Rearing....help!

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raggydoll

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This is my first post, sorry it's with a problem
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My 9 yr old mare has just recently started to rear when she is being led to her paddock. She isn't bunny hopping, she's full on nostrils flared vertical rearing........There seems to be no reason for it, nothing to spook at, nothing new, her routine is the same as ever....i'm at a loss......does anyone have any ideas on what could be causing it?

She's never done it with me (although has threatend to), but does it everytime that the YO or her daughter turn her out for me. She's also started doing it when she's bought in too!

Help!!!
 
How are they handling your mare it may be in a way she objects to, I would find out but if its just her taking the p use a chiffney when leading
 
Does she have a nice full belly of hay prior to going out?

What time does she go out and what time does she come in?
 
Yep she's sound and I had her back checked a few months ago when i bought her and everything was fine......apart from this issue she's an angel....i could always get them out again though to double check. She doesn't do it when being led anywhere else, just to her paddock, which is odd.
 
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just to her paddock, which is odd.

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Not really - some are just dying to get out, and walking there is simply not quick enough.
 
She goes out after her breakfast and comes in mid afternoon. Ive started taking her out in her bridle which stops it, but i realy want to work out the why so that i don't have to. After she's gone up she just walks happily with no fuss.
 
But what time is breakfast??

There are times in the year when my horse has to be handled in a bridle - bringing him in can be especially hazardous to health at times.

But, if she's only doing it with others - I would ensure that you are the only one that handles her until it either stops or you can understand why she's doing it.

Also, she's not led in a controller by any chance is she??
 
Is she being led in and out on her own or with another horse?......and is she ever put out on her own first and brought in on her own first?

There was a mare on our yard that was fine for ages and then suddenly (after she had been in season) changed and became a rearing/bolting nightmare (no pun intended) if she was put out/brought in on her own.
 
no, she's led in a run of the mill headcollar.
She has breakfast at about half 7 and then goes out shortly afterward before i go to work.
I'm trying to make sure it's me that deals with her as much as possible, but my YO is so helpfull bringing her in for me while i'm at work so she doesn't have to stand around on her own waiting for me in the dark.
 
Before she rears, what is her attitude like, is she calm or she showing signs that she's not settled...blowing down her nostrils, an difference in her breathing, swishing her tail, looking around feeling insecure or perhaps being a bit moody and or inpatient, any of those?
It could be because she's threatened to in the past that she has now learnt to push another boundary, so its just habit, if she has been doing this with the YO and her daughter and not nipped in the bud straight away, then she' snot learnt that this is wrong....if its just a case of being a bit silly. You need to make sure your YO handles your horse how you would, have you had a word with the YO to see if anything has triggered her to behave like this?

I would practice leading your mare around the yard in-between turnout/bring in times (if that is possible) so she learns that she's not always going to go where she thinks she's going and that its not acceptable at any time. Make sure your wearing a riding hat, keep her at a safe distance at your side, and providing there is no other reason she needs a sharp smack on her side (bottom area with schooling whip) as soon as she even thinks about it and get her walking on, no good smacking them once they go up or around there neck etc (if this is what your YO has done) as this will only make her back up, go up even more and indeed can create a rearer also make her head shy...because she's anticipating what she's gong to get ...which may be the reason she'd going up on people. Reward her with gentle pat and soothing words and keep her moving at your side when she doesn't go up, its hard for them to rear if you keep them moving so dont ever let her stop.

Different handling/punishment will only make things worse so you need sort out with your YO how to tackle the problem the same.
 
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no, she's led in a run of the mill headcollar.
She has breakfast at about half 7 and then goes out shortly afterward before i go to work.
I'm trying to make sure it's me that deals with her as much as possible, but my YO is so helpfull bringing her in for me while i'm at work so she doesn't have to stand around on her own waiting for me in the dark.

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I agree about the dark thing.

Sounds like a time of year thing to be tbh.

What a pain....
 
she goes out on her own first (she always has) and doesn't seem bothered at all before she does it. She walks off the yard fine, starts up the grass ok, then all of a sudden slams the breaks on (as if somethings startled her) and goes up. Nothing has moved, nothing is different, nothing has jumped out or anything. She goes up, comes down and walks on nicely as if nothing has happenend.

I'll definatly try walking her around between turning out times to see if it helps. It's difficult to work on it when she doesn't seem to want to push it with me in the first place, i almost want her to do it with me so i can try to figure it out and work through it. Ive discussed it with the YO, she can't think of any triggers, i've seen her turn her out a million times and she is exactly as i would be.
The plan of action at the moment is for her to be turned out in her bridle. It stops it but as i said it's frustrating not to know the cause.

Thanks for all the advice, it's really getting my mind working on it.
 
Your mare sounds very similar to mine, however going out she is fine but coming in can be a complete nightmare at times, vertical rears, kicking out, trying to bolt off..

I have now learned what her key indicators are.. which helps so I can nip it in the bud before she starts her nonsence,

She is lead in a chifney for this reason, I have also walked her backwards all the way across the field when coming in.. It does look rather silly but is rather effective because it makes her listen to me rather than pratting about.

something else I have tried when coming in and she was naughty, I walked her back to her field and made her wait untill she was behaving, this did work as it confused her and bored her slighlty with all the walking about as she wasnt sure what was happening.

Anyways

Good luck!
 
Sounds like she's feeling insecure rather than being stupid then, perhaps something has startled her, horses can see things in the distance that we can't and this may now be playing on her mind and because she's the first to go out, its making her worse, maybe something happend to her in the field when she was out on her own which she's now connectnig to the two.

I'd get another out in the field first if poss, and practice leading her about to gain her confidence up again as she's obviously lacking in this, will take time but I'm sure she'll over come it.
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