Rearing

[Tinkle]

Hello all.

Basically a how would you deal with it?

The context - had my new chap for about 3months (although he's had the last month off due to a strain). He's a 5yr old, originally bred for polocrosse. Before I got him he hadn't done much hacking, however, when I tried him I took him out on his own with no problems. When I first got him I hacked him in company a couple of times and then tried on my own. He reared three times and I ended up getting off and leading him - eventually made it round our hack (he did this on the way out and on the lane just outside the gate to the stables). He then napped when I took him out in company so used a standing martingale and he seemed to give up. I started walking him out in hand (on his own) and then hacked again in company and he was a star. He then had his injury. Since last weekend and coming back into work, he has hacked out in company last tues, weds, thurs, and again today. He reared straight up again this morning despite being good all last week (although he's not terribly bold in front). The reason? He trotted in front of the other horse, so I kicked on (good for him to learn to lead), he then spotted 'SLOW' on the road painted white on top of a red square. He doesn't stop, have a paddy and then go up after a bit of an argument (like my old mare) he just goes straight up from trot.

Any ideas? Guess I'm just after confirmation that I'm doing ok with him. My idea is to try to turn his head and neck before he gets chance to go up, kick on and give him a smack to remind him to go forward (even if I do then get a buck!). Also think working on getting him in front of the leg in the school is going to help and also getting him to take a proper contact (he's been trained for polocrosse so has previously been ridden on a loose rein). I don't think it's the contact which is making him rear as he doesn't resent the contact in general and I'm very light with him.

On the flip side, he was very brave and jumped his first ditch today on the hack. He dithered for a little while but jumped it nicely - no silly cat leaps. And as we rode past the quarry, they were letting charges off and he wasn't bothered at all. So in some ways he's very chilled out, just a bit of a pig at times.

Sorry very long.

x

 

[Jazzelle29]

Hmm, the three month "honeymoon" period is over, and all of a sudden little cracks are beginning to show!

I presume you have had all the usual teeth/saddle/feet etc checked to rule out pain and discomfort?

We often get horses sent to us for behavioural issues and find that napping is very much about trust and leadership.

Your horse is a prey animal and is quite happy when being hacked in company as he has other horses with him in a "herd" situation- and if the worst happened (mountain lion attack/sabretoothed butterfly jumped out of the bushes) he percieves that the herd will protect him- or perhaps a slower horse will get eaten first!

When its just him and you, all of a sudden he has no herd mates. He just has a meat eating predator to rely on (you)! and he isn't sure that you can keep him safe- he hardly knows you yet.

As you get further and further away from home, his anxiety increases, until he can go no further. All that forward energy that you want to create suddenly gets channelled upwards....he starts rearing. He has hit a "threshold."

At this point our most predatory behaviour starts to be revealed- we get annoyed, start to kick/flap/growl/pull the reins etc etc. To his mind he is now all alone, and the one being he might have relied on has become the predator that he was so concerned about meeting!

His confidence seeps away and this negativity is reinforced when we apply pressure again and again- eg making him lead the other horses, deal with scary road signs etc etc.

Bear in mind horses are very black and white. They look at situations and think "will I live or will I die?" They cannot rationalize and think "Oh- its ONLY a road sign". Their eyesght is also different from ours, and it may take them longer than us to realise an object is non- threatening.

Items of tack like martingales can be helpful- but they merely treat the symptoms of the problem- not the problem itself. They can also add to his claustraphobic feelings and stop him from going forward even more.

Leading him out in-hand is a fab idea to build confidence, as is "ground work" done in a safe place like the arena. Bring in a number of things like tarps, wheelie bins etc and let him "approach and retreat" these things in his own time- he will gain confidence over a day or two.

Ensure that he does understand what your leg means. A horse's natural instinct is to push INTO pressure, not yield to it, so you could use your hands on his sides to ask him to move over- then reward by releasing the pressure when he responds. Use shoulder-in/leg yielding to get him responding softly to your aids, rather than reacting.

Also- follow your gut instinct. You are far safer getting off and leading/stopping to have a breather than trying to push through his boundaries from the saddle. Keep a halter and long leadrope on under the bridle, and use a neckstrap too.

There are lots of books and DVD's out there about horse behaviour that you might enjoy-PM me if you want a reading/viewing list.

Finally, enoy spending "undemanding time" with him. Build your relationship so he sees you as a worthy leader- someone who is calm in a crisis, and firm yet fair.

