Ever had a horse fall on you whilst rearing?

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Lulup

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A livery on my yard is having issues with her young ex racer rearing at moments when required to stand still - she is working on this and it is getting less and less but having witnessed it I am very concerned that the horse may go over backwards as it rears absolutely vertical and stays up for what seems like ages!

She is dealing with it her own way but I am just interested to hear from people who have had a horse go over with them - did your confidence survive??
 
I did, over 30 years ago now. I had a horse on trial from an aquaintance who was also a dealer. The mare went straight up when I asked her to do something she didnt want to do, lost her balance and came over backwards. I just managed to roll to the side and she missed landing on me by inches. I never sat on her again, she was returned straight back to the dealer. To this day I would jump off if I thought there was any risk of a horse going up and am choosy about what I ride, but, I am purely a pleasure rider and have never been super confident.
 
I had a pony came over backwards many years ago - he was so small he threw me to his head end and we both got up unharmed. Another came down sideways with me and fractured my pelvis - that is the real danger, many horses can go to the point of balance and not come down so long as they don't lose sideways balance. My old mare did many many times, and never once came down.
I cured her by using a very severe aversive - like every dangerous problem to be solved it needs a split seconds warning before it happens, the split second is when you can put the aversive in. I used what the Germans term the "mill" - a really really tight circle, nose to the toe of your boot with the shortest rein you can imagine so they don't have a choice. Don't think about it, do it, it takes real commitment. With my mare it took 5 episodes to convince her she no longer wanted to rear.
The kinder alternative is to not push them to the point where they feel their only way out is to go up - it signifies you are putting them under more pressure than they can cope with. Mine was napping badly. Maybe she needs to do more shorter standing still periods or find another way to convince the horse it is okay to stand still.
 
I've had a young ex racer I was retraining rear, twist and stamp on my leg, causing a pretty nasty injury. I had her head into a wall and was asking for a turn on the forehand and she just exploded. From retraining a few ex racers, I think that ex racers particularly do this if they can't go forward.

I think your livery is taking some serious risks, but it's her neck, and she can do what she likes with it, I guess.
 
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Just one, and I managed to get clear as she went over., this was the 3rd time she had done this in as many days, but the 1st time going over
This was a 14hh pony who had come for re schooling having had all vet checks etc as had been getting worse at home, 2 hours later after calling the owner, pony was no more.
Vet did a pm and a rather unpleasant tumour was found, about an inch away from where the bullet went in
 
I had a TB ex racer do it to me, unfortunately he landed on me and I ended up with a fractured pelvis, broken ribs and a broken collar bone :( He was only on loan and I thought it was my fault until I found out no one at his old yard would ride him as he had a reputation for doing it!
 
Yes, many years ago. Mare napped on the road and went up, slipped on the tarmac and came down backwards, just missed me and I landed at the side of her quarters. Unfortunately she slipped again in her struggle to rise and kicked me in the face, breaking my check bone.

I am old, fat and windy now and I would not give stable space to anything that waved it's front legs in the air.
 
cptrayes said:
From retraining a few ex racers, I think that ex racers particularly do this if they can't go forward.
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This this this. Mine tends to buck rather than rear, unless he is totally blocked, but it is the lack of somewhere to go that triggers it. When being firm on him trying to go, I always tend to open my inside hand so that he doesn't feel completely trapped.

I've never had one come over on me (although I have witnessed one coming down on purpose on a friend, she would flip herself backwards to come down on the rider whenever pushed - thing got deservedly shot IMO), but have fallen off with one that went completely vertical and held it there - there was just nothing to sit on and I wasn't quick enough to grab around her neck, so ended up slithering off and landing on my bum. I have to admit, I really don't like rearers - ones that go partway up when stopped going forward I can handle, but anything that goes totally vertical really gives me the fear.
 
Yes, much the same as Adorable Alice above but I managed only a bruised foot , never really got top side of the made though!
 
Similar to AA. Nappy little swine of a pony got smart about napping and started to do it as cars came up behind him knowing I couldnt ride him through it properly with traffic going by. He got away with it a few times, then went up and slipped on the tarmac. He went down on his side, not over backwards, He landed with my leg trapped under him and I still to this day dont know how I didnt get either smashed to pieces or run over!
 
