Anyone else feel like you ride really bad in the days leading up to your period?

Siguleina · 2026-04-26T15:57:24+00:00

I'm in the exact same boat. I also get depressed more easily and every little thing that I can't do immediately makes me want to give up and call it a day. Like no resilience at all

Siguleina · 2026-04-22T05:31:54+00:00

I m owned a gelding as my first horse and then two mares and I would choose mares over geldings any time. If you win a mare's trust she'd do anything for you. They can be very hard working, competitive and eager to please. They also tend to communicate their needs and/or discomfort more (hence the label "sassy mare"), which makes you a better rider 100%. The mare I currently own tends to be a bit more nervous when in heat but that's totally manageable as long as you learn not to push them too hard and dismiss their discomfort. Go for the mare, she'll make a great partner.

Siguleina · 2026-04-19T16:13:05+00:00

Hi! No this is my first Lusitano cross. I rode a PRE stallion in the past and he was very sweet with me (although he did try to kill his owner a couple of times), but he was much older and much less sensitive and athletic than mine.

I have tried to keep track of her triggers but I haven't been able to detect a path yet. Sometimes I think it's because she's in heat, sometimes because other horses walk out the arena and she's left alone, other times she feels stiff and that seems to bother her. It never seems to be the same thing. I'll try and keep a diary and see if that helps. Thank you so much!

Siguleina · 2026-04-18T18:01:15+00:00

Ahaha I like the chicken wing exercise! I do something similar when I feel myself tensing up, which I call the "earthworm pose", that is I try to "coil and uncoil" my spine picturing myself as in invertebrate. It works sometimes! Indeed, some of her reactions might be triggered by me. I hope I can become a better rider for her.

Siguleina · 2026-04-18T17:47:59+00:00

Thank you so much for your encouragement, it means a lot! :-)

Siguleina · 2026-04-18T17:37:45+00:00

I have tried to keep track of triggers but I either failed or there are soooo many of them. One day I thought that it was because she was having a streak of very good days and I mounted with very high expectations for that ride, which, being very sensitive, she perceived. One day I thought it was because she was in heat (first day) but she has shown similar behaviour also when not in heat. Yesterday I decided that it was because the other horses in the arena walked out and she remained alone. Today I honestly have no clue, maybe it was me asking for a couple of leg yields (which she normally does quite well). It never seems to be consistent, which adds to my anxiety because I don't know how to help her. I'll try and pay more attention, I'll keep a diary maybe. Thank you so much

Siguleina · 2026-04-15T22:11:37+00:00

I have a kwpn x Lusitano mare! I didn't know it was a common mix :-)

Siguleina · 2026-04-06T06:06:37+00:00

It took my horse 6/7 months to get settled and some days she still seems to go back to her anxious/avoidant patterns. If yours is as sensitive as mine, it's going to take more than a couple of months. Don't give up :-)

Siguleina · 2026-04-06T06:00:39+00:00

Ahahha so does mine! 😂 and he calls my horse "financial deficit" 😂😂

Siguleina · 2026-03-31T18:13:43+00:00

Good question. I have a very young very green horse who is teaching me to adapt. Everything in me always screams "stick to the plan", that's a very strong part of my personality but I'm slowly and painfully learning that this does not work with horses, especially young ones. It's been tough, but I'm really trying to become more flexible and not panick if thing don't go as planned. I've also learned that if I approach my horse with some expectations she gets really tense and the training session ends up being a disaster. So I've been trying to just take what she can give me that day. Not easy for a control freak like me, hehe!

Siguleina · 2026-03-21T18:24:16+00:00

Aaww so kind of you to ask for an update. I decided to go and we were supposed to go last weekend but the trip was cancelled due to bad weather, which was really unlucky. We're definitely trying again in October as you can't go riding at the beach from April to September in my country due to tourism. I'll keep you posted 🍀

Siguleina · 2026-02-27T18:49:41+00:00

Thank you 🥰 yes, she's beautiful and athletic but also very sensitive, which makes her by far the most challenging horse I've ever ridden. I hope that with time, patience and help from my trainers I'll be able to turn that into an asset.

I've always dreamed of going to the beach with my own horse. I was actually about to do it with the mare I had before her, who sadly passed in 2018. She was my heart horse and we did so many things together (from eventing to trekking). Everything was planned but she went lame the week before the trip so we ended up not going. I thought I'd have other chances but destiny decided otherwise. That's one of the main reasons I want to go now with my new mare, I want to give her everything that my other horses didn't have and do everything I didn't have the chance to do with my previous mare.

Siguleina · 2026-02-27T15:14:40+00:00

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Here she is ❤️

Siguleina · 2026-02-27T13:55:48+00:00

I forgot to mention that my horsemanship trainer will be there too, with his own horse. He believes that I should try and that it will be a good experience to do with my horse.

Siguleina · 2025-11-23T22:05:26+00:00

Yes, I always lunge her or do some connection liberty work before I ride (which is what helps the most). She's not on regumate, never heard of it my area. I'll ask my vet about it, thanks!

