# Cracking a egg on horses head.



## Kylee (Jul 18, 2011)

My grandpa used to tell me when a horse rears to crack a egg on its head while the horse is up then hold on for dear life. HE said if you do it the horse believes it cracked its head open and most of the time wont do it again. Anyone ever had success with this method or any comments on it?


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

HI, Kylee, and welcome to the forum! 

I sincerely hope you're asking this question out of curiousity, not because you're currently riding a rearer! 

I believe this method is an urban legend, or in your case "grandpa lore." 
There's a variation of smashing a water balloon instead, with the same principle of making the horse think it's smashed it's head and is bleeding.

I can't imagine getting on a horse with something as fragile as an egg or a water balloon, waiting until the horse reared, and then having the balance and agility to smash it and break it between the horse's ears at exactly the right time at the top of the rear. 

In theory, I think the method would work. If you caught the horse at the top of the rear, and he believed he has smacked his head himself, I think that would provide some disincentive to rear again. In reality, I think it would be incredibly difficult to execute successfully. 

If you are actually dealing with a horse that rears, I would 1.) get some professional help and 2.) spend my time and energy figuring out the underlying issues that caused the rear.


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## themacpack (Jul 16, 2009)

Yes, what maura said.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

I've seen those "bleeding" tricks go from a rear to going over backwards because the horse flipped his head back instead of dropping it.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I couldn't get my timing right and I got him on the side on the downward portion of the rear and then it didn't really crack well and I think it was more on the side of his head and not the top. (that was like 20 years ago). 

I think in theory it could potentially work but the timing is really hard. Holding on, leaning forward, releasing the hands and then getting the object up over the head and coming down all in a matter of seconds. I hit him on the head quite a few times going up and it never seemed to stop him...

BUT... when I got my new horse trailer (I went from a 1970 stock quarter horse trailer - tiny) to an oversized aluminum. It has high cielings and the first time I put him in that trailer he reared. He hit his head heard enough to make it bleed and THAT has kept his rears much much lower. He'll still do it but not dangerously high anymore....

If you are riding a rearer... I suggest you send it to a trainer or sell it....


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

I've heard of people trying it but I'd NEVER do it myself. Horse is already hot, I wouldn't add the egg thing on top of it so the horse would lose the mind completely. Plus (as with everything) this technique wouldn't work on every horse and can make things much much worse.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

There was a very long thread about this not so long ago and most folks took the tack that it's too hard to actually execute . I agree. But some folks had actually done this successfully. must be some kind of acrobats!


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## arashowjumper (Apr 28, 2011)

an egg on a rearing horse.... umm careful you might get scrambled lol..
i dont think it would actually be done in the proper time


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## Horse Poor (Aug 20, 2008)

IMHO, Horses aren't stupid. They know you are doing the cracking and not hitting their head on some imaginary ceiling and bleeding. With some horses, all whacking between the ears does is teach them to twist when they rear to avoid the whack they know is coming. The best thing to do is recognize when a horse is thinking about rearing and keep the horse moving so he doesn't have the option to rear. But if I miss that opportunity and they do rear, I'll force them down by leaning/throwing myself forward. As long as you don't lean back the only option they have is to put their front feet back on the ground. Sometimes I'll stick my finger in their ear when I lean forward…doesn't hurt them but they don't like it and does untrack/surprise some well enough that I can get them over *whatever* set them off and onto thinking about something else.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

I heard this too. Here is my experience with a rearing horse.

I bought a really nice weanling (not weaned yet) and so they proceeded to wean her. She was (of course) upset at losing Mom and the stall she was confined to had dutch doors with no top door (I HATE dutch doors in a barn for a variety of reasons). 

The upshot of all this is the filly tried to come over the door so they nailed a board across the entry. All was find and dandy until they decided to take her out of the stall.. and were too lazy to remove the board. As she was being led under the board, she riased her head and hit the board.. and a miniature rodeo insued. 

The end result was a very young filly who would rear to 'find' the top every time she was lead thru an opening. She would also rear if you touched her ears. 

IMO touching a horse's head when it is rearing or raising its head can actually make things much much worse. Eventually this filly was trained and did not rear but it was always there.. and if you led her thru an opening (or.. more dangerous.. rode her thru an opening) she was apt to raise her head and consider rearing to 'find' that board, just like she did as a weanling. 

I have heard the egg thing, the water baloon thing.. and some other much more cruel things. Ultimately, rearing is an evasion. It needs to be dealt with like any other evasion.. train the horse to do a different behavior when you see or feel the rear coming on. 

Whenever I hear of a quick fix in horse training I am skeptical. There are no quick fixes training a horse (or retraining a horse).


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## kywalkinghorse2010 (Dec 9, 2010)

I have tried this a couple of times, but it has never EVER worked for me. The horse has always been way too smart and unless the horse actually hit his head on something and is bleeding, 9 times out of 10 it won't work. The horse has to be extremely dumb in order for it to work. I agree that your best bet would be to figure out the underlying issues as to why the horse would be rearing in the first place. Most horses just don't rear for no reason.


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## FoxyRoxy1507 (Jul 15, 2008)

ive heard it work before but the method i always used was to push the horse forward. ive heard other people use a crop and when the horse came up to rear it hit the crop btwn its ears


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## pintophile (May 18, 2011)

I think that instead of carrying an egg or water balloon with you while you ride and concentrating on getting the timing right to crack it on the horse's poll, your energy is better spent finding the reason the horse is rearing in the first place.


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## BoxT (Jul 17, 2011)

The following is not aimed at anyone on this thread, just a general comment.

There is *never ever *a short cut to good training. There are no quick fixes *-period, never have been and never will.* New bits, saddles or meds cannot possibly take the place of good quality training. When there is a problem poor training always shows through. Education is the only way to have a better horse. Find a good trainer and get the problems fixed. For people who can't afford a trainer -- you simply can't afford a horse. I expect to ruffle a few feathers with that last statement but sometimes truth hurts.


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## LuvMyPerlinoQH (Jun 21, 2011)

My filly when I got her was previously untouched and the day before I got her they halter broke her and did god only knows what to her when I went to look at her she was ok leading had no manners which I expected but upon trailer loading began rearing I got her home and she would rear upon the thought of pressure she'd go straight up I started every time she went up driving her forward I'd lunge her until she sweat pretty good what she needed was someone with a little horse knowledge and a leader she was eager to please just didnt know how I showed her how and gave her a firm leader she is thriving moving along so well hasnt reared since the day after I got her its been over a month and trust me I put the pressure on to see if she will go up and she hasnt even attempted it.


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