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princesskelly

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Hello I've not been on here for a very long time but was after a bit advice. I've had my 6 year old section D for 2 years and we've hacked everywhere and in all traffic(which can be like a motorway!) and have lesson at least twice a month.He has been very hard work at times,last winter he decided that handstand bucking was fun! But we got through it and had a great time in the show ring winning quite a few M+M classes and coloured classes so become a proud mummy! Then about a month ago we was hacking home on a very long rein(was 2 minutes from home) when he just stopped spun round and reared up i stayed on but he went higher and higher untill he lost his balance and fell over with me still on him! Well of course he fell on me and crushed my feet and ankle's which the saddle landed on.I got back on rode him home and made sure he was ok thinking it was a baby moment and he scared his self and hopefully wouldn't do it again because he's never reared before. I carried on riding like normal for 2 weeks after and took him to a show over the bank holiday when i was in the M+M class we was trotting round in the group when he bucked then before i knew it he was up in the air he came down then went back again and went over again. Now he has knocked my nerve big time which is a shame because i love the horse to pieces we have all ready been through a lot and where i live is a small place so everyone talking about it and what i should and shouldn't do and i've been made to feel like i can't ride which has brought me down bit more. But anyway i've had the vet,back lady,dentist and saddler out and everything is fine!!! So now i'm thinking do i sell him cause i'm wasting a young horse or get back on and hope he wont do it again?? I can have help from my instructor but i don't have loads of money and in the school he's fine. When he first went up i was with a friend so don't think other horses would help. Thank you for reading this i know it's long but i'm pulling my hair out now!!
 
Poor you! Sounds like you have had a scarey time. Get yourself going again with regular lessons with an instructor you trust and hopefully one that will get on him and suss out the problem. And if they feel there are any issues, you can get a second opinion back, teeth etc. Sure you will be back on track soon
 
I hope you are ok, were you on the dun at Lavant house show?? If he were mine and everything checks out well, back, saddle etc, I think I would have some lessons in different areas, other than the school eg, a large feild. Is it going round with the others that's the problem?? It maybe woth sending him to a pro for a couple of weeks, just to see if the problem occurs again and for them to ride him through it. Does he give you any indication he's going up so you can stop a potential rear in the bud??
 
Been doing all that for the last 2 years,you can't fault him schooling in a field.Other horses don't bother him either. I've always been able to ride him anywhere and he does as he's told. Can't afford to send him away. And no indication at all. Thats why me nd my friends don't really no what to do next. My friends experencied as well with rearing horses.
 
Sounds a bit odd and a bit scary!! Poor you!!

May I ask a few questions?

What was he doing immediately before he reared both times? (eg jogging/mouthing at the bit)
What did he do once it had happened and he was back on his feet? (was he calm?)
What bit you ride him in?
How is he about having his ears touched?
Have you had his eyes checked?

Sorry about the randomness of the qs :p :D
 
Poor you. Rearing is the only thing that really scares me. It's the only thing as a rider you can't do much about once the horse is up there, apart from lean forwards without pulling the reins and pray he comes down before he over balances. Having seen a horse fall backwards on top of his rider, I know how high the risk of terrible injury is. It sounds as though you have had two lucky escapes.

My advice is to be very careful, and like others have said have a few lessons in unusual places if you can. He could just be going through a phase, trying things out as youngsters do, and the rearing needs to be stopped before he forms a habbit of it.

If he continues to rear and if the saddle and his back really are absolutely fine (might be worth a second opinion), then no matter how much I loved him, I think I would have to think about my own safety first. No horse is worth risking your life for.

good luck x
 
Dont panic he is hitting his teenage years and finding his feet. Go back to basics on everything, ground work, make sure you are in charge of him (not the other way around) he does what you ask when you ask, he is respectful leading in and out, he stands when told too etc etc.

Riding make sure you are in your comfort zone and that when you ask for something he responds if you ask from walk to trot he does it easily and instantly, back to basics on all accounts. Go forward by baby steps again, school in the school then hack out for 5 minutes to cool him down getting longer and longer hacking and shorter in the school.

For shows take him in hand, insist of ground manners all the time, and get him used to the atmosphere. Once happy he is behaving in hand, just go and ride in the warm up with no pressure, so if he starts to get uptight you can take him away from the situation.

It sounds like pure excitement on his behalf that is making him rear, so break each part of his training down again, if he does rear when you are on board, try very hard to kick him forward, make him go forward so that his balance is not directed backwards, but back to basics will help you both no end and then baby steps forward again when you are both happy, he is still a baby so no rush.
 
As others have said, poor you and thank god you haven't had a serious injury so far. I wouldn't agree that it's excitment that is making him rear. It's often the very opposite. But what I would say is he is trying to tell you something in the loudest voice he has. As his owner, you have to try to work out what it is he's telling you and it won't be easy. My first thought was saddle but he could have an underlying health problem almost anywhere - back, pelvis, legs, feet, mind - that is causing the rears. A possible way forward would have been to keep a diary so that you know exactly what the conditions were that caused it but to be honest, it's too dangerous to keep riding him while you find the underlying cause. Are you absolutely sure that you aren't asking too much of him eg too much work that his body isn't able to cope with or too much stress from competition or showing? Does he have masses of turnout with company and sensible fibre-based feeding? Has he just lost a close pair-bond? If you're totally certain that all is right from HIS point of view, that only leaves taking him right back to basics and treating him as you would a baby. Or you could find a well respected natural horsemanship-type trainer and send him for assessment/training. Michael Peace has remarkable successes with horses with behaviour problems as do Richard Maxwell, Kelly Marks and others. Won't be cheap but you could find yourself with a rideable horse at the end. At the moment, I think he's too dangerous for you to ride. Don't mean to be melodramatic but the next rear could be your last.
 
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