Advice on a horse that rears

madhector

madhector

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 December 2006
Messages
12,679
Location
soon to be up north!
www.darlingdressage.co.uk
Should probably put this in new lounge but you lot are much more helpful (and less scary
wink.gif
)


I really need some advice on what to do with a horse that rears. Said horse doesnt just do your everyday rears but goes up and over. It is fine until you put it under pressure and then it starts to nap, if you dont give in to the nap then it goes up, and eventually over. If you just keep within its comfort zones and dont ask any more from it then its fine. But say when schooling you ask for a bit more collection from the canter then it throws the towel in. Like wise I asked it to go through a stream towards home and it was fine, but away from home and we threw our toys out of the pram.


This makes it impossible to improve anything as as soon as the work gets hard it naps, and the rears. I have never given in and even when it has gone over I have got back on and worked though it, but sometimes have been at it for an hour at least. Tried all the tricks to get it to go forwards when it is napping without rearing but no success. Avoiding situations that make it nap means I never get to really school it and change anything..


Have had everything checked as first thought was it must be pain related but everything was fine.

Any other ideas?


Thanks
 
Really everything? Like a full work up from vets? Because if it has been scoped and nerve blocked and nothing came back and it still does this, then job or no job, I would not risk my neck and horse would have a one way ticket to Potters.
frown.gif
You are not exactly a novice or nervous rider, and you only have one life. How many times has it been over with you?

You cannot work in your chosen industry a) from a hospital bed, b) from a wheelchair and c) as effectively if you are pieced back together with metal rods and have limited movement...so think long and hard before you ride it again.
 
Personally I would not be riding a horse that has no self preservation and just keeps on going over backwards. Every horse has to deal with some kind of pressure and some cope better than others. A horse rearing and napping is in my books very different to one that tips itself over when it all gets too much. I think if a horse has tipped itself over more than twice I would not be on its back.
 
No advise really but please don't put yourself in danger. I also have a rearer who does it to get his own way and he goes vertical but he is very balanced and never goes over. The day that happens is the day I get rid as I believe that is a horse who has no concern for himself or his rider. In your case I would push so far until the horse threatens and then release the pressure and when relaxed ask again. Good luck.
 
Two Q's

- how old is the horse?
- what sort of level is it working at happily?

I only ask because my boy got a little bit like this after 2 years of hard flatwork and jumping training - turns out he had just reached his natural "can do" level and he could not cope with being asked of anything more. He has now been sold, gone down a notch and is a happy & willing boy again.
 
I know you have said that you have looked into everything pain related but have you excluded any pain in the sacroiliac area? Just wondering as we have a horse that was fine with all work until you asked him to collect in the canter and carry himself. The response would be him slamming on the breaks and either throwing his head in the air or running backwards, if you then sent him on through what seemed like napping he would rear and fall over. We had physio, saddle check, x ray for kissing spine ect but it turned out to be sacroiliac pain. We had a cortisone injection into the area, physio and rehab work and he is now 99% better, he doesn't nap or rear. He still sometimes swings his 1/4s in the upward transtion but its improving everyday.
 
Thats why I have posted this now - have come to the point where I have had enough really... value the use of my legs too much!

It has had full lameness work up, not been scoped though, hadnt thought about ulcers. Back checked, teeth, saddle..

It has been actually over on me twice.
 
Get it scoped, if that comes back clear, I would walk away and it would be PTS.
frown.gif


FWIW I lasted three tip over rears before my old mare got her marching orders, and now she is not ridden any more.
 
More than twice gone over? I'd be looking to put it down. Not only is it unsaleable and a lawsuit waiting to happen if you do sell it, it is just not worth it. There are an awful lot of good talented horses out there that don't rear and risk your life and it costs just as much to keep a bad 'un as a good 'un.
 
It has been over on me twice - and I dont really want to get back on. Not so much out of fear but I cannot afford to be in hospital and I value the use of my legs. I had kept on until now as wanted to give it a chance.

Horse is 5, only really working at a basic level on the flat still as I am unable to push it to do anything more without a reaction. It is happy jumping though and doesnt seem to nap then. I only take it in the school a couple of times a week, 3 maxium and make sure it hacks a lot, so it really shouldnt be bored.

