mare's defensive/aggressive behavior

[Sally Spangler <stepnout@swva.net>]

Misty the Spanish Mustang, now 8 yo, has been evolving a disturbing behavior
that is now becoming more than a passing mood, which is what I once thought
was the case.  When I first got her at age 3, she would occasionally have
temper tantrums, including bucking under saddle while she was being ground
worked on a longe line.  The trainer at the time chewed her out and made her
go fast until she settled.  The situation arose from time to time, not
really severe, and seemed managed by more of the same.   I changed training
styles after attending a Parelli Natural Horsemanship Clinic...but we still
have the work on a line, and still have the gestures to the hindquarters to
speed up or to swing the HQ away.  She still doesn't like it but will do it
beautifully; still get the pinned ears and the occasional bucking fit
whether under saddle or not.  Same thing off lead in a round pen for
practicing gait transitions; after awhile, things smooth out and she quits
objecting, starts performing in relaxed form, and we quit while it's sweet. 

We don't do circle maneuvers very often, except I always circle her both
ways after I saddle her just to check her comfort, saddle fit, look for gait
problems.  I have also done it when she misbehaved under saddle to the point
I felt I needed to dismount before she caused a wreck trying to catch up to
the leaders in a group of trail riders...jigging and hopping sideways going
down a hilly gravel road, for instance, when the whole herd was in a hurry.
Turning her in circles while mounted got us off the road into bushes.  At
that time I circled her many times until she settled, looked at me, and
stood still for mounting.  She listened to me the rest of that ride.  

I had a trainer witness her behavior yesterday when we were practicing
circles just to tune up her way of going, transitions, and so forth.  After
having been just lovely early in the day when I rode her around the arena,
Misty threw the biggest fit I've seen, extremely nasty expressions, bucking,
backing, and so forth.  The trainer said the mare resented the perceived
attack on her rump.  She then coached me to speed her along when ears were
pinned, but to reward her by stopping her facing me and petting her as soon
as she softened...and to send her out on the circle with just the slightest
gesture to move, which is all it took.  (Her buddies, btw, were up the hill
in the barn and she kept looking for them...NB, she has newly assumed the
herd boss role since December.)  After a few minutes she began to settle
some, never completely happy but we quit with just that improvement.

Now the scary part:  I decided to take her for a walk today, intending to go
away from the farm about a mile just to hang out and look for problems while
letting her periodically graze the best grass in the area.  About 0.3 miles
the issue arose:  she refused to budge beyond the top of the hill, ears
pinned, head dropped and swinging side to side, looking back at the farm.
Once or twice she clicked her teeth, looking directly at me.  I felt I would
have been attacked if I had insisted on going farther. What I did instead of
instantly caving in was lead her from one side of the road to the other,
back and forth, letting her graze when the expression softened, taking her a
nudge farther than she wanted to go then coming back.  We slowly went home
with lots of little trips back out, then returning...and I only let her
graze on cue, not at will.  By the time we arrived at the pasture, I asked
for circling left and right as before and got it with a nice soft
expression, much better than earlier.  Lots of rubs on the neck and she
lowered her head, sighing.  I wanted to get mad and hitch her to a truck, of
course, since I'm not a burly 250 lb guy who might just manhandle her,  but
I prefer to change the attitude in a more constructive way.  The issue has
been around a long time and is just now maturing, as she is.  My leadership
is being tested here, it seems.  I have some ideas for solutions, but want
commentary.  LOTS of it.

Sally and the Spanish Mustangs in Floyd, VA





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