Reared today - should I worry? And who issues horses labels?

Donnie Darco

Donnie Darco

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Ok, my horse reared me today on a hack :mad:

But please no smart arse comments, helpful advice only please :o

We were trying to go past a field with horses in (done plenty times before) but today (damn me I was feeling anxious from the outset :() there was a new horse in there and they were all being silly :mad:

Cue Lyla not wanting to go past

We had a couple of 'threatening' mini rear's (she has done this before ie 2/3 times max in last year, but normally prefers to buck me off :o) and then she actually went proper up :eek:

Thankfully we stayed together, she did get a wallop :( (each time feet left the ground) but we did manage to continue our ride with no further issue, with plenty praise I might add ;)

Now, stupidly I looked at this as positive :confused::o as she could easily bucked and dumped me (and she gets really p***y at me for falling off normally)

But now I'm worried after reading the thread "absolute no when purchasing a horse" - no one wants a rearer :rolleyes:

And not that I'd even consider selling, poor cow has a home for life (God willing)

But ... What constitutes a horse being classed as a "bucker/rearer/bolter"??? Who issues a label to a horse? Who would have that defining authority?

And! Todays incident was a one off?? Plan to go out again tomo, but there is no real avoiding the issue field IF it becomes an issue :mad:

If your still reading, Sorry drank all the wine but sure there's Cadbury cream eggs around somewhere :)
 
Well done for staying on and persevering ad finishing ride. These things happen and hopefully it was a one off and she'll stick to other more manageable behaviours! My horse did a couple of really big rears in a group lesson away from home before Christmas. He's never done it before or since but it really did knock my confidence for a while. I think he was showing off - it was field like behaviour - and just conveniently forgot that I was on board
 
one time does not make a rearer, they all do silly things sometimrs. think its mostly gossips who give horses labels but imo a 'rearer' would be one who has learned that behaviour and does it on a VERY regular basis!

if one time makes it a rearer then mines a rearing, bronking, bucking maniac who bolts......and he's not!

i wouldnt worry about your mare and i think you did the right thing today. get back on her asap, forget the rearing. keep your hands forward and encourage her to go forwards or even sideways. if you think shes going up turn her head round. that should stop her but most important go forward!!!!
 
I wouldnt call her a rearer. Its only when its a full height rear as a first resort that I would find it a problem.

Yellow pony will rear if you put him under pressure, you get a few mini ones where he tries to turn away and if you keep pushing he will go up but I still wouldnt class him as a rearer. I think thats quite a normal reaction really and if you get the warning ones then its not such a problem as you can prevent it going full height.

I'd hack out tomorrow and possibly shoulder in and leg yeild past the point where she did it just to make sure shes between hand and leg and concentrating on you and just dont make it an issue.
 
Most horses at some point will nap, buck and rear particularly in a new home, when things aren't right with tack/ pain or as a youngster. You just don't want them to make a habit of it, that's when they get the label.
 
No - one rear does not give your horse the rearer label. My husband's horse has reared a few random times, in huge protest at something - as with your horse its a sign that he is upset.. Its a message that they're being pushed too much or don't understand/feel confident. Sometimes it means you're hanging onto them too much when you're nervous. Whatever the reason, the horse is still a genuine horse.

A real rearer uses the rearing to scare the rider into stopping, or as an evasion, and is not being genuine. Often it is not really frightened, just knows what will happen when he rears (rider gets scared and horse wins..)

I went to see a horse twice by accident with a man that I worked for many years ago - with a few months inbetween viewings. The horse had been advertised twice with very different ads. At one viewing it had a summer coat, in the other it was clipped, and as a chestnut looked really different, but I recognised it when it started napping and rearing when they put the jumps out!

Don't worry about your horse, just get back out there as if nothing happened..
 
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I'd agree with Honey08.
One rear does not give your horse "A Rearer" label.
Baby Highland has reared about twice with me (not out of pain) purely because "A tyre was not supposed to be there!" :rolleyes: The second occasion being out of sheer rage, he has some temper on him!
I'd not label him a "Rearer" though. I think a horse being classed as generally has pain issues but you get the odd little *******! To me a "Rearer" is a horse who rears on a weekly basis at least, or when anything "scary" comes up!
I doubt you have anything to be terrified of. All the best.
 