He's not being a pig- he's just being a horse! Good luck.

 

[Tinkle]

Thanks for your reply. I know he's not a pig really, he's a little cutie. When I turned him out in the field after riding he set off galloping about, by the gate the field dips down and back up again and there's some mud in the bottom, as he bombed back up to the gate he leapt straight over all the mud - was like he'd learnt how to jump a ditch and wanted to do it at every opportunity. Off point...but cute.

I guess I find it frustrating as he's so good and calm sometimes. And had walked over a couple of SLOW road markings, been past a football match and past some kids on bikes whizzing about with no bother, and then at more or less nothing he flew straight up in the air (it may not have been the road marking but we were level with it). I hadn't been pushing, pulling, kicking etc previous to the rear...just trotting along.

Still my older mare used to nap quite badly (only on her own) when I first got her and she now hacks all over on her own. And she was 12 when I got her, so at 5 he should be able to improve.

x

 

[Jazzelle29]

Thats better- a more positive attitude!

Just remember just because they did it one day, doesn't mean they will do it the next- they percieve changes that we can't notice, and have to read every situation they are in for danger.

I enjoyed writing that reply, cos it made me think about one of my own horses. We got him last year cos he would rear over backwards, bronc and nap severely.

A year on and he hacks out alone, and just did his second BE event. Its taken time, patience and me learning alot of new techniques to help him, but he has come good at last.

Keep in touch and let me know how you get on.

 

[flyingfeet]

Youngsters do this, and every one will try it on at some point.

You have a polocrosse bred horse, so it should rear easily, as they are supposed to do this to make the turns.

The fact you got off, would imply you are worried, could you be transmitting your nerves every time you get in a difficult siuation?

I'm afraid you are going to have to sit there and be calm and not flap. If you want to cure the rearing, then easiest method is a quick slap on the head with your hand, making as much noise as possible, timed to perfection, so as they lift front feet off the ground it feels like they have impacted something (your hand is soft enough not to cause any damage, and leather gloves helps make more noise).

However if you are training this horse for polocrosse or polo, you wouldn't actually want to put it off rearing.

 

[anj789]

this sounds familiar. It sounds like you're doing the right things but always remember it's a baby you're dealing with; they might be physically big but there's alot for them to cope with. I started from scratch again with my 5yo a few months back. I'd bought her after she'd done a bit but she obviously had no confidence and reared & dumped me when she got stressed going out on her own. So after a little holiday we started with long reining, got back on and went for short walks on her own and now a couple of months on we're hacking out alone or in company & she doesn't get stressed even when other horses pass her. Yes she still spooks as you'd expect at that age but she's learned now to go forwards not stand up, turn tail and run when it gets too much (fingers crossed). I'd take it slowly; good luck!

 

[sachak]

my boy protests like that too and more so out hacking and its always at a point where he is starting to get insecure. he is 17hh so i wouldnt dream of getting off (i know for a fact he WOULD follow me no questions asked) as the issue is always when i (or anyone else) is onboard.

Be firm but not agresive with your voice. if i tried to spin him round he just gets more uptight i wait until all fours are firmly on the ground and then i ask again with my legs i do not (and have not) carry a whip and i dont wear spurs.

i hacked him out the other day and although we had a couple of minor episodes where he thought that clearly he had been brave enough and it was time to go home but ultimately this happened 3 times and we had a fantastic hack after that (although i did have a v sore throat!!!)

 

[Tinkle]

Thanks again for all the replies.

When it happened yesterday I didn't get off. He thought about rearing again a few metres down the road but it was certainly more half-hearted - more of a hop. And after a minor spook at the last couple of 'SLOW's (there are several as it's by a school and people drive like loons down that road) he was his usual happy-go-lucky self for the rest of the ride. I got off a few weeks ago when he reared as I was on my own and didn't think it was very safe having him rearing on a main road (can't avoid the road unfortunately).

I think he's a strange one to bring on because he hasn't really done much of anything but has done enough of some things for him to try it on perhaps (never one to say no to a challenge he he). I have a feeling it'll all come together eventually as he's a sweet horse. He needs more work in the school to get him more between the aids and in front of the leg. He needs more hacks in company to get him thinking forward and enjoying the hacks (which I think he does when he gets going). And he needs more work in hand to get the relationship between the two of us. Bought a book by Roger and Joanna Day which is full of my kind of methods and ideas.

Thanks again to everyone - was just feeling a bit deflated and frustrated after yesterday. See how he goes tonight.

x