horse rearing - ideas?

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wench

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Trying to get horse to go out on his own at... he has never done it much before, and he gets scared, rears a little, and then canters off home (not very safe!!!)

he is currently in a losenge snaffle normal bridle, and running martingale.

I can tell when he is going to rear so i try and keep my hands down and drive him forwards, doesnt always work tho. Sometime he ends up rearing round and spinning anyway (sods law there is always a car coming, so I cant try and stop him, else he rears even more)

When he canters off, it takes a lot of pulling to get him to stop. But he goes out fine on a hack in front.

Saddle all fits, teath, back ok etc. Would anyone suggest change in tack or riding style?
 
Scared is the clue - if he's never done it much before - ie. never had a proper education - don't push it.

Treat him as if he were a baby - hack out in company until he is happy and confident and go from there.
 
hes great in company... trying to take it in stages with him atm, but quite scary when hes cantering down the road and you cant stop!
 
Is he just a baby? Try doing some groundwork with him-lots of lungeing and long reining to get his (and your) confidence and build up trust between you both, that might help?
 
Is it possible to use a bit with some poll pressure, this may discourage the rearing. What is he like in company if he is in the front?
 
I certainly wouldnt be taking him out on the road on your own, or even in company if he can do that.

Archie can rear and spin and then sod off with me out hacking and i would never in a million years take him out on the road even in company. Its dangerous for you, your horse and the traffic
crazy.gif
If you dont have any other option then dont ride him out on his own im afraid.
 
Mine used to rear alot until he fell over and now he only does mini rears very occassionally. They often say to pull a rearer over, although I wouldn't personally want to, it was quite dangerous and scarey when it happened by accident. I've always used a market harborough which doesn't do anything until he tries to raise his head past a certain point. You can adjust the clips to determine this point. Whilst it doesn't prevent rearing, it may discourage.
When you can feel him about to, if possible I would try to distract him by putting him into a leg yield, trotting him on or a movement which will focus his mind.
Alot of it is down to persistence and making sure that you don't reward the behaviour, ie if he won't pass sth, then don't let him run for home and if he does then you turn back to go back past the monster.
Best of luck x
 
This isn't a tack issue but a training issue. He is clearly a) lacking confidence on his own and b) taking the P.

You need to start with a small short walk out along a familiar track. keep it short and sweet. Each time you go out, take him slightly further each time with lots and lots of praise.

With regards to the rearing and sprinting home, he is behaving very badly/dangerously and each time he gets away with this he becomes more convinced that this is the way to get out of doing something. If he does this still even with the short and sweet hacks you are going to have to be firm, no matter where you are and what traffic there is. I presume you're not on a crazily busy road? If forwards isn't going to happen, I reverse them in the direction I want to go. They soon realise backwards is harder than forwards.

With the cantering off - if the above hasn't sorted that, I suggest you provoke that response in a safe environment (an enclosed field) and make him run up and down until he is knackered - it may take a few circuits but the message will be 'fine run off, but I'm still the one in charge'. I did this with my TB when I first got him as he used to run off randomly. Never did it again.

You need to nip this in the bud before it causes an accident! Good luck - I'm sure you can sort it.
 
I'd suggest both!

Change of tack if you physically can't currently stop him - you need to be able to STOP him if he runs off (& stop him hard & fast - for safety sake PLUS teaching him he can't do that), but be careful about slapping on something too severe as if he can't go forwards if may encourage him to go up more. Personally, I'd rather be overly firm in a milder bit just in an emergency, than have a stronger bit by default.

Change of riding style - sounds like confidence so you need to work on it. If he's fine in company, next step is ideally with a human on foot. You need to work on as many confidence building ideas as you can think of...
 
we have two drive to the yard, you can take him out one then in the other, and he is fine.

The road isnt to busy, but busy enough. However, it is straight so you can see what is coming. He will behave beautifully up to a certain point (say 200m down then road from the yard), then rear up and run off etc. It doesnt really scare me, but sods law when he runs off a car is coming, so v dangerous to ask him to stop, as he would just rear again.

After about half hour of above, he will finally go past point he didt like, then I walk him on a few more strides, then turn him round for home, as he has done what I wanted. I dont give in to him, but when there is a car, there is nothing i can do.
 
Don't you think it is a coincidence that it happens when a car is coming? Because you keep on saying that it would be dangerous to stop him because of a car. Surely flying along the road out of control is just as dangerous?

Try trotting him along the road. Often keeping them moving takes their mind off things. I use to trot my troublesome TB everywhere.

Turning him back after he goes past it clearly isn't working. You need to take him much further before turning for home so that he doesn't associate it at all with the argument. Do try reversing him past the obstacle and as far as it takes down the road for him to get the point - it really does work.
 
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He does it when cars arent coming to!!!