I wouldn't class her as a "rearer" either - they all have one offs, and you definitely did the right thing by continuing with the ride afterwards, so well done!

I class a "rearer" as something that does it to evade, like napping/planting, and on a regular basis.
When I first got my boy he'd learnt in past homes that if he reared, this meant the ride came to an end - if he didn't fancy doing something, he went up, which terrified his nervous rider who then got off and brought him back home again - so he learnt that this was a good way to get out of doing anything.
He tried it with me constantly when I first got him but I always rode him through it and carried on with what I was planning to do, which I think is something no one had made him do before. He now very rarely does it, and not to the same extreme as he used to, though I think he might try it on with a different rider. But if I were to advertise him (not that anyone would want him!) I would put that in the advert as I know he used to do it a lot (and put them off completely ;)).

For your next ride, try your best to forget what happened and try your hardest not to tense up (easier said than done I know). Hopefully the next journey past the field will be a more relaxing one for you! Is there anyone who can go with you so that you have somebody to chat to and distract you a bit? x
 
Agree with the others. I think a lot of the labels come in when like honey 08 said it's done to scare you. My pony is still capable of a vertical rear when playing in the field, & as a youngster did it in a similar silly manner when ridden. But she was never a rearer. I don't class any of them as vices if its just over excitement, its just when its done regularly as an evasion its an issue. There's also a world of difference between a horse that goes 3/4 up & straight back down, & one that goes up vertical & then unbalances enough to risk falling backwards.
 
I wouldn't class him as one, our exracer reared 3 times in the space of two months and we found out it was due to a badly fitting saddle and since it's been sorted he hasnt done one. I would class a rearer as one who does it all the time not once.

X
 
Box_Of_Frogs said:
Hmmmm. So, if you were selling said horse and a potential purchaser asked (as they're advised to do) does he/has he ever reared, what would you say?
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I think does he rear is a very different question to has he ever reared.

My mare's gone up once. her first time out hunting it all got a bit much and up she went. never before and never after has she done it again and still takes my non horsy OH out for hacks. If i was selling and was asked has se ever reared i'd be honest and explaine the circumstaces but i certainly would advetise/describe her as a rearer!
 
My horse when 4 went through a rearing stage ( and a bucking and a bolting ) was just testing the boundaries.
Does non of the above now ( except the occasional jinks buck ) do no I would not label your horse as a rearer. Only when rearing is an established habit would he be labeled as such.
 
It sounds like you handled it very well. :) As others have said I would not label her as a rearer for a one off incident. And in terms of purchasing I would much rather have a rearer than a bucker or a bolter.
 
My horse has reared I think twice in his life (when he was about 4 or 5). He is 21 now and he just wouldn't rear no matter what pressure he was put under when you're on board. I did think maybe he just can't actually rear but I have seen him rear when playing in the field.

How old is your horse? If it's young then i wouldn't be overly concerned but I would be working on ensuring they didn't do it again!!! If older then that would pose more of an issue to me BUT that is IF they actually went right up, as in full on rearing. Sometimes they feel they've gone up high but actually I wouldn't count that as a rear.

My sister's horse reared whenever he was asked to do something he didn't want to do and he was blooming good at rearing too - that is a horse I would label a rearer!!!

A friend of mine also has a horse who rears when excited or having a tantrum. She seems to think it's fine, acceptable even. Personally, having a 16.3hh tank of a horse standing on two legs is not acceptable in my book and I think she's an idiot for not nipping it in the bud when he first did it. She seems almost proud of it though. :(
 
Well, just to say THANK YOU for your replies and support :D

Lyla is rising 7 ISH but a late starter so still bit green combined with sometimes nervous mum :o But we have our bold moments together

So, did the ride again today (went further! But that's another story:)) and no issues :D rode the last stretch laughing and smiling! ;)

Yes. Yesterday was a complete temper tantrum, she didnt want to go forward. However the fact she didn't buck me off (her normal MO :o) and we managed to continue the ride without further incident, I take as a positive :rolleyes: I've just never had a horse rear like that before, so it worried me a bit :o and then reading the other thread :rolleyes:

Anyway, have decided the only label Lyla can have is....

Bloody brilliant:D aww ;)
 
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