Hello Shae; the first question that I would ask is HOW LONG HAVE HAD HER? My thoughts would be predicated toward the sensitivities that all horses seem to have with new places and new humans in their life.
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. I would work very hard at establishing leadership and trust on both of your parts of the relationship--her you and you her. There are many examples in the videos that Monty presents in the UNI. The development of a new mustang to the ranch would something to watch very closely.
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.You probably need to take a step backward from riding and get back to the ground training exercises and then build a new foundation with her.
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See what the others have to say as there is a treasure chest of good ideas on this forum.
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Best of luck
Bud

Hi Shae
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In addition to Bud's question, can you tell us a bit more please to help us understand what is happening. (1) When you say you have tried the methods, what have you tried, for how long, and what happened. (2) What is the environment that she came from (I don't understand what 'station' is sorry - different jargon in diffent parts of the world - how does it (if at all) differ from the environment she is in now and what is the work expected of her?. (3) As she is a mare, do you observe any times during her cycle where she is better/worse than others (4)What is her personality/temperament like when you are not riding her ?
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Sorry if it's a bit of an interrogation but it is important I promise :-)

Hi Shae,
Not much to add to the questions above, look forward to learning more about what you've been doing to help your mare.
Mel
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Hi Shaw,
My name is Ronda and almost seven years ago I started on the adventure of my life.
I rescued an abused filly, frightened of her own shadow. I had no experience of working with wild horses but was raised around horses since I was in diapers.
How I started was very patiently waiting for her to allow me to get near her.
Once that was allowed I walked around the field would sit down and just watch her.
Eventually she allowed me to touch her and she would follow me.
At this time I became interested in Montys ways and joined the Uni.
Greatest thing I ever did. I read every book of his I could find, watched all the videos over and over.
Only then did I try to apply what I learned.
I also bought a video camera and taped myself with her.
Its amazing what you think you're doing but in reality you are not doing at all.
If this helps you I am happy.
The very best for you now and the future.

I'm sorry about your misspelled name my tablet corrects on it own. My apologies.

Hi, Guys.
I have had her for a year. She was trained and then stopped half way through her training and sold. I think this may have an impact on her behaviour. I have tried Monty's methods of join up and watched his spooky Kadina lessons as well.She came from a cattle ranch (station as we call them) not far from here. The work level is the same and the environment is very similar.She is living with 4 of my other horses but she is respected and not harassed in any way. I have asked questions to the station beforehand about her and asked if she has always been this way or whether she had some kind of harassment that has created a fear. The other station said that when they started training her she was like this. She is a smart and intelligent mare.

Hope this helps. If you have any more questions plz ask. I will try some more ground work and leadership.
Thanks
Everyone
Shae

Hi Shae,
Nice to have you with us on the Uni and the forum!
Now here I am with my questions. Do you have/use, a Dually Halter with your young mare?
Let me just explain, why this is so important. When your mare spooks and you have a normal halter on, there's not much you can do. With the Dually you can help her understand that you are her leader and she can make the choice of cooperation with you.
I recently worked with a young gelding, that panicked when horseflies were around. We put the Dually on him and went for a good walk. Of course there were a lot of horseflies, so he started to play up quite dangerously. His owner tried to correct him, but showed her own fear of his reaction. So I took over and showed him, that when he jumps around avoiding flies, I will just not have it. It took ONE time of schooling with the Dually and the rest of our walk ( and ever after that! ), he was happy to follow his leader... End of that story!
Watch as many video's you can find on this UNI showing the advantages of this wonderful halter, learn how to use it properly, it's not a magic tool, it's the hands that hold it, that make the difference!
Please keep us posted!
Miriam

