This is my 6 year old paint mare Licorice. On the ground, she is the absolute sweetest thing. She follows me around, leads well, lunges *okay* (could be better) and has endearing habits like carrying her food bucket around. She is healthy, if a bit chubby, and happy. She has bouts of attitude that I consider normal- sometimes turning away when she sees me coming with a halter, a little tail swishing or ear pinning if her gelding friend comes to close while she’s eating or tied, nothing too terrible.
It’s when I get her out to work with her that I have problems. She will lunge, but it somewhat balky at times, and she has reared and charged. (This is not acceptable or accepted- she is corrected and made to work hard afterward.) She’ll also aim a little side-kick or buck in my direction if she knows she is out of reach of the lunge whip. These are things I need to work on, I know this.
Riding is where we have our big issue. It started small, but has escalated, which I consider to be my fault due to my inexperience. Refusing to ride out, turning to bite my leg when bumped/cued, bucking, tail swishing, you name it, she does it. The only problem I don’t seem to consistently have is rearing- thank god because that scares the shit out of me. Bucking is not something I like, but *on the plus side* I have gotten very good at riding bucks out, first of all, and I have even progressed to halting her with a one-rein stop and turning in a circle. It’s not much but it’s progress.
This blog is simply me chronicling our *fun* adventures. I would love suggestions, as the crop of trainers in this area are either too expensive, too unavailable, or too “good ole boy” for my liking.
It’s when I get her out to work with her that I have problems. She will lunge, but it somewhat balky at times, and she has reared and charged. (This is not acceptable or accepted- she is corrected and made to work hard afterward.) She’ll also aim a little side-kick or buck in my direction if she knows she is out of reach of the lunge whip. These are things I need to work on, I know this.
Riding is where we have our big issue. It started small, but has escalated, which I consider to be my fault due to my inexperience. Refusing to ride out, turning to bite my leg when bumped/cued, bucking, tail swishing, you name it, she does it. The only problem I don’t seem to consistently have is rearing- thank god because that scares the shit out of me. Bucking is not something I like, but *on the plus side* I have gotten very good at riding bucks out, first of all, and I have even progressed to halting her with a one-rein stop and turning in a circle. It’s not much but it’s progress.
This blog is simply me chronicling our *fun* adventures. I would love suggestions, as the crop of trainers in this area are either too expensive, too unavailable, or too “good ole boy” for my liking.
great blog... your mare looks like my luna (i think i posted that on conformation clinic)... especially the ears back and leg cocked. luna is lazy, smart and stubborn, wonder if your mare has skipper W in her too! luna does the swishing tail, stopping and refusing to move act too... "get tough with her", they tell me... is that the same as getting mad???
ReplyDeletei won luna for $25, had just about given up my lifetime dream of owning a horse. i am training her myself too, for the same reasons as you are. i board her nearby, the plus to that is that i have lots of people telling me what to do! i pay a really good rider to ride luna once a week, seeing what she can get luna to do vs. me just makes me feel more inadequate! but i am still trying. my new tactic is to announce to her "i'm the boss!!" when i get on her, at the very least maybe i will believe it someday.
good luck...