A few months ago I bought a paso fino mare. She was very skittish and would not stand to be mounted
and it was very difficult to get her to walk. She would jig and hop until I let her gait, then she was off faster and faster. I now have her standing to mount and walking but she still gets very excited when I ask her to gait. What can I do to help her progress?
It seems that you are on the right track with this mare by going back to the beginning and taking the time
to settle her down for mounting and walking. I am sure that took alot of time and patience. Now you have to continue building her confidence in you so she will not be scared by going faster. I like to make sure that horses like this will give me all three speeds on a longe line, making upward and downward transitions off of voice commands if possible. Under saddle if she gets upset and hurries too much when she starts to go faster immediately stop her, wait until she is quiet and start again by walking quietly. Only ask her to move faster than a walk for a very short time, quickly making a transition back down to the walk before she gets upset. Be sure you do lots of circles and shapes to keep her loose and flexible and soft to your requests. You may have to keep your lessons very short until she builds her confidence in you and starts to relax.
Recently my four year old paso fino filly has become harder to ride. She is difficult to put
the headgear on and roots into the bridle or shakes or tosses her head when I ask her to
stop or turn. Should I change the bosal or the bit or both?
Your question implies that this is a new behavior for your filly. Before you go and change
any tack please have her teeth examined by your vet or an equine dentist. Every horse
should be checked yearly and floated if needed. Horses under the age of five or six need
extra attention paid to their teeth since they are loosing their baby teeth as the adult ones
come in. Refered to as 'caps', these baby molars can cause problems in a horse's mouth as
the new teeth come in. Sharp edges can cut the inside of the mouth or the side of the
tonge. Often it is the position of the bosal or bit pressing against the outside of the horses
mouth causing discomfort. Sometimes you may even see a horse having trouble eating its
grain or hay.
If you have ruled out any dental issues but are still having a problem you may need to
have the fit of your equipment checked . A bosal that is too tight, or too loose can be a
problem as well as an incorrectly adjusted bit or curb chain.
