Any tips on rearers in hand

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NELSON11

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Hi

Does anyone have any tips on stopping a very exuberant 17hh 3 yo from rearing in hand on his way to the paddock in the mornings, is led in a controller headcollar and long lead rope but suddenly just squeals very quickly and erupts. Once he comes down generally just walks into the paddock. Isn't on anyheating feed. Try and avoid meeting other horses going out at the same time and keeping to a routine but he is so hot and I am never getting a break as don't feel happy for the livery yard staff to handle him as don't want them to get injured.
 
I have no idea what a 'controller headcollar' is but any doubts on the ability of keeping all 4 feet on the ground I will lead out in a chifney or put a chain over the nose. One good reprimand is usually enough to bring them back to their senses. Good luck, 17 hands is one heck of a big rear
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Chifney definitely. Jesper used to behave like this from the age of 4yr (when we got him) until he was about 9! He's now 10 and finally calming down but is still led in a chifney as it's easier than taking a risk.
 
Is he getting out much?
The 2y/o arab does this when going out sometimes, because she's stuck in all the time and gets excited. But she's not mine so i can't do anything about it. Usually i can catch her thinking about it or just as she pulls back to go up and give her a couple of swift yanks on the leadrope which interrupts her and then she normally just walks on. I can understand at his height though this may be more difficult.

I am wary of how often people on here suggest a chifney though- they're very nasty things and to me would be a last resort if i felt i might come to serious injury. I would use a thin rope halter, the knotted type so that the pressure point on the nose is stronger. Also you could try and keep his attention with a rustly packet of treats and once he is out and not reared he can have a treat? I don't think there's a perfect solution, so hand feeding a single treat in the field would be my preferred choice.
 
Is led in the Eskadron controller safety headcollar which has the chain over the nose. Have got a chifney which have used on the older guys so looks like will try that, happens so fast though, hardly have time to even think about it.
 
I had a 17hh 3 year old that used to do this. Trouble was she would turn and face you then rear!! Quite scary sometimes!! I used a chain across her nose attached to the rope. I only had to use it once and she never did it again!!! Much better / kinder than a chiffney IMHO.
 
I agree with the above poster I wouldn't just wack on a chiffney at the first point.

I would spend a bit more time on manners etc I really like Richard Maxwell. He has got some really good books on just this... Might be worth a read as he doesn't take any nonsence but is fair too.
x
 
That is exactly what my mare does. She can have long gaps without doing it at all then she starts again.

You are doing the right thing with the long lead rope, nothing worse than getting sucked under. People laugh at my long loops of leadrope but it's a definite safety net for me.

I have a Be Nice headcollar. It does stop her doing it, but she gets quite agitated instead. So I have two choices, be aware and ready and let her go up while keeping well out of the way (and wearing a hat) Or have an agitated bouncing horse all the way to the field and then have to fight to get the be nice off and keep out of the way.

I am finding the easiest way is the former. Also just letting my arm hang loose and weighting the rope downwards tends to stop the head tossing and silliness that starts before the rear.

I am hoping she will stop eventually. It is much less frequent than it was, it's usually high winds that sparks it now.

I shall probably get slated for letting this continue, but for us my way has worked to a point.

I am certainly not going down the road of Chifney's or ropes through mouths because IMO it's not a dangerous enough problem for us.
 
feeding treats in the field can create its own problems, especially if the field has other horses in it. Using the chifney just a handful of times can nip the habit in the bud before an accident happens.
 
Mean't to say gets lots of paddock excercise every day, strict routine, ie never turned out late, just seems to be total exuberance epsecially as squeals like a pig and erupts in a split second.
 
A sharp crack across the belly sometimes does the trick with some horses, depends on how they re-act to it and if your putting yourself in more dangerous postition, I'd certainly recomend getting round the problem with lots of ground work, yes a chiffney will work but with some horses they tend to learn that they can't do it when the it on but will continue to rear when its not on, so getting behind what going on in your horses head and sorting that out rather using somethign to over come his strength, excitablilty or not the horse needs to learn to repect the person that is leading it, I agree its not much fun and very dangerous, please do wear a hat everytime your leading him, you'll get there just takes time.
 
Chifney...and riding hat AT ALL TIMES.

Sorry but the back legs break and front legs kill. You dont want your head being cracked open by a front foot, or to be knocked over with your horse going doolally

It is a tonne of horse we are talking about here!
 
forgot to say, make sure you have a hat on. I was stuck in the head by a rearing horse years ago. ended up in hospital. This is why I will not tolerate rearing while being led. definately needs stopping before you have an accident.
 
Agree with Richard Maxwell RussoHeidi, he actually visited our chap as a yearling and made a comment then he had never met such an opinionated yearling after spending the afternoon working with him. I have harnessed it over the years by stimulating him but just getting over a tendon sheath injury recently and with the weather change, he has become a devil. And the shear size and weight is quite daunting and with 30 years experience can be daunting at times when looking at his belly
 
I always think that the poor old chifney has been blighted for no good reason. I have used them when needed for many years and have walked working stallions worth small fortunes in them (bosses orders). I have never damaged a horse nor have I heard of horses damaged by them. I have heard of the story of the greatgreat grandmothers third cousin removed (twice) who knew of someone who broke a neds jaw by yanking on one on a blustery day in June. And a 'hey ho diddly do' and all that.
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Sorry, chifneys are not nasty and can help a puny 60k man keep a 600k horse in order without damaging him. My oh travels with one and will use it if a horse decides to play up while being loaded. I prefer to be the boss and not be carted around and possibly end up in ICU. The older you get, the more self preserving you become.
 
