Rearing: what would you do?

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Jody25

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Sorry I know there have been many of these posts before, but no situation is ever completely the same and I would appreciate some opinions.

6 year old TB mare, broken as NH horse at 3/4, turned away through no fault of her own for two years, re-backed mid/end December 2010. Working well in the school, very forward.

Was hacking out nicely, gaining her confidence etc, in company and recently started hacking out alone, no problems. Has reared in the past and refused to go forward but put this down to slipping saddle pinching. New saddle and no problems since until this weekend. Waiting to cross the road and she rears straight up (luckily no cars coming), move forward 200 yards up a path into the woods stand to wait for something and again she goes straight-up, so high she can't maintain her balance and we both crash to the ground on our sides. She is loose and gallops off, caught a few minutes later, I remounted and carried on, rode for about 1.5 hours, walk, trot, canter with out problems, in fact worked beautifully, but wasn't asked to stand and wait for anything again. The day before (and a number of rides before this) she was asked to wait countless times and didn't say boo to a goose (until asked to close a gate and loses her patience resulting in a half hearted 1/4 rear) ... Oh we were in company on this ride.

I believe this is purely down to impatience, there was no fear or anxiousness, she just didn't want to wait anymore. I've ridden rearers before, and ridden them through the issue, my concern here is that the rears aren't half hearted, they are huge immediately and there is no warning. I am hoping that with her fall she will have scared herself but because they are so huge immediately it is hugely dangerous and completely unpredictable. I plan to avoid situations where she has to stand to avoid this happening again but there will always be times where she has to stand and wait to cross the road for example. What would you do? I can't let this happen again we were very lucky we didn't come down on the first rear on the road and the second was on sand.

All checks done, no problems.

Any advice greatly received to avoid it happening again and what you would do to nip it in the bud if it does happen again.

Thanks
 
If that's the first time she's ever gone over then you may well find it's cured the problem. Unfortunately there's only one way of finding out! Do you have any opportunty to turn her as she goes up? You can normally feel them shift their weight back and if you're quick enough can turn them at this point so they can't go up and then make her spin until she forgets. Does it only happen out hacking? Solo or in company?
 
Hhhhmm, I would be careful- when my mare flipped over I thought it had taught her a lesson but she still goes just as high... they are animals remember and they do not think like us! As you are experienced with rearers I would suggest the best thing to do would be persevere. Will she wait patiently if she is with another horse? Also maybe try taking her out in-hand on her own and make her wait for traffic and just at random points etc (on a long lead rope or a lunge rein so that you can hold on to her if she rears!) Good luck, rearing is so frustrating! :)
 
well i did it the old wives tale way
cracked an egg on a rearing Gelding's head. like "smash/splat" an egg on his poll
never did it again.

apparently it makes them think theyve hit it and their brains spill out....
 
hmm for a start I would avoid stopping and waiting on any hard surfaces for a while just incase; walk circles anything to avoid going up, just in case she hasn't learnt!

Assmuing it is in patience at being asked to halt - when you stop can you flex her neck slightly/alot (exercise western people seem to do where they bend head round to your knee but body stays straight - but perhaps not quite o far) to make going up hard. Then stop make her stand count to 10, give her big pats for standing and then move off. Slowly make the halts longer and start to give her some time standing 'straight' and reward her at this point. So that hopefully she learns that halting isn't THAT fustrating and forgets the rearing manouver. Though from what you have said about gates I think it will always be her default response...

I would also do alot of ground work getting her to halt quietly next to you out and about.

Good Luck!!!
 
I wouldn't avoid halting and waiting as, as you say, one day you are going to have to wait at a road so she needs to be able to stand still.

I would perhaps look at putting her on long reins and practising working and then standing still, then working again and standing etc- on the long reins you won't be in any danger but you will still be able to get through the tantrum and keep quietly asking her to stand still.

then progress to being on board and playing the same game- gradually increase how long she is asked to halt for and lots of praise and polos when she does.

I found it helpful with the horse I had who did this to halt him facing a hedge or fence to start with and then progress to alongside it and finally in the middle of a big open space.

It is a hard habit to break, but if you feel her starting to threaten turn a circle, halt for a milisecond, praise, walk on and try again.
 
Mine does that and he goes out in either a standing martingale or draw reins. Most of the time out I tie them in a knot and just use my reins as normal but when it comes to turning left at a junction or waiting for traffic I use them and it works a treat as he knows he can't go up in them. He is getting a lot better, although I suppose I will only know when I take them off.

I know you can argue it's a quick fix but having ended upside down in a ditch with the horse on top I won't take the chance. And no he hasn't learned despite going over in the school as well.
 
Thanks for all your responses.

@MegaBeast - This is the first time she has gone up and over, so fingers crossed she has learnt her lesson although I'm not counting my chickens... There is no tell at all, she is so sharp. Maybe I will find one now I am expecting it and will try spinning. The no tell is what has un-nerved me, all past rearers have had something :)

@Fairy Dust - She was with another horse this time, makes no difference it seems. She's pretty independent.

@jcwh - how did you manage to carry an egg without breaking it, get it out of your pocket and smash it over his/her head in such a short space of time, I'm impressed!

@Mimi2610 - I did consider both a standing martingale and draw reins (obviously not at the same time), not because I intend to use them other than when standing and waiting but because I need to nip this in the bud, I don't bounce as well as I used to :)

Thanks to all for ground work and flexion advice.
 
My horse was broken in July he is a gem except he has absolutely no patience. He is at his worst at road junctions where he will try and spin round, shoots off, gets very cross and is a bit of a liability. He is not a rearer but he is a total hand full. I practice halting on rides and he is generally pretty good about this and has got better the more practice I put in. He is still not great and junctions but I try and keep him moving even in circles and leg yeilding where possible at junctions and think its something that will come with time.
 
I second the egg idea - since you know where she is likely to do it makes it easier to be prepared.

and I would also make her stand - doing circles will only encourage the inability to stand still when asked.
 
She sounds exactly like one of my old horses, he would just go bolt upright for no reason and with no warning whatsoever. He went over multiple times with different riders and he never ever learnt his lesson and until I saw him from the ground and realised how unstable he was I never really understood why people were so worried about it.

His trigger was stress and it turned out he had an aneurysm which the vet thought was leaking which would explain why he went up in stressful situations :(

TBH if they give you no warning you have to treat them completely differently to nappy rearers and if she has flipped once I would be very wary of it happening again and I wouldn't ride her until she was 100% in long reins.

Good luck
 
As a short term measure you could put her on a horse walker for 'a long time' (depending on how fit she is) before hacking out. Not only to take the edge off her energy but to make her grateful for a break. Then the other suggestions may be easier to implement.
 
In reply to the egg, my farrier carried a small branch with him and when the horse napped and went up, he cracked it over its head. Sounds very harsh and I wouldn't do it but it worked.
 
Jody25 said:
@ YasandCrystal - thanks for the links, my bruises and muscles will tell you I didn't dismount like that! :)
Click to expand...

Ah sorry to hear that. Bet you don't mount the way he does either! A rearer is scarier than a bucker imo. I love endospink (vids on Youtube) he has a fantastic way with horses, but he is a professional racehorse trainer, so nothing fazes him.
 
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