What is sawing at the horse's mouth?

Hello!

You start by saying she is lively AND stressed. Could it be that when she gets stressed, she comes across as lively? Horses pick one of two responses to stress: they run, or they go inward, hold against you, and move slowly if they move at all.

There is new research showing that horses experience a great deal of stress when the handler puts them under pressure they do not know how to resolve. In other words, we give signals and the horse cannot work out what the answer is meant to be.

A common way to deal with horses that handle stress by becoming "lively" and often strong is to take a stronger contact or move up to a harsher bit. You have already found that this does not work on your horse, and you are starting to look for another solution. You write that taking and giving alternately on the right and left rein works best. As long as there is a clear release the horse can understand, it is not sawing. Sawing has no release in it, only taking.

What I would like you to consider is whether there is something you can do for your horse before the two of you reach the point where stress makes her run.

Think about how she is to handle, from leading her in from the field, to grooming, picking out hooves, saddling, and bridling. Where does she start building the stress? You can help her by stepping back at the first sign of stress and waiting until she lets it go (snorting, chewing, licking, scratching, yawning and so on). Watch for the subtle signs too, such as excessive blinking or a flicker of tension around the muzzle, not just the obvious ones like pawing, biting, or not standing still.

Do come back if you have any more questions! 🙂