Christinarose your mare sounds as if she has a lot of phobias and you will need to desensitise her to these. This will be a fairly long slow process so I hope you have plenty of time and patience. It is good you have a round pen to use as that is the safest environment for both you and your horse while you attempt to rid her of all her phobias. Watch Monty's video "Gorgia's Phobias" first and perhaps also his centaur series with Abigail. Put a dually halter and lead rope on your mare and hold the end of the lead rope while you introducing the different items. Take the least scary item you can first - maybe a piece of paper. Perhaps have it in your pocket and then when you and your mare are ready slowly pull it out and open in up in front of her. Be ready for her to spring back when she first sees the paper so put the paper out of sight again and move with her. When she is ready let her sniff the paper but if she is scared as you move the paper towards her then take the paper back behind your back then slowly bring it out again until she accepts it. Try to keep your own adrenalin down and eyes down too and talk to her gently the whole time and rub her forehead whenever you make progress - well done girl! For all the training you are about to do with the different objects remember to take the object away when you mare becomes stressed by it then slowly introduce it again. Once she accepts the paper in your hand then you can do more with it. Crunch it up and then smooth it out again in front of her, stroke her neck with the piece of paper held in your hand then progress to stroking her all over with the piece of paper. Once she has really accepted the paper then make a ball and throw it around her - under her legs, over her, rest it on her back etc. Once you are satisfied that she is happy with the paper then you may get a larger piece of paper such as a sheet or two of newspaper and repeat the performance with that. It may take a couple of sessions just to get her familiar and accepting of the paper but once you have achieved this then progress to as many of the other items that she is afraid of gradually increasing the spookiness of the items as you did with the paper. Always make sure to end your session on a good note where progress has been made. It needs patience and it will take time! The other day I did balloons and umbrellas with my mare. First up while I was blowing the balloon up in front of her it popped so that was a good start! It gave me a fright but she wasn't too phased by it. She did find the balloon spooky at first but in the end I could tie it to her main and let her walk around without if phasing her. Same with the umbrella - very spooky when it first went up but in the end I could throw it under her and hold it open on her back and open and shut it in front of her. Good luck it works but takes time. Your mare will be happier and much safer once her environment is less spooky for her.

greetings
Maggie has given you some great guid lines. Calmness and patience on your part is also very important. If you are apprehensive or nervious your horse will pick up on that and become more excitable. I would also recommend magnesium suppliment while will improve your horses health and tamp down the nervous behavior Take a look at these site for the necessary information to help clam your horse.

http://www.equi-therapy.net/equi-therapy/nutrition/magnesium.shtml

Here is a web site that sell Quiessence which is a calming supplement that I have used and found that it was very effective on excitable horse

http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=db035052-d634-46da-a8a2-7e2c880b39d0

You should also be aware that mare hormonal imbalance can cause a to of misery for both the horse and the owner. I don't know if you are experiencing this condition but Quiessence will help calm and even out your mare. There are also many other products available that do the same thing. I just know that Quiessence works.

One trick to use if your horse gets all charged up is to massage or brush her flank area. This has a very strong calming effect.

Good luck and stay safe
Cheers

Hi Christen,
I too have a very nervous three year old filly.
She was nervous of her own shadow. How I have been working on her is slowly but firmly, consistancy, is the key, every day if possible.
She has tried to run me over out of fear in the past.
Here is how I have approached her.
Lots of ground work, first!
While you are in the pen and she is on her lead rope, a long one, having attached plastic bags onto a stick(about 4 feet long), and standing about 15-20 feet away from her, rub the stick with the plastic bags on the taunt line towards her. Up and down, several times, slowly and with a steady rhythum.
As soon as she gets nervous hide the stick behind your back as release, using a calm voice to reasure her that it's OK, walk her for a little and when she calms down do it again, the same distance away.
Eventually she will accept this and as it is far enough away from her she will not feel directly threatened.
Keep doing this until she will allow you to shorten the line length, just a little at a time.
Eventually she will allow you to put it to her face so she can smell it, lick it, etc.
ONLY AFTER she has allowed this and has remained calm do you proceed to the next step.
You will still have her on the lead and with the plastic bags attached to a stick you will rub her all over.
You have to start on the neck area first, always doing both sides equally and only the neck area.
Then work your way down her whole body, one section at a time, on both sides.
DO NOT PUSH THIS, one section at a time.
Horses have difficulty, especially nervous ones, accepting too much too fast. Go slow, one thing a day and build on this.
Always leave it on a postive note and remember to release the pressure the very second she stands perfectly still, this is her reward, tell her she is a good girl and smile at her and take her for a walk around the pen.
Taking the bags away is release and walking calms them.
Eventually you will be able to rub her by hand with the noisy plastic bag and she will stand still.
I am now able to rub, STAR all over with anything and pull a tarp right over her whole body.
This works, I promise.
By the end you will be able to rub her with all your barn equipment and any other thing your imagination can come up with.
Mares react out of fear and lack of confidence. You as her trainer have to teach her that no matter what she fears she can trust you to protect her. By building her confidence in herself you will win her respect.
This has worked for me and even though mine is in her terrible three's she's doing pretty good considering she is a nervous girl.
Try this and you will see a difference each day.
Ronda

Hi Christina,
Above I think you'll find a lot of good suggestions on the spookyness of your mare.
What I'd like to go into is the left lead-"problem". All horses have a natural "better" side and one that is less good. Young horses have problems with finding their balance, when they have to carry the rider's weight on top of their own. What you can do to help her find a better balance is a lot of groundwork, longlining and sidepassing in hand to make both sides stronger. Muscles have to develope and balance is a brainfunction in combination with these muscles, so build up her young body, before asking too much from the saddle.
Try to imagine a left lead: the righthind leg steps forwards first, then the diagonal of lefthind- and rightforeleg more or less together, next is the leading left foreleg and a moment of suspension. If you see this before your mind's eye, you can understand that the righthind leg carries the whole weight for a short time. For a young horse this might be still a too big load.
Give her time and try to make it fun for the two of you, you'll find that the "problem" has disappeared, one day. If not, find a chiropractor and see if your mare has some spinal- or pelvis- blockage.
Fun and good breathing from your side will help your youngster more than anything in the world!
Miriam

Thank you all very much. You have all helped me out. When I work with my mare today I will try this.