Rearing, why oh why

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Kezzabell2

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I've had my boy for 2.5 years, since he was 20 months old! After about 2 months of owning him he started rearing in hand! despite trying rope and dually halters, nothing has stopped him doing this!

Its like its his default, if he doesn't like something, or doesn't want to do something, up he goes!

He's currently on about week 9 of box rest, and he's been doing so well! especially since I moved him to a new yard with a horse walker! I've been putting him on there for 20 mins twice a day, on vets instructions!

And at the weekend we started long lining in trot, just around the school, always was going well until today!

There was a shoot on, down the lane, so he could see people in the distance, he was busy trying to watch them rather than listening to me! as birds came over he started rearing again! Managed to keep him going and I didn't stop until we going one loop of the school being sensible!

but honestly why does he's default have to be rearing!

is there anyway of getting him over it?
 
Enlist in the help of an expert! My youngster had a paddy one day and was rearing and thankfully there was someone experienced on the yard who was able to take him and handle him. Get this nipped in the bud as soon as and ensure you wear hat, gloves and body protector!
 
My grey went through a period of rearing and rearing and rearing. It would take 20mins - 1/2 hour to turn her out (a 5 min walk) and really drove me potty. I got very good at reading her and could tell when she was about to rear, so as soon as she *thought* about it, I sent her forwards in a circle round me (mini lunging style). Although she still loves rearing in the field, she's been very good in-hand for about five years with only one rearing incident - I just said 'walk on' firmly and she promptly came down and circled around me. So far she hasn't reared under saddle.
 
Faracat said:
My grey went through a period of rearing and rearing and rearing. It would take 20mins - 1/2 hour to turn her out (a 5 min walk) and really drove me potty. I got very good at reading her and could tell when she was about to rear, so as soon as she *thought* about it, I sent her forwards in a circle round me (mini lunging style). Although she still loves rearing in the field, she's been very good in-hand for about five years with only one rearing incident - I just said 'walk on' firmly and she promptly came down and circled around me. So far she hasn't reared under saddle.
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This is encouraging!

I'm sure that he's only doing it because hes cooped up as he didn't do it in hand for over a year. so hopefully he will calm down once he's allowed about again (hopefully from this Friday)

As a baby he was like your mare, I couldn't get him in or out of the field without him spending the whole time on 2 legs! now its just started again since box rest!

at my old yard I was walking 15 mins in hand and he would occasionally do it then! but in all honestly he's been a total gem one box rest!

hes only one it on once when ridden, but 3 times in the same spot on the same day but that was when we discovered he was broken, so I believe that it was in response to pain and he wasn't being pushed or asked to do something he didn't like at the time!

So that was the last time I rode him, so I think that deep down im worried that if he's still doing it now he's been treated, he might do it again when I get back on! I have a very good instructor and he will be there to help me when I do eventually get back on

and I do wear a hat and back protector if I'm leading him out! just a hat when im long lining!

I really hope that he will grow out of it. he is getting better, don't get me wrong!! its just the odd occasion now!
 
It really does sound like the box rest has brought this behaviour back. Hopefully he'll be fine once it's over and I think that you're very wise getting your instructor to help when he returns to work. Good luck. :)
 
I think it depends, I had a little mare who had had had a rough time of it, and we just never ever hit her, no matter how reactive she was, I got some stick for it, but she came good, and looked to me for support when she got nervous, and she could rear in hand, but never ridden, it was just her way, I used to ignore her, I recall a new jockey refusing to mount [she was a racehorse], and I just turned to her and said "stop that nonsense" and she did lol.
Generally speaking, you need to nip it in the bud.
 
Mine did 5 months box rest and went out in October. Rearing like a trooper; every time something made her jump /got her attention shed rear. I found a bridle with lunge line going through it helped as she didn't like the action & mostly I vaught get before as we went on but she was so quick & would gallop & rear around me. She stopped generaly when she went out but now when she does she is told it's not ok where as before on boxrest the main aim was to keep her forwards! I used lots of treats for high adrenaline situations she now stops if she sees on & lowers her hear to receive it. She's 12years old top
 
Agree you need to nip it in the bud, my 4 yr old cob went almost feral, due to starting a new business, this year he has been left to his own devices, has an ex brood mare, a calm TB and a bullying trotter x for company, time constraints got better and started bringing him back to work, longreining he was fine until we turned for home and he started doing mini rears and trying to take off, never having had a youngster, I knew it was me, not him, so got a NH lady in to help, after walking out with us, me longreining, she pointed out that when asked to whoa/stand and he started pawing and going up, he was frustrated/confused at what I was asking of him, we went out a few times with her at his head, gradually working back to his shoulder etc, building his confidence in my voice commands, pony is spot on now and I learnt a lot as well, point is get help
 
