I have a 7 year old mare have had her for 2 year. Ever since I have owned her she freak out in a area with a lot of horses she here then running behind her and it send her in to crazy mood. Scares her to death. I can get in a corner and stay there and work circles but in a area with lot of horses that hard to do. I have to find a way to fix this so I can ride her at shows. I don't know what to do she fine in a area with 5 or so horses get a little scared but the horses are more spaced out so she dose not feel attack. But u put 10 plus horses with her she think going going to die. I don't know what to do please help and me walking her on the ground bad idea she think I'm her safe zone with is cool but she want to be on top of me. So I would rather be on her. Thank u.
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bbarner4628
You have posed an interesting problem. It is not unusual for horse and particularly a mare to be weary of other horse and so to protect themselves they will keep a certain amount of distance between other horses. If you can gain the cooperation of a number of riders start her in the arena by herself, make one revolution and add a horse to the arena. Go another revolution and add the second horse. Keep this up until you have 4 or 5 horses in the arena with your horse. Do all this work at a walk or a very slow trot. If she gets nervous talk to her in a quite soft voice and stroke he on the main but continue to move forward. Once you have the 4 or 5 horses in the arena tighten the distance up between horses slowly. If she lays her ears back reassure her and if she gets real nervous increase the distance between horses. You will want to get 2 or 3 revolutions in the arena with the horses in as if it were a show and then quit and reward your mare for a good job. Don't use food to reward her. A good rub on the face and a kind word is good.
The next day do the same thing until you get an additional horse in. Keep adding the horses until she becomes uncomfortable and keep reassuring her that it is OK and she is safe.
Basically you will be desensitizing her to a crowded arena. Once she is going good, practice showing her with the direction changes and any maneuvers that you may be asked to demonstrate in the arena. Additionally there are a number of supplements that help even out the temperament of mares, one being magnesium. Most take a few weeks to show results.
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Thank u for ur help I will have to try to get people to help me out with this. She is a good temper mare just hate horses running up from behind. Her ears go back her and together in fear. She freaks out start running sideways rears. Something she get so scared that she trying to move but is not going any were. Its kind of funny I just talk to her and stay as clam as can be and let her work it out her self. But I'm going to have to try that adding horses tell I have a area pack full and a clam horses. Thank u.
Has she raced before?? This behaviour is sometimes associated with ex race horses and it is very hard to train them out of it but Dennis's suggestion sounds good.
No she never raced. She live on a paster before I bought her all the other horses picked on her. She had bite mark all over her when I got her so I think that has a lot to do with it. She really think she has to run and fight back to make it out alive. Thank u
My mare has the same issue. Last summer my mare would kick out any horse that passed her, she would get tempermental if there was a horse even 30+ feet away. At it's worst, a horse came past my mare from behind and she took off and full on t-boned another horse (stallion, her sire of all horses) and hit him with so much force it knocked off his rider. For her it is not fear but attitude. She can easily pass horses head to head but if they come from behind her that is a completely different ball game. She pins her ears, kicks out at them and rushes off. I'm not a good enough rider to 'ride it out' (as I've been told to do) so we had to bring someone in to address the issue. All she needed was someone to make her keep going forward and not allow her to take control of the situation by letting her choose direction and speed and it became a non issue in one ride. Not saying that the solution for you is the same but that is what worked for us.
That would help to keep her moving forword. But she run side way and I just turn her hard and keep her under control. She her is not a attitude issus she is scared for her life. Her body and eye tell it all. Thank u for u help.