Rearing ?

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kimky

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one of my monster has now decieded to rear up all the time if a horse leaves her? I am at a lil bit of a loss? Obvs when she does it i dont let her get away with it and she get a bollocking...an i dont allow her to go to her friend. she has had teeth, tack, back, ect... checked... but i can tell it is just pure excitement. Shes only a baby so i can kinda expect this...but how do i stop or prevent this ?
 
Rearing is usually just another form of napping, if all the health checks have been done.
Sounds like she's insecure and needs her confidence building on her own. Giveing her a 'bollocking' for still being with you will only re-enforce her original issue. Lots of longlining out and about on her own will help her to feel more confident and help her to take direction from you
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I got the same probablem with opne of my spoiled section D mares. She didnt like being told what to do or being away from company. I think its a good thing you are not letting her have her own way, but rewarding is very important and by not letting her go back other horses you should be showing her that its not al that bad at all! Where are you when she has to go away from company? If your at a show for example, when away and she feels like she is just going to pop a rear, pop her into a circle and work her, it will get her mind off company and she will be distracted by your aids and work. It really does help! So generally, when she goes to rear..work her!! gET HER Wworking on circles and transitions. Always try and get her thinking on you, listening to you and this should settle her and get her focused on something else:)
hope i could help xxx
 
i herd through the grape vine that if u get a plastic cup of water a tip in on their poll when they rear they dont do it again. have never tried this or seen it done and rekon that it would be hard to a) time when the horse was going to rear if they give no warning b) always have a cup of water ready c) hold onto the cup of water while they rear!
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the one time my horse has ever reared up with me on him i could tell he was going to do it so turned my schooling whip around an tapped him gently between the ears with it. he never did it again (hes old enought to know better tho, and was being naughty) something about them thinking they've hit their heads
 
I've got a rearer, he does it as a form of evasion or when he's worried and doesn't think about what he's doing.

I personally haven't tried anything on the poll (I can't manage that when we're vertically in the air anyway!) but after time, calmness and confidence building we're slowly improving and he does it less and less nowadays. I know when he's thinking about it so try to take his mind off it and don't give him the chance.

Obviously everyone's different though!
 
yes your right, but its a water balloon with me haha!:):)thats what iv always knnown, never tried it tho, im probably all fingers and thumbs anyway hehe, working them is my method, and anyway, i wouldnt be able to hold a cup or ballon when riding so it would just be a good tap with my whip. Although iv always wanted to give them a boot with my foot on the head. when they do rear like that...(naughty naughty) haha in all truth.
 
Nip it in the bud quick, as said be firm and deal with it but make sure she realises staying with you is not such a bad option, if its a ridden issue get help before it becomes established, if your leading her try a chifney, rearing seems to be a control thing to me, she needs to know your incharge
 
she perfect to lead ect.. but riding alone is slow atm but getting places...out in company she has no patience, e.g. friend goes over jump.. My ned goes ape s*it and goes up vertical. i do give her a bollocking bcos she is been a bit naughty and i dont want her to think she is getting away with it. I might try the tap inbetween the ears thing. Keep you all up dated. thanks
xx
 
if thts the main time she does it y put her in tht situation at this stage in her training, trot a 20m circle while your friend goes ahead and jumps, or you go first. they all(most) get upset if their buddy dissapears off without them! work on getting her thinking independantly and do a bit more alone, get a friend on foot to help you
 
yeah i think thats best! if that doesnt work and she continues to rear, then try pushing her out with your inside leg and in with your inside hand! it will force her in such a pasition that she can not possible rear, and say NO!! that should send the message and then push her firmely on and get her listening to you and your aids:):)
 
all the talk of things over the poll..... the reasons horses react to this is because its one of the points they can not see,

it used to be used a lot in the old days, not so much now, and on a horse you know is going to rear it is possible to carry a egg and use it! the other thing i find is that say you know your horse will nap on a hack... get a friend to follow you armed with a water pistol, when it naps or goes to rear a shot it up the bum, this will send them forward. but be ready and let them go a few paces before pulling up (idea being to get them going forward you dont want to haul on the mouth and say stop)

id personally say DONT use a whip, as the horse will see this moving and could associate this with being ridden.
 
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Nip it in the bud quick, as said be firm and deal with it but make sure she realises staying with you is not such a bad option, if its a ridden issue get help before it becomes established, if your leading her try a chifney, rearing seems to be a control thing to me, she needs to know your incharge

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Please do not use a chifney if you have no experience of them. They can do a lot of damage if not used properly.
 
Rearing is often a way for them to evade pressure. Hitting them over the head whilst they rear is not only an archaic method, but could result in you getting yourself killed, unless you know exactly how the horse will react. What if it goes over backwards, or bolts...would you be prepared for that??
Get her turning in a tight circle on one rein only until she settles down. Horses can't rear unless their hind legs are square. Every time you feel a rear coming, get her circling. Every time she offers bad behaviour, get her working hard on a circle. Hopefully the penny will drop after a few sessions and she will realise that unwanted behaviour gets her working on a circle...
To be safe, do this from the ground first with a lunge line.
 
