Tell me about your rearing horses

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Cedars

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Hi guys,

Long story short, our mare reared today, rider stayed on and she went into a complete bucking bronco (constantly bucking and rearing), rider fell off, and she then slipped and fell onto the rider.

We had the vet out obviously, she's got a deep cut on her poll and loads of cuts all over herself. She was sedated and she's been given loads of anti bios, bute etc.

Obviously, the vet is coming back to check everything over properly, although we've had her back checked recently. She's only ever done this once before, and after that we had her back checked and changed saddle.

What I'm asking is for your stories of your horses that reared, what the problem was, and what you did about it.

Please dont spare me the nasty stories, even if its that you had them put down etc etc - I need to prepare myself for what we might encounter, what the problem might be.

So, stories please.

Thank you.

Hannah

Btw, rider is fine, just bruised.

xxx
 
I had a horse a number of years ago which used to rear had back,teeth saddle checked.
Sent her away to be schooled did it with the instructor who sent her back saying to have her put down but tried again but she went straight up one day and fell over backwards it was once too often.
Had her pts and turned out she had a brain tumour
Sorry dont want to frighten you but in a way it was nice to know there was a reason.
 
Orkan, dont worry, I am prepared that that might be a reason, and if she needs to be put down then I want to be prepared for that.

Thank you for sharing your experience with me, its really appreciated.

xxxxx
 
My friend has a mare that has these type of strops, slams the brakes on, stands right up them comes down and starts bucking. She's kind of got used to it, but she also avoids putting too much pressure on, especially if the mare's obviously in an unco-operative mood.

My young mare rears, but only if she's really scared and can't go forwards, and she's well balanced. Its only really a problem on the roads.

Did anything trigger your horse's episode? What were you doing before it?
 
rearer 1......habitual rearer...would then plunge forwards, buck a few times then ok for weeks, and do it all over again...had it shot.

rearer 2....also shot....


rearer 3....broncked, reared, threw itself on the floor, brocked reared, threw itself on the floor..shot....


all the above had tack/teeth/health checks.....no improvement so they went where they wouldn't be sold on...and either seriously injure, or god forbid, kill someone.
 
20 years ago now I bought a rather smart, allegedly 'just backed' 4 year old at Hereford Market. He was Cleveland Bay x Anglo-Arab! Found out later he'd been sold at the HIS sale 8 weeks earlier for £1,000 MORE than I paid for him, and gone to a pro yard. They tried to back him - and then shipped him off to Hereford!! I also tracked down his breeder - it had taken 3 hours to get him onto a lorry to send him for preparation for the HIS sales (you get the picture!!)

I spent 8 weeks trying to back him (had no decent facilities at the time) then sent him to a very experienced Professional breaker with the suggestion he needed to be taken into a deep ploughed field!! That's what he ended up doing!

The horse reared for England! He could stay vertical for minutes - if you whacked him he came down bucking! I eventually 'solved' the problem by accident - I got on him when I was ready to KILL my M-i-L - and he behaved!! After that, it was a case of getting myself into a "one of us will die before I give in" mood, before mounting!

I did eventually work out why! He HATED anyone being taller than him - and that included his rider!! If you climbed a step ladder outside his stable he would go vertical and STAY vertical until you got down. Even when he was in his teens, he could do a FULL day's hunting, and then - hacking home - if anyone came alongside us who was on a taller horse (he was 16.3) he'd go vertical!

People used to ask me why I kept him - my usual response was "Do YOU want to buy him!" He WAS unsaleable! But I hunted him for 11 years and he was great - didn't pull, had 5 legs - and only needed 2 on the ground at any one time to stay upright; NEVER fell! I lost him in a paddock accident at 15 years of age - I still miss the crazy little sh*t!

