Yes but in our case the horse has already been trained by me.
In the OP’'s case there is more of a catch 22.
The horse can’t go correctly unless the rider can sit and ask right. The rider can’t sit and ask right unless the horse is correct.
So you need to be a stong enough rider to keep your position even though the horse is not correcy yet.
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When I read the first few lines of your post I had to look and make sure I hadn’t somehow started this thread myself!
First and foremost, yes she will get over it! The more people I talk to, the more I find this phase seems to be very common in 5-6 y/o warmblood mares. My big girl, a Holsteiner, is also 6 and has been through everything from rearing, backing up, kicking out, slamming on breaks to halt from a canter, you name it. All to avoid going forward. Took us a long while to figure her out but she’s now incredibly responsive to my leg. In fact I was recruited to warm up horses for an IEA show at my barn last weekend - fantastic horses, true schoolmasters, and I was shocked that not one of them was nearly as responsive to my leg as my mare is. Which is really something considering it used to take 20 minutes to get her to trot.
Couple tips, some of which have been touched on above:
**Make sure you are not nagging with your leg! At any gait. Put leg on and expect forward, and take leg off the moment she goes faster. That way your leg really means something.
**You describe your canter transitions as: leg, mare trots, crop, mare keeps trotting, more crop, mare kicks out and eventually canters, praise. This is perfect but is only step one. Once she canters, praise, then back to walk. Then re-ask, starting with just light leg. You may have to go through the whole process again, if so, that is fine. But then again come right back to the walk and ask again. What should happen is after a few attempts, she will canter sooner in the progression of aids. Maybe attempt 3 she canters on the first crop, then attempt 4 she canters with only your leg. That’s when you let her walk a little longer and give her a big reward. Without going back and re-asking once she’s cantered the first time, she thinks the aid to canter is “crop crop crop”. If you go right back to it, she will understand that yes she’s a good girl for cantering, but you need her to do it the first time you ask. I hope I explained that in a way that makes sense!
My boy, asking him to canter again, actually made him angry.
So I started the exercise on the lunge first. I would canter, then ask for trot, then ask for canter, then trot and then canter. Both ways. Without side reins and with side reins. He had to canter when asked and he received plenty of praise. There was not much of trot before the next ask of canter.
Then the same under saddle and it wasn’t such a big deal.
I can always remember something my instructor said years ago about Sim as it was not something that I had ever thought.
He said. Sim now has the confidence to go forward. That changes everything doesn’t it?
You guys have me paranoid now. LOL. So starting with my boy did not mean a son or a hubby. A gelding!
An exercise under saddle for a quiet horse to sharpen up is on a 20 meter circle canter, trot 3 strides canter, trot 3 strides, canter, trot 3 strides. This exercise can be too heating for a hot horse.
Thank you all for this input… I’ve actually been going through a similar thing recently with my gelding. He picks up the right lead with no problem, but started kicking out at my right leg when I ask for the left lead canter. The odd thing is, he would pick up the left lead with no problem if we weren’t on the rail.
I’m in the process of having the vet out to make sure it’s nothing physical, but barring that, will implement some of these techniques with my trainer.
Good suggestion! I am usually riding my mare in lessons, but the days I just hack I have been really focusing on these transitions. She does get sharper to the aids as the ride goes on, so again, I think we’re heading in the right direction. I’ll definitely try this suggestion today, as I will be hacking alone 
Have you tried spurs instead of a crop? I always found they connect that with leg means they MUST go.
Since the first rider got on the first horse, it has always been about the rider!!!
Yes, I ride with both!
Actually had a fantastic ride today! Tried some advice I was given here and made sure her walk-trot transitions were sharp before asking her to canter. I also really paid attention to my aids and made sure I wasn’t nagging and was asking very clearly.
The first couple of w-t transitions I did have to give her a hard kick but then she became super responsive to a more subtle aid. When I first asked for canter I just had to give her a little bump with my spur and she went right into it without bucking or kicking out. Cantered a few strides then went back down to trot and asked again and repeated this several times. She got quicker and quicker with her response with zero bucking or attitude.
The only sass I got was after a walk break, she ignored my leg and gave me a little buck when I followed it up with the crop but went right back into canter. The next canter transition was super though - progress!!
Awesome progress!
This is the route I tend to go if it’s not a pain issue. Balking at the leg is something I have very little tolerance for. It’s all fun and games in the beginning, but if you don’t nip it in the bud before moving on to other phases of her training (ie jumping), it becomes a real issue when you’re cantering up to a jump, add leg to close the gap, horse sucks back and then you end up in middle of an oxer. Not fun. So while getting after her with a few well timed smacks with the stick may seem kind of mean in the moment, you’re actually doing your horse a favor by setting her up for success in the future.
Do not be afraid to continue getting after her if you do not get a yes ma’am! Going forward response. Any response besides shooting forward is not an appropriate response. Ignoring, kicking out, sucking back, all not appropriate responses. Once she does do the right thing and goes forward, give her a reward by a release of pressure and big pats. If you aren’t comfortable giving a pretty aggressive and firm ride, it may be best to let you trainer put some rides on her.
Just be prepared for her take offense. Some horses take it pretty well and are just kind of like, okay okay I’ll go forward. Others, I’ve found, particularly mares, take offense and you’ll then have to wait them out until they get over themselves.
I think our girls are related :lol:
:lol: When I was shopping, I told my trainer I wanted a MADE GELDING. Yet, I ended up with a green mare…buyers are liars :lol: I’m so glad others have been in this same boat though, it’s nice to be able to commiserate!
My WB mare did the same thing at that age as we started asking more from her. I too had vet checks and xrays and saddle fittings to make sure it was not physical…and then she started tying up. Turns out she has PSSM–which IS physical, but not something vets typically look for when experiencing behavioral issues.
Once diagnosed and under control with diet, she settled down to business. Not saying it must be PSSM in your case, but keep that in your back pocket if things continue to not progress?
Tbh I’ve had a lot of young horses like this, it always just kind of went away naturally over time. I only really use the crop if I really can’t get them to go without it. Depends on the horse I guess but I feel like more often than not it was a balance thing more than a lazy thing. I love doing little spirals in and out at the walk with young horses because they can all learn it fairly quickly if you make sure you release at the right moment and clears up a lot of potential miscommunication errors lol
These PIA mares are usually SO worth it though. Mine is still 6 and still has the occasional PIA day, but I wouldn’t trade her for anything in the world, no matter how made or fancy or perfect. So just hang in there!
I agree. Mine is still strongly opinionated, but would go to war for me if I were to ask. All of the negotiations and love songs are so worth it in the end.
This. My mare, as annoying as her plethora of anxiety induced problems are, has my back and I know it. She’s turned me into a mare person
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