Hi Shae
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Great advice from Miriam as always. Hmmm... there's an untold story here..."She was trained and then stopped half way through her training and sold...She is a smart and intelligent mare." I don't think the past owners are being totally clear with you. Think about it from their point of view...they need a horse with a job to do....smart horse but they gave up her training, why? Because she behaved as she is doing with you. So, you bring her to a very similar environment and she behaves just as she did; only to be expected! So, have you got a hopeless duffer that will never make the grade or have you got something very special who needs careful understanding and when 'turned around' will make the previous station amazed that it's the same horse? Mmmm the odds are with the latter :-) Clever horses are harder to train that 'average' horses...you have to be smart and adaptable too. Always think of things from her point of view and if you have to break it down to the most minute incremental steps so be it if this is what she needs and you have the time and patience to do it.
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It took months and months of may hours work to get my boy desensitised and he will always be 'spooky' - it is part of him. But he trusts me and he will try. I accept that this is how he is but he is not a working horse. Your situation is different, if you need her to be safe and reliable you have your work cut out but often these types turn out to be stunners when you win their hearts and minds.
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I remember when I met Monty and Chrome at Flag is Up he said that Chrome, no matter what, would never be right for an inexperienced rider. Sometimes we have to be honest and decide whether what we have is what we need and if a horse cannot be made into what we need, let it go.
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Good luck, let us know how you get on.

Hello all; I do not know of another place that a horse person could go and receive such in-depth advice and thought to ponder as this forum. Vicci, you take Shae on a wonderful journey of the mind and bring about a moment in time that Shae can consider the many of the possibilities that could be swirling around in her horses`s mind when it comes to building trust and letting go of the past. Horses, as we all know never forget, but we can bring about new experiences that are tied to positive results for growth and before you know it a really GOOD RELATIONSHIP IS BORN. That`s when things really start to change. In my mind, this is how the old folks that we call THE HORSE WHISPERERS, would approach what others deemed a difficult horse to train and would put the handle of non-trainable on the horse.
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.Shae, if you decide to stay the course with this horse, you could be in for the journey of a life time and you will probably come out the other side looking at horses in an entirely different manner. Horses hold deep within them the ability to look into who we are as people and ask us the question are YOU really ready for a relationship with me? You, also, must ask them many questions along the journey and be patient for their answer. However, THEY WILL ANSWER YOU.
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.I wish you well on what ever you decide.
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Many blessings
Bud

Thank you Bud; that's very kind of you

Hi Shae and all: After rereading all of the commentary, I thought that I would like to try and start to analyze what you actually know of this mare. From your commentary Shae, she seems to spook at many of the natural things that a rider would encounter on the trail, not to mention the outback. Why does she do this? The overwhelming answer for me is LACK OF CONFIDENCE. With that said, how do you, Shae, build confidence in this mare?
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.My thought would be to go to an area that she is comfortable in, and exercise by exercise build her confidence and TRUST in some elementary, but important steps to build RELATIONSHIP: SHARING OF SPACE AT LIBERTY, THE CHAIR CHALLENGE, LEADING FROM BEHIND, BACKING UP FOR EXTENDED DISTANCES, BEING ABLE TO DISENGAGE THE REAR END WITH A POINT OF YOUR FINGER WHILE AT HER SIDE, UBERSTREITCHEN NECK EXERCISES, to name a few that I use; all to be done at liberty. The one undeniable item that you MUST MASTER IS HER FOCUS for any of these exercises to work. If you can get her focus on you on a consistent basis and build on it through time, you will find that she will be ready and able to do any of these exercises. You will also be building the MAGIC OF TRUST. When you have confidence and trust you, as her rider and person, and she, as your horse will watch your world change before your eyes. These things will not happen over night because of her past, but, if done incrementally, with confidence and trust on your part, you will get there. I realize that you have probably not planned to restart a horse from the beginning, but spooking is a hard wired demon to deal with. YOU CANNOT LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN AND AGAIN. With horses, when this clicks into their brain, they go fast and far. The more that the flight aspect erupts in a horse, the more open that channel in their thought pattern becomes a consistent tune-in and is expressed with unwanted behavior. REMEMBER, the horse is just trying to connect the dots and get along. RESHAPENING A HORSES` WAY OF BEING will take some time, but it`s such GOOD WORK.
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All the best
Bud