Rearing....

A

Apalacia

Member
Joined
23 April 2007
Messages
23
Visit site
Hi,

I am not sure if this is in the right area, but I will try anyway.

My 8year old 14.2hh pony has recently been put on loan. The girl (aged 13) had previously been sharing her for around 2 months, and everything was going well, until this week, when she has apparently reared twice, and tried a third time.

She has recently (January) come back from around a year off after Bilateral hock arthrodesis, and I would prefer that she would not rear on either rear leg (both were operated on).

Anyway, before she was diagnosed with osteo-arthritis, she had reared a few times, mainly when I was over asking her to go on the bit (eg just getting irritated and bullying her, all hands and legs and pushing her into a corner)...at these points, I would get a couple of bunny hop warnings and then a little rear, from which I would realise I was being bad, and just kick her on and relax my hands. Also, she would bunny hop a little before a canter, but afterwards, as long as I gave her a good rein and let her relax she would be fine and trundle along.

In the last week, she has reared once after a canter on a hack (a big, long, front leg kicking rear which really spooked my young sharer) and once when being taken into the sandschool, when she was made to wait for the gate to be closed. She had also tried another time when the gate was being closed, but the sharer kicked her on. THis is not behaviour that I have encountered before. Her teeth are fine, so I am going to try her tomorrow and see if I can incite the conditions for a rear, but once she does rear, what should I do to stop it?

THe other alternative is to do the intelligent thing and call the vet out, maybe teeth/back/legs/brain tumour! I don't really know, but this is not behaviour that I would expect under these conditions. I know the pony and don't know what to do!!!!

Ah yes, and I don't think that my loanee has been thumping her in the mouth - she is a slight girl who I have seen ride before, very light contact and rides her beautifully. The pony is ridden in a loose ring, but has recently been ridden in a hanging cheek (originally I thought that might be the cause, but then found out for the first two times she was in the loose ring)

I will be going up tomorrow (sunday) afternoon, so any help before that would be greatly appreciated.

THanks all, and sorry for the long post.

Amanda
 
Please don't try and incite your pony to rear as this is extremely dangerous and not something you want to encourage (even if the reason is to find out how to deal with it.)

You she say doesn't normally rear and so it sounds like she is trying to tell you something! Particularly is she has had hock problems in the past and rearing is commonly related to a pain issue whether it is teeth, back, etc, etc.

Give your pony the benefit of the doubt and get her thoroughly checked over before this behaviour becomes consistent and your sharer or yourself get hurt.
GL
 
Previously rearing has been the response of your pony to pain, as a first point of investigation I would conclude it is most likely that the pony is feeling pain again and eliminate that before any further ridden work
 
Wow, she sounds similar to my horse, she went through a phase of rearing, around when she turned eight, the two worst ones she's ever done with me, are one when she spooked and one where she just did it for no apparent reason, But mine sometimes did smaller ones when you try and get her working in an outline.

I've worked out that she probably does it when she is under pressure, she gets a smack if she rears and she doesn't do it anymore. She hasn't done it since she went over (no rider on board thank god!).

If she does rear and it is high, try and sit very still, lean forward and put your arms around her neck, ask her to walk on with your voice and a leg aid. If she is only doing them fairly small with no possibility that she will go over, give her a smack with a whip, give her a strong leg aid and ask her to walk on, praise her when she is walking forwards nicely.

Hope that helps a bit
smile.gif


Does incite mean try and make her do it? If so PLEASE DO NOT!!!! Rearing is extremely dangerous for the horse and rider.

ETS But as others have said I would advise you to get everything checked.
 
My mare used to rear and it turned out her saddle was pinching, but once we had that sorted she was fine!
 
Thanks for all the responses. As I said, I am going to sit on her tomorrow, just to see how she feels and probably go for a walk around the fields, something that would not normally mean rearing! May stop at a gate.......

Even if everything is fine tomorrow with me, I will ring the vet on Monday, as expect that it is to do with pain, having spoken to the sharer and the woman who keeps an eye on her for me.

Do hope its not another problem with her hocks as no more insurance money left :-( Her teeth were recently checked, so most likely it is her back - she has a Wintec GP with the changeable gullet, in MW. I understand how too narrow a saddle could pinch, but I doubt that this is the case as I have been trying to keep her quite lean due to legs, so what problems could a too wide saddle cause?

What do we think the probability of it being something neurological could be? It is not a reaction to the same situation, and has happened when either just going into the school, or after a canter, both totally different scenarios.

Thanks again,

Amanda
 
mmm. Yeah, I don't think it would be the saddle - she doesn't flinch when a hand is run down spine etc etc. Oh well, I haven't actually seen her yet, so will update tomorrow afternoon. I know that saddle will not be too narrow anyway! She is not that wide.
 
In response to Bean, from what I have heard, these are not little rears. She is going up Black Beauty style and staying up. With me she only really threatened, and to tell you the truth, having had problems with her back legs, she was always quite weak. Maybe now that has been fixed, she feels stronger to do it?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top