Rearing and napping... again.... *VID*

A friend had a horse just like yours and hers used to go over backwards just for the hell of it, and she was having a lesson with a top eventer(and a very well known one) who saw this going on, she got a couple of thick travelling bandages and had some people on standby, when the horse went over again someone got on its head to hold it down whilst its legs were tied together and it was left laying in the school whilst the lesson continued around it, believe me it never reared again.
 
sprytzer said:
A friend had a horse just like yours and hers used to go over backwards just for the hell of it, and she was having a lesson with a top eventer(and a very well known one) who saw this going on, she got a couple of thick travelling bandages and had some people on standby, when the horse went over again someone got on its head to hold it down whilst its legs were tied together and it was left laying in the school whilst the lesson continued around it, believe me it never reared again.
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:confused: I think this is rather cruel :( OP I dont have experience with Rearing but wish you all the best in sorting it out. stay determined and dont give up until you feel you have explored every avenue xx
 
it's not just 5 year olds that are that stubborn. mine is 18 and still looks a good battle to test my patience, especially going over canal bridges which he has been over hundreds of times. the main thing is be patient and determined! i refuse to get off my horse if he refuses to go past something or over something whereas a lot of ppl at my yard are happy just to jump off and basically give their horses hugs and kisses leading them past the 'scary thing'. your the boss so no matter how goddam stubborn they are they have to listen. if mine tries to spin he gets turned sharply the other direction, he goes backwards he gets a good boot. they have the choice to listen so just cos your kicking them what may be thought of as quite hard, they are choosing that direction! it once took me 20 mins battling to get my boy into a stream...nothing scary about it and he wasnt scared, you can read your horses well. he was just being as stubborn as he could be!
 
He's discovered an ideal way to get his own way hasn't he?
yes of course he is demonstrating very obviously that he doesn't want to do what is being asked, which can also be fear not just bloody mindedness.
I would stop going to shows for now but instead take him on long hacks away from home. We had one who was behaving a bit like him, and we tookhim on a 14 mile bike ride with only mountain bikes for company. It was the making of him as when tired he had no option but to keep going and have confidence in his rider in a strange place.
I would for now also go back to just training him so his understanding of "Forwards" is better. Work him on the ground in a pessoa or similar so he is being disciplined with no chance of arguement.
By all means hack out with others but really this horse needs lots of basic training and a higher level of training before you try and compete him.
If you feel capable after a month of this take him to a show, ride him round but don't enter anything. Graze him after in hand and take him home. He associates shows/strange places with unpleasant questions and you need to break that mindset.
It's fixable but put your ambitions on hold for a bit until you do.
 
I've had experience with quite a few nappy rearers and for youngsters who are 'trying it on' so to speak, I still find for myself the quickest way to stop this behaviour is with someone on the ground coming behind and giving the horse a very strong smack with a lunge whip. I always want to treat my horses with patience, respect and consistancy but this sort of behaviour is dangerous and needs to be stopped. Also it is a pretty quick fix if done right. The last horse i rode that had started rearing in the school had 2 smacks and along with very strong riding from me and lots of shouting never went up again.
My current naughty horse -Bob the cob- however has never had this treatment. I've managed to stop his really awful behaviour (He does the rearing plunging bucking thing) with a martingale and shouting, I also never allow the horse to turn the way it wants to go, Bob would always spin left so once I had got hold of him again I turned him back to the right to continue on our way. Just feels like I am not allowing them any small victory!
You are doing a bloody good job of sitting on that and if you do decide to try the whip up the bum be prepared to hold tight as they often shoot forwards like a bullet from a gun which is obviously the idea!
 
x colours x said:
:confused: I think this is rather cruel :( OP I dont have experience with Rearing but wish you all the best in sorting it out. stay determined and dont give up until you feel you have explored every avenue xx
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No more cruel than beating it down the road with lunge whips or blue pipe!!
It came to no harm apart from maybe its pride, and my pal is still alive instead of squished under a nappy little sod.
 
Charliepony said:
drop the reins and give her a smack on the arse with a stick, should shock her into going forwards. Praise her a lot when she does!
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I was going to say also to land an accurate hard slap on its arse! WHen it goes forward, lots of "GOOD BOY/GIRL!!!" in the most enthused voice you have!

I used to ride with a lad (Irish, not that it not makes a difference I suppose!) who was very much "old school" and he had a rearer but it didn't do it for long. I think it managed a handful of rears and he landed his riding stick right between it's ears and it soon stopped doing it because it thought it was whacking its head on something!! I've never laughed so much about a horse looking so surprised! Clearly this is something he had a lot of practise of and there's no way i could ever think about sitting on taking aim at the same time!

Have you tried almost shouting NO in the angriest I'm-taking-no-****-or-i'll rip-you-ears-off voice? Works with mine if he's kn0bb1ng around, he ducks his head in (regardless of what he's doing) and looks really sheepish. He gets no fuss or praise until a few minutes after when it's unrelated to whatever he was doing. The voice is a powerful thing!!
 
