You ask a stallion, you tell a gelding but you have a conversation with a mare. That’s the saying and its true. Mares have opinions and they like to express them. Some more then others. I’ve only had mares, its what i know and i enjoy the conversation. My first horse Merciful Heavens AKA Mercy never gave me the ugly mare face, never had issues with going into heat and being un-ridable but she did have her own opinions. I always let her express herself, we formed a bond, a trust that was unshakable. I rode that horse in the LA river with water up to her chest in raging rainstorms (okay now i know how dangerous that was, then i was fearless)
she’d jump anything i pointed her at no matter how big, how wide or how scary looking. Id rode her in no tack in the ring and in a halter on the trail and she followed me around like a puppy dog. It didn’t start out like that but it ended like that. I put in the time and the work and she rewarded me with love and trust.
Jezebel does give me ugly mare face (usually when we’re tacking up) and shes most certainly has opinions of her own. She likes to express them… a lot. When shes in heat shes difficult but i still get on (and hold on) I love this about her, i love all the personality, i love the challenge, i love that there is an unpredictable-ness about her. I love her mind and that its her own. When i win her over it will be an un shatter-able bond and we are well on our way to that place. I wouldn’t want to tell her and have her comply. I want to ask her and have her make the decision to comply because we’re a team and shes an active participant on that team. Thats why i love mares. I’m headstrong, I want a headstrong partner.
Circe is new so I’m not sure about her. She came to me compliant, patient, calm and sweet. As soon as i singed the papers making her mine… the mare came out. Shes still sweet but shes also sly, sneaky and has her own opinions. A red-headed mare she is, in her own way. I’m working on building our bond and though shes easier then Jez in most ways, shes not a piece of cake. She’s got her own set of horse issues. I enjoy her challenges as well. The more i get to know her the more i love what she has to teach me. Dealing with these mares will only make me a better horse person. Over coming issue with your opinionated mare will only makes you a better person, a more patient person a more determined person.
I try never to complain about my mares just because they are girls i find that disrespectful in a weird way. If i wanted an easier road i could have had one, If i wanted to avoid all the special mare issues i could have gone that route. I could have bought a made 12 year old gelding and bypassed all the baby horse, mare, ottb challenges. I still could if thats what I wanted to do. I don’t! I want the challenge, i love the challenge but most of all i love the girls.
my best friend and I were recounting our terribly dangerous childhood on and off horseback and kinda thought it was awesome how parental negligence turned us into really neat people 🙂
For me riding with a helmet was a jumping only thing and only when adults were watching! Im so much more careful now though im trying real hard to keep the “fearless” as much as i can.
Aw, sweet girls. I love the photos in this post. Your mares are lucky to have you!