Rearing horse

Freck.19

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I’ve had my new mare less than a week, I went to try her out and she was perfect, the owners were very nice and also told me all her good and bad points - including her napping, rearing! On my second viewing for her she did actually rear with me, 3 in a row, but I sat them all and they weren’t that big. They have assured me that the horse has been turned inside out and there are no health issues, It’s just a learned bad habit. She’s 14 and has got away with it for many years.
So she’s been home and settled, and today I took her out her first hack! She was an angel, but she ended up dragging me into a massive field wanting to take off! She didn’t, but every time I tried to turn her back she rested, and the rears got bigger and bigger, she done about 5. I was really scared, she’s the first horse I’ve ever dealt with that rears. Luckily my boyfriend was on hand to clip a lead rope to her and then she was fine.

what should I do? It’s made me lose my confidence a little bit. ☹️
 

SaddlePsych'D

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I can't advise at all, but for others who can - how were the previous investigations evidenced by the previous owner? Did you have any reports/info from vet?
 

Freck.19

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You bought a horse that reared at the viewing and you were told rears? Horse comes home and rears? Surely you should not have bought horse if it bothered you that much.
Thanks for your sarcastic, unhelpful comment. It doesn’t bother me that much that it made me not buy her, as I think I can work through it. I’d just appreciate some helpful answers/ tips or people with experience dealing with this.
 

ycbm

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How much of the horse has been xrayed? Has she been put through a scintigraph?

My bet is that this horse is in pain somewhere and it just hasn't yet been found.

Unless you are prepared to investigate further, I would advise you either sell or have her PTS before she seriously injures or kills you. Rearers are very dangerous.

.
 

doodle

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You are welcome.

I just don’t understand why you would buy a horse you know rears. You don’t know how to deal with the rears, which is why you are asking on here, and say it has dented your confidence in the first ride. As ycbm says either sell or pts before you are hurt. Or send back to sellers. Rearing is not a game.
 
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Lillian_paddington

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Honestly, I would send the horse back. The owners have at least been truthful about the horse’s behaviour so hopefully they will take her back if finding the right home is important.
I agree with ycbm that it is most likely pain somewhere, you say she’s had all the checks done but what does that mean? A simple lameness work up is not enough. This horse could end up being very expensive if you have to go through more diagnostics.
And if it really is learned behaviour I still don’t think this is the right horse for you. Sitting to a rear properly is a skill and if you unbalance her she could end up falling on top of you. I will ride pretty much anything but a big rearer, it isn’t worth my life frankly.
There will be other horses out there much better suited to you. Horse owning is so much more fun when you trust the horse to look after you.
 

stormox

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I had a mare that reared. Straight up and down again. She had been made to hack alone before she was confident, and learnt to do it at scary things. and her rider had always got off or turned her home.
She mainly did it hacking alone, she was fine with other horses to take the lead when needed.
I managed it by using draw reins attached to the side Ds. , I had them knotted on her neck, and if she started the big eyes head up behaviour which preceeded a rear I immediately turned her in sharp circles with the draw reins as extra power if needed (Im 7stone, she was a hefty 16.2). A horse cannot rear while its crossing its hind legs to circle.
After a few turns I really kicked her forwards in the direction I wanted to go. It took about 2 months of this and she became an angel to hack alone or in company with no extra gadgets.
She never scared me but she did once have me off at the beginning by rearing and I slid over the cantle and landed standing on the ground behind her tail, still holding the rein buckle and my feet still in the irons (which had also come off). It was after that I put the draw reins on and we had no more trouble when she realised what she had to do and the scary things werent really scary.
Good Luck - patience perseverance and a forward thinking attitude is needed.
 

oldie48

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Poor you, you must feel very worried. YCMB is right that many horses that rear are in pain and are potentially dangerous, but not all of them are. Get some good experienced pro involved, her previous owner told you that she napped and my mare will too if given the chance.Your horse is still settling in and finding her feet so get help now. We've had several nappy horses that had no physic\al issues, generally they were young and insecure so benefitted from being ridden in company until they were ready to go it alone. Just get help but inform the seller that you are unhappy and may need to return her as she might not be the right horse for you.
 