I tried what Kenzo suggested with my little pig of a NF pony (she used to nap and rear, in-hand and ridden). One wallop across her underside and she stopped rearing in-hand.
If you are competent handling a horse in a chifney, and you've already tried the stallion chain approach, then that would be my next step... unless, of course, you can get Richard Maxwell or someone like that out to you. Of course using a chifney may stop the actual rearing, but someone like Richard Maxwell may be able to find a deeper-seated cause and tackle that - meaning that at the end you may have a horse suitable to be led in a normal headcollar.
I also TOTALLY agree with R2R... the one horse I am most afraid of at work, is the one who will come at you with his front legs. Bloomin' dangerous. I would also add gloves to the list.
 
Now I don't ahve any actual expereince of this although my sister's horse did this a bit when being led in when he was a baby. Grew out of it though as his manners improved in general and a*seing about didn't get him anywhere.

Treatment/cure probably depends greatly on the type of horse. Is he generally bolshy for example or is he usually a quiet, well behaved horse? My bolshy horse needs firm handling to treat his moments of naughtiness whereas my sister's horse does not respond to the same and has much bettre manners to start with.

I think eskadron headcollars wokr well (I have that on mine as he knows his own strength far too well). Rather than trting different headcollars etc or something i do wonder if the more 'natural horsemanship' type methods may work. For example - he evidently is very excited about going out. Coudl you treat this in a similar way to a dog? Ie, the moment he goes up you turn him and walk him back - calmly but firmly - away from where he wants to go - walk in circles etc. When he behaves, walk him back where you are supposed to be going and praise him when he does walk without going up.

I know what I am meaning in my head so hope it makes some sense! Wouldn't harm though getting a professional in to help. I think the trick is to try avoid more gadgets (he's only a baby after all), it's about getting respect and understanding that he needs to behave how you want.

Oh adn as others have said make sure you wear a hat!!!
 
[ QUOTE ]
feeding treats in the field can create its own problems, especially if the field has other horses in it. Using the chifney just a handful of times can nip the habit in the bud before an accident happens.

[/ QUOTE ]

It does, but less dangerous than a rearing 17hh.

And a chifney can cause permanent damage both physical and psychological.
 
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.
 
I disagree there. You then have a problem of LOOSE horses trying to get treats, charging at each other, knocking you about, in a gateway. an accident waiting to happen.
 
if it was me, i would give a chifney ago and hope that he respects that. its not nasty as long as its used in the right way! sometimes we need a helping hand especially when you have a big lad like yours, a human strength is just not enough! you just want a reminder that there is somebody at the end of the rope!
 
My mare used to do this.
I contacted a Kelly Marks RI and she came out and gave me a lesson with a dually. It got to the stage where I was getting nervous just being around her.
One time my mare reared up and I yanked her hard and caught her at the right time. It really shocked her.
If I feel she's getting 'fresh' on the way to the field I back her up every 5 or 6 steps and walk in zig zags to keep her occupied. I bought her as a 15.3h 2 year old, and I soon learnt that her previous owners used to let her graze whilst on a lunge line. They didnt know how to deal with it.
Getting help was the best thing I ever did as at one stage I couldnt get her in and out of the stable. She's an angel now, I can lead her and my gelding up together. I used to spend hours awake at night worrying about it.
Second the hat - mine went up and caught my head. God it hurt!!
 
Hi. I would definetely try the chifney having had to have one continually on my previous horse to lead/load. The only thing which you would have to be mindful of is if the horse got loose from you - if he were to inadvertently stand on his lead rope the pressure from the chifney would be enough to snap his jaw, I know this is probably the case with most bits, but with a chifney it would cause a very nasty injury. Also if it just so happened that you were not around one day for any reason and someone else had to bring him in i.e staff you would have to make sure they knew not to tie him up using the chifney - again any undue pressure on the jaw from a horse pulling back whilst tied up could result in a broken jaw.

I've got to say that my WB ALWAYS knew when he had his chifney in, and never played up whereas on the very few ocassions that we led/loaded him without it on he would turn his head away and tank off (with three of us clinging onto his rope on one ocassion whilst be pulled around a carpark!). To be fair to him he had leading issues which we later found out were due to pain from wobblers syndrome and it wasn't a behavoiural issue per se.

My advice would be to use a normal headcollar but buy the little side attachments that allow you to convert your headcollar to a bit. Then you have a chifney and headcollar in one and there would be no excuse by anyone to tie the horse up by the chifney.
 
I agree with MAIRI, Chifney all the way to nip it in the bud. In the right 'responsible' hands a Chifney is a 'must have' piece of equipment. It's not like you'll always be using it, just a few times for the wake-up call and then voila, nice 17hh that stays on all fours! Good luck :-)
 
How about a half length lead rope then so he is unable to stand on it unless his head is right down by the floor. Trouble is, as you know my dear friend, it is virtually impossible to eliminate all potential danger with horses! We can only do our best and sometimes our best is not good enough but we can but try.

If there is anyway I can help you, you know I will try x
 
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