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That is actually encouraging - means it isn't something you are doing (like tensing up) to trigger it. With horses like that you have to give them a choice - do what I want and have an easy life, don't do it and you have to work really hard. All the while giving lots of praise for good behaviour. (talk about multi-tasking!)
 
To be completely frank it beggars belief that you want to own and ride a horse like this, there are plenty of more sensible horses out there, why risk an accident! If it were me I would sell to someone who can sort it out and get myself something more safe.
 
whats he like if you led him out?? Would he mind that? I would try lots of groundwork execises to try and improve confidence?
 
Mine went through a little phase like this a few years back. If he'll take the lead when out in company then it's not a confidence issue IMO so basically he's taking the piss and has got into the habit of doing so. Sounds to me like you need to find yourself a strong crop and give him a whack just as you feel him go to do it. (ok so the 'anti-smackers' are obviously going to disagree) but he's a hell of a lot bigger than you and in order for him to respect you he needs to be put in his place. I had to go through this a few times before my horse got the idea and now all that is needed is for me to put my leg on his side and he thinks twice because he knows if he carries on that I have a back up!
Either that or don't take him out on the road on your own.
 
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i Dont paticulary want to ride him. but someone has got to sort him out.

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and here lies the problem..........he can sense your lack of confidence and is taking the p*ss out of you.
 
sorry... didnt mean it like that... he doesnt scare me at all, just out of choice who would want to ride one like that!
 
This is something that my big chap used to do - but only little rears and spins. He would and does happily go in front with other horses, but used to get to a certain point on his own and then spin and head for home. He always spins in the same direction - most nappy horses do. So I use a full cheek bit and as soon as I feel him even start to slow down, I use a lot of leg and keep the inside rein short (he always spins to the right). At one time we went right back to basics, with OH walking with me and gradually getting left further and further behind. Even now, I make sure all our rides are circular, so we never go up the road and then turn round for home. Before you do anything else, you must get the brakes sorted out - I wouldn't ride anything out that I knew I might not be able to stop on the road - it is just too dangerous. Hope some of this might help -good luck.
 
Having had one like this, personally I would sell him and find something more fun to ride. I agree with the poster who said that a good whack with the crop when he first starts to balk would be good. If you are coordinated enough to whack him between the ears when he starts to rear, that often works. That sounds harsh but a horse that rears and falls over on you is dangerous. I have heard old time cowboys talk of breaking an egg or a warm bottle of beer over their heads when they start to rear. The theory is the horse feels something running down their head, think they've been injured and stop rearing. Don't think I would recommend those methods though.
You can also try using a full cheek snaffle and spinning him in a circle when he starts to balk. When he gets tired of spinning he will want to go forward. Another thing to do is make returning to the yard more work for him. When you get back after a ride, don't untack, feed and turn him loose immediately. Lunge him for a good while, work him in the arena, tie him up with his tack on and let him stand for a hour or so, ride past the yard and then come back to it. That way he isn't rewarded for his bad behavior.
 
I have a 6 y.o. TBxID that is also nappy when out alone. I can usually sense when he is about to half rear and spin so am usually ready and ride him forward strongly. Circling also works and I always smack him if he spins three times in the same place, I give him a chance to respond but if he carries on to take the p*** then I give him a sharp smack behind my leg and the shock usually sends him on. Trotting also works, if he's feeling particularly naughty then I do lots of walk - trot transitions, gives him something to think about other than getting back to his companions in the field. If I sense he's started 'backward thinking' and is about to nap I trot him on until he settles again. I also use human company if there is no equine company available, someone on a pushbike is quite handy as the two of you can have a conversation which I think can settle both horse and rider's nerves. I would certainly nip the running for home behaviour in the bud though, you could try a different noseband maybe if you don't want to change bit, or a market harborough, I use one of these on my full TB as she can also be nappy and tends to have faster reflexes than the gelding I'm talking about. The market harborough makes it a little more difficult to rear and spin. I use a 3ring gag on my gelding to hack now and try to give him more work, he has also been known to bronc and try to take off for home. Good luck I hope you can get it sorted.
 
If you can feel, him about to rear, try and keep him in an outline, and turn him (in walk) on to a very small circle (don't take horse on the roads!) Obviously keep a good contact with his mouth so he doesn's p*ss off home. Keep turning him on a small circle until he has calmed down, then walk/ trot him on firmly. ( If I think my mare is going to rear at something scary I turn her on a small circle for a while and then trot on confidently, usually works)

Agree with carrying a stick, if he is only doing small rears, give him a good smack on his bum when he is doing it (this isn't really poss if huge rears), but this might not be the solution because it may just make him take off- I don't know your horse at all, I am not a particularly experienced rider, but I am just going on my own experience.
 
when he rears smash an egg on his head - they think its blood!
otherwise try taking him out with another horse - it could be a confidence issue - and then the other horse could take a differernt route whilst you go on another.
 
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