Yes my newly backed 4yo went over backwards on top of me. She had been stopping up in the school, and as is her wont, got more and more wound and wouldn't go forward. By this point trainer had her back on a lunge line so as she came down, was able to physically twist her head round so she didn't end up coming full body height on top of me. I was luckily unhurt as landed on the rubber arena, although horse had a massive haematoma afterwards. Did my confidence survive? Not really, on this horse. I still have her, and I sometimes like riding her (she's a fun hack) but after battling for years to overcome my confidence and her myriad complexities, I gave up and just bought a new gelding. Funny thing, he's been pretty good but when he tried the worlds laziest nap as he was being asked to leave his new besties, he got a swift kick in the ribs from me and told to wise up. Now, I can't wait to do tons of fun stuff with him. What do you know, confidence is intact after all. :)
 
Yes mare went upwards on road and stumbled backwards and went over on me, straight over into the 5ft deep trench of a ditch to the side of the road. Luckily it was middle of winter so despite a wet, soggy landing, it thankfully saved me from being squished badly. The then dilemma was getting the mare out the ditch !
 
Only one that put me in hospital. After that I got smarter about managing those situations and knowing when to step off if necessary. I've seen quite a few horses get seriously hurt losing their balance. I'm not as stressed about it as a habit as some people but I don't take it lightly, either.
 
Not with me but a livery, the horse repeatedly went over on the lunge, it regularly reared with the young girl owner finally going over on the road with her, luckily they landed on a roadside bank so not too much damage, the girl was surprised that I made her lead it home, I declined to get on.
I eventually gave them notice to leave my yard as the girl was under 16 and was left by her non horsey parents to ride the horse, I refused to let them sell it from my yard, they would not listen to any advice so they left, it did the rounds of local "experts" before they realised it was a lost cause and I think it was pts but it was extreme in behaviour and I later found out it had been rescued from going to Potters by a local do gooder who thought it a good idea to sell it to a young girl without declaring it's history or really trying to sort it out, more than likely it had serious physical issues that were never investigated, only the usual teeth, back and general soundness were looked into and it was "sound"

I came off one, slid down it's back landing with my feet still in the stirrups, that was interesting, I have never liked rearers as they tend to be backward nappy types but they rarely harm themselves if you can stay with them and not lose balance.
 
Yes, unfortunately. I had a part TB for a few years who used to get excited at parties and plunge. One day during the up part of the plunge he went up too far and over on top of me. He rolled over me too and stood on my arm as he got up. After a check from the ambulance crew I got back on him and went into the class I'd entered. He continued to mess about so I hacked home. I couldn't get off him as so stiff and sore. How I didn't break anything is still a mystery, but boy, did my ribs hurt!!!

Confidence wise, I'd had a previous incident with the same horse and though I loved him to pieces it made a huge hole. After discussions with my instructor I decided to sell him.
 
I still have a horse that was a nappy rearer as a youngster but strangely enough, never came over on me from a rear, but leapt all four feet up into the air and landed on his side on tarmac trapping me until he tried to get up, when he rolled i managed to wriggle out as he tried to right himself i was lucky, just bad bruising and a knock to my head, he damaged his stifle but made a full recovery
 
Al had 1 who went up and over, and then went back the next week. Absolutely a deal breaker in a massive way.

Reg threatens to go up if he isn't allowed to go forwards as he wants. But he's a tool so lifts his head really high and then just lifts his knees rather than his body!
 
I've ridden a lot of rearers - became the go-to girl for anyone with a nappy rear-y one, as i'm not fazed by the habit. I've been landed on once and it was my own fault. I wasn't quick enough to get off the horses mouth and get an arm round his neck, so I pulled him off balance.

In my experience - the ones who go really high and then balance there for ages tend to be very well practiced, and less likely to go over than one who doesn't usually have that trick in his repertoire. i'd be less worried about one who knows exactly how high he can go without falling over, and likes to stay up there for ages looking smug. Obviously, every horse can get it wrong and slip, or lose balance, but the ones who know the score tend to be pretty solid on two legs.
 
Not me, but I had to drive my instructor to the hospital after a horse fell on her when rearing. She was doing jump training and pushed a young horse too far. The horse went up and over on her, breaking at least 5 ribs and puncturing a lung. I spoke to the radiologist at the local hospital who was concerned that the saddle had broken her pelvis - she was lucky that it had not. She was off riding for several weeks while the ribs healed, and sold that horse to someone else quick smart - a young pony clubber who was unlikely to push the horse anywhere near where a pro would. Not what I would have done, but then I found this instructor to be very dodgey on the whole.

On the other hand I loaned a horse who was a rearer, but really he only popped up a little bit on the hind legs when he didn't feel like doing something, or just wanted to frighten you. He had too much self preservation to really go up high :D.
 
