I think you need to get the Squeaker into a round pen and have a "discussion" with her. She's had a layoff at least as long as yours, probably been overfed for the amount of exercise she got (none) and you got into a situation with a fresh, under-worked, over-energized and DISRESPECTFUL horse that saw an avenue of escape from work and took it. If that happens again and again, she's learning to ignore and overpower you whenever she wants. There HAS to be consequences for her behavior and that doesn't mean being chased around the pasture making you look silly and ineffective. Trying to work through this out in the open on ANY length of cotton line isn't the way.

She needs to be confined (round pen) and forced to deal with you ( get respectful) where she can't flee. Free-longe at a canter for at least 15 minutes. She WILL buck and snort and kick but keep after her with a longe whip smacking the ground behind her until she realizes you're not taking any guff. When she's good and tired, switch to the longe (WEAR GLOVES!) and start again. Get her going at a canter again for a few circles and then "WHOA!", followed by a very strong pull on the line to pull her completely around to stop and face you. Get SOLID eye contact! No happy face! Stand there for a minute to let her think about it and then suddenly start her again the other way. Do that about a half dozen times before you quit. Several days of this and then move outside the round pen (still get the freshness off IN the pen first). Start her at a canter on the longe and after a HALF circle, "WHOA!" and pull her around. Do about another half dozen of those and quit. If she acts out again at any time outside the pen, go back in for some SERIOUS work as her reprimand. Any time you see her starting to get a little too energetic on the longe, "WHOA!", stand and start again. If you don't have a round pen or a SMALL paddock to work in, you need to get one or borrow one or you'll be chasing Squeak AND this problem all winter. ~FH

FH said it very well, of course!  This is about making her respect you, and SHE needs to be doing the hard work of running around, not you... she'll come to understand that that 10X bigger don't mean squat, b/c you have the superior brain (thank you, Star Trek!  lol).

Hear! Hear! FH, I couldn't have said it better myself! I don't think I could have gotten a handle on any of my horses without my roundpen!

Well it's warm enough out there that the footing should have thawed (it was rutted and icy yesterday) so hopefully back out to the roundpen we go.  The thing that really gets to me is that as long as she's being worked at least 4x/week she's an angel, but any layoff and it's back to square one.

*sigh*.... we'll get there... now where's my whip......

I'll keep you all posted.

What are you feeding? Is it possible that it may creating a little extra energy when not needed?

 I agree with the others and the need for the roundpen work - from the ground up as they say.

A dominant hrose will need a very dominant rider. Are you that kind of rider or can you become one? 

The feeding program is and has been free-choice grass hay.

As far as needing a dominant rider, I'm much more assertive in the saddle than on the ground -- many people have commented on it over the years.  Perhaps that's because the accident that should have killed me happened while I was leading a horse at a slow walk, or perhaps it's just me... who knows.

I did feel like we made a little bit of progress today, so I'll take that and move forward.