I should add that he was great on the roads when hunting - but when hacking he was fairly diabolical. He'd wait until a lorry or bus was practically upon us - then THROW himself into the middle of the road. He put about 5 large vehicles into ditches - I figured he just enjoyed seeing the whites of the drivers' eyes as they slammed on the brakes and skidded into a ditch!
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rearer 1....youngster, I asked too much, he reared. Got over it, never reared again.

rearer 2... Fly Boy, insecure, once settled never reared again. Was very balanced though, never felt unsafe!

rearer 3... new horse, reared then bucked. Didn't get me off so threw itself on the floor. I still stayed on. Scrambled back up, shook. Turned away for 2 weeks and started from scratch, long lines etc. 6 mths later had a fantastic horse.

rearer 4.. Again, rider error. Pushed too hard.

Conclusion. Once a rearer it is always there. It is their default mechanism and not something they conciously plan to do. Not all rearers are lethal. The ones with a strong sense of self preservation are the ones worth spending time on. The back flippers are no good to anyone and tbh are best pts.
 
My mare, pushed too far too young, fully produced and eventing (or trying too when not napping) aged 4.
She carried on doing it when I got her aged 6, picked a spot where I couldnt do anything, under over hang of stables/barbed wire/BMW or any other expensive car/pond. She did it daily, put me in a ditch on more than one occasion, came down and then launched about before she went up again. We tried the softly softly and got round it, but not great when you are trying to event.
Moved yards (with work) new ethic, she was not allowed to go up, and I was boss.
Another yard, she had basically stopped rearing, some decided to long rein her, went up, came over and broke her withers.
She is still eventing, and rarely rears, but it is still there somewhere (usually in the start box xc)
We have a very special relationship, I trust and respect her and she trusts and respects me. She knows bad behaviour will be punished and good behaviour rewarded.

Another 3/4yo we had in for braking, would go up before you were even leaning over, would go up on the walker/lunge/being lead, I think in the end it was shot with the theory of brain tumours.
 
very big wb who i bought as a 4/5 yr old used to rear a lot when upset, e.g. when asked to jump a small sj filler he didn't like the look of. also bucked for England. he'd rear pretty high, repeatedly. i had a pony come over backwards with me when i was a kid so i'm a bit wary of rearers, i just get off if they go high.. so i just stepped off every time, slid down to the ground, waited for him to come back down, led him to the mounting block, got back on. he did this about 10 times 1 day (over being asked to jump small white filler!) but because i wasn't confrontational, he gave up and hasn't reared for literally years and years (i still have him, 8 years on.)
in fact, he was being a prat out on a hack the other day and i had to sock him in the chops to get his attention (he was fixating on something in the distance and getting hysterical about it like a flipping 3 yr old, the git!) and he got offended and went very light in front (the way they do when they're about to rear) but i just pushed him forward and he didn't go up at all... so, just because they've done it in the past doesn't mean they'll always do it.
have a look on youtube at Endospink's rearer and how he deals with it, very interesting, again, no confrontation, and the opposite of what i was told to do with rearers, but it works.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKkl8jbe0...=PL&index=2
with your mare i'd check all the obvious things - teeth, back, saddle - before trying again...
 
Flame - basically, my OH put his mother on Dotty, as he always does, and then we sit there and he goes back to get his gelding. Apparently, he put his mum on Dotty, and then did her girth up (but not at all tight), and then she began to turn her back legs towards my OH (although his mum doesnt think it was to kick him) and then suddenly all hell broke loose.

JM07 - thats what I'm worried about. But what really confuses me is that before this she's never put a foot wrong with any of us - she has gone up once before with my OH and he fell off, but still then she's never ever even thought about it. Until today.

Thanks for all your experiences. Keep them coming!

xxxx
 
My mare started to rear to avoid doing things that she didn't like. It was (understandably!) quite effective. Before it got a real problem, I realised I needed help so sent her to a carefully choosed yard for retraining.

Over a period of a time, they made sure she understood her position in the pecking order (bottom) worked her hard and when she decided to rear, they were prepared and after a couple of increasingly half hearted attempts, as she found it ineffective, she never ever tried it again.

