Hello;
Tell me a little about your mare.---Can you halter her? Does she fight you on a lead-line? Where do you keep her?  Do you have a roundpen?  Are there any other horses in the vicinity?  We can get you started in the right direction, but we need a little more information to be able to offer a suggestion or two .  Take the time to go over some of the lessons that are offered in the on-line videos would be a good place to start.
Thanks
Bud

Hi. Welcome to the Uni. Wow! You are at the beginning of an amazing journey. Two weeks, now nearly 3, with an abused animal is like the blink of an eye. Gaining her total trust will take much longer BUT the overall progress, once you get those first baby steps in place, will be so rewarding. Bud is right, we can advise you much better with more information. However, let's start with something very basic. A bucket with some chopped up apple & carrot. Not huge amounts, just enough for her to get the idea. Go well into her pen/pasture, calling her name so she is paying you attention, drop 2 or 3 pieces of treat on the ground (unless the ground is muddy). This will give her more chance to smell what you have brought her. On the first day or two simply put down the bucket & leave back over the fence. Let her investigate in total peace. Do not rush in to retrieve the bucket when she's finished - give her time to wander far away. You are creating a 'safe' place with the bucket. Very quickly she will begin to associate your calling her with the bucket coming & will start to approach you - to get the food quicker, despite her fear. Move slowly when bringing the bucket & retrieving it - build her trust. Once she knows she can get the treats without penalty you can gradually retreat less & less until she comes calmly to the bucket with you only a few feet away. Remain totally still but speak to her so your voice & 'good stuff' go together in her mind. These simple actions will show her that PERHAPS she might give you a chance. Meantime, fill us in with more details & study the lessons on the Uni, improve your breathing control & body language. Cheers, Jo.

Thankyou for your replies. I have a huge update on her :-) She has a headcollar on now and where she was previously terrified of the bucket,it is now the wonderful thing that has very tasty things in it so whenever she see's it she whinneys like there is no tomorrow lol I can now touch her neck,and gradually working along her body that she feels comfortable with. There are areas where she is very sensitive and doesnt like being touched there, i.e her chest,head and neck,also her legs. I spent the first couple of weeks just sitting in the field with her so she could see me,sniff me etc, and I just sat there reading. The past few days she has come on in leaps and bounds and when ever she sees me she will call out and come to the fence. She has a neighbour, an elderly thoroughbred who she adores. There is a stable that she can go in, and she has and she loves her home comforts lol Tomorrow I will be taking her into the round pen  to do join up with her, now she has found her bearings at the yard and settled down abit. I have documented her journey daily and the difference in her whole demeanor is astounding.

My profile photo  was taken yesterday and this is how she is now, after 3 weeks. 3 weeks of sitting, talking to her, feeding her, just 'being' with her. there is a long, long way to go but there is hope now, and I'm so pleased there is. I wouldn't have given up on her, I must have just hit a wall and thought I wouldn't see a change in her, ever. But the photo shows I can be near her, but still on her terms.

Hi & very well done! Gentle, quiet understanding of your mares misgivings will gain you mind blowing advances. Join up will help but do not expect miracles - you will probably find that this girl will always only give to you on HER TERMS. My Holy Moley is a filly with her own mind ( which she got from her Mother, Bella ). My little herd are on restricted grazing using an electric fence. When I go to move the fence, Moley encourages me to be faster by nudging me with her head. A few weeks ago I was in the field & she was nudging me but it wasn't time to move the fence. I physically pushed her gently away, repeatedly & after a few tries she gave up & wandered off. About an hour later she came back, with her brother, Kirk & their Dad, Humphrey. The 'gang' surrounded me with a 'sea of legs', used their bodies to block me from the wheelbarrow, totally stopping the field tidy up & then nudged me between the 3 of them. They were gentle about it, but insistent. Given this example of pretty special team work I rapidly gave in & moved the fence - whilst smiling broadly at their use of Montys methods on me ( contrive a situation where the desired behaviour is easy & anything else is more work/less comfortable )! You are clearly developing a great affection for your mare. Take great care to focus on being her happily accepted human friend, first & foremost. If you can achieve that then everything else will happen in due course. Keep us posted. Cheers, Jo.

Hi, we did join up and she was really good :-) I did think for a moment when she was going round, will I be able to catch her again if all doesnt go to plan lol She showed all 4 signs, which I must admit a did have a tear in my eye as I hadn't actually done a join up before but studied it endlessly on the university. The actual join up wasn't perfect but she did follow me. After, I managed to sponge areas down that previously she had told me were no go areas, I even fly sprayed her with a sponge! I do think our bond has grown abit, maybe because I was talking her language? I'm not entirely sure, that's me just being a complete novice at  join up. The knowledge is in my head but getting out and doing it was to be honest, an amazing experience. Yes, I will concentrate on being her happy human friend :-) I'm very happy just being that, and building on it from now on. We are in no rush, and I believe you can't rush this, at all. A lot of it is on her terms, and again, I very happy to do this too. 

Hi. I'm so happy for you both. Your girl is very lucky to have found you! Just to clarify, I hugely back the view that each and every horse is an individual who becomes so much better/happier when they know they can rely on THEIR HUMAN. None of us are perfect & we all have 'bad days', horses & humans alike. Horses are incredible at forgiving ( but not forgetting ). Your girl will never forget her previous treatment & she will tell you when you stray into activities she finds difficult/terrifying. Your bond ( which is your responsibility to nurture & grow but which she will, hopefully, find valuable & worth her own investment in ) will cause her to be FAIR with you, clear to show her discomforts but not violent. Be mindful always that she 'carries baggage' & needs your help with that. It is universally recognised now that telling a human with depression to " just pull yourself together " is not only not helpful but positively harmful. Likewise, horses, who respond instinctively to situations, benefit far more to understanding than forcefulness. Yes, some characters are cheeky ( which is a manifestation of confidence & trust ) but 'naughtiness' requires the human to ASK WHY? Is the horse tired, getting sore muscles, seeing/hearing/smelling something unfamiliar ( or all too familiar but unwelcome/frightening )? Rather than bullishly pushing through this situation, be intelligent! Unless dangerous to do so ( going back onto a busy road for instance ) immediately reassure the horse & calmly retrace a few steps, backing up if possible. Then, back to basic learning, do a manoeuvre the horse is very familiar with & finds easy to do. This is a distraction for the horse & you then have something positive to praise. Unnecessary confrontation is avoided & the horse learns that you listen & that you are worthy of being listened to. You have 'met their need' - for a flight animal to be cautious but used trust & understanding to prevent actual flight & diffuse the situation. Of course, if a bear suddenly appears out of the woods at this point you can positively reinforce your mutual trust by, together, quickly leaving! You've made a REALLY GREAT start with your girl. Please keep us updated with how this relationship progresses. Cheers, Jo.