Do you remember the REARING horse?

RuthnMeg

RuthnMeg

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 September 2009
Messages
3,502
Location
North Dorset
Visit site
I posted about a few weeks or so ago?
Well, he is being very naughty, rearing 99% of the time. His saddle and back and teeth have all been checked but its getting out of hand. Running out of riders who are willing to take him out, so, any advice? How to manage and cope with him.
(He is not my horse, and seems to be good out hunting, however we have to keep him fit by riding him out. He is good in an arena being schooled, not great with show jumps. We do not have a school on site, nearest one is 1 mile away that we use.)
I did also note that he is getting worse at loading, just stubbon, not yet naughty and even refused to come OFF the lorry the other day.
Any thoughts, ideas tricks and whatever you can think of welcome.
Thanks.
 
Brain tumour ?

Not much help but until you get to the bottom of this I suggest he's not ridden. He seems to be getting worse and if other areas are becoming problematic I would suggest something physical is wrong.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Brain tumour ?

Not much help but until you get to the bottom of this I suggest he's not ridden. He seems to be getting worse and if other areas are becoming problematic I would suggest something physical is wrong.

[/ QUOTE ]

Brain tumour crossed my mind too, and sadly the owner can't really see the danger and claims he is just a baby and told me something about training him like a puppy??
Oh dear!!!
 
Sorry I didn't read your original post about him but how old is he?? The adrenaline out hunting may be taking over from what is really wrong, thats maybe why he's good then.

Does he need a holiday? He may be p'ed off with work in general, could he be turned away to chill out for a while and be a horse?

Sorry its the only suggestion I have, but I would get the vet to assess just in case....
 
ps, the 'back lady' claims the horse (Dan) gets head aches and rears because of this? Anyone shed light on horses with head aches and what reaction you get?? Its a new one on me.
 
Ok if he is a baby you could certainly expect some resistance and trying the rider out but a horse that rears 99% of the time in my mind has more going on than naughtiness, not understanding what he's being asked to do etc.

I wish you lots of luck but I really don't think you should put yourself in danger for someone elses' horse tbh.

Have you had a lesson when this has happened ? what does an experienced instructor think ?
 
[ QUOTE ]
and sadly the owner can't really see the danger and claims he is just a baby and told me something about training him like a puppy??
Oh dear!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

So you're teaching him to sit and roll over???
smirk.gif


I would get a vets opinion, if he's now being silly while being handled then it's getting very dangerous.

Does the owner ride him? I can't remember much of the original post apart from the scary bits.
 
The owner has ridden him (daughter hunts him). Owner has experienced a few rears, and just comes back home telling us that hes been a baby and XYZ will school him.
 
The horse needs looking at by a professional, as in vet.

Owner needs to cough up and get it looked into, rather than risking other peoples lives riding it.
 
My mare began with bucking & progressed to rearing. Had back/saddle/teeth checked more times than I can remember.

Full vet work up showed 1/10 lame behind & xrays revealed spavin in hock.

Completed course of intra-articular injections, she's sound & not reared or bucked since. Praying it will stay this way!

My old RI said that her resorting to rearing was the equivalent of her screaming at me that something was wrong
blush.gif


It was certainly a reaction to pain in our case - worth more vet checks? Hope you can get to the bottom of it
 
Seems like something untoward is going on - maybe a neurological problem and only a vet can verify this for the owner.

Is he just randomly rearing or is it when he's asked to do something he maybe doesn't understand?

I would suggets either a horse behaviour expert (ie Richard Maxwell) or you could tried tying his tail to his girth! I have no idea who told me about this but I did suggest it to a friend who had a rearing horse problem. It worked! They use their tail to balance the rear so without being able to do this they cannot rear.

However, I think you'd need to rule out any serious neurological issue first and establish whether it is rearing as an evasion or due to pain.

Many years ago we had similar issue with a 'from Ireland-all-he's-done-is-hunted' horse and he established his rear very well. I don't believe it was pain related in his instance though and he was lovely to handle load etc, he just reared in a response to too much pressure - ie being asked to showjump. The majority of the time he was perfectly sane. Mind you, had we had the knowledge back then we do now we may have investigated possible back issues with him.
 
QR

Same as Monopoly. My horse was increasnigly unhappy, but not noticeably lame, to be ridden. Got vet, got xrays, 1/10th lame with OCD in right hock.

They don't have to be lame for there to be a leg/bone issue.
 
I think once you've gone down the vet route I would speak to Richard Maxwell. Especially if he's getting naughty to load. Seems as though his overall respect and manners need improving.

He has worked with rearers as I've read it on his site.

Horses don't just rear through pain, it can be due to frustration and excitment. I had a mare who would rear if you didn't let her canter when you came across a strip of grass. It took a long time to teach her that grass was not always for cantering/ galloping on. At which point the rearing and leaping all but stopped.
 
I would get full work up by vet to include IR scans for heat sources. it is poss for tumour but also i would argue that 7 is NOT a baby. He should be able to be riddenansd have some manners well before now. yes in terms of working up through grades he is still young but he should havce the basics established. No excuses for bad behavoiur but get vet to fully examine.
 
Inclined to agree with johnrobert, this sounds more than naughtyness.I would definately get the vet in.What bit does he have.A harsh bit (or hands) or a sore mouth is a sure recipie to send a horse balistic.
 
The other thing to consider would be food intolerances, our mare with issues with sugars and cereals would rear. We think she also had headaches. A human I have had as a client had vile headaches and odd behaviour problems until her food intolerances were sorted out. It is worth a try.
 
Agree it is most likely he is trying to tell you something.

He may be in pain. This would be my no 1 suspicion. If he is a nice horse in other ways then this may be well a desperate attempt to let you know he is sore. Alternatively, he may like being schooled and not much else - we all have our likes and dislikes after all. If he knows going in the box will lead to being jumped etc then he may be protesting as he simply doesn't like it. Or lastly and least likely he may be a bolshy g**t.

Out of interest does he rear on the ground? I once had a mare whose solution to everything was to rear. Spooked when being led from field - rear. Didn't want to load - rear. Didn't want to be wormed - rear. Didn't want to be ridden - rear. Playing in field with other horses - rear, rear, rear. I suspect she may have had a hormonal problem. Sadly she was a shared horse and the other rider couldn't cope/had had enough so she was sold back to the person that sold her to us (she had a history of rearing which was not disclosed to us) so I never got to the bottom of it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top