Does this really stop rearing?

I did the egg thing on a young and very naughty cob.

It was brilliant ... for everyone who was watching.

I mean, I'd underestimated how perfect my seat and motorcontrol would be when he went up so ended up windmilling with an egg in one hand, hanging on with the other hand. I then banged the egg on the top of his head - it bounced off with just a small crack, fell down to the pommel of the saddle where it promptly DID crack and egg went all over my groin, thigh, saddle, horse's withers, dripping down his shoulders. Then I fell off.

Mind you the poor poor horse at this point realised what a hopeless life he'd be thrust into and never bothered rearing again. So yup, definitely works!

(was a long time I should add, in the dark ages!)
 
I think everyone has summed up all the things I would have said.

I do think tho that once a horse works out that rearing works - and it really, really works - it will generally if not always go to rearing as a default when you put pressure on. Most techniques like being passive, result in horse having pressure off when it goes to rear, which can reinforce the effectiveness of the rear.

The thing which really works IMO is milling as has been mentioned. You do have to have lightning reflexes and be very determined tho.

The minute horse thinks about lightening it's forehand you need to spin it hard to it's soft side. (It helps if horse is unshod if you are on concrete/tarmac) Spin three times really driving the horse and then when you come out of the spin drive it into trot in the direction you wanted to go in. Horse is positively relieved to go forwards.

It's quite extreme, but if horse is young it's possible to partially prevent the horse thinking going up is a viable option when you ask it to do something it doesn't want to do. I think the programming is always there tho.
 
The egg trick has worked for me - however it was a very dominant highland pony mare who I knew wouldnt freak out, and who I KNEW wouldnt go backwards. She was very controlled in her rears and one time she caught me off guard and I pulled her higher than she'd meant to go she was down in a fraction of a second. Hers were just an objection to work.

I'll probably get roasted for this but I used the egg trick, which stopped any more rears that day, and whenever she tried it again I got her between the ears with the butt of my whip. If she though she was going up into something she wouldn't go up. However she was a self preserver an I wouldn't use those techniques with every horse - when current one puts in an objection rear I just hold on and then ride him forward. Wouldn't get in a battle with him as he's flip.
 
A bad rearer is a PITA and the first thing you have to try to figure out - before deciding the best approach - is WHY he rears. Years ago, I had a young Cleveland BayxAngo-Arab - and he reared for England. Sometimes refusing to leave the yard, sometimes hacking home at the END of a day's hunting. It took us a long time to work out the root cause - he wanted to be taller than everyone else!! Seriously!! If you climbed a stepladder outside his stable he would go vertical - and stay vertical while you were up there. If a bigger horse (he was 16.3) came up alongside him he would rear! He got much better with age and training - but I owned him from 4 until 14 (when he was killed in a paddock accident) and it never stopped completely!

I would recommend this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKkl8jbe0Ks. The horse was a racehorse who was sent to Paul to 'sort' - or else he'd have headed for a dinner plate (it's in Japan where bad horses are eaten!)

It's not necessarily the answer to all rearers - but the important thing with ANY rearer is not to use a method that will make him flip completely!
 
My youngster likes to spend a lot of time on his back legs too (on the other hand my 6yr old liked doing backflips :/ ). I began using a Dutch instructor when his rearing began to get worse (back teeth and saddle had all been checked out-he was just being a monkey), the just sitting there and waiting it out approach just made his behaviour worse. The Dutch instructor made me use my inside rein when I felt him going up, this turned his head which made it hard for him to go up, this worked ok until the sod decided he would rear, kick out (like the lippazaners!) and dart to the side before attempting to bomb off with me (this was his evasion technique if he didn't want to do something, e.g trotting poles or asking for inside bend). As he was going up so quick there simply was not time to turn his head, Dutch instructor then got on and everytime he went up he would get a short sharp smack on his left shoulder which was the direction he'd dart off too, instuctor told me to do the same when he did it with me. It took a while but naughty pony learnt that rearing is not acceptable and now does not rear as an evasion technique. The last time he reared was three months ago and he has grown up hugely since then, he recently went to his first show and came 2nd ad 3rd without any naughty behaviour.
 
Watching this thread with interest. At the moment I have one who has scared a few people (confident good riders) and he is on his last chance. As is always the way he has a lot of potential including being a super careful scopy jumper.
I am very experienced with all equines, particularly naughty ones but this one has me confused.
When he is good he is fabulous, seems to enjoy his work etc. Has really come on in other areas such as flat work and hacking etc. no issues now.
When this horse rears he means it. I can't describe the feeling and for the life of me I cannot figure out a trigger. It is totally different to just 'being a bit naughty/fresh etc' ( which I don't kind at all) it is a a total shut down and threatening behaviours. It can happen at any point and either in the arena or hacking. I can honestly say that hitting this horse DOES NOT WORK, nor does much else. I am 110% sure something has happened in this horses training to cause this. Right now he is on a warning, I am a responsible person and this horse will not be sold with this problem. Hopefully I can figure it out as he is in all other ways a lovely boy.
 