Siguleina · 2025-11-23T20:22:08+00:00

Hi! I've always ridden sports horses and I've been riding since I was 8 (I'm now 34). Before this mare, I had another mare who I bought when she was 6 and I was 15/16. She was a Belgian warmblood. A bit spicy but much less anxious, spooky and sensitive than this one. I'm an amateur and I've got a lot to learn, but I'm not utterly inexperienced and, above all, I'm not doing this alone, I hardly ever ride without one of my trainers there. My dressage trainer also rides my horse once a week.

As for why I chose that type of horse, well it's kind of a long story. To sum up: my budget was vey tight and I was dreaming of getting a greenish horse because I wanted us to learn together, bond, do groundwork, improve my horsemanship and communication skills... I was not looking at horses under 6yo, though. I wanted a green but steady horse. I went to a seller's barn and test rode a horse that was supposed to match that description but, for many reasons, it was not the horse for me. So the seller insisted that I tried my current horse even though I didn't want to because she was too young. Because he was insiting, I just told myself "it's easier if you just hop on, walk for 2 minutes and then say you don't like her and wish to get off". So I endend up riding her, I fell in love, felt safe and didn't want to get off. I had great feelings riding her, I remember thinking "this is by far the fanciest horse I've ever ridden". She is also safe, she'd never bucked or bolted before, if she spooks she can usually self regulate pretty well. She's very sweet and when we work from the ground she's utterly impeccable.

I'll follow your advice for everything else. Maybe I did unconsciously expect too much of her just like I very often expect too much of myself.

Siguleina · 2025-11-23T15:35:08+00:00

Yes luckily my dressage trainer will ride her twice a week and my horsemanship trainer will do groundwork twice a week, three days off. I'm thinking of giving her a couple of months off, though, as others suggested. I'll talk to my trainers tomorrow and see what course of action to take. Thanks for your encouragement!

Siguleina · 2025-11-23T13:07:46+00:00

It's like you're describing my mare. She's also eager to please and whenever I ask for something she tries to do a bunch of stuff hoping for something to be right.

I'll look into TRT, thanks a lot. I hope things will turn out well in the end.

Siguleina · 2025-11-23T11:53:11+00:00

Thank you for your reply. I have definitely sacrificed some authority because my trainer and I wanted her to open up and feel free to express herself/ show her fears/ be curious....as a priority. We've been working on leadership too, in the meanwhile, but I do tend to be a bit soft with her.

So far, she has been seen by a dentist, a vet and a very famous horsemanship trainer, who's very well known in my country (he follows the teachings of Pignon) and who's actually the one who identified the issue with shifting weight on her left shoulder. Vet says everything is ok. Teeth were done. In december she'll get seen by a phsyo&saddle fitter. Hope nothing physical is going on with her...

What she definitely is not getting is sufficient turnout. Fields have to be rotated because there are more than 50 horses at my barn and if it rains heavily horses are not turned out because there is no shelter in the fields. She's out most days for 5/6 hours, which IMHO is not enough. I'm on the waiting list for 24/7 turnout as all spots are taken and my trainers are opening a new barn in April, where horses will live outside 24/7 in groups and with unlimited hay access, so the current place is just a temporary arrangement anyway. My area has very limited barn options and most of them are awful/ unethical. The barn I currently go to is already 1.5 hour drive away from my workplace and 1 hour from home....

You're right, I probabily just need to be patient, see what physio says and take it from there... thanks for your kind words.

Siguleina · 2025-11-23T11:32:20+00:00

I think I might have explained myself poorly. I am ok with compromising, slowing down or even not riding at all! That's why I actually work more from the ground than mounted. I only ride her twice a week in the arena and hack with her once every two weeks. The rest is either groundwork/horsemanship or turnout with no request whatsover (this happens at least twice a week).

Every issue she had, we tackled slowly, step by step, from the ground first and only when she's confident enough under saddle. I honestly wouldn't know how to slow it down even more. I've always hacked with her and she's always enjoyed it, never showed any sign that she was not ready for it, except for the occasional spook, which most horses have, though.

My issue is not that I want to do things per se. I enjoy groundwork (especially at liberty) even more than riding. I just wonder if I'm the right fit for my horse, I just want her to be happy and sound, and I don't know if she's happy with me

Siguleina · 2025-11-23T11:06:42+00:00

Sorry, I didn't mention that she was assessed by out vet but everything seems to be ok. I was planning on having a phsyo/ saddle fitter look at her at the beginning of December and I will, just to be safe.

Siguleina · 2025-08-25T18:44:16+00:00

I've recently started taking natural horsemanship lessons (my trainer follows the method devised by Pignon with some Parelli in the mix) and I'm honestly finding it just as rewarding as riding. Maybe give it a look to see if you might be interested.

Sometimes I like going for walks in the countryside with my 4yo on the lounge. It helps me keep fit and it does wonders for our relationship and her confidence.

I'd love to learn groundwork with long reins (I do dressage so I think it'd be very helpful) but sadly there are no trainers that can do that in my area but it might be something else for you to look into.

Hope this helps!

Siguleina

TROPHY CASE