Very important…does she do it with your trainer too? And what’s your typical schooling session like? How long after you start with her, riding or leading, does she blow? Do you return to exactly what you were doing when she’s done or let her change the subject? If you were almost done, do you add more time after she settles, like at least 15 min of trot and canter work or quit very soon after. Be honest.
Smart horses, especially mares, learn very quickly that if they are not getting their way they can change the subject by scaring you. Don’t say she doesn’t scare you, they act like this, it’s scary. Really need to think about everything you are doing being very honest with yourself. In most cases, rider has inadvertently taught the young horse they can dissuade you from persuing anything they find difficult or continuing to work past the time they think are done.
You very likely have a teenage brat on your hands. Perfectly normal for the 4year old set after enough under saddle training to really understand where this is going and start losing respect. Usually happens at around that 6 month point and when the owner takes over most of the riding.
Bothers me a bit that HRH here has started disrespecting and talking back to you in the ground as well, stinker has figured out she can take control of you earlier so she doesn’t have to put up with so much nonsense. Mares, especially the smart ones…queens of evasion. Gelding will just buck bur mare won’t waste the energy and risk a spanking.
You just need a good bit of thinking about how you structure your time with her, avoid set routines, doing the same things in the same order in the same amount of time invites her anticipation and trying to take over.and get your Pro on her. She’ll always be a bit prone to take over but will keep you on your toes. Mares like this also make terrific competition partners, long as you remember ask a stallion, tell a gelding but negotiate with a mare…and if you do, mare will negotiate with you.
Everybody thinks saddle breaking is the tough part. No it’s not, it’s the teenage brat stage, smart mare just makes it worse.
Just a sec here to share my favorite two smart mare stories. Future Division Pony Mare, Medium IIRC, nearing the end of her Green year. Started swapping leads behind about 5 strides from the in fence coming off the corner. Everybody tried to fix it. Vet, farrier, saddle fit. No luck. Visiting clinician nailed it. Riders were letting her change the subject by circling, half halting, fiddling with her to the point she either stopped, drifted out or jumped in like a sack of potatoes and added up the line. She had learned to change the subject. Solution was keep her going to the fence even on the cross canter, which was uncomfortable and made her work harder to jump and get the numbers in the line. Took about 3 times off that corner and down that line on a cross canter to stop that swap plus an occasional refresher.
Other smart mare, Also a Pony, this one regular Division Medium long past Green, started stopping and ducking right at single oxers. Did find a saddle fit issue ( too long), changed that but problem continued. Did it with different riders. Same visiting clinician also figured it out. Approaching the fence, riders would get the stick ready in case she stopped, they all used the stick in the right hand, He had them lose the stick and just add spurs, When they lifted their hand to apply the stick behind the leg, they “ Opened the gate” with their body to allow the evasion towards the right she learned to take advantage of that, Solved the issue,
My own mare was the worlds largest smart Pony mare, just under 16h. She had a wicked spook she’d throw in after working both ways at all 3 gaits or at about 30 minutes. She came to me way but it didn’t surface until about 6 months after I got her, after she got comfortable and learned the barn routine. Seems she had learned the drill and only gave you so long after all tasks were completed then she announced, via that wicked spook and duck move, she was done and was not going to work overtime. Wasn’t in her contract. Call her agent. Cropped up from time to time and forced us to stay out there much longer then intended to convince HRH she was not in charge.
Outsmart and negotiate. But set boundaries and enforce them, don’t let her push you around on the ground, never stand for that kind of crap. She thinks you won’t correct her if she scares you a bit. Pro help will help nip that in the bud.
