Any tips on rearers in hand

Chifney anti-rearing bit.

I had to look after a friend's horse because he was getting out of hand, and she wasn't even able to lead him in hand at this point. She was using this parelli halter, so I swapped it to a chifney and I instantly had respect and a safe and managable horse to lead.
A 17hh horse is too big to be given an option. You are a thousand times more likely to harm your horse, by giving it the option to rear and misbehave if it wants to, compared to putting him in a bit in that will tell your strong willed horse that you mean business.
 
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chifney or seretta

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Whats a 'seretta'? Mairi toddles off to have a look on google
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Horses which are prone to rearing should be handled with a long rope, preferably a lunge rope, and the handler should wear all appropriate safety gear. Short ropes are no use, and can cause the handler to be drawn under the horse as it rears.

Your horse seems to be rearing out of frustration and lack of training, so there are really two issues here...........

1. The handler has to learn how to lead the horse out, paying close attention to his demeanour, keeping the horse focused at all times, and keeping control of the horse's attention, and

2. The horse, should he decide to try a rear, must be dissuaded from doing so.

Ideally, a period of training would be my preferred option, when the horse is young, so that he learns to walk on a lead rope and doesn't learn to use rearing as an evasion. However, many of the horses I've worked with have already become adept at rearing and know how to use it to good effect. The result of this is that I have to find a way of teaching them that rearing is not in their best interests.

Your horse has already found rearing to be possible, and that there isn't much you can do about it, so that makes things a bit more complicated for you.

The best way to encourage a horse to rear is to try to hold onto him to prevent it. As the horse tries to pull away, the handler pulls in the opposite direction, the horse feels held against his will, his flight instinct really kicks in, and he rears. That is a basic reaction in such circumstances.

The horse immediately learns that he can do it, and he will use it oftener as the situation demands. Each time he gets excited and tries to pull away, the potential for him to rear increases, particularly if the handler attempts to restrain him.

I use Be-Nice halters with every horse I'm asked to work with, and some of them have been rearers. I have never used a chiffney, and I can't imagine I ever would.......not that I would fault anyone who preferred the chiffney, it's just that I feel that training is the better long term option.

There is no such thing as a controller halter either, in my view. Dually halters, Be-Nice, Parelli type halters, are training aids.

I start by teaching the horse, in a safe area such as a school, how to yield to soft pressure from the halter, by asking him initially to step toward me, back away from me, and to pay attention to me and to his position in relation to me.

I then teach him how to stay close to me, and to follow me around closely, so that he can learn how to be free of the pressure of the halter. If he doesn't stay close, he feels pressure. If his attention wavers, or is taken by something other than me, he feels the pressure. If, however, he stays with me, and keeps his attention on me, he feels no pressure.

I then teach him how to stand calmly with me, and to keep himself focused on me. I do this by letting him feel the halter if his head is anywhere other than right next to my shoulder, and by leaving him well alone if his head is where I want it to be. This serves to get him focused on me, and to watch me closely so that if I move away, he comes with me; if I turn, so does he, and if I stop, he stops.

I then teach the horse how to keep his head toward me at all times, by using the halter to turn him toward me as I walk toward his quarters. This teaches him to face up, and to disengage his hindquarters. This is important as it will be part of my method of dissuasion from rearing.

Many horses which have been rearers previously, given the above basic training, will not even attempt a rear, although some will.

Those which do try to use rearing with me are all treated the same way in order to dissuade them from trying again.......

I let them rear whilst I step away from them to the side, so that I am facing their quarters, allowing them plenty of slack rope as they go up, lest they feel held. This release of the rope is often enough to take the steam out of their rear, as they have no resistance from me, and therefor don't feel held.

Whether they only produce a half hearted rear, or a full blown one, they have to come down again, and when they do I use the halter to bring them round sharply to face me. As soon as they have come round, I release the rope and praise them for taking the 'correction', then I ask with the halter for them to step toward me, and to keep coming till they are with me again.

