Putting An End To Rearing

The main thing I figured out about my own rearer was working around the situation. I did everything listed here, water ballon, crop between the ears, circles, moving the hind quarters, work harder at home and rest away from home.

The key was doing as much as possible to prevent the rear in the first place. My horse was highly responsive to leg cues and was soft to lateral bending. I used that to my full advantage. He wanted to rear, we would walk sideways down the trail. No amount of stopping him or circling ever worked. Soon as we would straighten out he would be back on his hind legs. I would ask for a bend in the body and just move sideways. Soon as I noticed the tension leave his body I would let him straighten out until he acted up again then again we would be walking sideways.

Now understand this did not solve his barn sour problem in the least. I just swapped what he did when he got agitated or excited. I prefer sidestepping and prancing everyday over rearing. It took about a year and a half for the rear to disappear. Its was a long process to rewire him that way. This wasn't the only method I used but the only one I am willing to share that helped with my horse.

Remember, never encourage backwards motion with a rearer. Its only going to promote up and back, trust me you never want that. Forward is always better than back.

Get control of lateral movement at home and use them. A horse can't rear if they are crossing their back legs and kept off of their hindquarters.

Always give a horse their head, lean forward and wrap your arms around the neck while they are rearing. Don't try to pull the sideways (or back) if their front feet are off the ground, wait until they land then pull the head over. If you feel before it starts turn the head, but if they're going up let them have their balance.

And always, get help from a trainer.

Thought I'd keep everyone updated on how we're doing. I've decided to go right back to ground work with Nell, using the Chris Irwin method, and I've invested in a dressage whip. So right now we are only trail walking, and Nelly has not even threatened to go up since I've started with the ground work. For now we are riding in the field only, when the weather is good, and she has not reared out there either. We're supposed to get 15 - 20 cm of snow on Monday, so that might put our progress on hold for a little while.

I watched a man who rehabilitated horses deal with one that reared during groundwork and when carrying a rider. He broke up half a dozen bales of straw, then put a strap/ring on each front leg with a long rope attached to each. He knew how to piss the horse off so it would rear. When it did so he quickly stepped to near it's hip and as the horse was coming down, just before his hooves would have hit the ground, the guy gave a mighty heave ho. It scared the crap out of the horse because for the first time his feet weren't underneath him. He stumbled and half fell. That was the last time the horse reared.

When I was 13 I got a QH/Arab mare who was awesome except when I tried to ride her on the trails alone. She was herd bound and would do the same thing. I did try circling her, using power poles to turn her around, get her trotting, etc... but she'd keep trying to rear. It was to the point where I couldn't even get her out the driveway when my dad got mad, got on, and did just this. It was a couple pretty darn hard hits... but I am now 24, that mare is 18, and the rearing problem has NEVER come back. She was passed down to my younger sister and has been an amazing horse ever since.

*shrugs*

I've also heard of bursting water balloons over their head when they rear. My mom's mare used to have a rearing problem and this worked for her.

However, I tried just dumping a cup of water on the head of a gelding who I rode as a kid lol because he kept rearing... didn't work

... obviously this is a very controversial thread lol.

If it were me, I'd try to just push her through the whoa and keep her moving and hope that she learned to get over it. Then I would try the water balloon trick. Then I'd hit her over the head. If those didn't solve the problem THEN I'd delve into deeper methods.. but if they work, great!

I find it pretty funny how some people can get so upset about things that have worked for others in the past. No method is 100% but I'm sure there are several that are worth trying until you find one that does work for you :)

Don't really see how people can say "oh such and such a method NEVER works"... when there are other people on the thread who have used the method with success.

Thought I'd keep everyone updated on how we're doing. I've decided to go right back to ground work with Nell, using the Chris Irwin method, and I've invested in a dressage whip. So right now we are only trail walking, and Nelly has not even threatened to go up since I've started with the ground work. For now we are riding in the field only, when the weather is good, and she has not reared out there either. We're supposed to get 15 - 20 cm of snow on Monday, so that might put our progress on hold for a little while.

That QH/Arab mare I talked about... we did the trail walking too, and she NEVER tried to go up. However after a couple weeks of just doing it on the ground I got back on and she went up as soon as we got out the driveway.

So, that said, I hope it works for you! Crazy you guys are getting so much snow, send it to the Yukon k?

329U569834NJGFVJ#$#@(*(TWNXHUASBJHASCB GLADLY!

Please never ever flip a horse over when they rear.. Just don't. Its way to dangerous and usually creates 100 more problems.

I highly recommend tapping them between the ears because they will think they will hit their head on something.

With my horses, if they rear I press on a certain part on their neck and they go right down and don't rear again. If I feel like they are going to rear I will press on that part of their neck and they settle down and the idea gets out of their head. Message me and I can show you a picture of where I press.