Rearing....HELP

How long have you had your stallion? Did you get a new horse or did one leave? Have there been any changes to your environment?

The rearing to me sounds like he is trying to assert dominance over you. Rearing and striking is something that stallions do when asserting themselves with other horses. I would be surprised if it were pain related. :) If you have had him for a long time and he has just started this, I agree with appyluver to see what might have changed with herd dynamics... new horse? Did a horse leave? Etc.

Regardless of what caused it, it must be stopped. (which you know ;) :) ) You must assert yourself as the most dominant horse in his eyes - no questions asked. :)

Good luck.

That doesn't sound like an experinced trainer to me.

Definitely sounds like a dominance thing to me too. Esp in the stall -- he figures it's his space and you're not to be there. I would do lots and lots of groundwork with him. Do some stuff that you know he doesn't like and work him work him work him until he does what you want. Each lesson might only be for one particular thing, but you would also be teaching him you are alpha.

One thing that helps IMO is to always, always, always have a "stick" -- riding crop length, just an extension of your arm. A crop won't do it because it's not stiff enough. I used an arrow shaft with a "bullet tip" on it. Not sharp, but pointy. Use that "stick" to tell him your space. If he comes toward you at any time without being asked, hold the stick out and touch him... if he continues to come forward, don't put the stick down - hold it and the harder he pushes the more pressure (leading to pain) he will feel.

Another idea -- if he's trying to strike -- if you can grab his leg, then YOU have his balance. I once held up a 1200 lb stallion by his hind leg and he either had to give in or fall. He gave in.

Remember YOU move into his space, not the other way around.

I once had a young draft stallion rear up and knock me down on the ground. Thankfully, at the moment I wasn't scared -- just mighty P-O'd so I grabbed his leg and thought "you bugger -you put me down, you can dang well pick me up if you're going to rear again and otherwise *I* have made contact!" Gotta admit, it took some doing to go back later that same day and deal with him though. I needed to gather my wits and be strong.

Good luck.

I'm still with AK's first post on this.

I agree with AK 100%

If you don't know how to deal with the horse rearing, then no offense (don't mean to be rude), but maybe you aren't ready to take on a stallion. Just because you have been working with horses for 11 years doesn't mean you are experienced enough to have a stallion.

I'm really sure your stallion did NOT rear out of fear OR of pain...it's dominance issue...ALL stallions have it (a dominance issue), but all the good well behaved stallions were taught that it isn't allowed. You let the stallion get away with it once and he'll try to take over with more force.

Stallions are unpredictable. You can't ride around a mare that's in heat....your stallion will go crazy. Stallions need alot of working and like AK said, needs a job.

Like AK said also, if your stallion isn't breeding quality, even if he's a great stallion, he'll make a great gelding. If you don't plan on breeding him, then why keep him as a stallion? He'll be just as happy and it will be safer for the both of you

Ay-men :)

I still think that doesn't sound like an experinced trainer to me.

neither do I

Let me try to put it a different way:
Stallions: They are what contributes to the horses we will have in the future. They MUST...no exceptions...MUST be the best of the best! They should have next to perfect conformation, and have a good LAID BACK attitude. No one is going to breed their mare with a stud with poor conformation or a horrible attitude because chances are, the foal will get some of those characteristics, and maybe both.

Are you planning on breeding him? If yes, does he have REALLY good conformation? His rearing, to me, does not make him sound like he has a good attitude, so I wouldn't want to put any mare of mine with him because of that.

You never said how old the stud was either....

We are not forcing you to gely him. We are just saying that gelding would solve all the problems you are having with him or will be having with him. The best of stallion can make the best of gelding. Your horse won't be unhappy because of it, nor will they miss their "studly-ness".
If I had your stallion, I'd geld him because of his attitude problem

This still bugs me a ton. I know I keep jumping back to it but. You are acting like we are attacking you. You asked you help, we told you, we are not insulting your intellegence. We do not know what you do outside Horseforum we did not know that you are a trainer or your experinced. From your first post you sounded like a bigger who was in over their head. And really, it still seems like you are.

Then why are you asking if you so experinced

Alright first off if your not breeding your horse. There is no reason why you should keep him a stallion. Stallions are the hardest to handle, why put yourself through that? Geld him, keep yourself from posting silly posts like this one where you ask for help then turn around and claim we are calling you stupid. Apparently we are telling you what you don't want to hear. If you don't want to hear it, then don't post about it.

Really, rearing is rearing. Wether is out of fright or not. There arn't really different types of rearing. Possibly your meaning dealing with rearing on a lower level meaning the horse really isn't rearing but poping up.

Horses don't rear for no reason. Wether they are defending themselves. Trying to hurt you, scared or testing you. They never rear just because.