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Troubled mare brings healing & gets healed
By M.M.
Almost 2 years ago we adopted a beautiful flea-bitten Arabian mare. She was bought for $600.00 for my daughter to just hack out. She has an ex-racer mare which she has been doing dressage with and she also needed a buddy. When we went to see her she was a bit nervous and kept in a small round pen because she had gotten kicked in the knee. The attendant rode her but I did see she was nervous. Anyway, when we got her home, she was a mess. It took my daughter 20 minutes to put the halter on her in the paddock. The mare was distrusting of the world. She kicked, tried to bite and was always ready to jump out of her skin. My daughter rode her a few times and was allowing the horse to just take her time and didn't push her. They walked and trotted around the arena. One day my daughter asked her trainer to help her with the mare. When she got on her, the mare started rearing. The instructor stayed on her for about 1 hour. The mare finally calmed down or was exhausted. The trainer told my daughter this mare should have been free and would make a beautiful pasture ornament. My daughter got scared and rightly so, never wanted to ride her again.
Shortly after, I had surgery for a life threatening disease. To make a long story short, I was extremely tired and depressed after surgery. I don't ride, never have but would love to. This mare, sought me out. When I drove my daughter to the barn, she would pace the fence until I took her out. I was afraid, the last thing I needed was an injury. I began by trying to groom her, the grooming scaled into walks and the walks into me wanting to learn more and now we are doing ground work. Today she is quiet, pretty much boom proof, respectful and obedient. My daughter tried to ride her again and she reared a little bit but was able to move forward after that. I also have a sister-in-law who is wonderful horse woman with gentle hands. She rode her bareback and the mare did not rear but did not take her attention from me. I have read and seen many videos on riding. I have an old mare I ride in the ring. I have this tremendous desire to ride my little mare. I stand on a mounting block and put my weight on her and she is pretty calm. Sometimes I think I have more of a mother-daughter relationship with this mare. She tells on the other mares when they won't let her eat. She seeks me out to come into the pasture and get her some hay. We have an understanding. I know when she is having a bad day and good day. I don't regret getting her. I love her dearly. I have learned things about horses that I would have never learned. Most of all, my desire to reach her and respond to her brought me out of my depression and encouraged me to get strong which I am today. Thank God for this little crazy mare.
I don't know where I am going with this. I just had to share. Thank you for all of your advice, my horse thanks you also. One more thing. As far as people who run horse rescues. I think that they need to be upfront with all of the horse's shortcomings. The problem that this horse has with rearing should have been disclosed to me. I probably would have never let my daughter ride her but then again maybe I would have never bought her. She was a broken and worthless horse to many. To me she is priceless.