I think this ties in with a lot of the other experiences, but for me the key was to get help as early as possible - then at least you have someone else to share the responsibility of the decision if the problem is insoluable.
 
My horse rears when I ask too much, and also from a pinching saddle. He will try it on from time to time but you know when he really is not happy with something and i've asked too much. It doesn't happen often, but I read his singles loud and clear!
 
I went up vertical this morning, took my mare to our first jump cross shes very nervous and lacks confidence.Its not done to unseat me shes not malicious once going forward problems stopped and we had great day out.
My tb used to do it he went over backwards napping after another horse fortunately he missed me on way down it taught him huge lesson he only ever lifted his front feet 2 inches of the floor.
Both my horses are/were young had schooling issues and both have made huge improvements.The mare used to spin and rear about 5 times per hack now its once every couple of months .Its definitely confidence issue as she has made so much progress. She will always be wired and highly strung but the trust is there now and its becoming more of a rarity.
 
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Apparently, he put his mum on Dotty, and then did her girth up (but not at all tight), and then she began to turn her back legs towards my OH (although his mum doesnt think it was to kick him) and then suddenly all hell broke loose.


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I'd try doing your girth up gradually and walking circles in hand until the girth's tight enough. More walking in hand with a few steps backwards. Then get on and just ride. It might be a reaction to girthing. Worth a try, IMO.
 
Rear 1 ....years ago on a welsh A pony out hunting on the lead from another horse - complete mis-communication and he went up and over, broke the saddle, i was just shocked (i was only 7years old!) Don't remember if he ever did it again, but was out grown and returned to his owner
Rear 2 ....10 or so years ago, TB reared through worry which always caused problems as he was always worried! Never unseating and I was never concerned but he just couldn't manage talks 'normally'! He is still with us aged 27, happy in retirement
Rear 3.....7 years ago, horrible TB type gelding on loan. aged about 6, was very naughty and did everything possible to be nasty. Got sent back,,, cancerous melanomas and the rest is history
 
My friend bought a mare from a dealers who was a habitual rearer.

First thing first was a back check, which revealed a bad back from a poorly fitting saddle, which had likely been ongoing for some time. Some physio and a new saddle later, the problem seemed to have resolved. However, it gradually became apparent that rearing had become her 'answer' to anything she didn't like. If she was pushed to do something she didn't want to do, she'd go up. If she changed shape a teeny weeny little bit so her saddle was less than perfect fit, she'd go up. She hated travelling and would usually throw herself over at least once before getting on the lorry.

My friend learnt to heed the early warning signs that a rear was imminent, and not push her to the point where she'd go over. My mare is similar - when she gets wound up and agitated all you can do is give her a long rein and a pat and take all the pressure off, and let her calm down before you try again. When she reached a point where she hadn't reared for six months, my friend unfortunately lost her job and was forced to sell her.

She sold her with full disclosure, and explained very carefully to her new owners the importance of ensuring her tack is comfortable, and keeping her happy in her ridden work. To cut a long story short, they didn't, and she started rearing again.

A month ago my friend bought her back, got her saddle sorted and she's been fine since. She will always be 'a rearer' - its her solution to anything she thinks she can't cope with. This was a mare who's rearing was initially pain related, and developed into an ingrained habit. She would throw herself over backward without a second thought either - but with careful handling and riding, she can be managed and is a lovely horse aside from this one fault.
 
Wow, wish I could ride like/ had the guts of the person in the YouTube video!!
My only persistant rearer experience turned out to have kissing spines - she was more of a plunger really, started with a big buck, then reared, then bucked etc. She was retired as a companion at age 4.
 
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Conclusion. Once a rearer it is always there. It is their default mechanism and not something they conciously plan to do. Not all rearers are lethal. The ones with a strong sense of self preservation are the ones worth spending time on. The back flippers are no good to anyone and tbh are best pts.

