Advice on how to go about working with this mare? (Join up on a lunge line, and severe separation anxiety)?
I apologize if this gets long, but I thank you ahead of time for reading, and your input.
Yes, my problem child. A four and a half year old TWH mare. I've had her since she was born, and about a year ago, she was well on her way towards being a wonderfully broke riding horse. And then the moving mess started, and I unfortunately had to leave my round pen. At the moment, I do not have a round pen, and it is really bad.
This mare is very high strung, head strong, and strong willed. When I had a round pen to work with her with the join up technique, she was fine. It was easy to keep her in line, but it's been almost a year since she has been worked like that, and she has become simply put, a monster. She is well past the point of becoming dangerous. It all stems from the fact that she thinks that she is in charge, and nothing that I can do can change her mind right now. Sure, if I could, I'd chase her around in a round pen for an hour every day, but I don't have a round pen where I can do that.
Another real problem with her, is separation anxiety. Not just how the average horse craves to be with their herd mates, because it's instinct. I'm talking about a horse that will have a full blown panic when her bestest buddy goes out of site. Her buddy has known her since she was born. There have been times where her buddy has left for a week, or two weeks, but otherwise she has been with this other horse her whole life.
As it stands right now, as long as I don't tie her, don't do anything she doesn't like, don't try to get on her, or take her away from a buddy, she's 100 perfect, sweet as can be. Sure, I could cope with her for the rest of her life, just be careful not to make her upset, but I can't let this go on. I didn't want to deal with her at all, stemming from quite a bit of bitterness involving a gelding that was sold, instead of her so she could come with us to Kentucky, but apparently no one else in my family has legs, or arms, and are incapable of training her, so I suppose I'm going to have to do it.
Last time an attempt was made to ride her, she became agitated to the point where she was close to blowing up. When she's agitated, she paws. If you try to stop her, it gets worse and she'll do things like leaning against where she's tied, so she can put more power into her pawing, or something.
Basically, what I want to know is can I do join up with her on a lunge line? I own a longe line, but she's never really been worked on one before. And can I even work a horse this dangerous on it? I have a flat area where I can work her that is grassy, and a semi flat area in one of the pastures that is mostly dirt that kind of slopes a little bit. Not too bad, though.
Also, if I got some kind of calming supplement for the first month that I start her, would that help?
What can I do with the separation thing?
Oh, and the only place where I could make a round pen, is a very large stall that is on a big slope. It's too big, really uneven, and is full of hip high weeds. Weeds that bite.
She's kept in a pasture, and she is fed extra feed, but I don't think that cutting it is an option, because she doesn't keep weight very easily. She gets Omolene, I think the active pleasure horse?
I've tried slapping her when she paws, and she doesn't seem to care. I don't have a riding crop anymore, but I can buy one next time I go to Tractor supply.
I don't plan on riding her again for a while. I want to keep working with her on the ground only. If she improves, then I will start her under the saddle again
I will try the leading, I've been doing the same thing with my yearling. Once upon a time, she had wonderful manners when told to back up, ect so maybe they'll all come back to her.
Maybe.
She's handled daily. In the early morning when she's let out to graze, and in the afternoon when she's put away into their smaller pasture. Through the day, I go out, work with my yearling, and give them all brushings, and check overs.
Interesting name, Reality Check, because it is you, I think that need the checking.
I've worked with horses since I was ten, I'm turning twenty at the end of this year. I know what I'm doing, I know how to properly join up with a horse.
I personally have not had much to do with the training of this horse, I left her to my parents because when she was two, I got an abused gelding (same that I'd mentioned earlier that was sold), and I put all of my time into working with him. I rode her a few times, in circles in the round pen, but otherwise I didn't care, because I was devoting all of my time into what I thought was going to be my personal riding horse for many years.
-will be continued because of character limit-
I regret not taking a more active part in her training earlier, and having not picked up on her training right after moving. I was recovering from a bad fall, and having to deal with having to sell my gelding. I sat around and did nothing, yeah my fault. But don't assume that I'm completely clueless.
And Omolene is a fine food, I like it a lot.
I know what I'm doing, I've proved that I know what I'm doing with several horses. So I don't know if you're seriously that clueless, or judgmental or if you just like to upset people, but I don't feel like playing right now. :)
Well, I'm sorry that people actually pay you, Reality Check, and I'm sorry that you're so sure that you're the end all, and that everyone else is an idiot.
I'm sorry that you seem to be unable to read, and understand a situation.
A year ago, this mare was fine, and going along with her training perfectly. She was being ridden once a week, the only real issue she was having was she was green with little experience.
Then, I moved across the country, and she has not had any training work since then. That is what started the big problem. Most horses will have issues if you suddenly stop in the middle of their training, and do nothing with them for almost a year.
Yeah, I know I'm not very old, I'm under no illusion that I'm some great thing, if I were, I wouldn't be asking for advice.