New mare

["Kathy Mayeda" <Kathy_Mayeda@atce.com>]

Title: New mare

I was in the exact same position as you are (except I have no kids) 8 years ago!  Muscle memory isn’t what you thought it would be, huh?

My mare is a tough one, too.  I learned a lot from her, the hard way most of the times. It definitely wasn’t the optimal situation, but I had to learn how to be tough and fearless.

All I can say is that you need to try and stay one step ahead of your mare in training.  I spent a lot of time just being a sponge and reading a lot to catch up.

Take riding lessons on other horses.   Then maybe some kind of natural horsemanship ground training – like Parelli Natural Horsemanship – with your mare.  Not that I did it that way…..

Good luck.  It is doable, even though some people will call you crazy!  Get a thick skin and just have fun with your horsey education.

K.