What did you do when your horse reared with you?

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CMH

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only applicable obviously if they have or did. If so, how many times on seperate occasions did they continue to do it? How did you handle it? Did it put you off? How did you fix it?

Last question is, does it de value the horse?
 
Once, she got a good hiding for it, never did it again. Wasnt worth anything anyway so couldnt have devalued her.
 
On two occasions with two different horses....one was chronic and as horrible as it is to say, flipped over. Never did it again, but I would never advise this for anyone.
2nd one, was just a nappy arse and would do it at the gateway of the school - pop his feet over the gate etc - So I bought him out the arena, but instead absolutely galloped his arse off round his field instead [where he'd usually be taken straight to previously] and hacked everywhere on it's own for the next week with a nice big stick. Never napped or threatened to rear again, schooled perfectly...realised school work was much easier than hacking and field work I think.

They were only extreme cases...most other half hearted ones you can usually tell when they're going to go, so it's more working to get their mind switched onto something else before they've realised they were going to think about rearing if that makes sense. Normally I'd opt for trying to spin them before they've gone up or kicking on forwards. [Minus pain checks etc]
 
its only happened once - first time out hunting - I stayed on, tried to calm him down but tbh was too busy holding on so he didnt charge off or reverse back into the ditch again to worry about the little rear. Didnt worry me (was generally petrified by that point anyway so a rear wasnt going to change anything) and he hasnt done it again ! Suppose if thought was going to do it again would turn him in tight circles - I dont think a one off makes a horse a "rearer" as such.
 
My pony isn't a rearer, but can be nappy and does small bunny hop things - they put me off enough and I have to remember to be brave and ride him through and did get off and cry the first time, so have no doubt in my mind I would really cry and freak out if I was ever properly reared with!

It would certainly put me off, so yes, a serious/repeat rearer would devalue a horse to me.
 
He only does it when in a strop if people try to make him do things he isnt sure of. I tend to ride through it not letting him turn away as he uses it as a way to get away from what your asking him to do and not let any one else get involved if not get off get chiffney, lunge line and schooling whip and work through it without forcing him but not letting him turn away. Once he has given in he is fine and dont tend to have a problem after. The big one was about going in the water xc now we just come back to a walk and I let him have a look and he then walks in and I can then get trot once in. Its a cross between a confidence issue, being a strong personality and napping but once he isnt scared he works with me and its fine.
 
Ride one who does it occasionally when having a "I know best" moment. He drops suddenly behind your leg then will sometimes go up.

When he lands I drive him forward, like more forward than normal in a pace, so push him slightly out of his pace, then settle him back into a nice pace when he is back in front of my leg. He is the kind of horse who will fight you to hell and back if you start a power war but this seems to work and its becoming less and less and less frequent :) *touch wood*
 
Mine has only ever done it when out cubbing (not proper hunting as we are generally on the move a lot more but with cubbing the stopping and starting winds him up!) He has down it on two separate occasions (the first and second times out of the season last year) It is when e are waiting to go through a gateway and I am making him wait his turn, he just gets impatient! He's never been known to rear before so the first time I was a bit taken by surprise as he stood straight up on his back legs! :eek: My instant reaction was to lean forwards and not pull on the reins luckily, although there was a brief moment where I felt like I was going to fall off the back but I stayed on thank goodness. When he landed I kicked him forwards and after that kept him moving as it only when he isn't moving forwards that he is liable to do it. The second time I was ready and kicked him forward and growled at him as soon as he landed. I also find turning a circle helps to distract him from doing it and turning the head back towards your leg will also make rearing very difficult. It didn't put me off him, it did unnerve me at the time but I have learnt how to ride him though it and prevent it as much as possible!

As to whether it devalues the horse - definitely if they are a confirmed dangerous rearer (i.e they do it regularly) occasionally or when put in an exciting situation I wouldn't think so as horses are unpredictable animals by nature and there is always a chance that even the quietest of horses could rear if put in the wrong situation.

