Another rear...this time I came off!

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UnpaidGroom

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Well I decided to try and ride my pony with a crop last night to see if that helped with his napping (which turned into rearing when I pushed him on out on a hack the other week). You might have seen my post the other day about the YO being really agianst crops and me not daring to ride with one. Anyway this is what happened last night...

I mounted him, crop in hand, and as soon as my bum touched down (very gently I might add!) he was up vertical on his back legs, I honestly thought he was going over so I half threw/half fell off the side (probably a silly thing to do but have never had to deal with rearing before and panicked). When he reared out hacking the other week they were nothing like this one, this one was big! Anyway I decided I would lunge him and then try again. When I first asked him to walk on he turned towards me and reared, again vertical and more than once, I felt quite threatened. Eventually he went off with a few bucks, calmed down and lunged nicely for about 20 mins. I then got on him again, with the crop, and just walked and trotted for about 10 mins and he was fine, although I got the impression sometimes he wasn't very happy. He didn't nap at all with the crop and was very forward going, I never had to use it, just holding it seemed to do the trick.

Ive had teeth and back checked and I am at a loss as to what is wrong with him and causing him to rear. Could he just be being naughty? He is 15 as is an ex-riding school pony. Surely he couldn't have been like this in a riding school? He's lovely to handle and has good manners when I'm leading, grooming, feeding etc. I was told when I bought him that he is a very sensitive boy and this seems to be true.

Im worried that it is something I'm doing or that he is some sort of pain that wasn't picked up when his teeth and back were checked. I've got a more experienced friend who is hopefully coming to see him on the weekend and see what she thinks.

Any opinions/advice would be really appreciated.

Thanks x.
 
He sounds very insecure to me and really at his age after spending his life in a school following another horse his napping habit I think may be very difficult to break. It sounds like perhaps you are not experienced enough to handle the problem and I would look in to sending him away to be educated or to part company.
 
i hate to encourage you to spend more money, but i would get his teeth checked by someone else (get them to put the gag on and let you have a proper feel yourself. the teeth should all feel smooth and rounded, no sharp edges at all. as long as the gag's correctly fitted you can check them all carefully with no risk of being bitten.)
what bit are you riding him in?
i would get a mctimoney chiropractor out and have his back checked again.
if you still have your old saddle, the one he was ridden in before, i would go back to that. i'm sorry, i think you said you'd had a new one professionally fitted etc, but that doesn't mean anything unfortunately. it could have bad workmanship inside which transfers down as sharp points when you sit on it. my saddler has known of horses shot because of terrible behaviour, and later the saddle was found to be causing them serious pain, but looked fine from the outside. honestly.
i would get someone experienced to help. it is no good if he is worrying you.
i would lunge him for 20 mins every day before even thinking about getting on.
hope you're okay. getting off in mid-rear is the safest thing to do if they're going high or unbalanced, so well done for doing the right thing by instinct!
 
The fact that he reared on the lunge implies to me that he is challenging you. The fact that you pushed him on is good and he will have learned that he didn't get his way, also I hope without you having to resort to being truly nasty with him.

Is he relaxed when you ride him without a stick?
Next time maybe you should try lungeing him first and then ride without the stick and see if that helps.

Alot of ex-riding school horses take time to adapt to a normal life, so he may be challenging you because he feels insecure. I'd always lunge him first and then ride for now so that he is more settled. You don't want to be teaching him that rearing gives him his own way!
 
I agree with kerilli that you should get everything double checked by qualified professionals. Get an EDT (go on the BAEDT website and look at the members page) to look at his teeth and his back re-checked. I also would do away with the whip for now, as imo this is likely to make things worse.

My horse is like this if his back gets sore or if we hack out (which we have retired from for the moment!) and I find that if I sit quietly, don't put any pressure on him but don't allow him to turn around and go the other way, he eventually gets the picture and goes forward. I also find I have to leave his mouth alone and be very patient with him. If I start trying to beat him up he just throws the towel in won't do anything. We have progressed from napping/rearing whenever ridden to only doing it out hacking, so it seems to be slowly working! Obviously different horses respond differently, but I always think the quiet approach is best if possible
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Good luck, I hope you sort him out!
 
Thank you everyone apart from 'samp' (most helpful...NOT!) for your advice. I will definately get teeth, back and saddle re-checked!

'OrangeEmpire' - I didn't resort to being ' truely nasty' at all, that is not my way of doing things. Developing a good bond with my pony is very important to me. With regards to riding without a stick - yesterday was the first time I I have carried stick when riding him, when I ride without one he naps a lot and rears when I push him on. I spoke to his ex-owner and she said they always had to carry a stick with him.

'samp' - your comments were most unhelpful and I would advise that if you only have such negative things to say don't say anything at all. I will most certainly not be parting company with my pony - he is my responsiblity and I will do whatever it takes to make sure he is happy, healthy and comfortable.
 
whereabouts are you?

