour and I rode him home and soon as he seen home his fuss went away,I have been taking him out little by little and he is getting better.

Anonymoussaid...

11:43 PM 

I have a 9-year-old Canadian are who is definitely chronic separation anxiety disorder. I can't even take the other horses out without her. She'll break the fence to be with them. She throws herself against the stall door and I'm afraid she will hurt herself. She is a nice little mare in most other aspects, except she rears if I try to ride her alone. As far as I can tell her history has been one of serious neglect and she has been an one horse family pet, who has been beat when she disobeyed. She is a frequent disobeyer. She is now in her second year of recuperation from severe leg trauma on all four legs, with a Standardbred filly, an Hanoverian gelding for company and me. She hasn't had a raised voice or a raised hand against her in that time.