Rearer, how to deal with?

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Skhosu

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Am working sisters horse this week, and she rears. generally when hacking. Took her out the other day and to a turn she doesn't like, she spins, rears etc before you even ask her to turn, so I sit there trying not to escalate (she just sticks her head up and gets worked up) and when I get her pointed the right way, touch her with the dressage whip(literally) and she shoots forward. Before this however she has managed to turn herself round several times and it feels as though perhaps she is getting away with it?
Second time I was taking her down the drive and she was in a mood, feet came off the ground so I got off and cracked her with the stick and got back on, still being silly but the feet stayed on the ground.
I hate rearers, wouldn't ride one if I had the choice, but is there are better way to deal with it? I think she doesn't realise the dressage stick is a stick, so that works ok, but we still have the initial spinning and throwing a fit, do you think it will get better once she learns rearing doesn't get her anywhere?
Rambling a bit, would appreciate advice!
 
there is usually a reason for the rearing in the first place whether she has pain or has developed a habit. Is there a chance you can work on her before getting on her, build up some trust? work on her moods! Is her tack fitting? I believe there is a reason for a horse to be badly behaved as naturally they want a quiet life.
 
Don't get off her. I was always told not to get off a rearing horsde as part of the training process anyway...
Stay on and give her a good clout to the back of the head should do the trick nicely!!!!!!!!
 
BD-I wouldn't dare! She would go over on me, of that I'm sure if I work her up too much.
kooky-she has perfect tack...all physicalities checked, sore back that relaxes with work, and that is being investigated but at the moment is on gentle exercise to assist with the back, it is not so sore after being worked. I appreciate this could be annoying her, except that it is only when she wants to nap that she throws a hissy and the turns she throws hissy fits at are the same as others that she doesn't physically if you get my sense?
re: trust... she is a stroppy cow on the ground as well, we are now well established in how to behave when being led etc., she just seems to lack any brain, goldfish memory so doesn't associate what you do on the ground with work on her back.
 
Could you school her until her back relaxes and then take her out for a hack?

....or maybe I misunderstood what you were saying?
 
not at all, that is a good idea, but makes no difference, she still throws a hissy fit at one particular turn and depending on her mood, going down the drive!
She will school beautifully, hacks in a lovely shape, until she decides she doesn't like it!
 
hehe my dad used to ride a rearer that used to throw kids off an one day it reared with him and he got off and punched the thing round the face. never reared again.
wouldnt suggest doing this yourself but you do need to boss them a bit..
 
in company she is 100%, unless asked to stand in which case we get rearing again. I would say she is probably insecure but I don't think that changes the fact that rearing is unacceptable does it?
 
no....not acceptable, but chances are it is her being a pain rather than being *in* pain if she is fine in company!!

I heard a story once of a SJer smashing bottles on the horses poll to stop them from rearing.....certainly not a tactic I would employ, but perhaps a gentle smack????!!!!
 
You can if you feel brave enough hit her on the head but I have rearer and I have tried this. It made my mare worse.

If you can get someone brave enough (or stupid) to smack her on the belly when she goes up this might work.

I work on the basis that I make it really uncomfortable for my mare when she rears - I pull her head round to my foot and turn her in circles (tight ones) like this for a few minutes. I then ask her to walk on. If she naps again, or rears I repeat the process. and so on til she walks on calmly. She then begins to realise it is just not worth bothering. This works most of the time.
smile.gif
 
I use sheepskin rolls on her cheek pieces, the idea being that they dont go where they cant see. -It's working so far, the girly I ride is far better than she used to be.
The other trick is to know the warning signs, then just get her head bent round to your foot, at which point she cant go rigid & then stand up.
Market Harborough on a very tight setting can also help.
I do agree with the trotting idea by KVS, it does help, but only if they dont stop up suddenly.
 
Never encountered a serial rearer but I know that clamping with knees makes some of them worse!

Agree with circling (pulling head down and round) and making out it's not a big deal. Not saying for one minute that I could deal with that though!
 
