Ear Problem - Young Horse

[TaraB_Connected_Ride]

I’ve recently purchased and incredible, 5 year old Hanoverian mare. I am absolutely thrilled and in love with her! She is a joy to ride, talented, and has a million dollar brain! She is by far one of the sweetest, most loving horses I have ever met in my life and I feel honored to own her and excited for our future!

I am just having one problem with her that I’m looking for suggestions/advice on.

She is a BIG girl! 17.2h and an old style, big bodied warmblood. I am 5’6", so not really short, but when she has her head up, even slightly, it’s a reach!!

The biggest problem is, she is absolutly terrified to have her ears touched. I’m guessing she may have been ear twitched one too many times as a baby. I keep her halter fairly loose and she has gotten much better with me putting that on and taking it off. And I’m thinking I will start to undo the buckle rather than take it over her ears.

But the bridle is proving to be a real challenge as this must be tighter, of course. I can get the bit in her mouth but as soon as I try to put the crown piece over her ears, she throws her head up and I just can’t get anywhere near close to getting the bridle on. I eventually get there but it can take 10mns sometimes. She flinches and is clearly scared every time I even just try to gently touch her ears and up gos the head.

Anyone have any advice for working through this and calming her fears? It is doubly difficult due to her size!

[high_hat]

A step stool and treats along with patience are your friends. I too have a mare this size. But, I’m only 5’3". Went through this problem. Started out slow and easy with a step stool and worked on putting my forearm over her head with the bridle in my hand. Sugar cubes were used as an enticement for her to come to the bit.

Took time but she is very well behaved when being bridled now. Using clippers: well that is another matter.

[normandy_shores]

Had a foundations/NH trainer work on an ear shy mare I had. Mare panicked once while ring bridled and slammed her head into me, leaving me on eh ground and concussed despite wearing a helmet. The experience only added to the mare’s trauma surrounding her ears.

She used a 22ft line with a ring on the end, and put it around her neck just behind the ears/throatlatch such that when she released pressure, the ring would slide loose (think like a dogs choke collar). She then lunged the mare (regularnline attached to halter/cavesson/bridle) while working the ringed line. Tighten the ringed line, release when she relaxes, repeat. I was able to safely bridle my mare after a single 15 minute session. Whenever mare had a nervous day I’d play with that a few times and we’d be back on track.

She also did the same with girthy horses around their barrel, was amazing how quickly it worked.

[normandy_shores]

Oh, I’ll add that for a while, I switched to an endurance style “add-on” bridle. It’s essentially just a headstall that slips on, usually over a rope halter and the browband snaps to it. Let’s you have the horse controlled in a rope halter during bridling. It lent me some confidence while I worked though with that mare.

[TaraB_Connected_Ride]

Wow! This sounds incredible!
Do you know if the line is something that can be purchased?
I feel so badly for her, she clearly isn’t being a bad girl and is just so scared!

[TaraB_Connected_Ride]

[QUOTE=high hat;8923915]
A step stool and treats along with patience are your friends. I too have a mare this size. But, I’m only 5’3". Went through this problem. Started out slow and easy with a step stool and worked on putting my forearm over her head with the bridle in my hand. Sugar cubes were used as an enticement for her to come to the bit.

Took time but she is very well behaved when being bridled now. Using clippers: well that is another matter.[/QUOTE]

Cannot imagine being 5’3" and trying to bridle a 17.2h ear shy horse!!

My girl does not like sugar cubes though! I was hoping to have that as an aid through this process, but no go for her!

I’m definitely going to get a step stool though and just try to gently start working around her ears.

[normandy_shores]

[QUOTE=TaraB_Connected _Rider;8923920]
Wow! This sounds incredible!
Do you know if the line is something that can be purchased?
I feel so badly for her, she clearly isn’t being a bad girl and is just so scared![/QUOTE]

I googled “22 ft line with ring” and came up wth several.

http://horseropeconnection.com/horsemans-training-lead-22ft-yacht-braid/

[TaraB_Connected_Ride]

[QUOTE=normandy_shores;8923926]
I googled “22 ft line with ring” and came up wth several.

http://horseropeconnection.com/horsemans-training-lead-22ft-yacht-braid/[/QUOTE]

Excellent! I will look it up. Thank you!

[normandy_shores]

Essentially it was a safer way to apply pressure to that area and provide a release. The theory makes sense but I was skeptical myself. Was quite impressed at how dramatic a change there was in one session!

[TaraB_Connected_Ride]

[QUOTE=normandy_shores;8923929]
Essentially it was a safer way to apply pressure to that area and provide a release. The theory makes sense but I was skeptical myself. Was quite impressed at how dramatic a change there was in one session![/QUOTE]

It makes a ton of sense and actually exactly the suggestion I was looking for. I’ve done enough work with some wild mustangs we were training to be handled, to know that pressure and release can be very successful. Just wasnt sure about tools for this particular issue!

Thanks again!

[Dutchmare433]

Are you sure your mare doesn’t have anything in her ears causing her pain? Something like aural plaques, which can cause severe sensitivity and pain.

Obviously this isn’t your mare’s issue, but I’ll share my experience. My horse was bitten badly on his right ear, creating a large/deep wound on either side…tons of swelling, eventually requiring debridement and stitches. For the first few weeks, he got his halter on and of with an undone crown piece. I had to ride him a few times, and in order to do so, I had to take the bridle 3/4 of the way apart, put the crown piece over his neck, slide it forward, then attach the browband to the near side, then put the bit in his mouth and attach the cheek strap and noseband on the near side as well…everything remained attached on the far side. This clearly isn’t a permanent solution, and as soon as the wound was mostly closed, he went back to normal about bridling. (He’s great about his ears now, the itchiness from the stitches made him want tons of scratches on that ear.) So even though it’s not permanent, it’s a way to deal with a pain caused issue with the ears. (As well as treating the underlying cause of said pain.)

