My 8 year old mare has recently been out of (consistent) work for the last few years. She is a rescue and has been waiting for someone to love her, and I have just started riding her back in early May. As far as I can remember, she has never pulled the reins out of my hands or given me any issues with arena work until just recently, about 3 weeks ago. She’s amazing on the trails, it’s only when we go into the arena that she starts to pull the reins out of my hands. I’ve tried using different saddles and bits and nothing seems to help. It seems to be worse on her right side, especially when doing circles. She lunges fine, but as soon as I lunge her on her right side, she starts to slow down and will even change direction without me asking her to, in which case she gladly picks up her speed and continues to lunge in the other direction.
I don’t know if this is a physical issue or just a behavioral issue - we had the vet check her out briefly, and she ended up giving us a bute to give to her for a week to see if it helped. So far she’s been on the bute for about 4 days and when I worked her yesterday she seemed the same. If it were a physical issue, would the bute help to temporarily stop the rooting?
If this is behavioral, I want to learn how to correct it ASAP!!!
Who is the COTHer whose signature line says that a lot of riders change their bit, they change their saddle, they change … etc. … but they don’t change themselves?
What does your vet say about working your mare while she’s sill on Bute? What does she say about the rooting? What does your trainer say? Have they consulted with each other as well as with you? Why did the vet give her Bute? What did she say about the mare’s right side? When you trotted her out for the vet did you do circles or just trot a straight line?
Until you mentioned the vet and the Bute I was gonna recommend working on your seat and position rather than change the bit and saddle.
A “brief” check by the vet, followed by Bute, doesn’t sound like much IMO. What all did the vet check?
What about your farrier?
If it is not physical them it is a training problem. Out on the trail you are probably on a loose rein. She now prefers that and wants that, so she objects when you want her to work. She pulls the reins to pull your seat out of the saddle so as you can not control her. Your position and your stomach muscles prevent this so start pilates now.
They are not allowed to change direction when lunging. They should halt when asked. You go to them, praise. Turn them and ask them to start again the other way.
2 lunge reins will prevent her from turning in.
If she’s able to continue in the other direction … that means you don’t stop her?
You are just enforcing the behavior. To put simply: DO NOT LET HER. Horses do have preferances and clearly she likes lunging to the left better. Have a lunge whip in your hand and put it to use if need be. You are the boss - not her.
Rooting is a training issue most of the time - not a tack issue.
If she is able to actually pull the reins from your hands, that tells me you aren’t prepared for her to do it … and you should be. Expect it and be ready. Don’t let her do it. If she needs a reminder on how to give to pressure, make sure you go through those training steps.
A horse I trained years ago did this. He was always fine on the trail and would start rooting when we worked him in the arena. I fixed it by switching up his training to soften him on the bit. I always only used a pinchless snaffle bit, a myler would work too. I’d lunge with a side rein on the outside and the lunge line run through the bit ring to the girth on the inside. It basically acts as an inside/outside rein for the horse. They can’t get away from the side rein and they learn to soften to the bit on the inside rein. If you have not worked a horse like this before, use a trainer.
Are you lunging in side reins? I’m unclear as to whether she’s resisting the bit or if she is resisting turning in one direction. If it truly seems one sided, when we’re her teeth last floated? If you’re round penning her with no bit, and she is resistant to lunging in a specific direction it could be anything from her trying to control the situation to a back issue to an inner ear infection. I’d have the vet do more than a cursory exam then if she’s healthy, proceed with training modifications.