Wishfilly

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Poor you, you must feel very worried. YCMB is right that many horses that rear are in pain and are potentially dangerous, but not all of them are. Get some good experienced pro involved, her previous owner told you that she napped and my mare will too if given the chance.Your horse is still settling in and finding her feet so get help now. We've had several nappy horses that had no physic\al issues, generally they were young and insecure so benefitted from being ridden in company until they were ready to go it alone. Just get help but inform the seller that you are unhappy and may need to return her as she might not be the right horse for you.

I'm not sure if I'm misreading your post, and if I am, then I'm sorry, but I think even horses who don't rear due to pain have the potential to be really dangerous if the behaviour either escalates, or with a rider who has the potential to unbalance them.
 

ycbm

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I'm not sure why people are taking about returning this horse. She was sold in good faith with full disclosure, there is no basis whatsoever that I can see to return her to the seller.

.
 
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Freck.19

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I had a mare that reared. Straight up and down again. She had been made to hack alone before she was confident, and learnt to do it at scary things. and her rider had always got off or turned her home.
She mainly did it hacking alone, she was fine with other horses to take the lead when needed.
I managed it by using draw reins attached to the side Ds. , I had them knotted on her neck, and if she started the big eyes head up behaviour which preceeded a rear I immediately turned her in sharp circles with the draw reins as extra power if needed (Im 7stone, she was a hefty 16.2). A horse cannot rear while its crossing its hind legs to circle.
After a few turns I really kicked her forwards in the direction I wanted to go. It took about 2 months of this and she became an angel to hack alone or in company with no extra gadgets.
She never scared me but she did once have me off at the beginning by rearing and I slid over the cantle and landed standing on the ground behind her tail, still holding the rein buckle and my feet still in the irons (which had also come off). It was after that I put the draw reins on and we had no more trouble when she realised what she had to do and the scary things werent really scary.
Good Luck - patience perseverance and a forward thinking attitude is needed.
Thank you so so much! That’s exactly what my mare is like, she has been such an angel to hack out with another horse and in the school, but she was spooking at something today and when she gets stressed, she does this! Also to get her own way, like your mares last owner, my mares last owner also got off which is why she knows she can get away with it to avoid work. She isn’t in any pain and she’s not getting pts!
 

Wishfilly

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I'm not sure why people are taking about returning this horse. She was sold on good faith with full disclosure, there is no basis whatsoever that I can see to return her to the seller.

.

I agree- I'm assuming it's a private seller from OP's post, although I might be wrong, in which case they may not be in a position to have her back even if they were willing to. I also think if OP wants to return, she needs to explore the possibility ASAP, and not string the seller along in any way.
 

Freck.19

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I had a mare that reared. Straight up and down again. She had been made to hack alone before she was confident, and learnt to do it at scary things. and her rider had always got off or turned her home.
She mainly did it hacking alone, she was fine with other horses to take the lead when needed.
I managed it by using draw reins attached to the side Ds. , I had them knotted on her neck, and if she started the big eyes head up behaviour which preceeded a rear I immediately turned her in sharp circles with the draw reins as extra power if needed (Im 7stone, she was a hefty 16.2). A horse cannot rear while its crossing its hind legs to circle.
After a few turns I really kicked her forwards in the direction I wanted to go. It took about 2 months of this and she became an angel to hack alone or in company with no extra gadgets.
She never scared me but she did once have me off at the beginning by rearing and I slid over the cantle and landed standing on the ground behind her tail, still holding the rein buckle and my feet still in the irons (which had also come off). It was after that I put the draw reins on and we had no more trouble when she realised what she had to do and the scary things werent really scary.
Good Luck - patience perseverance and a forward thinking attitude is needed.
I accidentally quoted the wrong person To reply to you sorry.
 

Pearlsasinger

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Were you hacking alone? It could be a confidence problem on her part, I would hack with a sensible companion next time, or lead her round most of the route and hop on to ride the last part home and build up from there.


But you did know what you were buying from a private seller so I doubt that you would be able to return the horse, unless the seller is feeling extremely generous.
 

Freck.19

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Were you hacking alone? It could be a confidence problem on her part, I would hack with a sensible companion next time, or lead her round most of the route and hop on to ride the last part home and build up from there.
Yes she was hacking alone, I feel more confident hacking alone as my only other option will be to hack out with a 5 year old horse who’s really not sensible and highly strung! He will egg her on and make her worse - what he used to do with my last horse!
 

