Would you ride horse that had reared?

[Cutgrass]

As the title says really, would you ride a horse knowing they've reared in the past? Part of me thinks you shouldn't and it's not worth the risk, and part of me thinks it's silly to write a horse off after a couple of rears.

 

[Wheels]

Not since I had one go over with me no.

 

[Cutgrass]

That sounds awful Wheels. Did you think it would go over? Or know it reared beforehand?

 

[Red-1]

When I bought Jay he was known to rear 20 minutes at a time. Up and down though, not staying up balanced all that time.

I never questioned riding him, bought him and he soon stopped rearing.

You need to be experienced enough to ascertain why they are rearing and know how to counter it. Otherwise it is unwise to even attempt riding them. It can indeed be dangerous.

I would not attempt to ride one that had thrown itself over backwards.

 

[doodle]

Depends on the rears. Soli would rear while napping if I tried to hack out. They rarely were anything but a few inches off the ground though and not scarey. Full rears then no I wouldn’t get on.

 

[FlyingCircus]

Depends why they have reared. Some people just don't spot warning signs and then the horse escalates and gets branded dangerous. Those kinda rearers I don't mind. Ones that go up with little thought for me or themselves, no thankyou.

 

[HashRouge]

Well it depends really. A horse that had a reputation for big, vertical rears, no. A horse that has done a few half rears, yes (and I have done). Or a horse where the rearing has been caused by poor rider judgement/ management. We (and you?) need a bit more information to make the call.

 

[Snowfilly]

Depends on what sort of rearing. Violent full height rears or a history of going over, absolutely not. Napping rears in protest, or excited ones when you’re meant to be standing still - I used to ride one who stood on two legs in the collecting ring at shows before jumping - probably yes.

If there’s a suspicion of pain, that’s a no. Can easily be a sign of KS.

 

[Cutgrass]

With this one there's no suspicion of pain. Triggers have been fearful events on a few occasions. Horse is nappy, and green, but generally quiet. Rears haven't been full vertical but legs up and out. I've heard varying and contradictory versions of history, so I've no idea where/how he first learned to go up.

 

[wills_91]

My horse reared and went over its been 15 years and I can still remember it like yesterday. So it would be a no for me.

 

[PapaverFollis]

If it's napping little up and down rears occasionally and under predictable circumstances that's fine for me... I wouldn't even call that horse a rearer I don't think. Just a silly moo. But anything prolonged, standing straight up or unpredictable/constantly... nope.

 

[Shilasdair]

Yes, if I thought I knew why it was rearing, and that I could sort it out.

I'd be much more wary of anything that threw itself over backwards, or had injured itself rearing - if they have no self-preservation I don't want to be sat on them.

Having said that, I've put on so much weight that I think anything would struggle to get off the ground.

 

[Wishfilly]

The contradictory versions of the history would bother me. If I was riding a horse for someone else that had known issues, I would want to know they were being honest with me.

In what context are you being asked to ride the horse?

I am pretty wary of rearers, but have ridden a few that just bounce up on their hind legs when napping, and one who was taught to rear early in his life (as a stunt horse) and I knew if he did rear he would do so "safely".

 

[Wheels]

That sounds awful Wheels. Did you think it would go over? Or know it reared beforehand?

He was my own horse and it was a number of years ago.

He had reared quite a lot but before that particular day he had only done relatively small rears.

His trick was to see something he didnt like out hacking, he would stop dead, whip round and then rear which was not helpful as I was unbalanced already from the spin. If we were galloping then that would be me flying off when he whipped round lol but this particular day he had a real melt down and went super high, with me already a bit off balance I pulled him off balance and we fell on the road. So he wasnt one that would have gone over on purpose but it was still too dangerous.

He only ever did it hacking alone so from then on we only hacked with another horse or with someone on a bike. He was my SJ horse first and foremost so hacking wasnt overly important.