Echo Bravo said:
All I can say is well sat and I wish I had a seat like yours, but I did notice you didn't use much leg aids or it could be my eye sight is going.
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Echo this also I maybe wrong BUT it does look like you use your hands to balance, which means you can't be quick enough to release and allow her forwards at the right time. This is NOT a critism as I could not do it myself either, just an observation.

Maybe a very experienced rider would be able too
 
Lots of advice on here OP. Do you have a good instructor or very experienced rider to help you? Whereabouts are you? Someone on here may be able to point you in the right direction to someone who has the necessary experience to give you a hand.
 
I would think you would want to ride into quite a strong contact due to the plunging! If I think Bob is likely to do some boinging I ask him to come very round and maintain a good contact until danger is passed.
 
My feeling is that the nappyness needs to be sorted out before you ask the horse to compete. You are putting yourself under quite a lot of pressure trying to jump whilst taking on the napping problem but you've clearly got plenty of guts!

He needs to be leaving his friend and working quietly and concentrating outside the ring before asking any questions of him. You can start to warm up together then gradually drift apart. Your horse really hasn't got the message about parties and that he can actually breath on his own if out of sight of friend. Going in to ring and having a struggle is almost confirming this to him. He has quite an established repertoire up his sleeve, he knows it works so each time you go in the ring he's off! Because you get eliminated it is always unfinished business.

I think you need to play the long game, warm up properly (I mean 45 minutes :eek:) as if you are having a lesson.

Stay focused yourself, plan what you are going to do and do it, do not break your train of thought (whatever happens) everything about you needs to say we are going over here we are going over here we are going over here.

Then, chose a quiet show, warm up for 45 mins, go to the clear round and depending on how the mood is, go round the outside if you need something to lean on or figure of 8 round the jumps. Possibly even pop a fence on the way out. I used to pay for 2 rounds and do one after the other, the first round was the oggle goggle spook round then round again for a hopefully smoother round.

Nice horse and some great riding :cool:
 
My mare was 10o times worse than this at events, she'd rear, spin, bolt. what did I do, went back to basics, took the pressure off. I didn't do any jumping comps just dressage comps and clear round. To me I would've made your horse at least jump one fence or to have worked away from the gate. you basically allowed them to get awy with it by leaving the ring. Go attend some clinics, schooling, schooling and more schooling. It is horrible but your horse has to learn it's boundaries. If won't leave the yard on own take pressure off but keep asking. My mare would refuse to leave if something different down the lane. I would just take charge and say we are going, if felt going to rear then tight circle. if that bad to leave yard under saddle can you lead out? hope I have not sounded harsh but your horse needs to learn respect
 
Watching your video I have to say, well sat :), but you may get hurt next time!!!! I would send him away if you can afford this, or get some out side help to ride him for you for a while. I would also start on the ground with him by lunging with a lung whip (just in case he throws his toy's out the pram, and turns in on you) before getting back on him. Good luck
 
Well sat although I do agree with others who have commented that you ride more with your hands rather than your seat and legs.

A lot of young horses can be insecure when they start going to shows. For this reason we tend to take our young horses to a hired arena with a companion the first time or two they go away from home. However when we start to actually compete them we take them out on their own as the distraction of having their friend around often causes the problem you are encountering.

I would suggest you stop competing until you have the napping sorted out as this is already looking like your horse has worked out how to get his own way. Try going to a show without his companions but with your instructor. Even if you just spend 15 minutes in the warmup ring with your horse doing what you want - going where you want at the speed you want - view this as a success to be built on.
 
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Very well sat, and I can only imagine how (understandably) anxious you felt which doesn't help, for some people I think it can get into a sort of spiral of feeding off each other's nerves. It can be so devastating because I can also imagine how hard you worked with him before deciding to take him out anywhere. Got no advice to offer but I wish you the best of luck in sorting it out, he looks like a nice horse.
 
Kayfm said:
What a naughty ponio. Have you tried spinning him around in circles when he starts rearing like that ?
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my mare rears and we did a bill levett clinic and he told me to let go of the outside rein and using the whip not forcefully spin the horse whilst tapping them. i know it sounds ridiculous but my god does it work. he said its because the horse would rather stop the behaviour than spin but its not a harsh punishment. you do have to be very quick though, spin them as soon as they land
 
Sorry can't watch the video as I live in the middle of nowhere with a ridiculously slow connection speed. However, my advice would be to turn your horse out into a field for several weeks. You have obviously checked health issues so I think your 5 year old may be very mentally and physically stressed. This is a common problem now as we breed so many fantastic moving horses but mentally they are still babies. IMHO it is like giving a five year old and university exam paper and then beating him until he answers the questions. A waste of time. Once you have allowed him to unwind physically and mentally then go back to very basic training with a good instructor. You have potentially many years ahead with your horse, just giving your horse a bit of time now will reward you so much in the future.
 
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