Taught Mr G to rear on command in-hand :)

[traceyann]

Can you teach my horse not to rear and box at me on a daily basis. What id give for my horse not to rear. I dont agree with teaching an allrounder tricks. Like others have said one day you may have to sell him/her.

 

[tallyho!]

Morning!!!

Still going I see... I think she gets the message people.

 

[maggiehorse]

wow i havent been on the forum for 24 hours and theres 13 pages to read ...ta muchly very interesting!!

 

[AmyMay]

Goodness. What a fuss.

Nice horse OP.

 

[JFTDWS]

I think, what probably gets most people, is the fact that although you have taught the rearing in (what I think) is the correct manner to do so, that the horse has still be taught to do it, and perhaps this makes it more likely for a horse to do it unprovoked, than if it hasn't been taught?

Complicated. I think it's highly relevant that rearing is not really something we teach horses - it's a natural behaviour that we hijack. Same as teaching a horse to canter under saddle. Does training and encouraging a horse to canter increase the risk of it bombing off? Possibly, but only in a minority of cases, usually where some other part of training is done incorrectly.

My highland wouldn't do it "unprovoked", but may rear during a groundwork session if he doesn't understand a command and thinks I may want him to go up. He does small mini-rears and if I encourage him, will increase the size using whatever cue I've encouraged. If I ignore him, he stops doing it and offers something else until he gets it right. If I'm doing something "different", e.g. trotting up for the vet, mving him around for x-rays, he doesn't react the same way because he's learnt to do it in situ off cue.

I also think that if a horse has been encouraged to rear without a rider in a school with a soft surface to the point where it falls over backwards, it is highly plausible that the shock will actually discourage that horse from rearing violently in other situations - e.g. on concrete or with a rider, where there is greater risk of injury. I've never put that to the test, but I can see a potential use in pathological rearers.

Coupling that with the fact that most people who have rearers, do not desire this fact, thus go about solving it by negative association. They see, you, as an example, as someone who is positively reinforcing what they view to be negative behaviour.

Ahh, but if my horses did it as an evasion tactic or against my commands, I would respond with negative reinforcement (or neutral) too.

As you said before, different environments have been distinguished, my horses know when it's field/play time, and hen it's work time. The problem would arise if you failed to separate between the two.

Exactly. Mine are very capable of differentiating which behaviours are appropriate at different times. I could also show you a clip from the first film on that video where I am giving the pony the same outward signals (saying "up", with my hands raised, in the same field, same session, but because he can see from my whole body language (which is more relaxed, though you can't see that on camera) that I'm not really asking him, he stands there looking at me. I believe I filmed it to make a similar point.

I must go to bed now! I'm hoping to study equine behaviour one day (when I have time and/or funds lol), and this would be a really interesting topic for a paper!

Now that is a bad learn behaviour that neither of us should have taught ourselves - late night foruming doesn't do anyone any good

 

[BigRed]

You are teaching your horse a trick that you think is fun - that's your business. The problem is, one day you may have to sell this horse and his new owners may not think it is fun, in fact they may mistake it as bad behaviour and that could cause your horse a lot of problems, so all in all, I think it's a foolish thing to teach your horse.

 

[Twinkle Twinkle]

You are teaching your horse a trick that you think is fun - that's your business. The problem is, one day you may have to sell this horse and his new owners may not think it is fun, in fact they may mistake it as bad behaviour and that could cause your horse a lot of problems, so all in all, I think it's a foolish thing to teach your horse.

/\/\/\/\
THIS

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

Right children, I think its enough now, I have just caught up on 4 pages from last night, and my how repetitive!!!!!

Boring!!

 

[Puppy]

I don't think it's just if you sell a horse. As an owner you have a responsibility to try and make your horse as safe to handle as possible for other people.

I see to my horses myself (well along with my mother) and wouldn't ever sell them, but stuff happens. For example, my dear mare has had to be handled by vet staff A LOT! Also, by friends in an emergency when I was injured an in fact she then had to go off on full livery when I was hospitalised/bed bound for months. Why? Well because of a freak accident where I was double barreled in the face. I still live in constant pain and have a string of health problems - my life will never be the same - so to watch that video where the horse is essentially being trained to kick out at people is very painful viewing

 

[Hovis_and_SidsMum]

the thing is with teaching tricks you never know what it will lead too: I taught Hovis to use a laptop and next thing you know hes addicted to internet shopping..........

Personally I'd rather teach something other than rearing for all the reasons already mentioned but what you chose to do with your horse is your business.
However I would have thought having not been a newcomer to this forum you'd have known what the reaction would be and so then to get huffy about it is rather daft.

 

[SusannaF]

Folks, a levade is NOT a rear. It's a highly controlled, balanced movement. No comparison.

 

[misterjinglejay]

I taught Mister Jay to fetch, and that's much more useful - fetch the paper, Mister Jay; fetch the feed bucket, Mister Jay; fetch me a sandwich, Mister Jay.

 

[Jesstickle]

Folks, a levade is NOT a rear. It's a highly controlled, balanced movement. No comparison.

I was actually picturing a courbette more than a levade. Hence me saying the rear is only part of the movement.

And of course it is highly controlled but I bet the first time it's taught it isn't

 

[Ladyinred]

I taught Mister Jay to fetch, and that's much more useful - fetch the paper, Mister Jay; fetch the feed bucket, Mister Jay; fetch me a sandwich, Mister Jay.

Could you come and teach my OH? Please

 

[noodle_]

awwww cant see the video!!!

im always to late to join in with the fun


from what i gather...your teaching your horse to rear but praising it for almost kicking your head in?? genius! well done....





bad idea....very bad idea. one trick id never teach my horse is to rear....