[/ QUOTE ]
Absolutely agree, Cappy is a rearer, he will do it when he is stressed or just bad tempered, spins and rears at the same time.
However, sorry I don't agree they don't know conciously what they are doing, Cappy is a bit of a bugger, he chooses who he rears for and how, eg. he does not rear very high , just bunny hops, with my daughter but will go vertical with other riders, including an international rider for whom he went round the arena on his back legs, literally!
He is just a bad tempered so and so sometimes and he does know exactly what he is doing. He has never gone back, to be honest he is too smart for that!
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Hi all,

Thanks for your advice and experiences, tis all really appreciated.

My riding instructor thinks its kissing spines, but she's only done it twice, with a gap of about 4 months between the two times. Wondering whether its a stomach ulcer, or similar.

Stressful day all round! Keep your experiences coming xxxxx
 
hi I still dont know what caused my boy to start rearing as a 5yr old, His action is very up in front and some times this causes his forward movement to be blocked a little, I think when he struggled with work and was put under pressure, he went up instead of forward. Anyway..... I sorted it by learning to judge him and his reactions very quickly, and as soon as he felt like he was going to I would spin him quite tightly in a circle, sounds simple but worked a treat after a week or so he never even tried it on! but be carefull not to turn your horse when hes half up as this will throw him off balance and could cause more harm hope this helps x
 
Riding a young horse forwards before he/she learns to nap/rear is what I was always taught by far greater riders than me, together with hacking out, varying work, to include jumping, and having fun, and that's what's always worked, so they never thought about napping, let alone rearing.

Realising it's too late in the day for most, once they've learnt to go up, but hopefully we can help prevent other nice young horses from learning this lethal trick. Good luck, everyone! BS x

PS: If they do go up, without trying to teach Granny to suck eggs, wrap your arms round its neck, reins loose, + hopefully it won't go over backwards
 
My horse used to go up when it came to the pressure of BSJA and warm up arenas. He pretty much didn't do it anywhere else, oh except for at PC rallies - yep, I was popular
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He would go up, and up, and up - bit like the horse in the video above, but without going backwards, just going up and striking out - I have it on plenty of videos. I learnt to sit it, after a few times of landing on my back/feet but then found I couldn't do anything else but sit it
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I did send him away, only for a week to a local male showjumper, who he still reared with but the rider was strong and experience enough to be able to pull him to the side to prevent the rear - not something I ever mastered.

I did sell him, but to a home where I thought he wouldn't be put under any of that pressure, he was a good hack and a great hunter . Sure enough she sold him after six months
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But last I heard he was back in a hunting home, which is the only thing he ever liked anyway. He was a hireling hunter at 3-4 years old- before we bought him
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Hi Stencilface, + bless him, his early life wasn't good before you got him, + good for you + other people to try + sort him in a nice way, while caring about his welfare also.

All goes down to his first experiences, i firmly believe, friend. It's not easy to re-educate the equines (while it's sometimes impossible to re-educate some humans!)

Kick on!

And totally agree that if you're on something that threatens to go up, spin it round (ie, pull its nose round to it's knee, so it can't physically do it), but above all, return to basic training, which will now take longer than basic training. (Ie, 1st principle is forwards.)

Lungeing is often invaluable in making a horse think forwards (provided it's done correctly).

Above all, it's basic training of a youngster, in a quiet way, which encourages him/her to go forwards.

Once the basic training has gone wrong, + not corrected, is when we usually get these sort of problems.

Which is when the person who has caused the problem usually sells the horse on (then he/she expresses surprise at our reluctance to risk our necks.)

Maybe i should add that i have owned 3 lovely horses whose only problems were caused by their previous owners. Yes, re-educating + calming them wasn't easy, but a damn sight easier than trying to educate the humans involved!!

Good luck to everyone with a rearing horse, hope we've helped. (But don't ever ask me to get on a horse that has reared! Much too old + wise now!!) BS x
 
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