From my experience of riding a rearer for what its worth keep her going forwards whether in a 20m circle or even a straight line..If they are going forwards they (as a rule) cant go up

you could ask her for some slight lateral work to try and get her mind back on the job at hand I find shoulder in particularly good for this..Good luck and remamber your safety is paramount
 
We've dealt with several horses who reared, and you really do have to know what you're doing!
Do NOT break an egg/smash a balloon/tip a cup of water over their head, those methods went out with the ark...
Ensure your basic schooling is correct with the horse going forward from your leg and teach them some lateral work such as leg yeild.
When they feel as if they are going to rear, immediately give them something to do, preferably something that makes them think laterally.
They will find it difficult to rear unless both legs are next to each other and most times you avoid the problem.
If the rearing has started, turn them in a tight circle and do your utmost to move them all the time, as again, they find it hard unless stood still.
A neck strap is good on this type of horse because pulling on the reins will turn them over backwards on top of you.
Having said all that, some big powerful horses can manage to rear despite the best efforts of the rider, so having an assistant with a lunge whip behind on the ground is the failsafe method. a few sharp smacks up the bottom sends most horses forwards.
Rearers really need two people to fix, and this is one of those times when a noisy stick such as a piece of blue alkathene is more effective than a schooling whip!
 
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one of my monster has now decieded to rear up all the time if a horse leaves her? I am at a lil bit of a loss? Obvs when she does it i dont let her get away with it and she get a bollocking...an i dont allow her to go to her friend. she has had teeth, tack, back, ect... checked... but i can tell it is just pure excitement. Shes only a baby so i can kinda expect this...but how do i stop or prevent this ?

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Hi - I have a rearer, I know people deal with things differently but I would not hit her on the head with something at all. IMO rearing is a form of evasion - in your situation it sounds as if it is excitement but she is still not listening to what you say. Are you able to anticipate her rears? I can normally feel when my girl is about to go up and if I spin her in a circle she cannot do it. (so, as someone said inside leg outside hand). I do this and then send her on - gve her something else to think about.

Rearers can be difficult to correct (and also unsettling for the rider - I hate it!) but y ou do need to try and get her out of it - have you asked your instructor to help? Good luck.
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Whips, water pistels, eggs ....what ever next?
Surely there are other ways.
Have you tried walking your horse out in hand for 10 minutes then getting on to carry out the rest of your ride.

Getting someone to walk with you, perhaps bobbing a chiffney in so if she goes up you have someone to put some pressure on while you make her go forwards, whilst somebody from behind gives a sharp crack on the bum with a whip.

Perhaps getting your partner/friend to go out with you on a bike until your horse starts to realise that she can cope mentally on her own.

Taking her out in the box/trailer to lots of places shows/fun rides to get her out and about and build her confidence without the security of her field companions etc

Its better to work with your horse rather than against it, I don't know about other people but I've been on rearers and you certainly don't have time to mess about chucking water and eggs about, not unless they been tought to rear by the spanish riding school! plus your putting yourself in more danger.

In the meantime if she wins the battle then work her in the school then walk her out afterwards in hand while she's tired and relaxed, do things in gradually the more you make an issue the more your horse will.
 
This is a good post as I am too having some issues with this, thanks for all the great advice, my horse has started doing this when hacking out alone as he has lost his pair bond and his confidence, if I even contemplated wacking him over the head with anything I am pretty certain I would either die or at the very least my horse would win the battle, these methods are seriously dangerous and not to be attempted especially by anyone other than an expert, although if they were an expert they would find a better way!

The lateral work/leg yield and circling is a great tip - have you any for when your horse gets wedged on the spot and when you ask for any movement in any direction from the slightest leg/seat aid you get an up in the air flair up?
 
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This is a good post as I am too having some issues with this, thanks for all the great advice, my horse has started doing this when hacking out alone as he has lost his pair bond and his confidence, if I even contemplated wacking him over the head with anything I am pretty certain I would either die or at the very least my horse would win the battle, these methods are seriously dangerous and not to be attempted especially by anyone other than an expert, although if they were an expert they would find a better way!

The lateral work/leg yield and circling is a great tip - have you any for when your horse gets wedged on the spot and when you ask for any movement in any direction from the slightest leg/seat aid you get an up in the air flair up?

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I assume you have had the saddle fit and the back checked??
What happens when you long rein? If you don't long-rein that is a great way to teach a horse safely to go forward with voice commands and without too much physical interference from you. It teaches the horse to be confident out on its own, too. If your horse has never long-reined before, start with someone walking at the head.
As for the horse "planting" itself and then rearing...(my first guess would be saddle fit and it being in pain) but to get it moving at all...one rein! Just use one rein and one heel...pull the head to either direction with one rein and give a que with the opposite heel...That should 1. get it off balance so it has to move its legs, 2. stop it from rearing. Once it moves its legs, stay with the momentum and keep changing direction, go left, then right, etc.
The 3 stage thing works once you have the rearing under control.
Important...don't hang on to the reins when a horse is looking for somewhere to go...give it some rein to move forwards.
So if your horse has planted itself, (and isn't going to rear) 1. smooch, or click or whatever it is you do (voice) and get energy into your seat, Stage 2 (if no reaction from stage 1) ( this works well if you ride with rope reins, and I recommend using a bit of rope rather than a stick!) take the rope and swing it over your right shoulder and then over your left shoulder a few times (it will hit your jacket and make a noise) Stage 3 (if stage 2 hasn't had the desired effect) swing the rope to land on the quarters of the horse, left and right. That will usually get them moving off pretty smartly. Next time the horse stops, it might already move off from stage 2,...if not it will soon. If successfully carried out, the horse should soon move off just with smooching.
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