 

[fatpiggy]

I think the OP is now in a hole and needs to stop digging. Puts a controversial post up for public discussion then berates anyone who doesn't share her opinion. I've had plenty of experience of horses that were taught "tricks" (usually by teenagers) and they were a right nuisance as they tended to pop up when it was least convenient. Stick to teaching horses useful things like backing up on command, moving across when asked to and generally being polite, and leave anything else to the circus brigade.

 

[LaurenBay]

Please don't teach your Horse that, you/other handlers could get hurt!

My YO is a very close friend of mine. She almost died after being kicked in the face by one of her Horses. She got away with a broken jaw, broken teeth, teeth gone through lip so stichtes needed, broken cheeckbone, nerve damadge, broken nose.

I would not want to see anyone go through that again!

 

[little_critter]

Just a word of warning about teaching them kissing too, I nearly lost my top lip and cheek with this one, something I had done a million times before and thought nothing of. Trust me, when a horse bites and means it then it REALLY hurts and is incredibly powerful, can do a lot of damage! I will never put my face near a horse's mouth again and constantly watch the children when around them.

Too right - just put a whole swede infront of S to get a demo of how powerful her jaws are.
No edges or angles to get a hold on but she will demolish it in minutes. The first bit is the scariest - like crushing a childs skull!

 

[noodle_]

lauren- i agree there!

my horse has bitten me twice now (full on grab and chomp...) only because i screamed she let go, but my god it hurts.

i dont do kisses etc , did try but my horse luckily ! hates it probably as well!>...

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

awwww cant see the video!!!

im always to late to join in with the fun


from what i gather...your teaching your horse to rear but praising it for almost kicking your head in?? genius! well done....





bad idea....very bad idea. one trick id never teach my horse is to rear....

Someone should teach you to not comment when you haven't seen what you are commenting on????????????????????? very bad idea, very bad idea..... the horse reared without being scared but by a prompt, she bent down ( a long way from the horse to pick up treat) and horse lifted its bum and half heartedly lifted a hoof..... op knows it was wrong to treat at that point........ I think everyone should stop bullying her now, from what I gather she isn't very old!!

 

[Tinker_Belle]

I tried to resist commenting on this but couldn't....

I personally do not think it a good idea to teach a horse to rear in the same way I don't think it wise when people teach little foals to place their hooves on the owners shoulders. The owners seem to forget that the cute little foal will one day be a strapping 14hh plus of muscle and power.

I had a Mini Shetland that reared out of sheer bad temper and because he'd been spoiled as a colt. He hadn't been treated firmly and hadn't been taught manners, he was a little sod for the first six months I had him. He'd rear as an evasion tactic when he didn't want to come in from the field and would box and 'dance' when I was trying to bring him in. Even though he was only 9hh I did not think this funny and certainly never encouraged it. I did break him of the habit by carrying a schooling whip with me when I led him as each time he went up, he'd get a tickle/sting on the tummy from the schooling whip. He was strong and used to throw temper tantrums because he didn't want to do as he was told, he wanted to be the boss and this included nipping/biting and generally being a brat. It did worry me once or twice when he did it as he was so determined and to be honest, having sat to a rear on a spooked horse I would never buy a horse that was known to rear because even from the ground, hooves flying around your head aren't funny.

If you teach it in a controlled way as one other poster has done then that is different but from what has been said about yours kicking out at you, I would personally take a step back and re-evaluate what you're trying to achieve here .

I have taught my mare to 'kiss' on command but she only does it with her muzzle touching my nose and only does it when she is asked. She's also very gentle when she does it so maybe that's a better trick to teach?! .

 

[fburton]

These guys must be retarded too then Look, they don't even wear hats

http://rochousenyc.com/blog/?tag=the-spanish-riding-school-in-vienna

OMG no hat... that's disgusting! I am amazed by how stupid that is! Why, why, why???? They also get horses to rear up and to kick out. What the hell are they playing at?

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

As you say its your horse , some will be shocked . Just be careful it doesn't get out of hand .

He is a big horse if he did come down wrong . Still its a nice still frame photo.

Why don't you try get him to lie down on command its a bit safer

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Some of the comments were just plain bitchy and nasty, with the view to hurt her feelings !

^5 to this .

 

[SaharaS]

I had an accident with a rearer..it came from nowhere & was always vertical. I ended up her leaping up a 6 ft grass verge bank,rearing & falling over backwards on me on concrete on the other side of the lane.I was paralysed for 5 or so hours and broke every single vertebra in my spine AND my sternum. This was in feb 2004. I had such bad spinal chord damage that I am still in pain and have since been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia & ME /CFS.Some days I can ride other days I can't even lift my arms to straighten my legs, let alone lift a tiny phone to my ear or a kettle.Please don't do this, I beg you. Spanish riding school/levade fine..but unless you are there with a horse that has had at LEAST 12 years of intense training & under strict controlled circumstances, please please don't risk your life/future -fun is doing things whenever you want to because you CAN...but it not fun when you can't because simply can't, no matter how desperately you wish you could

 

[Serenity087]

I'm in two minds about this thread.

Children teaching ponies to rear? Massive no no. And I've stopped several children from doing just that myself.

However, I had intended to re-enact with Dorey with involved putting on a show, so I was starting to teach her what I consider to be "fancy footwork". I know from experience that even horsey people consider her a rearer just for leaning back, sticking her head up and rocking back. It's safe for us both and with my fellow reenactors would make a good show.

I'd never intentionally teach rear though. I've taught Dorey how to shake hands and when she's feeling enthusiastic I rather get a hoof thrust in my direction... and thats just one foot!!!