Von Liphier Dobermann

Itching to teach your mare some dressage essentials? Don't take things too quickly—don't forget to do some basic pony care and health maintenance—like checking her mouth. Are you using a hackamore because your mare won't allow you to touch her mouth? Did she hurt her gums and now you want to treat her wounds? There will come a time that you will need to test her mouth. Don't wait for an emergency to occur before starting coaching her to be comfortable when you are touching her mouth.

How do you go about training your horse to permit you to touch her mouth? Commence with a halter placed on your mare. Stroke her face ensuring you're only touching the area where she permits you to touch. Then, slowly and with single strokes at a time, let your touches come close her mouth, ensuring you move your hand away before she reacts negatively. By rubbing her neck or thru your words, praise your horse each time she accepts your touch. When she turns her face away with your hand still touching her mouth, it suggests it is too early for you to let your hand stay longer. Go back to stroking the spot you started on and repeat the procedure , but this time remove your hands quicker. When your mare is eventually accepting you stroking her mouth, start letting your hand stay there a bit longer until she accepts your laying your hand on her mouth. Practice the lesson on the opposite side of her face as well, take breaks between each lesson, and always fuss over your pony for any improvement she shows.

Rub around her muzzle and attempt to touch her longer every time but do not go overboard as you will come off as annoying to your horse. When she is finally content when you rub around her muzzle, you can proceed to rubbing her outer lips and between them.

Hold her head by placing your right hand under her neck and putting your hand where the halter strap is—on her nose bridge. Rub the inner part of her lips with your left hand. Then, using one finger, rub the outsides of your her gums and bars. When she grows ok with it, proceed to rubbing the top of the bars. If she resists, go back to the point where she is content and try again; slower and lighter this time. Patience is the virtue by which you defeat the pride of a pony.

Horses have a spot where no teeth grow; it is between the molars and incisors and that is the only spot where you should place your hand when touching the insides of their mouths.

When your horse is comfortable with one of your fingers touching her bars, add another finger till it's possible to get your whole hand into her mouth and she doesn't resist. Do this exercise frequently after grooming—before you go on to your horse riding until she accepts it as part of daily happenings.