# My mare is lazy and barn sour when I try to trail ride. Please help!



## Sharpie (May 24, 2009)

Welcome to the forum! 

You have a smart old girl who is barn sour. That's not really the same thing as lazy though.  It is pretty common, especially in horses that have been around the block a time or two and know how to try to work a rider and get their way. How is she when you ride out with a buddy?

The general approach for a horse that knows better, as your girl likely does, if a firm crop or rein smack to the rear doesn't straighten them out, is to make walking out easy and choosing to go back to the barn one heck of a workout. Ie, walk out. When she balks, she has to do tight trotting circles, yield the front and back, sidepass and otherwise work HARD for a minute or two, before you offer the the choice of taking the easy route and ask her to walk away from the barn again. Repeat, ad nauseum. Don't expect to get very far the first time, and the moment she does walk out easy, TAKE that win and quit for the day. 

I don't like to use backing up as a tool under saddle myself, as I don't like balky horses to get the idea that going backwards is ever an option (backwards can lead to upwards, which I am not good enough to handle, so I avoid it), but some do include backing up in a workout.

Have you tried the search function? For better or worse, you are not alone, and many people have much better and more specific advice than I on this subject.


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## sammsnow (Sep 1, 2013)

Thank you. She does better when we ride with people.

Do you have any advice to get her to go faster? It's a fight to get her to go faster than a walk unless we're going back home.


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## Sharpie (May 24, 2009)

How is she at going faster when you're in a field by the barn and not trying to make her leave? Does she w/t/c readily and on cue there, or is it a bit of a struggle there too? If it is, I would work on getting nice, quick transitions at home before expecting too much while you're out as well- any time you can, it will make life easier for both of you to only deal with one issue at a time. This includes medical reasons as well- always make sure they are healthy, sound, have no mouth/tooth or foot and back pain, their tack fits well and they don't have any excuses for misbehavior.

If she's already nice and willing at home, then she knows what you're asking and is blowing you off unless there is a fear component. You just need to be completely unwilling to settle for anything less that what you want when you go out. If you want a trot and she's not trotting out (assuming she does well at home), then ask her nicely once, tell her firmly once, and then if she hasn't jumped into it, get after her hard enough that she realizes she should have taken the better deal and done so when you asked nicely. The caveat here is that when you do have to get after her, be careful to be ready for it, so if she bolts forward, you don't hurt her mouth and make her unwilling to move out again in future.

My guy used to try to get out of leaving the barn by doing what I called his "Drunken Walk" where he would poke along as slow as he could and seemingly meander left and right and be unable to walk straight. It was a way of being barn sour or trying to get out of it. Occasionally now he'll still give it a shot, but as we both know he knows better, all it gets him is a quick boot to the rib to canter off, forward, in the direction I want him to be going. After that he usually gives up that game for a while.


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## 6gun Kid (Feb 26, 2013)

http://www.horseforum.com/horse-training/barn-sour-horse-226290/#post2972938


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## Cacowgirl (Feb 19, 2011)

If you read the original post carefully-the OP is riding bareback & using a sidepull halter, so bumping the horse's mouth is probably not a problem. And the fit of the tack isn't either.


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## sammsnow (Sep 1, 2013)

It's hard to get her into a canter anywhere. The only time she will canter or gallop is if she thinks we're heading for home. She isn't a very willing girl about many things. Thinking I need to do a lot groundwork with her and make her more respectful.


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## Sharpie (May 24, 2009)

Yeah Cacowgirl, that should have been 'pop her in the nose' rather than the mouth up there, but the principle is the same- don't accidentally hurt her for doing what was asked, even if it is a bit of an over-reaction when you finally get it. 

If she's not obedient and willing at home, it will certainly be even tougher to get her to do as you asked when going away from home. Do you have a trainer/instructor or experienced horseperson you could have watch you and her and give you some tips on helping both of you improve? It can be hard to know what the holdup is without an extra pair of knowledgeable eyes on the ground watching. There is nothing like a good person and some hands-on one-on-one advice for helping both horse and rider.

I would work on 1) getting her moving (at a walk) away from the barn without a fuss and 2) getting the rest of her training w/t/c back up to where she needs to be at home for now. Groundwork is good, but it's not the only thing, and won't necessarily fix all the problems you have in the saddle, though it usually helps fix most of the attitudinal issues some horses like to come up with. Some problems under saddle need to be fixed under saddle though- I just don't want that to wind up as a surprise.  I can't remember who says it, but as another forum goer is fond of saying, "The worst behavior you allow is the best behavior you have a right to expect." Think strict but caring school matron in how you deal with her and you may be on a good tract. The more clear and consistent you can be, the easier it will be for her to learn the new rules and expectations and the quicker she'll abide by them. (Again, assuming no health/pain/other odd issues are playing into it) If she really is just an experienced old gal who's playing you a bit, as it sounds, once she's knows the game's up, her training should start showing through.


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## Dehda01 (Jul 25, 2013)

How broke is the mare? How good of a rider are you? If you put a bridle and saddle on her and took her to an arena, could you get her to walk-trot-canter circles and serpentines with good steering and speed control at all speeds?


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

Skip the riding and do groundwork. This mare does not respect you and the lack of tack is limiting you. Do lots of groundwork and establish a working relationship with her. You're not her leader and she doesn't respect or trust you.

Then get a saddle and bridle and ride her. At the very least, get her a true bitless bridle or hackamore instead of a halter. A halter isn't meant for riding and even though some people have success doing it, not everyone does.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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