JanetGeorge said:
I would recommend this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKkl8jbe0Ks. The horse was a racehorse who was sent to Paul to 'sort' - or else he'd have headed for a dinner plate (it's in Japan where bad horses are eaten!)

It's not necessarily the answer to all rearers - but the important thing with ANY rearer is not to use a method that will make him flip completely!
Click to expand...

Ive seen a few of this guys videos, and I like what I've seen so far, he seems a kind rider, but doesn't faff around.
Kx
 
MissTyc said:
I did the egg thing on a young and very naughty cob.

It was brilliant ... for everyone who was watching.

I mean, I'd underestimated how perfect my seat and motorcontrol would be when he went up so ended up windmilling with an egg in one hand, hanging on with the other hand. I then banged the egg on the top of his head - it bounced off with just a small crack, fell down to the pommel of the saddle where it promptly DID crack and egg went all over my groin, thigh, saddle, horse's withers, dripping down his shoulders. Then I fell off.

Mind you the poor poor horse at this point realised what a hopeless life he'd be thrust into and never bothered rearing again. So yup, definitely works!

(was a long time I should add, in the dark ages!)
Click to expand...

Same, foolhardy teenager trying to teach over excited horse not to rear when excited. To be fair I did manage to crack in over his poll, the sensation caused him to propel off his back legs, launch off all fours, send me out the back door and vanish into the distance, it was out on hound exercise so gave everyone a good giggle at least.

Now when things go up on me I try to find out why, instead of having to comb egg shell out of their forelock for actual weeks.
 
JillA said:
If you have a confirmed rearer it is like having a brick wall in front of them. Put more pressure on to go forwards (as in "bloody good hiding") will just pressure it into going up, not forward. Very very dangerous, as others have found out.
I cured one confirmed one by employing the German "mill" - tight nose-to-boot turn as soon as she began the preliminary signs, making it very very uncomfortable - an aversive without the stress.
Click to expand...

This exactly.
Turning/spinning one way and back the other way - if they move forward fine, if not more spinning. Keeps the legs moving without them being able to go up. Also very hard work for them and easier to oblige.
Sometimes when you do it with a determined one they may still threaten but always make sure to let go of the outside rein and stick with it. Nose to boot moving the quarters.
 
MissTyc said:
I did the egg thing on a young and very naughty cob.

It was brilliant ... for everyone who was watching.

I mean, I'd underestimated how perfect my seat and motorcontrol would be when he went up so ended up windmilling with an egg in one hand, hanging on with the other hand. I then banged the egg on the top of his head - it bounced off with just a small crack, fell down to the pommel of the saddle where it promptly DID crack and egg went all over my groin, thigh, saddle, horse's withers, dripping down his shoulders. Then I fell off.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry, I really laughed. Wish I'd been there, sounds hilarious (glad you were OK of course). I agree with everyone above - I think the best answer is training, although I have no direct experience - any rearers at the yard I learned on were sent to a dealer immediately.
 
I have an interesting one at the moment. He's inclined to go up occasionally if he is being asked to go forward, and doesn't feel he can. For example if he's being asked to go into water, which at the moment he simply will not do. So far, so normal, and certainly nothing dangerous.

Last week I wanted him to stand quietly in the carriage, and he wouldn't. I held him gently on the rein, and put on the carriage brake (mistake!). He felt confined, and went up - in the shafts. Happily he went forwards quietly the moment he came down (of course I'd released the brake by then, and of course I let him). He's now on a corrective regime of regular short halts for no reason punctuating our drives. I'll increase the duration until he's happy to stand quietly on 3 legs whenever I say.

However, here's the question - how do you deal with a rear in the driven horse? You can't pull them around. If you've got plenty of space a sharp crack on the rear might work, but at some risk.

Anyone?
 
I haven't read all comments but i would get the horse checked over for any pain related problems as that could be the cause.
If its at a particular thing such as gates, then try more ground work.

However what i found for an irish cob of mine who reared out of impatientness (though she did not rear very high), was to tap her between the ears with a leafy branch it was as if she thought she had hit her head on a tree and she stopped. I have heard of others near me doing this too. However if she reared high i would be more worried about holding on and go back to ground work.
 
Would try a mask so they can't see above them as a starting point I think now. Tried tapping mine on the head when she went up but to be honest very hard to get timing right as she spins as well.
 
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