The article is summed up with this sage advice from old time trainers:
"There are only two ways you can argue with a mare and neither one works."
If you can accept a mare for who she is, very often you can have a great horse. If you can't, it is just horrible for everyone. I think that is why so many trainers don't like mares. Geldings are so much more pliable. They will work on your time table. When working with a mare, everything is on her time table. Now of course every mare is different.
Abby and Madison. . . Madison is not really mine, she is my mom's. I have her Madison several years ago as a Christmas present. Of course I take total care of her but I always hoped that my mom would drive her one day. I have not given up hope. Although I need to train her to drive. I love these two together. Notice their stars and snips. They are very similar.Of course my new mare:
Kinsey~ who is actually loved by a gelding lover. Not sure what that says about either of them. lol I thought that Kinsey would come in to my little herd and be at the bottom of the pecking order. She isn't, silly girl. She is the top. Pushes Abby, a good hand and a half taller than her and at least 500 lbs heavier, around. I had to remove my little guy from the herd and put him with the goats because Kinsey quite literally knocked him on his butt.Honestly she is becoming a different horse now that she is outside all the time. She can run, which she loves to do. She runs up to the fence to say hello, nickers for food, is becoming an almost affectionate horse. She is all mare for sure, which I why I was think that having so many people using her and handle her was getting confusing for her. Mares like routine.
Oh don't worry nobody was harmed during this play session. They had just been turned out into the field to stretch their legs without mud and these two just happened to cross paths. You have to admit that Madison really can get down can't she. Could be a little cow pony.