I've not known any horse to need this more than three times before they give up rearing with me.

There are no secrets with this sort of handling of horses. The point is they recognise that they are not going to be held tight, and also that rearing will cause pressure from the halter as their feet hit the ground, but that they can avoid the pressure by being compliant in hand.

It's important to 'correct' silently,and to vocally praise good responses whilst removing all pressure as long as the horse is compliant. At no time is the halter used in a harsh way, a steady weighty pull being preferred to jerking, and instant relief from pressure as the horse complies.

Having gone through the above experiences, the horse is now very well versed in the art of paying attention to his handler, and he has learned how to avoid feeling the pressure of the halter. Provided the handler can use the halter sparingly and without aggression, and can be attentive to the need to keep the horse focused, they are both ready to start walking out.

The handler can then, with subtle use of the halter, as frequently as necessary, keep the horse focused and attentive.

I'm sorry about the epic proportions of this post, but that's typical of me, I'm afraid.
 
Sorry you feel lonely on the yard, but I would insist that everyone wears a hat when handling your horse - because if god forbid something did happen, you can be certain they'd be jumping down your throat for making them handle a dangerous horse without telling them!

I would go for turning him back around every time he starts to a**e around, I think a smack on the stomach when he goes up would probably work best but if he's still only little and quite highly strung he might go completely apes*** so that'd be dangerous.

I wouldn't feed treats, purely because I would think it rewards his bad behaviour and could exacerbate the issue.

Good luck, keep trying! Keep out the way, and if you start to really struggle then get someone in.

Hannah xx

Btw, is it a really stupid idea to attach another leadrope to the other side of him so if you lose control someone else could have hold of him? Probably stupid so feel free to shoot me down! xxxxx
 
Chiffney definitly !

I started using one after a suggestion from my friend ( my horse had been in the field for 2 days as 2 scared to get near him)

I used to / from the field and when he had been good he got a treat at the end. HE soon learned and my OH now leads him along like a dog !!!!
 
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No Lady T, he is not a quiet horse but even as a foal he was full of exuberance. although generally for myself he has some decent manners, will move away from me, backs up lovely, but when he loses it it, he does it big style and is like a loose cannon. Other days he can wander around in his leather headcollar like a lamb but then can change in an instant. I wear a hat and get some funny looks off other owners as if I am making a drama out of it. The staff do not wear hats which is why I am so worried about them handling him. Thank you for all your advice, sometimes just feel really alone as NO ONE else on our yard has this problem.

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I know how you feel. This happenend to me a few years ago with a young 17.2hh who used to spin towards you, rear, then quick as a flash spin the other way and just run - in a straight line away from you!!!!!!!

It was horrible, I was so worried that he would hurt someone and he was the first horse that I couldn't deal with on my own.

I was put in touch with a great guy who came and showed me how to cope with him.
1. I had to get respect - this horse had been cut late and was very opinionated - I had to get him to listen to me.

2. If the horse chose to misbehave - he had to work, not for long but hard.

3. Reward. When the horse did "do what I wanted" the pressure was off.

In my case this guy lent me a stallion ring to stop the running off ( like a chiffney but goes round the nose NOT through the mouth) This was VERY effective.

Then we had to deal with the rearing.

I used a rope halter and a long rope 14' bought from the Chandlers.

Whenever the horse reared he then had to go backwards, forwards, sideways and circle around me for about a minute. Then he was allowed to stand still, then asked to walk on again. I had to repeat this as often as I needed which for me was -
Day 1. 6 times on the way to the field.
Day 2 4 times
Day 3 result - walked out like a good boy.
Day 4 Tried it once - gave up
Day 5 Nothing, walked like a dream
Day 6 Nightmare just kept rearing but I kept my cool
and we made it to the field.
Day 7 What a star, marched straight out no problems.

From that day until he died( another story) he was easy to lead, turnout where ever.
Just a thought, maybe could help your lad.
 
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