Would you buy a reformed rearer

I think a reformed rearer is like a reformed alcoholic. With the right management and plenty of experienced support it will
probably never happen again, but in certain situations without the necessary support system, both will likely revert to type.
 
Yes. Honest seller and doesn't sound like a rearer, more a horse who has reared. Also a completely different story when in a young horse as opposed to an adult imo, much more workable. I'd just be wary about the age and balance.

I'd take a rearer over a bucker if it was something that could be worked with. I absolutely refuse to sit on a horse with it's arse in the air.
 
Yes, they can be reformed. Years ago my mare went through a phase of rearing, initially caused by a sore back. I was fifteen and an idiot and I didn't notice her telling me until she was screaming at me and eventually we got the back sorted but by then the rearing had become a habit associated with napping. Finally she went over backwards with me. It took me a long while to reschool her, but she was completely safe afterwards. I have put my mum on her, my friend's three year old, and she has been on loan to my friend's riding school. She coped perfectly with everything. She doesn't nap at all, ever, now, and hasn't thought about going up in years.
 
In the case set out, possibly yes. Our pony started rearing a year ago, don't know what upset him, but we worked through it and he stopped. Nothing since thank goodness. Were he to be sold I would have to disclose this I suppose, but it was something he was cross about rather than anything else.

We just used to distract him when he was threatening to go up. Not funny when you're waiting to cross the road... He was just angry about something, probably being ridden more by my younger daughter. He loves her now and is perfectly behaved for her.
 
No from recent experience I know that I haven't the skills to sit out a high rear without unbalancing the horse and making it even more dangerous. I would love to keep my new boy he is lovely on the ground, and sweet and stunning but we are off to an eventer tomorrow for reschooling assesment and waiting for the blood results.
 
Thanks LG. I am not sure the future is looking very bright for it I am sad to say. The seller was gutted and I believe that the horse has been going well but there was a slight change in the management over the last couple of days and then showing the horse in bad weather. Which was good for me as I saw the true colours. Really disappointed tho as it was the top of my list. Second on the list sold before I got there which I expected if she was as described. 3rd on the list sold too!

Going to see a yearling this morning and hopefully 2 4 year olds tomorrow.

Rode my friend's QH mare yesterday who is 16 and usually very good, and she went mental because of there being pigs next door to her field! I am trying not to be paranoid lol
 
Horses. Can be unpredictable , the horse has a capable rider owner at the minute so better off there . I wouldn't. Have a rearer . I have children and responsibilities .
 
amymay said:
A couple of instances standing on hind legs doesn't make a horse a 'rearer'.

So I wouldn't be put off it.
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Agreed, if the horse was 3/4 years old with bad teeth, and broken in and doing too much its just trying to deal with pressure. I wouldn't call this horse an established rearer... I had one of those, it was 11 and had been waving its legs in the air since in broken in (probably as yearling to race!).
 
dominobrown said:
Agreed, if the horse was 3/4 years old with bad teeth, and broken in and doing too much its just trying to deal with pressure. I wouldn't call this horse an established rearer... I had one of those, it was 11 and had been waving its legs in the air since in broken in (probably as yearling to race!).
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I would have agreed with you completely but having seen it now I think it has serious separation anxiety issues which are the root of the behaviour and will be quite hard to sort out. The rearing is just a symptom of a much larger problem.
 
FfionWinnie said:
Went to see this horse yesterday. It spend most of the viewing napping, calling, rearing, bucking and generally not being reformed. Shame as a nice horse.

Onwards...
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Oh dear poor think I think most of these total meltdown horses probaly have pain at the bottom of it.
Keep looking .
 
sadly no as i've been on the other end of a rearer who would do it for no reason what so ever. And as much as someones say they are reformed its always still there this is MO. x
 
I had a 'reformed' rearer go up and over on me, resulting in several ops and along stay in hospital, I bought him as a four year old that had been over faced and reared when it all got to much for him, re-started him, had no rearing for 2years, then one day he was VERY spooked on a road, and reverted straight back to old behaviour, up and over with no warning. Any horse can rear, but I feel in the situation we were in my other horses who had never have reared under saddle would have spun round or spooked rather than gone up as it wasn't something they were used to doing.
 
ofcourseyoucan said:
nappy horses will always revert! and they will always test and try a new owner. shame a 4 yr old wasnt done right in the first place! personally if i bought this at 4 rising 5 i would turn away for 4 to 8 weeks and start again properly!
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I think there is a lot of truth in this, my boy, who I broke very steadily, has always had tendencies to nap, which was difficult to work through when he was young and very sharp, reactive to lions and tigers in the wood, and no companion to ride with which would have steadied him up, in his case it is anxiety. He is OK now [on magnesium permanently] but for this reason I can never sell him as suitable for a beginner, because when he gives warning he must have an immediate tap with the schooling whip and a squeeze of the legs, an inexperienced rider would ignore the symptom, and would find herself with a nappy horse, next day would find a nappier horse and so on.
He can never be given the benefit of the doubt, needs to be "ridden", no passengers. He is perfectly safe with a supevised child on board in the arena, as a child asks for nothing from him, and he will happily plod along. When being asked to work, we have to stop five minutes before he throws toys out of the pram, as he can only take so much. HE likes jumping so we try to pop a few poles after his flatwork, one works round him. My very experienced instructor BHSII never does lateral work as she says he MUST be ridden forward at all times, she has sorted him out and he does not nap now, but I still have to ride him in a forward going manner at all times. He would become a rearer in the wrong hands.
I believe people think I am being soft with him, but I have had immediate problems with experienced handlers [on the ground] his default is to spook or to stop, but he will walk on when he is asked quietly. Latest episode this week, aparently he was rearing when a new handler tried to bring him in from field, I went out and he came in like a lamb, I've no idea what the girl did, but it must have upset him, he can be tricky when it is windy, but I have never ever had a rear when bringing in from the field.
I did buy a rearer once [had been spoiled by a stupid girl], bought from unscrupulous dealer, he walked round the farm, then when I tried to open a gate put his legs overthe top! Things got worse, somedays I had to ride him at a trot all the time, he was helluva fit, needed hunting two days a week. A confirmed rearer he needed an experience rider, a very scary ride, I had him sorted several times! He was too much for me.
sorry for long ramble, but in my mind thare are two types of rearer, but all have some undelying cause, usually due to poor handling.
 
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Never, never, never. Sold a schoolmistress who was supposed to be easy in everyway. Soon discovered rearing was part of her repertoire. Managed to prove horse had a "history", vendors went for the "reformed" character line.

If you take on a problem horse and manage to produce a great performance, that is great, but I would always consider that to be a horse for someone willing to work with a problem horse.
 
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