[EveningShadows]

We've been working on her rearing trick and apparently she needs more work on the cue. She's taken to eating the piece of carrot and going up before I ask her to...so I ignore it and wait til she quits, ask her to bow or something to take her mind off of UP, and then go back to it! It was working well yesterday but Moki got a video of her rearing without cue anyway! Couple pics for you guys too!

She's gotten alot more controlled about her rears now

Going a bit higher too

This was one I didn't ask for so I walked into her to get her down...

Pretty pony

She makes it look effortless

FAVORITEST PIC EVER!!! She's started to kinda paw with her front legs, totally high ho silver style!

Good pony

This one's a favorite too

AND, I finally got her to rear on cue without the lead rope!

Couple trotting pics

Too bad she couldn't move like this when I rode her...

Oh and the video...bratty mare!


Please refrain from calling me names and saying I'm a bad horse trainer because she's gotten confused about her cue...like the video states, she's 18, retired, and she'll be with me til she died and I can say that honestly. I'm never selling this horse so she'll NEVER be a danger to anyone else, and we're working on the cue...nothing is perfect when you first teach it, it needs fine tuning.

 

[AnnaLover]

That's really cool! How did you teach her how to rear? I'm looking into teaching my mare some tricks. If you don't mind, I'd love to know how you taught her to bow, too!

 

[jesredneck98]

I am glad to see that you you put a disclaimer on what you are trying to do. I see so many people that do this to thier horses or teach them other tricks that really screw them up while they are being rode. I don't know how to help you with teaching her how to do it more on command but good luck and hope it works out for you.

 

[Klassic Superstar]

Very cool pictures!

 

[omgpink]

So awesome!

 

[paintluver]

That is so cool, I wanna teach Romeo how to rear, but I am afraid I would screw something up...

 

[EveningShadows]

I actually bought her already knowing how to rear under saddle...light tug upwards on the reins and touch her with both legs and up she'd go! I stopped asking her to do it for the 7 years I used her as my riding horse, but now that she's retired I figured there was no harm in some trick training! I got her honed up on her under saddle rear, but bareback in a halter instead of full tack, then asked her to rear with a ground cue. She knew the word UP so all I had to do was give a body language cue. Didn't take her long, maybe 3 training sessions?

As for the bow, we're still working on that one! She's quite flexable and can snatch the carrot right out of my hand without going down on her knee so not sure yet how we're going to get past that one...but I'm working on it! So far I'm just asking her to rock back and stretch down. Baby steps!

As a sidenote - if you already think you will "screw it up" and might not have this horse for it's entire life, don't teach it. It's a hard thing to unteach and if you don't have a solid cue, it could get someone hurt. I'd start your trick training with something a little easier and safer like smiling or bowing.

 

[kevinshorses]

I don't think walking into her is a very safe way to let her know she shouldn't have reared. In the picture you are in a very bad position.

 

[SmoothTrails]

I knew a girl that had a problem rearer. She taught hima cue, and he finally stopped rearing...lol. She made it a cue that wouldn't be used riding, and since his was to try to get him to quit rearing when he wasn't supposed to she didn't actually use it much once he learned it. It was one of those that once she made it work he wasn't interested.

Its an interesting thing to do when working with a retired horse that will never leave you, but if I had a horse I was ever thinking of selling I wouldn't do it unless he was going to have a variety of trick training so that people might actually do something with it later. It would also mean you would need to be more picky about future owners. (I know this doesn't apply in this situation, but with others it may)

 

[EveningShadows]

My version of "walking into her" is getting to her shoulder and making her circle me when she lands, although I did word that dumb and the camera did catch a bad angle. I promise I'm not hopping under her feet to get after her, just making it easier for her to wait for the cue than to up and rear before I ask. That involves no carrot treat and a bit of work when she comes down...waiting for the cue is what gets the carrot! We'll see how she does tomorrow...but I'll be out alone so won't be able to get pictures, but I'll update how she's doing. Might start on asking her to smile too!

And yes, I totally understand about training a potential for sale horse to rear and I completely agree - shouldn't be done unless you know what you're doing and know how to work with the horse. But I'll never sell Cinder, she's my #1. If I had to choose one of my 2 horses, I'm sorry, but I'd sell Eve even though Cinder's retired as a riding horse. Since she's retired, I'm not overly concerned about her doing these tricks under saddle or anything and I have time to perfect them and learn them with her. There's no rush so I'm opting to take my time and find a way that works for both of us.

 

[gypsygirl]

great pics !!! i would love to teach my boy to rear, but too many inexperienced riders & kids ride him so i think that would be a bad idea...

 

[ChingazMyBoy]

Great pictures! I'd teach Chinga to rear, but he loves to please and would do it without cue.