[kande04]

[QUOTE=TaraB_Connected _Rider;8923922]
Cannot imagine being 5’3" and trying to bridle a 17.2h ear shy horse!!

My girl does not like sugar cubes though! I was hoping to have that as an aid through this process, but no go for her!
.[/QUOTE]

Mine don’t care for sugar either, so I use grain, which seems to the highest value treat for them. And I’m not stingy with it, either. I get them on a high rate of reinforcement for lowering their head and letting me touch their ears so that they get really into earning treats, and then I teach them how to take the bit into their mouth, and then I touch their nose and forehead with the headstall, all the time rewarding them with little handfuls of grain for keeping their head down–until they’re eager to have me put the bridle on because the grain game is so rewarding for them.

[TaraB_Connected_Ride]

[QUOTE=Dutchmare433;8923968]
Are you sure your mare doesn’t have anything in her ears causing her pain? Something like aural plaques, which can cause severe sensitivity and pain.

Obviously this isn’t your mare’s issue, but I’ll share my experience. My horse was bitten badly on his right ear, creating a large/deep wound on either side…tons of swelling, eventually requiring debridement and stitches. For the first few weeks, he got his halter on and of with an undone crown piece. I had to ride him a few times, and in order to do so, I had to take the bridle 3/4 of the way apart, put the crown piece over his neck, slide it forward, then attach the browband to the near side, then put the bit in his mouth and attach the cheek strap and noseband on the near side as well…everything remained attached on the far side. This clearly isn’t a permanent solution, and as soon as the wound was mostly closed, he went back to normal about bridling. (He’s great about his ears now, the itchiness from the stitches made him want tons of scratches on that ear.) So even though it’s not permanent, it’s a way to deal with a pain caused issue with the ears. (As well as treating the underlying cause of said pain.)[/QUOTE]

I just had the vet out to do her teeth and we looked at her ears while she was drugged for that. It definitely appears to be a fear issue rather than any pain from what we can tell. Certainly nothing that would suggest pain.

I am going to take your suggestion about loosening or undoing pieces of the bridle, though. Just to help through the process while working with her.

Thank you for responding!

[specifiedcupcake]

Sometimes having poll pain can make them ear shy. My horse was this way (only with one ear, oddly) until a chiro figured it out.

[TaraB_Connected_Ride]

[QUOTE=specifiedcupcake;8924085]
Sometimes having poll pain can make them ear shy. My horse was this way (only with one ear, oddly) until a chiro figured it out.[/QUOTE]

Chiro is definitely on my agenda for her!

[outerbanks77]

[QUOTE=specifiedcupcake;8924085]
Sometimes having poll pain can make them ear shy. My horse was this way (only with one ear, oddly) until a chiro figured it out.[/QUOTE]

I was thinking this too. A good body worker can check for tightness or pain in that area.

You’ve received lots of good advice already. After ruling out pain (it may be a combination - carrying tension there because of fear), I’d be working on teaching her to drop her head and work towards getting her to enjoy having her ears rubbed. In the meantime, taking the bridle apart is a good plan.

[MysticOakRanch]

I got a yearling that was like this - she was terrified to have her ears or poll handled - guessing she was ear twitched? Working slowly with her, pressure and release, it took quite a while, but now she is good with clipping, bridling, etc. Put your time into her, it is worth it. Meanwhile, you can always unbuckle the bridle for riding, so you don’t lose riding time. Years ago, I rode a horse that had been manhandled badly, and that was the only way to bridle and unbridle. PITA, but he was so good with most other stuff…

[merrygoround]

I have dealt with this This particular horse liked neck scratches, and face rubs, so I approached the problem bare handed rubbing the happy spots, and gradually extending my reach. It is slow maybe and takes patience but it will work.

[betsyk]

Lots of great suggestions. We’ve had two who were tough about bridling, one because of ears. For him, curling his head and neck toward me as I started bridling him (treat) then holding the bridle in front of his face (treat), rather than reaching between his ears seemed to help. I’d let him take the bit (treat) then pause while I reached up and started with the right ear (treat). Lengthening the cheekpieces a hole or two and making sure your browband is big enough might also help - you can shorten the cheekpieces after the bridle is on, but be careful the bit isn’t so low that it bangs into his teeth.

Our mare just needed to know that nobody was going to shove the bit into her mouth or pull it out before she was ready. She was “easy” once we realized we just needed to take it slowly and give her a moment to reach down for the bit, rather than bringing it up towards her.

[Sandy_M]

When my guy was 3, a cowgirl started him, and she rode him first in a rope halter, then a d-ring snaffle with a western one-ear headstall. After I got him home, the first time I went to put on my usual “English” bridle with a browband, he ran backwards and flipped over (fortunately mostly sideways), and hit his head on the door on the other side of the grooming area. Aaargh!!! Fortunately, the vet was next door and I had him checked out immediately, and all appeared to be (and obviously is, 9 years later!) fine.

I started first just rubbing and groom his face and gradually working up to the ears, offering treats. Whenever I went to bridle him, I let out the cheekpieces of the bridle so far that I could lift the crown piece over his years without that or the browband getting anywhere touching his ears. I then adjusted the bridle afterwards. When he was good, I immediately thereafter gave him a treat. Now he grabs for the bit whenever he sees the bridle and stands quietly until it is completely on, then turns his head to me, expectantly looking for his treat.