Stoping at jumps then rearing advice please

I am totally appauled that your instuctor saw fit to hit a horse between the ears, in fact the BHS take a very poor view of this type of abuse and should be reported for her behaviour.

Just because they have qualifications does not mean they have any horse sense.

Take your horse back to basics, and get a "proper" instructor to look at your riding if you are not confident, how can you expect your horse to be.

A horse jumps out of trust not fear.
 
I agree with scally, and also think you should stop any form of jumping/polework and just give him a break. my horse loves to jump but she would not be impressed if i presented her to the same jump/pole 30 times!

hitting the horse between the ears or anywhere on the head is terrible! i also don't understand how anyone can see it as a 'thing of the moment' i have never lost my temper like that with a horse, or any animal for that matter!
 
I'm going to assume that (as suggested) all possible sources of pain/discomfort have been eliminated. My horse reared a lot- he was so naughty before I got him he was very close to being put down. Rearing (or bucking or both, he was equally talented!) was his very simple method of getting out of going forward. Once he understood that he was to always go forward and accept my leg on his side at all times (and it quite often hefty pony club kicks were initially required, with a loose rein, it aint always pretty!), we could work on things like contact and jumping. Lots of praise when we were forward. But we also went hacking and had fun and jumped the occasional log, it wasn't all arguing in a sand pit! If he felt like he was about to plant and rear we walked a small circle to stop his brain from freezing over. Your horse is still quite young, you can give the (formal) jumping a rest for a bit and go on plenty of hacks. If you want to school, you can put single poles on the floor for him to work over (trot and canter) around the school so they stop being a big deal and its not like you are turning to approach a fence.
 
I once got told, that if a horse rears constantly, to stop it, you must crack an egg between its ears when its in the air. (something to do with phycological factors) and so he shouldnt do it again.

HOWEVER...

Doont fall off with an egg in your pocket.. messy.
and be prepared to clean the 'egg head' up (:

x
 
Abbyndrocky said:
I once got told, that if a horse rears constantly, to stop it, you must crack an egg between its ears when its in the air. (something to do with phycological factors) and so he shouldnt do it again.

HOWEVER...

Doont fall off with an egg in your pocket.. messy.
and be prepared to clean the 'egg head' up (:

x
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I would so love to be the rider with the balance and ability to first of all be able to ride a horse with an egg in my pocket without it breaking and secondly to be so cool and calm when on a rearing horse to be able to take my hands out of mane long enough to retrieve the still unbroken egg before calmly cracking it over horse´s head:eek:
 
Abbyndrocky said:
I once got told, that if a horse rears constantly, to stop it, you must crack an egg between its ears when its in the air. (something to do with phycological factors) and so he shouldnt do it again.

HOWEVER...

Doont fall off with an egg in your pocket.. messy.
and be prepared to clean the 'egg head' up (:

x
Click to expand...


I hope you dont believe everything youre told :)
 
Absolutely- waste of a good egg, also total waste of time! You might as well bop him between the ears with the actual chicken (hmmm ,actually...............no, joking!) Was also told once that clicker training would cure rearing. Have no idea how I would co-ordinate prising my fingers off the reins/mane for the all important timing of the clicker, followed by a handful of nuts magically produced from God knows where.
 
sherbet said:
My boy who is 6 this year has always been a bit of a pixie where jumps
are concerened.
He comes in to them then grinds to a halt. I thought we had sorted it last week and we seemed to be on fire. Had my weekly lesson and managed a small course.

Yesterday I was in the school at the same time as my instrctor and so thought I would pop a very small cross. He stopped then bunny hopped round . I did not turn him away I turned him to the jump he could do it from a standstill and gave him a smack at which point he went and reared. Not huge but big enough. At this point I got off and instrctor got on. He did it again and she smacked him between the ears! He then jumped fine.

Anyone have any advice as not something I want in my boy
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Okay well Are all the jumps the same type/in the same place?
I think you need to work with him on the ground and maby lunge or freeschool him over some jumps to build his confidence.If he rears again when you are on him put him on a 20 circle near the jump in trot and keep him bending to the inside and keep his attention on you not on the jump.when you feel he has calmed down walk give him a pat and change the rein on the circle trot on the circle and when you haave good attention slowley turn him round for canter a forward going energetic canter when he has established his places turn him to the jump keep your leg on his sides if you feel him slowing down use your leg and whip aids if he dosnt jump him give him a whip and repete the exersize.if he jumps it come round again when he jumps it go forward to walk and give him a long rein and a pat. That should help you to take charge.
 
martlin said:
Apart from being inappropriate, smacking a horse between ears can be VERY dangerous - he might come down or you might get a 'rebound' and end up backwards on the floor. Rearing horse should be brought down, you could try turning for example, but the safest option is to not upset its balance - so lean forward and grab the neck. If you are fairly experienced and balanced on top, you can try smacking under belly as that will make the horse want to protect its 'undercarriage' and come down.
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Totally agree with this. I would absolutely get a new instructor, someone smacked my horse like this once and accidentally smacked him in the eye. It basically ruined my horses eye to the point a few months after he failed a vetting, lost me a sale because he might go blind in the future!! I was absolutely horrified and very angry. Luckily the horse who I did sell eventually has not gone blind 6 years on. Even so, its extremely dangerous to do this and totally unecessary especially with a 5yo! I'd be very worried a 5yo has already learnt to refuse jumping let alone rear... I'd get everything checked immediately.

The egg thing I was told was to make the horse think he'd cut his head open banging on something above him (the egg being blood) so he'd be too scared to go up again.
 
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