Home Current News News Archive Shop/Advertise Ridecamp Classified Events Learn/AERC
Endurance.Net Home Ridecamp Archives
ridecamp@endurance.net
[Archives Index]   [Date Index]   [Thread Index]   [Author Index]   [Subject Index]

Re: [RC] tack-up problems - Chris Paus



I'm going to tell you something you probably don't want to hear.
 
Your mare is telling you something loud and clear. It's up to you to figure out what is wrong. SOMETHING is wrong. The saddle fit, pain, holes in her training, or the way you do things. I can't tell from here what that something is. Horses don't act like that without a reason.
 
My Starman, who has a lot of distance miles, is extremely opinionated about what saddle, pad and tack I use on him. he has his favorites. If I'm putting a saddle on him that does not fit well (trying a new saddle, for example), he will dance around, move around, act like a ninny, and then not let me mount up. Go back to his regular tack that he likes and fits well, and he's much much better! So, in his case, he will not put up with saddle discomfort. Other horses are more stoic about it and will put up with all kinds of discomfort.
 
Your horse clearly has some kind of pain issue going on or FEAR OF PAIN. Maybe the pain isn't real, maybe someone in her past has caused her great discomfort with poor saddle fit and now she THINKS every time she gets tacked up it's going to hurt. Or maybe with you it really does hurt.
 
I'd sure be investigating this. Are you absolutely positive her saddle and pad fit very well? Has she been looked over by a chiropractor, preferably a DVM chiro? How do you approach her with the saddle and pad? Is there somethign in your approach that is alarming to her?
If you thoroughly investigate pain and can absolutely rule it out, then it's a retraining issue and you have to go waay back and start with teaching to tie. Then teaching to stand still with little things on and around her, then bigger things, then saddle pads, then saddles from either side of her body.
 
There's always a reason. I hope you find it because clearly this process isn't any fun for your horse or you.
 
chris
 
 
"T. Rashid" <list-mail@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


Kansas State Motto: Ad Astra Per Aspera.. to the stars through difficult....

BayRab Acres
Paola KS
913-731-5947
http://pages.prodigy.net/paus