Sounds just like my mare, fine with company can be a c0w on her own. Get to a junction or turn out the drive spins round or plants her feet rearing when you ask he to go forward. I don't get off, she rears high (is like a circus horse - freezes in the air). I find trotting her when i get somewhere where a decision has to be made etc. Hitting her on the head has not worked, someone told me to pour water over he head when she rears so bash her on the head with a bottle of water with the lid off then the water goes down her face it makes them think it is blood, that worked for a while - but obviously you need to know when she is going to rear so whilst your on her you don't have to carry the water all round with u! Which is why at the end of my drive it was ideal. Turning her head to your foot should also work. Good luck, i know how frustrating it is.
 
Hi
Two suggestions that I have found effective:
First, Try to keep her calm, as soon as she plays up get her to stand still, might take a while for her to calm down but wait until she will stand nicely facing the direction you want to go then ask her to move on a couple of strides. Make sure your reins are short enough to catch her when she tries to spin but you need to give with your arms so that you dont encourage her to stop or rear. this will take ages but when she goes along just walk her a bit further then get off and give her a little break. When you get back on take her back the way you came and have her walk past the place she rears at. Do this a few times till she stops trying it on.
OR, instead of the dressage whip she may react better if you give her a slap either side of the neck with the reins just as she starts playing up. Unusual I know but it does seem to work.
 
Sounds very like my mare. She just choose a corner and decided she didn't want to go further. I used to just I sit out the rear (never serverely high) and spin, turn her back round and tell her to walk on. I do it as many times as necessary; never reacting by raising my voice or hitting. Soon she realised her hissy fits didn't get what she wanted and she's fine now.

I think her old owner used to give up at her hissy fits, which is why she kept trying. But I've always found with her getting upset and hitting with whips/yelling makes the rearing worse.

ETA: Obviously this is not suitable on anything but the most quiet roads on a safe corner where you can be seen by both directions.
 
i have always given them a good bat around the head if any of mine rear with me we used to have this cob called warlock he was real little stinker had a bronc on him like i had never seen,and one day F rode round the corner on jay while i was trying to fasten the gate and of course he wanted to follow took off across the yard broncing and i just thought no enough is enough took him back to the gate and made him stand whilst i closed it,he took offence and went up vertical so i thumped him so hard across the top of his head he near enough laid on the floor.He crept all the way back to his stable with me and never reared with me again.
I also stopped him rearing while been turned out by giving him a good belt across the belly.

IMO rearing is dirty and bullyish behaivour unless for back,teeth,tack problems but ones who do it just because they can.Usually if you can feel the horse is about to do it just turn tight circles even if you have to make them touch there shoulder with there head if they bent round they cant get up on hinds.
And as for going over backwards some horses will go over backwards once and scare themselves so much they never so much as bunny hop again.
 
Either get someone on the ground who is quick enough with a whip to smack her on her stomach when she goes up or, if you know when and where she will do it try tying her tail to her girth as, without the tail a horse cannot balance on their hind legs as they use their tail to stabilise them. It has worked on a friends horse as they knew what triggered the rearing and after doing this the horse did actually stop rearing as far as I know
 
Why ride a rearer you are putting yourself at risk. The back thing is obviously causing a problem, why would you try and ride a horse that is in pain? Also if she has moods if it isn't seasonal there is something causing her to be unhappy!!! I suggest some relaxing for her maybe an equissage would help? The whipping is just wrong! Find out the reason not the quick fix!
 
kooky-she has to be exercised to determine whether her treatment is working or not.
Re: hitting under the belly/over the head..it wouldn't happen, I don't think this mare is stupid enough to believe it and she would go over on herself if I tried that I think.
Arwen, does your mare have a side she won't turn to, or is she reluctant to turn or is she just rearing? We also have a severe reluctance to turn right, will try the circling though.
Re the trotting-she just stops! And can't really trot down our hills, will work in some places though.
Main problem with circling/trotting is you can't get a hold of her head as it goes up into the air so fast!
I wasn't sure that restricting her with something might make her go up more violently?
Shanna-that is what I am currently doing, or along those lines, trying not to escalate, without giving in!
MissSbird-did you find that the sitting out, did she just settle a bit more or was it that she realised they wouldn't get ehr anything and stopped it?
 