My gut said there was something wrong though...just not found anything and dont think the owner will want to spend any more money trying to find out...
 
[ QUOTE ]
Get it scoped, if that comes back clear, I would walk away and it would be PTS.
frown.gif


FWIW I lasted three tip over rears before my old mare got her marching orders, and now she is not ridden any more.

[/ QUOTE ]

I remember you telling me about her... will try and convince the owner to get it scoped, as it does seem that napping is a commom side effect of ulcers. It doesnt rear out of nowhere so if we could solve the napping then might be ok..
 
Can you get it tested for tumours? That is also the other thing I would be looking at. There is no way I would be riding it though.
 
[ QUOTE ]
It has been actually over on me twice.

[/ QUOTE ]

Then you have been VERY lucky, TWICE!

Don't let the b****r have a third try - he might actually succeed. As someone (sorry,can't remember who, apologies!) said, a horse that goes up to nap, is a completely different kettle of fish to one that deliberately/recklessly goes over. If the first time it happened,the horse didn't scare itself so much that it never wanted to do it again, it has a screw loose. You have too much to lose to risk being well and truly squashed.
 
You can sort a horse out who has this problem. We bought a horse ( not the one mentioned above) from a well known event rider. We were sold him as suitable for a novice. When we got him home we discovered that when he had had enough he would fall out through his shoulder and rear vertical, boxing with his front legs, walking backwards until it went over. He is 17.3hh so not to be best with.
Anyway, after several near misses we decided to stop riding him and made sure there was no medical issues. I then began long reining him, I long reined him in and out of the arena and out for miles, any hint of napping and I tapped him up with the stick. I also lunged him lots and hacked him in company but in front.
After a few months of this he seemed to forget the naughtiness and never did it again. He now belongs to the Mother In Law has a riding club horse and hack after a sucessful eventing and showing (ridden hunter) career with us.

this horse was 5 too.
 
If its not pain and it lost balance rather than backflipped - I'd sent it off to a hunt to see if they can fix it

If it is pure behaviour then the only thing to get it out of this habit is a fool hardy bloke from the hunt that will probably crack it round the back legs and give it the shock of its life!
 
Is this one of the horses that have been sent over from Ireland for you to compete?

If so, then I think you have to decide whether this horse has any self preservation as while it has no concern for its own well being, then it will never have any for you
frown.gif


If you have had everything checked then I believe you are already coming to the end of your relationship with him... It is simply not worth it if there is nothing physical causing the pain and he has already been over on you twice
frown.gif
You are a good and confident rider, so it is certainly not defeat to give in.
 
have you tryed to pull him over rather than him throwing himself over? so that you shock him, rather than him having the upper hand? as others have said though it would appear he has no reagrds for himself let alone you, I had a mare who used to stand vertical and you could prevent her from getting up by turning her, im sure you have tried all this though, another thing is to ask for forward and stop when he seems to have an issue settle him then maybe try again till eventually he goes forward or through what your asking, pleasebe carefull as others have said though good luck whatever you decide to do
 
My horse went over backwards on me the once. He has never done it again as he did not mean it and he scared himself. Hence why I believe once is fine, twice is scary and any more is a no go.
 
Re. pulling over. We also did this to the above horse ( The naughty one not the sacroiliac one). I didn't want to say though incase I was told off! Anyway, he reared vertical in a lesson once and my other half( the rider) Pulled him over and jumped off him bit splat, when the horse was on the floor he gave him a good smack. This seemed to shock him and helped to put his rearing behind him. This horse would rear so high that the stirrup leathers would slide off the stirrup bars!
 
I was told this method for rearers by a very old racing hand and was horrified at it so I'm not suggesting you try it I thought you might be interested to know what some people got up to years ago to stop rearers...

take an egg in your pocket, provoke the horse to rear, and when it starts to go up, smash the egg on the top of its head. This is supposed to make it think it has hit its head, and the liquid of the egg is blood running down its head.

i have no idea if this works and he could have been just windning me up, it seems like a logistical nightmare, rears eggs timing etc!!! I would like to know if anyone else has ever heard of this or was i just a gullable fool?...
 
I have to say I think I would turn it away for a year or so on the suspicion it might just have too much to cope with/not be mature enough.
Then bring it back in with lots of groundwork and if it does it again-get rid.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top