Post by heidi1 on Sept 18, 2014 10:18:27 GMT
Please bear with me!
We bought a mare for my daughter in June. We have always previously had geldings as that is what has found us rather than a conscious choice.
We keep our ponies at home and now have the one mare and three geldings. When we were deciding whether or not to buy her, that she is a mare was a consideration due to not knowing how that dynamic would play out in the herd. She had been in season on the first occasion we went to try her and you wouldn't have really known however in her previous home she was kept on a busy livery yard and mares and geldings were turned out separately.
Since she has been with us, she has integrated fantastically with the others, as a group they are very settled and happy and she has trained my highland well as both a windbreak and source of shade! However, as we are going into autumn we have started to notice a pattern in her behaviour developing when she is in season.
She is not naughty or nasty but will 'test' my daughter who also comments that she just doesn't feel right at these times. My daughter is only 8 and this pony was a big step up for her both size and ability wise but she fell completely in love with her dismissing a number of other ponies and has completely stepped up to the mark learning that she only has to 'think it' and the mare responds. She also has regular lessons. The pony also had a track record of bringing on her previous child riders.
My question is, does anyone have any advice or suggestions in terms of supplement (not calmer) that would help to keep her on an even keel especially in these important early stages of partnership building.
Thank you
We bought a mare for my daughter in June. We have always previously had geldings as that is what has found us rather than a conscious choice.
We keep our ponies at home and now have the one mare and three geldings. When we were deciding whether or not to buy her, that she is a mare was a consideration due to not knowing how that dynamic would play out in the herd. She had been in season on the first occasion we went to try her and you wouldn't have really known however in her previous home she was kept on a busy livery yard and mares and geldings were turned out separately.
Since she has been with us, she has integrated fantastically with the others, as a group they are very settled and happy and she has trained my highland well as both a windbreak and source of shade! However, as we are going into autumn we have started to notice a pattern in her behaviour developing when she is in season.
She is not naughty or nasty but will 'test' my daughter who also comments that she just doesn't feel right at these times. My daughter is only 8 and this pony was a big step up for her both size and ability wise but she fell completely in love with her dismissing a number of other ponies and has completely stepped up to the mark learning that she only has to 'think it' and the mare responds. She also has regular lessons. The pony also had a track record of bringing on her previous child riders.
My question is, does anyone have any advice or suggestions in terms of supplement (not calmer) that would help to keep her on an even keel especially in these important early stages of partnership building.
Thank you