Discipline?

This is all very interesting to read - I've just started a new share with a 6 year old mare and she is stubborn anyway but because I'm the new person she is trying it on big style and giving some almighty bucks for no valid reason other than she's being naughty (has been ridden by a pro previously in same tack etc and had no problems last week, only thing different is me on board!).

The first time she had a bucking episode I tried the more stern route and tried to kick on through it (not a pony club kick but a fair push on) and the bucks just got a hell of a lot bigger! So my current preferred route to keep my bum in the saddle is to bring her back to walk, give her a couple of seconds moving forward in walk then return to the last movement I was asking of her.

She's still being a cheeky sod and trying it on but she is not winning, I've not hit the deck yet and the 'calm then ask again' approach is working better than the kicking through it approach - hopefully in a few days time she will accept I'm her new rider and we'll get on better but it makes for interesting watching at the moment!
 
When a horse rears, its in a state of heightened tension, so I do nothing to increase the tension. I want to bring it back to normality and get its focus back on me. I sit quietly and give it enough rein not to topple over and the moment it's feet are nearly down, I squeeze on and get it going forward. The more excited the horse, the calmer and more directional you need to be. I never fight with a horse, I try to lessen the tension, get its mind back to the job and carry on as normal. Once the horse is calm and going forwards, then it gets a pat.

Then when I get off, I think, blooming Nora ! Whenever any things untoward happens, I try to work out why it happened and what needs to be done to avoid a repeat performance.
 
Depends on the horse I think.

I was told if a horse is rearing to either crack an egg between its ears or give a good thwack (good co-ordination needed there) or to get someone on the ground to give it a smack on its belly so to get it to treally think about exposing itself underneath.

However, personally I would just sit it out, wait for them to calm down, then try again as most rearers ive known just get more and more wound up about it. Oddly, id rather sit on a rearer than a bucker as i sit to it better.
 
When my horse rears there are 2 reasons, if I am riding her then it is most likely because she is too excited but I still ask her to listen to me, whereas all she wants to do is 'GO GO GO!!!' so she rears up in hope that I will loose the contact and she can take advantage and do what she wants once she hits the ground again, but she has not had luck with that one yet, the other reason if I am riding her is because I am pushing her out of her comfort zone and asking for that extra little bit, and she just simply doesn't want to do it, so she rears up. In both situations I sit still, maintain the contact but not yank or hang on to the reins tightly, and ignore her rear, so while she is in the air I just ignore her and when all 4 feet on the ground, I just ask for whatever I wanted to achieve again, it will normally take 2-4 rears for her to finally give up and do what she's told. If someone else is riding her, she will rear up if they hold onto her mouth/head too strongly and if they yank, and again if she is excited but usually it then turns into a massive rearing fight because they hold on when she rears, try to send her forwards when she lands, but then pull back because she's too keen to go forwards and so she rears again and it becomes a vicious circle, in those cases its best to drop the reins and let her go forwards a bit, then calm yourself and ask her to stop using your seat. She is a good horse that will listen to your seat so your hands are really not needed that much. But i don't tend to let many people on her anyway so it's ok, its my problem to put up with :)
 
khalswitz said:
I was always taught that when a horse rears, to hit it with your hand between the ears. This makes them feel like they've hit into something as they go up, and puts them off rearing so high next time. It doesn't solve the actual problem, of course, and you need to treat the cause not just the symptoms, but as long as you are working to treat the cause then I think telling them that a behaviour is unacceptable is fair play. I've worked with a couple of horse who had learned to rear to get out of work. In that circumstance you do have to ride it out and make a point of both telling them that rearing is unacceptable, and praising them the minute they move forward and work.
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My pony is a rearer and any sort of punishment makes him a lot worse. He only calms down and stops with being spoken to and reassurance and his is also naughtyness too. If I was to smack him between the ears the next rear would get higher!

Depends on the horse to which route you take to discipline with rearers.
 
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