I had a similar problem with my mare after completing our first 50
(actually 55, the last 5 miles is a killer... :)) When we came home,
she thought that every time we went out the door it was to compete and
she would practically pull my arms out of their sockets. I did a lot
of gait changes over short spurts - walk, trot, canter and back to a
trot... she got the message that the breaks have to work just as well
as the gas pedal.
Anyhow, I've been working on lsd ever since using this tactic and its
been helping pretty well so far. I think this behavior is a product of
her survival instinct: anxiety and an active mind are making her try
and anticipate what's in store for her. We have to remember that our
horses are trying to communicate with us, and it's our responsibility
to decipher their coded messages in search of a resolution. With time
and patience, she'll understand, and hopefully your guy will too, what
the routine is and consequently they'll calm down - here's to praying
and a lot of hard work and patience!!