Hope this helps :)

Edited to add - It is well known that some people hit the horse between the ears to make it think it has hit it's head when it rears (as this is thought to solve the problem) I, however wouldn't recommend this as I know somebody who did this and the horse landed and panicked and went straight up and over and landed on them. I also work with a horse which used to be a rearer and was very head shy when he first arrived at the yard so I am guessing this technique was used on him too.
 
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I had a cob yearling who took exception to sun cream on his pink muzzle. The first rear took me by surprise. I continued my endeavour but when he did it again a few seconds later I exploded - shouted, screamed "HOW DARE YOU DO THAT???" waved my arms around, jumped up and down.... completely OTT but didn't actually touch him. I then marched him back to his paddock, full of anger and he meekly followed and didn't put a step out of line and I turned him out without a word or even any eye contact.

He never reared again with me.
 
My mare does it when she is frustrated, mainly out hunting if you try to make her stand still. I circle her, do a few lateral movements/bends, keep her occupied and try to calm her down and keep her listening, as she's on high alert waiting for the off! She has probably done it 3 or 4 times out hunting, and only once out hacking when I made her stand whilst me and mum were deciding which route to take, and it was all too much, the impatient little bag just went up! She does only tend to stand for a few seconds then comes back down to earth with a bit of head shaking and snorting. I can usually tell when its coming, and therefore avoid it, but when she catches me out I lean forwards and chuck the reins at her (she stands quite tall and I worry about her coming over backwards), and shout "Get DOOOWN you ruddy cowbag!" (or something along those lines!) at her. When she comes down I turn her onto a circle, keep her bendy and keep her moving. As I say, I can usually tell when its coming, so it doesn't worry me too much, and when it does happen it isn't too bad - you just have to sit and let her get on with it! I can laugh about it now, but the first time she did it, on our first hunt together, it scared me. I don't think my mare is "fixable", but she is managable, and I certainly wouldn't label her as a 'rearer'.
I wouldn't say it de-values my mare, it is an occasional, avoidable quirk, and she is infinately valuble to me - bouncy-springy or not!
 
i got my mare at 12 and she was a desperate napper - periods of not entering arena/eliminated at 2nd fence all with rearing. she had 6months off with lameness issues and was better after but once a napper always a napper and the way she napped was rear. never a risk of going over as she didnt go high enough. she hasnt been in constant work since with 2 foals and me being at uni. the way i got her out of it (and still do when shes in a stroppy mood) is just sit there until shes bored, take a strong hold, turn and kick, i may have to do this a few times. now that she knows i can get her out of it she doesnt tend to do it unless shes stroppy. various smacks etc never worked with her being a chestnut mare it made her 100 times worse. depending on why the horse rears and how often i think it does devalue them. my mare can go a few years without napping or rearing but she will always have a tendency just i know the very subtle signals shes going to do it! when she was on good form she was an amazing jumper but her issues i think stem from being overfaced before i bought her.
 
Ridden 2 horses that have big rears. First was Old Horse when he was 16/17 ish... worry made him do it. Pole work really triggered it, as did extensive flood water - where he couldn't see the way out. I managed it by doing my bestest to avoid those situations. He did get a bit better, but to hit him for it would have put him into melt down.
Jumps had to be min 2'6'' - he had a lovely jump. No grid work, XC was his forte. I soon learnt where the flood water was likely to be, and didn't ride that way.
Dressage was hit and miss, he hated the dressage boards, - we worked on the inside track, lost marks perhaps, but it prevented a panic rear. Never face him at them! Funnily enough, he had amazing balance, and not once did I ever feel unsafe of where his feet where... just slight doubt as to where his mind was - until I knew him better.

