Stopping a pony rearing

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SonnysHumanSlave

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So snowflake the 12.2hh in my signature has a thing about rearing.

Now up till now I've ignored it as I'm pregnant, but now the time has come where I will soon not be pregnant and need to sort this out.

Now he doesn't do it cause he's scared, he does it to be a pain. Its more his way of saying:

I don't want sun cream on,
I don't want to go near mounting block,
I don't want feet picked out.
Etc etc.

Now he is usially fine to handle just on occasion he will rear, its not in your face or at you, he usually reverses before he does it.

So question is how can I get him to stop?
 
CHIFNEY - I know they're controversial but my lad sometimes is pain rearing when being lead - fine the rest of the time. Also mardy about sun cream. I use it sparingly but when it is on any silliness stops straight away.
 
A chifney is one way to make him rear as well as mess his mouth up. Horrid things. Tbh it should have been niped in the bud as soon as he started doing it else it could just become a habbit. I would just get behind him with firm but fair handling. Sounds like he's taking the p*ss.
I deal with problem horses and have never had to use a chifney on a rearer it's been sorted with pure handling. When I worked in racing we had to lead every horse in a chifney and iv never seen so many messed up mouths by chifneys and the people useing them I should add. Many a horse iv seen has been going to get away from that thing in their mouths.
 
I dont think using a chifney is going to really resolve the issue anyways as i have a feeling that eventually he'll see me coming with the chifney and just rear when i go to put that on.

I've never really used them before either so dont really want to.

I know he really is doing it to be a pig, as the farrier gave him a few wallops when he messed about for him when he was trying to trim him, then he just stood there.

would maybe a chain over the nose work??? I used to use one on my 18hh where he decided to bugger off when i led him anywhere, would it have the same effect?
 
If he backs up before he rears can you make it your intention to keep backing him up? Just keep going backwards? Or you could push his head/chest to the side; he'd have to not rear to keep his balance?

If it starts getting that bad I wouldn't be adverse to giving a smack on the stomach when he goes up but can see that not everyone would want to.
 
Don't want to use a chifney, but do want to use a chain across the sensitive bone of his nose? Where's the eyes rolling smiley!!
Chifneys and chains have their place in the tack room, but not to be used by those who cannot already control the horses. They can put the onus back on you if you have a strong horse, but sorry, your pony has been doing this with you for a while so it's a handling thing you need to get to the root of. Horses (and ponies!) should have manners when you are dealing with them....
Re explain what you expect of him, and reward correct behaviour.
 
he sounds like my old mare. she would rear at anything she decided she didnt want - suncream, teeth, leading away from field, u name it, she did it. i had help from an intelligent horsemanship instructor and we used a dually halter on her. she learnt to respect it within the first session and then i could eventually do anything with her after lots of groundwork. worth a try.....
 
MistralS_shining said:
he usually reverses before he does it.
Click to expand...

And I bet you try to hold onto him as he reverses.

You've told us nothing about how you try to stop him from doing this. Horses don't rear for no reason. However, if they feel held and unable to flee in the face of fear, they may well rear. What else can they do?

Please don't use a chifney on him. That will only force him to accept what you're trying to do to him. Far better to work with him and desensitise him...that way he can be persuaded to accept things, and he will be much more reliable and safe.

The key is not to stop him rearing, but to make it easy for him to choose not to. If he does start to reverse, half halt him with the rope and, when he stops, release the pull on the rope. By not holding him tight you give him nothing to resist, so he won't be made to rear.
 
try getting some blinkers like the ones you see in racing, then tape them over just at the top so he can't see up, a horse won't go in a direction they can't see.
 
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