When they rear they have to move their weight back over their hind quarters in preparation. They stop moving and go up . If you train them so they go back for you at the drop of a hat, you can keep them moving backwards. If they can't stop they can't rear.
 
teabiscuit said:
When they rear they have to move their weight back over their hind quarters in preparation. They stop moving and go up . If you train them so they go back for you at the drop of a hat, you can keep them moving backwards. If they can't stop they can't rear.
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That's interesting as he was mid trot as he went up. Same as when I was riding him.

We do ground work and he does back up as I walk towards him. But I was long lining yesterday so was behind him
 
Patterdale said:
Don't long line him with the shoot nearby after 9 weeks of box rest.
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I was already doing it before it was obvious it was on our farm. It's not the first time He's been long lined. He's out 2-3 times a day doing some form of work.

He wasn't scared, he's always been kept on yards where they shoot. He was just too busy watching the beaters

My point is. Why does his reaction have to be rearing.
 
My 5yr old likes to rear. He does it when he is worried, or frightened, or feels threatened, or is just a bit happy and feels like it! It is his thing, which to be honest I prefer to him wanting to leg it, and to the bucking that he did have a bit of a go at for a while.

He rarely does it in hand anymore, once in the last 2-3 months. I try to kee him bent around me and moving, as he then can't rear, but if I don't manage that and he goes up I just ignore him. He is getting better with time and patience. I can't remember the last time he did it under saddle, which is good as when I first got him it was a very regular thing. He did it last weekend in the middle of a Bowen treatment, something must have hurt him and he went up in response, and then went up again, and again, and again. He sort of gets lost in his own red mist, clapping or making a loud noise usually breaks him out of it. When he stops he looks a bit "what just happened?"!
 
BayLady said:
My 5yr old likes to rear. He does it when he is worried, or frightened, or feels threatened, or is just a bit happy and feels like it! It is his thing, which to be honest I prefer to him wanting to leg it, and to the bucking that he did have a bit of a go at for a while.

He rarely does it in hand anymore, once in the last 2-3 months. I try to kee him bent around me and moving, as he then can't rear, but if I don't manage that and he goes up I just ignore him. He is getting better with time and patience. I can't remember the last time he did it under saddle, which is good as when I first got him it was a very regular thing. He did it last weekend in the middle of a Bowen treatment, something must have hurt him and he went up in response, and then went up again, and again, and again. He sort of gets lost in his own red mist, clapping or making a loud noise usually breaks him out of it. When he stops he looks a bit "what just happened?"!
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Do you want another one?

I'm sure he's only being like this because of box rest but if he carries on the vet can't assess him so he can't go out. It's a vicious circle

I've had my mare 14 yrs and her thing is to bolt. I'm so used to that I'm not fazed by it. Rearing on the other hand, I hate. I can cope on the ground, now but I don't want full on rears when I ride :(
 
Kezzabell2 said:
Do you want another one?

I'm sure he's only being like this because of box rest but if he carries on the vet can't assess him so he can't go out. It's a vicious circle

I've had my mare 14 yrs and her thing is to bolt. I'm so used to that I'm not fazed by it. Rearing on the other hand, I hate. I can cope on the ground, now but I don't want full on rears when I ride :(
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You're ok thanks, one is enough!

My mare was a runner too, not a bolter in the true sense of the word as she knew full well what she was doing, she just wouldn't stop. For some reason that bothered me a lot less with her, but the thought of new boy doing it freaks me out. I think it's just that we're a new partnership and still getting to know each other.

He has got better, I've had him for 18 months now and we're just at the point where he doesn't frighten me anything like as much, and most of the time not at all. I can read him a lot better and he trusts me more. I'm sure though that if he was on box rest for any period of time he'd be very similar to how you describe your boy (in fact, the one time my mare had no turnout she was a nightmare, normally she was a complete sweetheart). I think you probably just have to work out some coping strategies to get you through to the end of it.

If you're worried that the vet can't assess him properly because of his behaviour, could you sedate him a bit to take the edge off? I have a tube of Domesadan that I keep on hand just in case he ever needs to be treated in an emergency. He's ok with most things as long as we can go slowly and softly, but if something dire happened and a vet needed to dive in quickly he wouldn't cope.
 
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