Wishfilly

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Yes she was hacking alone, I feel more confident hacking alone as my only other option will be to hack out with a 5 year old horse who’s really not sensible and highly strung! He will egg her on and make her worse - what he used to do with my last horse!

This honestly may not be the case- I know a rearer who only does it when alone or forced to leave the group, regardless of how silly the company are being. However, obviously you should only do what you feel comfortable with.
 

splashgirl45

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she has only been with you for a week , that is no time at all , she is unlikely to be settled even though she may appear to be. many horses shut down when they are unsettled and give the appearance of being settled. i would suggest you dont pick an argument with her and have someone come out with you, either walking or on a bike for the next few times you hack out, just having someone on the ground will relax you as well..the only way i have dealt with a rearer is to keep turning in circles . if no one can come out with you could you long rein her round the hack you would do, sorry dont have any other suggestions..good luck
 

Shilasdair

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I’ve had my new mare less than a week, I went to try her out and she was perfect, the owners were very nice and also told me all her good and bad points - including her napping, rearing! On my second viewing for her she did actually rear with me, 3 in a row, but I sat them all and they weren’t that big. They have assured me that the horse has been turned inside out and there are no health issues, It’s just a learned bad habit. She’s 14 and has got away with it for many years.
So she’s been home and settled, and today I took her out her first hack! She was an angel, but she ended up dragging me into a massive field wanting to take off! She didn’t, but every time I tried to turn her back she rested, and the rears got bigger and bigger, she done about 5. I was really scared, she’s the first horse I’ve ever dealt with that rears. Luckily my boyfriend was on hand to clip a lead rope to her and then she was fine.

what should I do? It’s made me lose my confidence a little bit. ☹️

I don't think you have a right to return her, as the sellers were honest, and you chose to take the horse knowing it reared.
This was a bad choice, but I guess you know that now. ;)

You have a number of options;
1. Beg the sellers to take her back, admit that you are not as confident as you made out and are now scared of her.
2. Spend a small fortune doing veterinary investigations to find out if anything is wrong.
2. Retire her to be a field ornament.
3. Put her to sleep.
4. Sell her to someone braver/stupider than you.
5. Send her to a trainer. I suspect that, even if the trainer can ride her through it, you'll have the same rearing when you get back on anyway.
6. Learn strategies to ride a rearer. For example, a horse can only rear with its head and neck straight, so a way to block her actually going up is to circle her in a tight circle. Use your legs, make the circle tight enough that she can't go up. Stop and ask her to go forward. If she looks like going up, circle again.

Good luck - I think you'll need it as a 14 year old is pretty much established in the behaviour.
 

honetpot

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Thanks for your sarcastic, unhelpful comment. It doesn’t bother me that much that it made me not buy her, as I think I can work through it. I’d just appreciate some helpful answers/ tips or people with experience dealing with this.
I think no one is being sarcastic, you said it was a habit with her and the old phrase ‘ trying it on ‘ springs to mind and she is clever enough that she has worked out she can frightened you.
I can not fathom why you would by a horse known to nap and rear, unless it’s a super star at competitions, because both are evasions, for what ever reason and the fact it took you in to a field, possibleLy has no steering.
If you are going to keep it you need to be on a yard with good help before you get injured.
 

stormox

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Yes she was hacking alone, I feel more confident hacking alone as my only other option will be to hack out with a 5 year old horse who’s really not sensible and highly strung! He will egg her on and make her worse - what he used to do with my last horse!

He may not- its worth a try. I think the best thing at the moment is to hack out with another horse until you are confident in yourself again then tackle the rearing. Horses dont always find the same things frightening so they may help each other.
If you could find a sensible one it would be better though. Horses dont really 'egg each other on' that would mean premeditated thought on their part. But they do react to another horses actions, thats how they survive in the wild.
 
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Ish2020

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I am going to be brutally honest it you’re own fault for buying a horse with a known rearing problem. Also you don’t have a leg to stand on when it comes to returning because the seller made it very clear of the horse problems . It expensive problem to fix you need a experienced person to help you.
 
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