Hi all. I'm hoping someone can give me some advice on how to control a jittery 4 year old mare when out hacking. I'm a novice rider, having been round horses when I was around 12 and only returning to it around 6 months ago. The mare in question belongs to my friend and we have had a tough time with her rearing both in and out of saddle, even getting a behaviourist out as she would rear whilst being led then bolt off. We eventually bought a Monty Roberts head collar and it has worked brilliantly - we can even walk her past stallions and other mares that are running up to their fences as we go past. But, when we hack out she is very very alert, head high and always looking around her. If we come across another horse she will start playing up, walking backwards, threatening to rear, and if I try walking her on she feels like she's going to take off with me. This is despite being out with an older, calmer mare and more experienced rider. How can I get her past this and control her when it happens?
4 year old mare, 52 year old rider!
- Thread starter Sallyf
- Start date
Is she quiet just walking in the school? And attentive with other ground work - Monty Roberts style leading through poles etc? And then the same when ridden. I know one is supposed to hack young horses t have them move forward nicely, but Richard Maxwells great rule is to apply the same rule for a horse as for cars. Dont go out without reliable brakes, steering and acceleration.
Once you are happy in the school, then progress to hacking but without too big an ask. You can walk a short way out of the school and then back, either ridden or even long line with a companion on foot). Walking out and back increasing the distance each day teaches the young horse the route and reassures her. Older horses you can just mount and get on and go on unfamiliar tracks, but the young horses at our yard were always taught slowly, stretch of track by stretch of track. And riding cloverleaf patterns, setting off, rteturning to the yard and setting out again on a loop. This teaches horses not to rush homewards, one goes home then sets out again/
Once you are happy in the school, then progress to hacking but without too big an ask. You can walk a short way out of the school and then back, either ridden or even long line with a companion on foot). Walking out and back increasing the distance each day teaches the young horse the route and reassures her. Older horses you can just mount and get on and go on unfamiliar tracks, but the young horses at our yard were always taught slowly, stretch of track by stretch of track. And riding cloverleaf patterns, setting off, rteturning to the yard and setting out again on a loop. This teaches horses not to rush homewards, one goes home then sets out again/
good advice from Skib but tbh nervous, novice rider + jittery 4 year old is just not a good combination so Id be looking for something else to ride 
My feeling is the same as CharliesAngel, I'm afraid that a novice rider & a jittery 4 yo is a bad combination & my advice would be to hand back the ride before one or both of you end up hurt or with your confidence in shreds. This mare sound like she needs a confident rider who's experienced at dealing with youngsters, someone who can give her confidence & educate her. It's so important these early stages are good experiences because they are the foundation for everything else.
Sorry but this comment alarms me-
"This is despite being out with an older, calmer mare and more experienced rider"
Why are you not riding that one and the more experienced rider on yours?
"This is despite being out with an older, calmer mare and more experienced rider"
Why are you not riding that one and the more experienced rider on yours?
Echoing what the others have said. As a novice, you won't be able to give the horse the confidence she needs - even if you're not a nervous rider, she'll know you're not as balanced in the saddle as someone who's been riding for years. A novice rider hacking out my confident but sometimes naughty mare resulted in the rider coming off. This horse needs someone who knows what they're doing to bring her on. Please don't put yourself (and the horse) at risk.
I initially thought that too, but it may be the older, calmer mare & her more experienced rider are nothing to do with this younger horse. I'll sometimes do a nanny ride with Little Un, but I'd feel under no obligation to get on a someone else's young/inexperienced/difficult horse just because I was hacking with them. Also there's no guarantee the older calmer mare would stay that way with a novice, we don't know how much of her calmness is due to her rider.
I'm very sorry to say this but I do not think you are being fair on this horse. Young horses need experienced riders to teach them and guide them through situations. If you can't offer that, then you are setting the horse up to fail. The horse sounds very insecure and her behaviour sounds like she is unsure and scared. She deserves an experienced rider to educate her. By your own admission, you are not experienced or confident. My advice is to find someone else to bring her on and hopefully in a few years time she will be suitable for you to ride.
Yes I probably made an assumption that the other rider is the friend.
In that case the friend whose horse it is should be the one riding this baby on.
Though the op has said they have both struggled on the ground with her, so maybe more groundwork is needed?
I realize that's not the answer to everything but do many people skip it or cease it when on board. (I am the only person at my place who lunges and longreins. It's still part off schooling, manners and is fun
)
I was a terrible hacker (very scared and hadn't done a lot of it) and bought myself a green horse. Because I was so nervous hacking, it was unfair of me to ride him out when he gains his confidence from his rider. If we were both terrified, it was going to be a recipe for disaster. I asked a more experienced girl on the yard to ride him out for me and later my friend who was very confident. After a few times of having a confident rider taking him out, he settled and the things that scared him, weren't so scary and I started going out on him with a leader walking next to me. With a leader, I felt more confident and so in turn, he did. I still daren't canter him out on a hack so my friend does that for me occasionally but that will come.
Whilst a not so experienced person can bring on a green horse with help, if you're both nervous and in a situation where you don't know what to do, get someone more experienced to hop on and help the horse through it. You will get there with her, I did but at the minute I wouldn't be advising you to hack her, I'd be working on groundwork and if ridden, doing it in an arena with an experienced instructor for now.
Whilst a not so experienced person can bring on a green horse with help, if you're both nervous and in a situation where you don't know what to do, get someone more experienced to hop on and help the horse through it. You will get there with her, I did but at the minute I wouldn't be advising you to hack her, I'd be working on groundwork and if ridden, doing it in an arena with an experienced instructor for now.
Hello,
A few years ago I was that green rider with a green 5 year old...it can work but agree with others when say need help of more experienced rider to work with a youngster.
We did well for a while but she knocked my confidence over the course of a few months with lots of little incidents then After one very bad hack (she is a spooky bugger!) I decided enough was enough found someone to train/school her to work on basics and I took myself off to a riding school to get my confidence back.
I hope you can get through it as we did, I often thought about giving her up for her sake but we got there in the end.
A few years ago I was that green rider with a green 5 year old...it can work but agree with others when say need help of more experienced rider to work with a youngster.
We did well for a while but she knocked my confidence over the course of a few months with lots of little incidents then After one very bad hack (she is a spooky bugger!) I decided enough was enough found someone to train/school her to work on basics and I took myself off to a riding school to get my confidence back.
I hope you can get through it as we did, I often thought about giving her up for her sake but we got there in the end.
I totally agree. I have been away from horses for 16yrs after serious riding accident. I ventured bk 2yrs ago just helping friends. Realised I still have the bug. Ummed ahhed scratched my head on what to get. After 9months searching for the right one I settled on a 13.3hh 13hand piebald big boned mare. Safe as houses not perfect as nothing is but I haven't overhorsed myself. Probably my riding accident made me sensible
I have just returned to riding after 30yrs, it's daunting and I now consider myself a novice who went out looking for a nice laid back cob and fell in love with a Irish Sports horse youngster and bought her. I am preparing her with much support from the livery to be backed soon by a more experienced rider, but I have done all the groundwork incl her attitude and manners so with no doubt I be experiencing many of these issues Green + Green.
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