 

[shortstuff99]

Depends is the answer for me. Very athletic horses can find rearing easy, multiple top class horse have reared, even Valegro used to rear at times. If you can be sure it's not pain related, you know what the cues are and you can train them on then I would say go for it. One of mine could rear quite high when she would get 'stuck', she grew out of it and I knew how to not let her get to that point in the first place and now she never does it.

 

[Cortez]

If they are balanced, low rears then yes, no problem. If they are panicked, unbalanced, and super high, then absolutely not. I have trained horses to rear and levade/lancade safely for displays, I have also had horses go over with unscheduled, unsafe, nappy rearing. If you are not able to keep in balance, likely to grab the reins and pull the horse over, then you should not be riding a known or suspected rearer.

 

[oldie48]

Depends on what you consider a rearer. Generally I'd avoid anything that rears or bucks or spins but in reality every horse I've had has done at least one of theses things. TBH I really don't count nappy bunny hop type rears as rears and even though I'm not the most confident rider, they don't really bother me. However, bolt upright rears would, having said that all our young horses have done the occasional rear like this but gone on to be super safe so I think you have to look at the context.

 

[Lillian_paddington]

I always said I wouldn’t but got offered the ride on a mare a couple times a week when I needed a decent horse. She had a rep for rearing, she tried it twice the first ride and then never again. It was an evasion in her case - apparently she’d had people who’d jump off her once she started rearing so learnt pretty quickly it was a way out. It’s also management, I keep her moving and avoid arguments with her. She does what I want but the ‘how’ is influenced by her. If I’d felt either me or her were unbalanced by it, or if she continued, I think I would’ve stopped. But I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to ride her and get her onside, she’s turned out to be a very special little horse, I’ve never ridden one who’s quite so willing to try their heart out.

 

[sherry90]

I previously owned a horse that reared (more of a strop than a full blown rear!) and it tended to be when he was napping at something, he still does it now as far as I am aware but rarely. It never scared me but obviously isn’t something I desired him to do or encouraged. If it were bolt upright ones then no, I’d be out, but napping or excitable hops I can deal with and wouldn’t necessarily put me off the horses if everything else were ok.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Depends on the horse. My old boy reared at gates because he got frustrated so I just got off to open them. I trusted him with my life on several occasions and never regretted it.

 

[Winters100]

For me it would depend. Some people call the 'bunny hops' rears, and they do not bother me a bit. In fact my saint of a mare did that when I tried her, she hadn't been ridden for a few days and got excited when another horse left the arena. Proper rears I would want to know more about, and now I am older would not be keen, but for a strong rider I think it depends on the horse. Whatever you decide good luck and stay safe.

 

[Gloi]

I used to have a stallion with a tendency to rear in spring especially when his hormones were ride but he wasn't particularly intimidating as he always knew what he was doing and never felt like he was unbalanced. He was a pita for it though. Once did it when I was halfway on which was unpleasant. I was a lot younger then though.

 

[milliepops]

I think it doesn't just depend on the type but also where you're intending to ride.

One of mine rears as a go-to when napping but they are balanced and in certain circumstances also fairly predictable. It doesn't bother me in the arena, its irritating but not worrying. However I have learnt not to ride her on the roads in any situation that might trigger it because a slippery footing turns a fairly safe thing into an unbalanced nightmare.

One of mine went up and over and that was highly off putting to say the least (fortunately I was leading rather than riding). So lots of variables that would influence my decision.

 

[paddi22]

there's a rear, and a REAR. I would have no bother riding one if
- it's a horse that hops/half rears when confused/under pressure. those ones can escalate if not ridden properly but can be spotting and reacting to the escalation signs quick enough
- if its a bold cob that is just chancing its arm but does a lovely comfy rear and will never topple over
- if it gives a clear sign before it rears


I have owned ones that had mental issues that made them unsafe when they reared because they would flip back and had no idea of even their own self preservation. they were fixed with training but I would never take another one on because it's not worth the danger.