Second horse, was a horror. Learnt to nap for England with owners. I rode him twice, first time he tried it on, to test me I guess, second time he thought he would win... and nearly did. It felt SO unsafe. Hacking up a road, he slammed the breaks on, reared up, and whipped round in a second. I got the better of that, BUT he contiued to keep doing it for a good 10 mins. We get past that point in the road, 2 mins later he tried again. I gave him the biggest hiding on his backside I'll ever wish to give a horse. I also cracked him on the head,just once as to be honest I WAS holding on for grim death, to which his reply was to put his head between his knees and try and charge off down the hill...
I'm not only surprised his backside lived to tell the tale, but his teeth did too!
(My pants needed changing after!!lol)

I did get him to go where I wanted him to, a serious battle of wills from both parts. Got him home, and vowed never to sit on his back again.
Turns out, he is a good hunter in the field, but NEVER take him on a hack.
 
Laughed and got my friend to take a picture to post over facebook for everyone to see how naughty my pony is and how I'm a good rider for sitting to it
 
My first pony i rode used to rear, he was a little sh it in more ways than one, but i did love him and was gutted when he was sold.
I have a boy who liked to go up to evade going forwards, it was his MO for a wee while, but he did stop when it didnt stop him being asked to work.
I balanced, leaned into it and pulled his head and him down to the side, turned a few times to move his feet around and sent him on, they werent half hearted bounces either, full up jobs. He didnt do it to often,but did worry me though,as he flipped himself rearing, evading while learning to load, he had no sense of self preservation.I dont believe a horse rears for no reason be it behavioural issues or physical, and had investigations done, sadly his reluctance was pain related and he was diagnosed with djd when nerve blocks showed a bi lateral lameness behind that was so equal, it looked just like lazy movement. He's retired now, but ive still got him.
Sadly i have also known a horse flip over onto someone Who was riding in draw reins and was not "giving", the horse was basically left nowhere to go other than up,and sadly over, the woman ended up with a broken pelvis, a broken leg, 2 broken arms a broken jaw and nose. She gave up and the horse went to a dealer
Reading through this it sounds easy, but let me tell you it happens so quick, and your reactions need to be just as quick, it only takes a loss of balance yours or the horses and you and the horse can be seriously hurt or killed. Rearing is not desirable in a horse and yes in my opinion it devalues them particularly if used as an evasion to work.
 
The first time she did it I will admit I was so shocked I did diddly squat except sit there like a muppet open mouthed. Didn't have a stick with me and didn't have quick enough reactions to shout/flap/kick. She was just lacking in confidence being green and coming back into work after a long time off. Had been perfect until then so i was totally dumbstruck. So I will admit i did probably the worst option, got off, burst into tears and went for help. Then got her to walk around in company past the sticky spot. Was totally expecting her to try the same again a some point given my completely inept response to the first rear and sure enough a week or so later she gave it a go. Had my stick with me this time, as soon as she landed I growled and she got a smacked arse. Not huge but she's very rarely hit so enough to give her a shock, worked a treat. Not properly reared since and now whenever she drops behind my leg and backs off I just need to raise my stick and growl... Just The threat seems to be enough motivation now!!
 
Mine does it when you take a hold of her when she wants to go forward. A smack on the bum doesn't work as she was trained (not by me i might add) that legs and whip mean go faster. Whip between ears made her worse, and really upset us both. To be honest I just avoided holding onto her so tightly, there was never any need for me to. I always found that if i punished her it just made the situation worse, one time when she did it she slipped and fell on me and ill admit it shook me up but it has never happened again and she has gone all the way up and she is very easy to sit to. I just live with it, as its what she does unfortunately and punishing her does us both more harm than good, even now when shes tied up if you hold her head too tight if you're trying to do something she does it (she does get a smack on the shoulder for that though), but I can deal with it but i wouldn't pass her onto anyone else. many people won't put up with it. I knew she reared when i got her, I would say that it does lower the price but I'd rather have a rearer than a bucker. :) (waits for hiding for not punishing her horse)
 
Mine used to occasionally in her younger days. Sometimes as defiance & sometimes frustration/ over excitement. I just ignored it once done & learnt to read the signs to prevent it. In the case of the few times she did it in defiance, just calmly asking again for what I wanted seemed to convince her I wasn't intimidated. She did it maybe a dozen times max between two & eight & has been as well behaved as a horse can be since then. Used to ride a pony in my early teens that reared a lot, whenever he wanted to tank off, as in 5 or 6 times on an hours ride. He'd never been known to overbalance so at the time we all just found it amusing & fun in the way early teens with no sense of danger do.
 