Personally i would take him to the vets and get his back xrayed to eliminate kissing spine. Then i would get a chartered physio to look at him, and look at your saddle. Then get a fully qualified saddler out to make any adjustments your physio might think needs to be done, and to get him/her to check it over aswell.

Get his teeth done by a registered EDT aswell.......

To me he does sound like hes just challenging you. My horse used to rear (still can) and hes 17'3. One day (similar to you) i got on him and he stood straight up with me. There was nothing wrong with him physically, he was just trying me out. I never ever ride without a stick, as the reason a horse rears is becase it isnt moving forwards, get the horse moving forwards and it cant rear. If i feel my horse even think about rearing he gets a good kick and a wack with the stick - i dont take any cr*p im afraid, especially from a 17'3 6yo.
 
Please don't take what I said as a critical comment - I was merely hoping you had got him lunging without having to have a physical standoff with him. The fact that you clearly did resolve this calmly should be taken as very encouraging. If it does turn out to be behavioural rather than pain related then you asserting your superiority without having to be nasty will make a huge differnce.

My older horse has a massive water phobia which was so bad he would have a massive tantrum about even the tiniest puddle. I resolved it by similar methods to those described by JumpTheMoon.

I know you usually don't carry a stick, I was just wondering if he was more tense when you rode him with the stick or without?
 
I would def get teeth rechecked, and get a McTimoney practitioner out.

I had an awful 2months with Lance,thinking he would have to be retired, as vet and physio couldnt find what was causing lameness, nor could farrier.

I tried McTimoney and I kid you not, 3 days later he was totally sound and happy again.

He had a whole list of things out of line and had been in pain.

I also got her to do Beau, and she found problems with him too, I actually wish my boys werent quite so willing as if they had shown they were in dicomfort I could have sorted it out earlier.

def rule out all physical aspects first.

Beau is having another McTimoney sesh next week as he still isnt right one one rein, i really cant rate it highly enough.

Once the physical stuff is ruled out, and your saddle is checked if needs be,then you can take it from there.
 
Maybe Samp's right, if your intimidated by your pony and you dont know how to go about trying to sort his problems out then surely its better for someone else to do it? I dont think what Samp said was unreasonable for her to say.
 
Sorry, I knew you weren't being critical or anything and I really appreciate you opinions and advice. My back was up from 'samps' comments suggesting I 'parted company' with him. That is just not going to happen!
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'vieshot' - oh dear, another one! I can safely say my pony won't be going anywhere, I will get him sorted, with the help of professionals as necessary. I do not recall saying I was intimidated by my pony - you actually made that up - strange.

I certainly will not be 'parting comapny' with him and I find absolutely ridiculous that it should even be suggested. I beleive once you make the decision to buy a horse/pony then he or she is then your responsibility, you do not just sell on because you are having problems!

Maybe you have issues of your own?
 
as you say he came from a riding school - do you know which one and can you go and ask them about his past ?

they might be able to tell you whether the reason he was sold from the school as with another owner in between it wouldn't come back on them - you could at least ask if they 'found him lazy' or 'was he ever used as a lead horse or did he always follow' and ask if they can remember what bit they used on him

sometimes people can and will be helpful - esp. as you are not intending to sell him on but to keep him and try and sort thru the problems

asking a question or two if you can could save you a lot of time and money
 
Calm down, calm down. It sounded like you were having your confidence tested and I have seen it happen so often where people have these naughty horses that get worse and worse and they end up with little confidence.

You are doing your best for the pony, I am not saying you are not. However you do need to sort this problem out ASAP before it becomes a habit.

Had you have read posts on my mare she is v quirky, yet she does not intimidate me and I have the confidence and experience to sort ouot her quirks. Like you I have all pain issues resolved first.

To me it sounded like you had done the vets, physio, teeth etc so a professional was the other option and if this did not work then it is best to admit the pony is not going to do what you want and part compnay. Sorry if that sounds harsh but that is my opinion.
 
so you post on a discussion group and expect to get only answers your like? I am another who thinks you need professional help. And you did in fact say you felt threatened by him.
I wouldn't get back on unless you have professional help to hand.
 
Can I just point out to everyone the original poster has said she is happy to get professional help but will not be selling him - I think her attitude is highly commendable and respectable and she clearly knows that she is responsible for this pony and is willing to do what she can for it rather than just saying "it isn't working, sell it".

To the original poster - I would def get everything physical double checked again: dentist, saddle and back.
 
I am not suggesting selling it, rather either getting an instructor in for an intensive(daily) course or sending the horse away.
 
Yes I realise that but the poster has said about 3posts up that she is willing to get professional help in - what she is speaking out against is the suggestion of selling the horse
 
Okay then you used the term 'threatned' which to me implies that your feeling slightly intimidated. And all i said was that you should seek proffessional help, dont post if you cant take the answers people give!
 
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