# Help needed please! Strong and forward going mare!



## Sophiehalle (11 October 2015)

Hi iv recently just bought my second horse. She's very forward going and strong. Iv tried the duch gag but she doesn't like the affect it has on her results in her chucking her head around and napping. I done cross country today and tried the cheltnum gag but I have no control what so ever (no breaks). Any advise on what else I can use on her please? She more or less likes to be in control. Also her being a mare it's not helping as she's becoming very nappy. I do know that all this is new to her as before she was only used for hacking. Any advise would be great . Thankyou x


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## be positive (11 October 2015)

If she is really only used to hacking and she is new to you then I would suggest you go back a step or two until she starts to understand what is required, running away and being nappy is her way of saying she is confused, putting strong bits in will not solve the problem, it will probably, as you found today, make matters worse, go back to basic schooling on the flat, once she is settled then start jumping her quietly in a controlled environment, lots of gridwork and when she is listening to you then think about doing some xc schooling with her, some lessons with a good instructor would be useful to get you back on track, go slowly and it will be worth it when you can both have confidence and enjoy yourselves without a fight.


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## tallyho! (11 October 2015)

What you need my luv is a pelum.... wiv a hakamoor. 

Attach the second pair of reins to a french gag and a derr-gog. 

Dead easy. Really. If it stops altogether, just pop a pair of gert big spurs on. Do some weights an all so you can pull like a train.

Or, you could just get a troll on board for training? Lightweight, robust, fearless... whats not to like?


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## Sophiehalle (11 October 2015)

Yes in the school she is really good. She's clear let never done anything like this and she's confused how to react I suppose like you said. Some bonding time is needed I think. Thankyou for your advise


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## hannahlow (14 October 2015)

Drop the gag's, she is clearly trying to tell you something.  Have you had back teeth and saddle checked?  She may be in pain somewhere.  Eliminate those and then get a decent flatwork instructor and go back to basics and get her to respect you.  I know it's exciting when you get a new horse and you want to do everything with them, but going back to basics will help both of you a lot.


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## 9tails (14 October 2015)

Have I missed some posts on this thread?  Tallyho! is going in all guns blazing where all I can see is a kid asking for advice on brakes for her new horse.  Admittedly I'm not a fan of the expectation that a mare is disobedient or nappy, I've not found one that is actually.


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## twiggy2 (14 October 2015)

get her teeth/back and saddle checked and if all Ok then just hack for a few weeks and get an instructor in to help with some flat/jumping and cross country lessons-they should be able to advise on bits that may help when they see how she evades you-it is difficult to advise without seeing what is going on.


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## fatpiggy (15 October 2015)

9tails said:



			Have I missed some posts on this thread?  Tallyho! is going in all guns blazing where all I can see is a kid asking for advice on brakes for her new horse.  Admittedly I'm not a fan of the expectation that a mare is disobedient or nappy, I've not found one that is actually.
		
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Hmm, a horse which was only used for hacking now doing cross country?  Doesn't sound all that likely to me either, given as it wouldn't have been fit enough. And what sounds like a very inexperienced rider using a Cheltenham gag but doesn't know a thing about using circle work before straight lines in order to gain control. Just bought it, but goes cross country almost straight away?  Has the horse suddenly morphed into an unstoppable tank from when they tried it?  Nope, I don't believe it either.


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## 9tails (15 October 2015)

I doubt she's gone round in a competition, probably taken the horse to a CC course.  Same as I've taken my "hacking horse" to a CC course.


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## wkiwi (23 October 2015)

be positive said:



			If she is really only used to hacking and she is new to you then I would suggest you go back a step or two until she starts to understand what is required, running away and being nappy is her way of saying she is confused, putting strong bits in will not solve the problem, it will probably, as you found today, make matters worse, go back to basic schooling on the flat, once she is settled then start jumping her quietly in a controlled environment, lots of gridwork and when she is listening to you then think about doing some xc schooling with her, some lessons with a good instructor would be useful to get you back on track, go slowly and it will be worth it when you can both have confidence and enjoy yourselves without a fight.
		
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This! 
Lack of brakes is nearly always lack of schooling. You need to transfer what she learns in the school to other places (e.g. fields/cross country courses) as they don't automatically do this themselves (there brains don't work the same as ours do). 
Ensure you can canter over different terrain in control in a snaffle before you add cross country jumps to the mix. 
Putting stronger and stronger bits on her will only make her react more and more (like a dog pulling its handler along because it can't see any other option). 
Regarding mares, I have evented both mares and geldings in snaffle bits (including the old format with steeplechase) and don't find either sex stronger or nappier than the other, but i do think mares are a bit quicker to tell you when something is 'wrong' with the schooling while geldings might be more likely to put up with their lot.


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## applecart14 (23 October 2015)

I would suggest getting her teeth, back and saddle checked by professional people and then you may like to try a market harborough so she only ends up pulling against herself instead of yourself.

The problem is when you start adding stronger and stronger bits or tack you are only skirting around the problem and not really solving it. It could be a training issue in which case you might need to go back to basics or use an instructor for guidance.

This is about a MH and what it does.

The market harborough for horses training aid works like a running martingale when the horse is working correctly, but when needed the horses head is drawn down and onto the bit, it works a bit like draw reins but it allows more freedom of the horses neck and back. The Market Harborough for horses is extremely useful when used on horses that have a tendency to be over strong and so is brilliant for adding control, particularly on horses which fling their heads up when approaching a jump. It does not restrict the horse's natural head/neck back movement over the jump so is particularly good for jumping or just for peace of mind during everyday use.  It is a valuable training aid when used for schooling as it fits around the horses neck like a standard running martingale with the usual adjustment that you would find on a martingale. Instead of the martingale having 2 rings for the reins to run through, each branch which is slightly longer than in a martingale, ends in a clip. The Market Harborough reins have d rings along them and the clips are run through the bit rings and clip back to the appropriate D ring on the reins.


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## Micky (23 October 2015)

What bepositive says!!


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## tallyho! (23 October 2015)

9tails said:



			Have I missed some posts on this thread?  Tallyho! is going in all guns blazing where all I can see is a kid asking for advice on brakes for her new horse.  Admittedly I'm not a fan of the expectation that a mare is disobedient or nappy, I've not found one that is actually.
		
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Yes yes, unfortunate, but kind of what I'm known for... and given the OP's 2nd only post with "help my mare who has only hacked before is strong out on xc" I ought to be forgiven for thinking it's some sort of cheeky trollette having a little giggle!!!


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