Ears "kinda" layed back while playing with her

by Sheri
(NJ)

Hi there-

I'm not even sure which question to ask first as I have many. I do PNH with both my horses. My question is about my 5yr old OTTB. Your story on Ajax reminds me a lot of my mare.

She is actually very sweet, and seems to like people a lot. We had done a lot of ground work when I first adopted her as she cracked her front left shin in a race and couldn't be ridden anyway.

As we began to get further along in the program, she gets very cranky (online)when asking her to do any work- circling, figure 8- especially the porcupine game. She doesn't like to be touched around her side at all. I do the laying across her back etc..., and she is getting better- but is very cinchy and it would seem to me- did not have a very pleasant experience from riding.

I don't know how to change her "attitude" as she always looks unhappy while working. She displays dominant behavior ie: rearing, bucking, nasty faces etc....- but will back down quickly. She's getting better, but I don't know if it will just take time. I've had her a little over a year.
I have been on her a few times in the round pen- but I don't want her to be worried about it. So is exceptionally smart, and picks thing up so fast!

Any advice would be great. If you need more info- let me know.

Thanks
Sheri

Answer

Here’s my thoughts.

Sounds like a few things are surfacing here. When crankiness comes in there can often be two sides from the horse’s perspective: “I don’t understand” or “I don’t want to”. Either way trust is in the forefront and then respect. Some mares have slightly different needs in the respect department. They prefer to be “negotiated with” not “told” with requests. Clarity, consistency, incentive, offering “a reason why” is what propels them to interact willingly.

The rearing, bucking, nasty faces all point toward feeling the need to be defensive which brings in the, “I don’t understand” part. Resistance to the porcupine game is a biggy showing us defensiveness.

But let’s also rule out pain of any kind. How is her health? Crankiness can be because of pain, cinchiness too.

You haven’t had her for very long considering what she has already experienced in her life with other humans. You’re challenged with having to undo some past experiences for her. In order to prove to her anything you can only offer good consistent information on top of old information ( and then repeat) Attitudes change when we can “prove” we are worthy of their respect and trust. And 5 yrs old is still pretty young too.

Note: Respect is a two way street. We must offer it just as much as expect it. So with a dominant mare for example I would recognize her instinctual need to want be leader but demonstrate I am more confident than her to do the job. In other words I take responsibility for the entire decision making process.

Here’s where I would start. Review the 7 games right back to the Friendly and Porcupine.
Ground Training Exercises

Dominant horses also need variety and dislike everything feeling like “work”. So make a point of spending undemanding time, this helps gain points in the trust department. Even Pat Parelli reminds us not to make the 7 Games the 7 Jobs.

The other tool that is incredibly effective with these kinds of horses (especially mares) is Clicker Training Here is where you can answer the question “what’s in it for me” for the horse.

Try more at liberty. This allows her to make a decision and show you what she thinks and then you can explain your position without her feeling wrong for trying. Make her ideas your ideas. For example if my initial thought was driving her hind quarters to the left but she offered the right, I would quickly say, okay, me too, let’s go to the right first and then we’ll go to the left. I still made the final decision and because horse’s like to preserve energy, it doesn’t take long before they will wait for the request first because it’s less work for them.

The best relationships are built from the ground up. Progress at her pace until you feel her worry has all dissipated.

Keep up the great work,
Elaine Polny