 

[HollyWoozle]

there's a rear, and a REAR. I would have no bother riding one if
- it's a horse that hops/half rears when confused/under pressure. those ones can escalate if not ridden properly but can be spotting and reacting to the escalation signs quick enough
- if its a bold cob that is just chancing its arm but does a lovely comfy rear and will never topple over
- if it gives a clear sign before it rears

Along these lines for me. I have ridden a ‘bunny hopper’ type or those which have reared through excitement, but they were smaller, balanced rears essentially. Things I could sit to comfortably and without unbalancing them.

I retired my own mare after she reared fully with me on several occasions. She didn’t give warning and stood bolt upright very quickly, including once doing it when I had one foot in the stirrup to get on. She is a big, athletic mare (who I shouldn’t have bought!). I expect more thorough investigative works may have shown something up or that a more competent rider could have solved it, but she was always nervous and unpredictable and I didn’t want to send her away or pass her on. I never felt that she would go over backwards but she went high enough that I actually slipped off the back each time, but I’m a happy hacker and it was all too much for me.

 

[maya2008]

Depends on you. A lot of younger horses rear and grow out of it. That said, in a different situation, they could start again. I spent months training one NOT to rear. A year went by with no rearing, not even the suggestion that she might. She went to a new home and was rearing again within months - they knew she had in the past and weren’t bothered, she was always super balanced and they were never high.

My two current youngsters have both reared- small and in balance. Twice only for one, the second time with me on and we had a serious discussion about how inappropriate a response that was to being left alone in the school! She has shown no signs of doing so since and is generally super safe.

The other reared more in his first year of being ridden, again in a super balanced way. It is what he does in the field when startled so he did it under saddle. He doesn’t do it now (still does in the field but that’s his business lol!).

Both of those youngsters will make super safe adults, but young horses need the right guidance. They are not robots, they need experience and to be taught how to behave. The youngster you are considering may well grow out of it, but with the wrong rider it could become a much bigger problem.

 

[scats]

Both of mine will do nappy rears if pushed. Millie has only just started this after having a meltdown at dressage a few weeks ago (blowing a gale and I dared to try and ride her to the warm up rather than lead her...). She did it again on a farm ride a week later, but I’m hoping it’s something that she forgets about!
They are big enough that you get that horrid feeling of ‘air time’ but I know how to get her forwards again once her feet hit the floor. They are rare though, and only when she gets in a pickle, so I try and diffuse the situation before it gets that far.

Would I sit on something known for going up at the drop of a hat? No chance.

 

[PapaverFollis]

The Beast went through a bit of a phase of rearing while being led. No idea why. I just ignored it mostly to be honest and it went as quickly as it came on. It was when she didn't have a field companion and I think she was just unsettled or excited and trying to play with me. A firm "get down here you silly girl, now walk on!" sorted her out. She's very balanced about it though. I think it's quite a cobby thing to do.

 

[swilliam]

I retired a beautiful home-bred tb mare at 8 because she was a rearer. She went over backwards undersaddle with two dfferent, experienced riders, and investigations couldn't find any physical reasons, She now does it if she feels under any pressure, and has no sense of self preservation at all. She won't load any more, though she used to be fine - she just goes up until she goes over. If I ever lose the field she's on, she'll have to be PTS in it. If she's not under pressure, she's happy and friendly, and easy to handle.

 

[babymare]

Ummm bought my beautiful girl knowing she reared spun and bolted. I firmly believed it was the situation she was in and was a fear reaction. Turned her away for few months just bringing her in to groom and do ground work to build her confidence in me. I Re started her under saddle slowly and we went on to hack out with no rearing. It came to light a couple of years later that her eyesight was failing(my vet believed it was an issue when I bought her) but I continued to ride her until her sight got to bad and she was retired for a couple of years before PTS. She was the horse of my life. She actually was such a brave little mare