my friend has a cob thats just come back from being re-started(unsuccessfully) and hes been rodeo bucking and rearing and throwing himself over on top of the girl, shes ripped his mouth to shreds trying to stop him bucking ,and because that wasnt getting her off and keeping her off (she had bottle i will give her that!) he started rearing more and more. she was put in A+E 3 times and the last time she was peeing blood due to pelvic bruising for 2 weeks!. he came home terrified and had some time to chill while i decided what to do with him, she tried all the tricks and ideas mentioned in this thread and none of them worked. she has broken 1000 horses in over the years and only failed with 3 (one being this cob) so what do i do now? any other suggestions?
 
archiepoo said:
my friend has a cob thats just come back from being re-started(unsuccessfully) and hes been rodeo bucking and rearing and throwing himself over on top of the girl, shes ripped his mouth to shreds trying to stop him bucking ,and because that wasnt getting her off and keeping her off (she had bottle i will give her that!) he started rearing more and more. she was put in A+E 3 times and the last time she was peeing blood due to pelvic bruising for 2 weeks!. he came home terrified and had some time to chill while i decided what to do with him, she tried all the tricks and ideas mentioned in this thread and none of them worked. she has broken 1000 horses in over the years and only failed with 3 (one being this cob) so what do i do now? any other suggestions?
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Monty Roberts??
 
After having my last horse who was an accomplished nappy rearer, I know lol at my horse when he tries to, or threatens to rear - he's not got a bad bone in him so I don't know why he pretends :p

My last horse, I was 14-19 when I had him, and despite having lessons with plenty of PC instructors, none were any help :( I learnt to sit them and thats about it, he did get better - and it did devalue him in the fact that he didn't do as well as he should have. I sold him to a woman who made out that she could handle it, when in fact she couldn't and he was sold 6 months after to a really lovely lady to do endurance on, last I heard he was in a hunting home which is the only place he ever felt at home, as no need to be nappy! Its all about finding the right job for the horse :)
 
archiepoo said:
my friend has a cob thats just come back from being re-started(unsuccessfully) and hes been rodeo bucking and rearing and throwing himself over on top of the girl, shes ripped his mouth to shreds trying to stop him bucking ,and because that wasnt getting her off and keeping her off (she had bottle i will give her that!) he started rearing more and more. she was put in A+E 3 times and the last time she was peeing blood due to pelvic bruising for 2 weeks!. he came home terrified and had some time to chill while i decided what to do with him, she tried all the tricks and ideas mentioned in this thread and none of them worked. she has broken 1000 horses in over the years and only failed with 3 (one being this cob) so what do i do now? any other suggestions?
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Failing health check followed by a professional in that area, not just the nearest training yard....Shoot it or field ornament.
 
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archiepoo said:
my friend has a cob thats just come back from being re-started(unsuccessfully) and hes been rodeo bucking and rearing and throwing himself over on top of the girl, shes ripped his mouth to shreds trying to stop him bucking ,and because that wasnt getting her off and keeping her off (she had bottle i will give her that!) he started rearing more and more. she was put in A+E 3 times and the last time she was peeing blood due to pelvic bruising for 2 weeks!. he came home terrified and had some time to chill while i decided what to do with him, she tried all the tricks and ideas mentioned in this thread and none of them worked. she has broken 1000 horses in over the years and only failed with 3 (one being this cob) so what do i do now? any other suggestions?
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Some horses just arent suitable to be ridden, this may be one of them, if he copes with long lines etc and only worries about a rider on his back, possibly break to driving. From what you describe, the odds are if it continues like this someone is likely to be killed.
Id have to say though, any horse whose mouth is " ripped to shreds" i would expect to react badly to anything in their mouth like a bit and bridle .
 
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