We have a mare that needs re-training, she's not responsive, fights the bit and is generally unpleasant to ride so I have a few questions.
How much time should they have off before being retrained? I was hoping to start her from scratch in a few weeks (just lunging and driving ect) because it's coming into summer and we were really hoping to do a lot of trail riding this summer and I will be finished breaking in another horse in another 2-3 weeks. Also, my mare has had an injury which means she can't be ridden for a while - so it's convenient for me to restart her in a 2-3 weeks. She has been in work though - nothing hard, just working on slowing down her walk, bending and flexing and getting her to stop and stand patiently. In the last month she has probably been ridden hard twice at the most.
So It would probably be another 6-8 weeks before I'm actually riding her again, but she would be doing ground work during that time as well. Would that be enough time or will she need more? In your experience is re-training usually successful or do they revert to their old ways?
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com I also have a question regarding brewers yeast, my vet said that I can use that as a calming supplement but I have no idea where I can buy it, does anyone know? I think one of the main reasons this mare is so unpleasant is that she gets nervvy - makes me think that whoever broke her in scared the crap out of her - if she can't be ridden my bf wants to sell her, I understand that, but I really don't want her to be sold for something that isn't her fault - she's part of the family, no matter how annoying she can be.
Will 6-8 weeks off be enough for this mare? And where can I find brewers yeast?
A horse is always ready to start over.
It's people that mess things up and cause the horse to seem "not retrainable" or whatever .... so, yeah, you can start whenever you want. You can start today if you want .... but since the horse has an injury, it's of course, best to wait for that to heal.
I wouldn't rely on substances to help her out, unless it's a hormonal thing and she's very marish and gets major PMS .....( lots of touchiness on the sides, etc )....
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com Just do loads of bend work.
but first:
1. Her teeth need to be 100% ok (no sharp points, etc. Should be checked by a vet once a year)
2. The tack must fit properly (make sure the saddle isn't pinching her, get a saddle fitter to check if you're not sure)
I haven't heard of brewer's yeast being used as a calming supplement, usually as a digestive aid. The only place that I have seen brewer's yeast is in supplements. I can't think of any specific supplements that have brewer's yeast so go to www.smartpakequine.com and you can compare different supplements and see what and how much is in each supp. The item that I've heard the most positive reviews for calming mares especially is Mare Magic which is just plain dried raspberry leaves which have been shown to regulate cycling mares. Good luck with her:)