Auslander said:
I've ridden a lot of rearers - became the go-to girl for anyone with a nappy rear-y one, as i'm not fazed by the habit. I've been landed on once and it was my own fault. I wasn't quick enough to get off the horses mouth and get an arm round his neck, so I pulled him off balance.

In my experience - the ones who go really high and then balance there for ages tend to be very well practiced, and less likely to go over than one who doesn't usually have that trick in his repertoire. i'd be less worried about one who knows exactly how high he can go without falling over, and likes to stay up there for ages looking smug. Obviously, every horse can get it wrong and slip, or lose balance, but the ones who know the score tend to be pretty solid on two legs.
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this.
CS, as you all know,rears.....always has and probably always will but he seems to know his limits and fortunately i now know his repetoire inside out so can anticipate which way he will spin etc.

i prefer rearers to rodeo buckers any day of the week.

i did come off an 11.2hh a couple of years ago-it spooked, reared, lost its balance and sat down,my feet touched the floor, pony shot out from under me and we ended up with me stood behind him, stirrups off the saddle but still on my feet, still holding the reins, with a bemused 11.2hh stood directly in front of me thinking "what the hell just happened"!!!!!!
 
Prince33Sp4rkle said:
i prefer rearers to rodeo buckers any day of the week.
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I think it's what you're used to - I much prefer a rodeo bucker as have had a few of those, and can sit through a surprising amount... But rearers give me the heebie jeebies. Possibly because I once rode a horse who would rodeo buck and then rear, so id be sitting back to handle the bucks and be in entirely the wrong place for the rear if it came instead.
 
Happened to me two times. My old eventer reared out hunting and came over on top of me on a road. He was quite highly strung and hunting was all too exciting for him.

I was lucky to get away with a bruised pelvis and a few cuts. Walking was sore for a week or so.

Same thing happened with the other one. Just had a napping fit and went up too far. Again, lucky to get away with bruising.

I had another mare who reared often. But as some have said, they know their limit and seem to be able to balance quite well standing up!
 
I've had a few do it on the road, Teak plopped over on me last year but she didn't mean to, she was caught between two horse eating entities and went up and over purely in a malco ordinated manner!
 
A mare of mine reared and came down on me at a XC event

It was the first fence she refused it, I slapped her she went straight up and over.

I was knocked out when I came round I was away with the fairies , talking about how at least if got to last fence and was trying to climb back on board , people had to stop me, I was taken to hospital and it was around 20 mins before I started making sense instead speaking nonsense.
 
I had one go over on me twice on one hack at the first livery yard I worked at. The horse was napping on a hack, backed up to a tall dry stone wall and reared right over (I probably helped it unbalance, I guess). I got right back on and it did it again. I re mounted and managed to get it home (I was alone) but never rode it much after that. It was a weird horse, which, with hindsight, had some psychological issues going on. It used to go into a head shaking mode before rearing, almost trance like. It did it with all of us at some point.

I don't like bronco horses either, but IMO the worse ones are the ones that combine the two to really unbalance you!
 
Rearing is a deal breaker for me too, I had a bad accident riding a speller colt. I thought I had broken my back and it ended my career riding racehorses. When I rode out for Hughie Morrison we had a filly that had been raced by another trainer a lot at two year, she was a very sour three year old which I don't blame her for but I was terrified riding her, we called her 'flipper'. She broke two girls pelvis's with her antics, she would just rear and go over backwards with no warning from walk or trot. I rode her the whole time with my whip facing up her neck, but it was not pleasant.
 
Yep, as others have said well practiced rearers know their point of balance. I had a youngster do it with me when spooked, lost his balance, fell sideways. We fell down a slight incline. I ended up underneath him. Two years in a wheelchair, 7 on crutches, 27 surgeries. Still here, still ride and can walk again which was doubtful.
My current horse used to rear, spin and take off if he didn't like anything mostly out of fear. Started to hack him in Market Harborough on loosest setting to prevent him getting head right up and above point of control, then spin him nose to foot, offer opportunity to go forward and repeat. Like a previous poster he soon realised that it wasn't an option and that he preferred the praise he got if he stood his ground, weighed up the situation and went forwards. I will never understand the mentality of hitting an animal that is frightened.
There is no doubt that rearing is dangerous. There is so much that can be done from groundwork to help break the cycle that it is often a wise idea to try these avenues rather than risk ones self.
 
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