kooky-she is reasonably fit. it is ridden exercise to determine what is affecting her that is needed, on vet reccomendation, so do excuse me if I take his word over yours.
nevermind that as far as I can tell, it is when she doesn't want to do something rather than when it hurts that she is throwing a hissy.
Thank you all for the thoughts, it appears that what I am doing is the most sensible thing at the moment so we shall see how it goes. She is going away once we have got to the root of the back problem (not under the saddle it must be added..) for pro schooling .
 
spin her! there will normally be an easier side to do so but if she is going up or threatening asap get your rein behind you to bring her nose to your knee, even if just starting to go up it will her straight down. Proceed to circle her until she is calm in the circle (you feel them stop fighting) then ask her for forward, if she in any way resists spin again immediately.

Fleur was at one point a serial rearer who was branded unrideable. I learnt to read her so knew when she was going to go up and just span her until she gave in and learnt to trust me (she had no physical issues just mental ones!). Result is horse who no longer rears (thankgod!) she will always be a rearer though put in the right (or should i say wrong!) situation.

But I am definitely another in the spin em camp!!!
 
Thank you SC, there is definitely an easier side tyo spin her to-would you spin her to the easier or the more difficult side?
 
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Don't get off her. I was always told not to get off a rearing horsde as part of the training process anyway...
Stay on and give her a good clout to the back of the head should do the trick nicely!!!!!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

sounds a good way of getting yourself squashed/killed/breaking horse's neck. not a good idea at all, imho.

i've gotten off rearers, repeatedly, and it has cured them. one of mine used to do it very high, i used to just slide off his shoulder, land on my feet, wait for him to come down (he went very high), lead him to mounting block, calmly get back on. he stopped doing it, hasn't done it for about 6 years now...

i would use my voice first, a very stern loud "WALK ON", and sit as passively as possible, don't rise to the bait. if she does go up or start turning i'd turn her in tight circles till she doesn't want to turn any more (i.e. you have to start using your legs, she's not just going in a tantrum!), then calmly ask for walk on again. this has always worked for me. they don't like being turned in tight circles, plus they can't go up while turning.
very best of luck. fwiw i'd rather have a rearer than a bucker.
 
I just quietly keep them pointing the right way and encouraging them forwards. There's not a whole load of point punishing her sort if they are likely to go over with you. She'll hopefully take confidence from your encouragement and get bored of rearing tactics not working.
 
I go the easy way as it is quicker for you to get into the spin so away from potentially going up!

Oh and I have also when required 'bailed ship' normally when it wasn't safe to spin her as i'm sorry but I know my limits and wanted to keep myself in one piece!

for a while she didn't want to walk to the outdoor school so I would lead her in hand there and back 3 times then do it mounted, If she still didn't behave led her in hand again repeating at least twice then back on and repeated it over and over! Eventually she did it as she became bored!

Spinning is my preference but I would be wary of what surface your on in a school its fine but on the road it is often not adviseable!
 
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[ QUOTE ]
Don't get off her. I was always told not to get off a rearing horsde as part of the training process anyway...
Stay on and give her a good clout to the back of the head should do the trick nicely!!!!!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

sounds a good way of getting yourself squashed/killed/breaking horse's neck. not a good idea at all, imho.

i've gotten off rearers, repeatedly, and it has cured them. one of mine used to do it very high, i used to just slide off his shoulder, land on my feet, wait for him to come down (he went very high), lead him to mounting block, calmly get back on. he stopped doing it, hasn't done it for about 6 years now...

i would use my voice first, a very stern loud "WALK ON", and sit as passively as possible, don't rise to the bait. if she does go up or start turning i'd turn her in tight circles till she doesn't want to turn any more (i.e. you have to start using your legs, she's not just going in a tantrum!), then calmly ask for walk on again. this has always worked for me. they don't like being turned in tight circles, plus they can't go up while turning.
very best of luck. fwiw i'd rather have a rearer than a bucker.

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Horses for courses what works for some might not work for others!
 
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