Reared and went over backwards

Achinghips

Achinghips

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 December 2009
Messages
3,741
Visit site
twice - in 6 months. NOT my horse, but there seemed to be no trigger to this second time (fisrt time was tractor related). Obviously, rider imlications. Owner now looking to give horse away - what would you do?
 
Can you give more information about the horse?
How old? How long has your friend had this horse? Does anybody else exercise it?
 
Teeth, back and saddle need checking first. However, there are many habitual rearers, my lad being one. It is a habit to get out of doing something they don't want to do. It is a breakable habit but I think it is a case of once a rearer always a rearer; it will always be their default when unhappy.My lad never rears in the school, on the ground or field, ridden or not. But he always has a good go at rearing when asked to hack out, he simply is terrified of hacking. So is this horse being asked to do something it is afraid of?

I can't offer any solutions, but I hope your friend does not pass on this horse without letting the purchaser know his problem. There are people who will take him, we knew, and saw, my lad rear before we bought him. To us he was special enough to work round/with his problem.

FDC
 
I wouldn't ride it again that's for certain!
I would probably check it out physically as it may have kissing spines or something so I knew what was causing it. But if it had something so physically severe that it had that reaction or has such a bad behaviour problem that it would have that reaction in my mind it wouldn't be rideable anyway.
If I couldn't keep it as a pet or I didn't want to it would be pts. :( :(
 
Thanks for your replies
She is lovely mare. Horse is about 10, had full medical, been back checked and tooth checked to death. Nice little jumper, part TB. Unpredictable in traffic.
Strange conformation though, imho, fetlocks (to my VERY untrained eye) seem a bit low and bent backwards. Not sure why as dont know the history. Might be nothing, might be something - but, put it this way, I wouldn't buy her based on this alone.
Owner is now feeling she should be passed as a free lawn mower to anyone who wants her or pts, beautiful temperament but can be "lazy" (though so might i be with confo like that).
 
Depends really. To go up and over like that they are either under extreme provocation, in terrible pain or got a screw loose. I would be extremely wary of a horse that flipped like that in temper.

Horse may have appeared to do it out of the blue but is it possible rider missed the signals from the horse? One of mine gets extremely stressed but the only sign is a furrow over her eyes, she can just appear a bit restless when in fact she is about to go supernova and her position of choice is bolt upright :).

In your friend's position if I felt I could not ride the horse through it I would either find someone that could, try to find her a home as a companion although I'm not sure there are that many vacancies for companiions at the moment or call the hunt in :(
 
How can anyone give an opinion on why a horse has reared whilst being ridden, with no reference to the rider, the circumstances, or the way the horse was ridden? It's always assumed that the problem lies with the horse, yet horses don't rear without reason. Are we to conclude that the rider is perfect and faultless, and that the horse is mad?
 
AengusOg said:
How can anyone give an opinion on why a horse has reared whilst being ridden, with no reference to the rider, the circumstances, or the way the horse was ridden? It's always assumed that the problem lies with the horse, yet horses don't rear without reason. Are we to conclude that the rider is perfect and faultless, and that the horse is mad?
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly.:(
 
AengusOg said:
How can anyone give an opinion on why a horse has reared whilst being ridden, with no reference to the rider, the circumstances, or the way the horse was ridden? It's always assumed that the problem lies with the horse, yet horses don't rear without reason. Are we to conclude that the rider is perfect and faultless, and that the horse is mad?
Click to expand...

Agree with this! I must admit, im surprised to read that it has gone up and over twice. Normally when a horse goes over once, wether on its own or if its been "pulled" over, they dont normally do it again!
 
My old horse did the same and he was later diagnosed with kissing spines and wobblers. He apparantly did it (found out after I bought him) 3X on the lunge. He only did it once with me and I knew from the outset I had too much horse so was planning on selling beforehand - I did sell afterwards and he passed a 5 stage vetting - I had no idea about the kissing spines and wobblers (being young and very naive I thought he was naughty - was 6 years ago now)
 
I saw a horse the other week at a local show..... she went up and over..... no way was it the horses fault - the lump of a rider was hanging onto the poor girls mouth so tightly the horse could not see the fence until a stride out when all contact was dropped - horse somehow jumped fences then was grabbed again - going out of the double the poor thing nearly had its back teeth pulled out as it had really had to try and get over the 2nd fence with rider hanging on to it - the horse landed - the rider pulled with all her mite to get the horse to go slower - over did it and the only place the poor horse had left was up- the lump then proceeded to pull poor animal over.

I am still kicking myself for not buying the poor thing there and then - a more genuine trying horse you would never meet.
 
Gingerwitch said:
I saw a horse the other week at a local show..... she went up and over..... no way was it the horses fault - the lump of a rider was hanging onto the poor girls mouth so tightly the horse could not see the fence until a stride out when all contact was dropped - horse somehow jumped fences then was grabbed again - going out of the double the poor thing nearly had its back teeth pulled out as it had really had to try and get over the 2nd fence with rider hanging on to it - the horse landed - the rider pulled with all her mite to get the horse to go slower - over did it and the only place the poor horse had left was up- the lump then proceeded to pull poor animal over.

I am still kicking myself for not buying the poor thing there and then - a more genuine trying horse you would never meet.
Click to expand...

And we wonder why horses get screwed up! Erm just add humans!!
 
If all the checks have been done, is the horse being pushed too far atm ? Maybe being turned away and then brought back into work - even *tin hat on* using NH methods - could help.

I have to say tho, that there WILL be some sort of trigger, even if just laziness, but could be a sight or smell,and unless that trigger is found and dealt with, it is very likely this could happen again, either now or in years to come. A horse that goes over backwards can kill, and needs a very experienced rider to work with him.

passing the horse on, even as a companion, is (imho) dangerous, unless the route cause is known. The horse could well end up ridden and doing it again, the only sure way is to keep the horse, or PTS, once all avenues have been exhausted.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top