Why is this Arab so...?

Question

I lease a 22 yr old Purebred arabian mare. She is a 2nd level dressage horse. I take lessons and show at 1level dressage.
My instuctors stables has top facilities, there are 4 lesson horses, the rest are either retired, drafts, training, or my trainers olympic horse.
The mare(Satin) has big issues:). I really like her though!
She is a very nervous animal. She is EXTREMELLY girthy, and her right side of her mouth is very sensitive, for no reason. She has NEVER bucked, reared, bolted, ANYTHING while being ridden- that i have seen. (not including hissy fits in her paddock). I work her 5 or six days a week(she's extremely fit!) and am trying to make one of those a constant trail day.
So, a few Q's
What can i do about her girthy-ness?
How do i get her bridle on easily?
How do i keep her calm in her stall? (she has seperation anxiety from her "mommy" a large, top level, like 10-15 yr old mare. we can't bring the other mare in at the same time)
But the biggest thing is how to make her calmer

She belongs to a college student who is at school several hundred miles away. she visits the princess often tho. The Princess(satin) has the best of care, equipment, feed, EVERYTHING!

She has no teeth/mouth issues. I can get it on and everything, but she can be a lovely little brat.

I'm the only one riding her so...

Answer 1

Sounds like she is sort of "typical arab" they tend to be somewhat flighty and high strung. Not all but many are.
The mouth issues I would have her checked by an equine dentist not just the vet to make sure she does not have any type of teeth issues going on in there. If they do or have sometimes that can make them strange about the bridle. Is someone else riding her heavey in their hands and harder on her mouth?
Some horses are more girthy than others. Our mare is some what like that. She will pin her ears and make faces and somteimes stop her back foot. If you tell her "do not get witchey with me" she quits so in her case it is just bad manners. This mare could be the same she may not want to be saddles as it means it is time to work. Tighten up the girth slowly and give her a minute then take it up a notch and reat a minute then up again. It takes more time but if it upsets them less.
Also sounds like she is herd bound with the other mare or buddy sour.
Some horses are never going to be really calm and this sounds like one of those. You could try some herbal things but in some shows the drugs in them are banned and you can not use them to show. She sounds like she is just a cranky mare. Ours is like that. Makes me love my gelding all the more.

Answer 2

Girthy horses often have a lot of muscle tension. That is how they are telling you that something is hurting. Massage therapy can alleviate this.

Bridling issues are often related to teeth. If her teeth do not need to be floated, and her mouth is not sore, she may have had a trauma earlier in her life that will always make her head shy. Remember that horses see to the side, not the front. Make sure you approach from the side, and stand on the side when putting the bridle on (basics, I know but many people make this mistake).

Horses are herd creatures. If this horse is bound to one in particular they should be kept apart. It will be tough in the beginning, but she will adjust.

Make sure she is not getting too much protein. Less protein in her diet will help.

Answer 3

the first answerer was really rude. No this is NOT typically Arabian. This is typically horse. The major thing with this breed of horse is that you just have to be patient with their quirks. They have a tendency to be high strung, yes. Take a look at your riding style. How do you ride? Are you an agressive rider or are you a laid back rider. Do you push your horse with your seat a lot or more with your legs. Are your legs on her at all times or are they just down and not on her? My horse was very fiery and hyper when I pushed a lot with my seat and legs. I am a really aggressive rider but I am also very passive. It jsut depends on the hrose. When tacking her up, buckle one hole at a time and then take her and walk around for a minute or two. then tighten up to the next hole until you get the saddle as tight as it needs to be. If she just tosses her head a lot and bites at the air, there is not much you can do, some horses just hate being girthed up. and at 22 she is set in her ways so comprimise a little.

Answer 4

Okay,
try doing her girth up slowly, like when you put the sadlle on make sure it's looseish, then when you walk her out the box, do it up a little more etc....some horses are just VERY ticklish around their bellies.
you say she's got no teeth/mouth problems, well she may have hads them in the past, and they have left a lasting impression on her. Mares are NOTORIOUS for their long memories!!! You could try a bitless bridle or a short shank hackamore for a bit, i realise this isnt allowed in dressage, but it may encourage her to be less heady with regard to pputting the bridle on.
If there are other horses in the barn/stable, try putting her in next to oneof them when you bring her into the box, just having another horse may help her to relax, or else is she not good at being tacked up in the paddock?
with regard to making her calmer, well she's veryfit, and obviously feeling very well. you could try cutting down on the intensity of her work, so she becomes slightly less fit.
But at her age, it's going to be quite difficult to bring about these changes...My best advice is just to love her (as you obviously appear to do) and just enjoy her for who she is!!!!
Happy riding:)

Answer 5

Hi DQ :)

I know you're into dressage. Hear me out anyway, okay?

I have ridden English, Western and have dabbled in Dressage in the 30 years since I first put feet in stirrups. I have owned Arabians and have seen the good, the bad and the nutty behavior they can and do exhibit.

My suggestion to you is to check out www.Parelli.com. Since I started their training program (not just for cowboys -- ask the O'Connors! Ask Luis Lucio!), I have noticed an amazing (AMAZING) transformation in my current (Arabian) mare. She has relaxed immeasurably and has gone from a scattered, HOT ball of energy to a focused, happy ball of energy. Now, not only will she go all day, but she'll happily go in the direction I want and at the pace I want. As for piaffe and passage? We're still working on it. :)

It might be tough to justify the expense (it's not exactly cheap) for a horse that you are simply leasing, but I would suggest considering it anyway. If you want to learn, start with the horse's mind and work your way to the rest!

Best of luck!

~DancesWithHorses~