# Rearing - when it gets too much



## Winters Edge (Jan 2, 2020)

Hello, this is my first post on this forum. I'm am an adult amateur dressage rider with 20 years riding experience - most of that leasing horses and the past 5 years owning.

Love my mare but she has been difficult and I've definitely learned a lot in the past 5 years. She is a 17 h warmblood, 16 years old, and her default when she says no is to rear. 

I work with trainers but nothing has gotten rid of the rear completely and she always has it in her book of tricks.

The rearing terrifies me and even though she does not go up very high, I think she would go over backwards if I got harsh with her. Getting mad at her or stern makes things 100% worse. She will not submit but will check out and try to run away from the situation.

Expensive horse, super athletic, hard working and has lovely moments under saddle. Sweet on the ground and I've bonded with her.

At what point do you say enough is enough with a horse and put them down?


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

If she's that good of a horse, except for the rearing, maybe you could sell her to a trainer? It would be an easier decision than putting her to sleep. Also, if you can afford it, and she's great on the ground, could you keep her as a pasture pet?

I think that if a horse scares you, and you become afraid to ride because of that horse, and the trainers you're working with can't fix it, then it might be time to move on.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

My 8 year old TB is a rearer. She's the same, it comes from getting upset and overwhelmed. She DOES go up fairly high, to the point of it being unseating.

You HAVE to teach the horse a good one rein stop. They CAN rear with their nose on your boot, but not if you're also pushing the hindquarter over. One rein stop is best employed when the horse is only threatening to rear, because if they're already up you risk pulling them over sideways. 

If you're scared of her and have the money to do it, retire her to pasture. Don't pass on a rearing problem to someone else. It IS dangerous. However, if they're not flipping, it CAN be dealt with.


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## Winters Edge (Jan 2, 2020)

blue eyed pony said:


> My 8 year old TB is a rearer. She's the same, it comes from getting upset and overwhelmed. She DOES go up fairly high, to the point of it being unseating.
> 
> You HAVE to teach the horse a good one rein stop. They CAN rear with their nose on your boot, but not if you're also pushing the hindquarter over. One rein stop is best employed when the horse is only threatening to rear, because if they're already up you risk pulling them over sideways.
> 
> If you're scared of her and have the money to do it, retire her to pasture. Don't pass on a rearing problem to someone else. It IS dangerous. However, if they're not flipping, it CAN be dealt with.


I know the one rein stop well and use it and yes I push the hind over as well. It works to prevent the rear but she get super upset and spooky after getting into trouble. Very sensitive and feeds off my fear like crazy.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Winters Edge said:


> I know the one rein stop well and use it and yes I push the hind over as well. It works to prevent the rear but she get super upset and spooky after getting into trouble. Very sensitive and feeds off my fear like crazy.


My girl too. The trick is not to do it angrily. Be as calm as you possibly can. It's hard when you're afraid! But the more calmly you handle it, the less of an issue it becomes both mentally and in actuality. Basically, treat it like it's just another thing you're asking for, and use it to prevent the rear. That way she's not in trouble, so she won't be as stressed. 

Every time I just calmly one-rein-stop and move on, my mare settles. If I get mad or frustrated or frightened, stopping her from rearing is an hours-long endeavour.


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

I have had 6 horses that reared badly over the years. I fixed them differently depending on why and how they reared. For most normal horses that rear, what seemed to work best was just "wet saddle pads", just a lot of quiet calm riding.

Since part of my joust show included asking my horse to rear, I taught a lot of horses to rear that did not rear. They never gave me a problem, but doing all that rearing in shows made me quite comfortable with rearing, which you are not. So it is different.

When my daughter was 3 years old, I bought a rearer for her. I knew she wasn't old enough to do anything but do pony rides, being led around for a couple of years, and I hoped I could get her pony going nicely by the time she was ready to really ride him. He was easy. He just needed time, love, a bit and saddle that actually fit him, and just lots of quiet riding.

My most interesting rearer was Isabeau, a horse I still have now. She has come so far from her terrible days of rearing and hurling herself to the ground in a rage, that now days she babysits beginners and she is really good with terrified riders. She wants to be in charge, and is happiest when she can be. I bought her knowing she was a serious dangerous rearer, but I figured with all my experience, I could get her out of it. It was a long loooong hard road, but she is a dream horse now. If you are interested, her story is here.
https://www.horseforum.com/member-journals/isabeau-psychomare-diva-queen-637890/

My last bad rearer was easily fixed by spinning him. (If I'd tried to spin Isabeau, she'd have come over on me). He was a bad rearer when I got him, and I tried spinning him, but he'd just rear the minute we stopped spinning. I called my friend Erica, who is an amazing horse trainer and asker her if she would help me fix this lovely horse and get him to stop rearing. She said, "Just spin him." I said, "I do, but he just starts rearing again when we quit." She said, "_You are going to have to spin him for 50 minutes_:eek_color: Whoa, what???? 50 minutes is a VERY long time! She said, "Oh, you can do it. I know you can." It didn't take 50 minutes, but it fixed him very quickly. Within a week, I could ride him anywhere. Now days, he is amazing.

Six rearing horses. Six different things I did to fix them. Each horse is unique. Also, it didn't scare me, which is a big thing to throw in the mix. Keep us posted on what you decide.


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## DanteDressageNerd (Mar 12, 2015)

knightrider- I love that photo! You're gorgeous and looks amazing!!

Lots of dressage riders have been on since I've left :lol: my how things change.

Presuming you've eliminated physical reasons. Do you know much about her history? I've known quite a few dressage horses to develop habits from their training life. I used to have to re-train dressage horses from other trainers and some were so mentally gone they had to change disciplines or came with funny habits. I had a mare who always had a running lip because the trainer she came from, though a GP rider always creates horses with strange mouth issues. Another horse I took lessons on came from her, I schooled PSG-I1 on that horse but he'd occasionally stick his tongue out of his mouth and we never had that totally solved but over time it got better. I've known a few with psychological and emotional damage and sometimes they're too far gone. Mares tend to hold onto those sort of wounds more than geldings. But I've also encountered a lot of dressage horses who might have shown a high level but they dont really understand their job. They've been made to do something and do movements but they don't really "understand." It's hard to explain.

And horses who are used to being pressured or have had knowledgeable but forceful riders can be more defensive. I rode a gelding who had been in training with an olympic dressage rider and he came back with all kinds of weird defenses. He and I got along really well, I never had a problem but he bucked off other riders and I heard would rear but I never saw or experienced it.I remember he always needed to feel like he was getting away with something. I always asked, I never told. I approached him as could you do this for me? I always had to accept "less" quality from him, in exchange for his willingness to comply. Couldnt make him do anything. I think other riders saw the talent and pushed him so much that he just wasnt willing to play that game anymore. 

Ive also known horses who are emotionally sensitive and the wrong "ask" triggers it. I ride a mare who has never offered to go up on me but I've seen her go up on other riders because they didnt approach her right. I can put pressure on her but I do it in a way where she feels she has a voice. People dont talk about mental riding or how mental pressure impacts horses, some horses are emotionally sensitive respond very strongly to your mental approach with them and how you "phrase" the aids to them. When I ride I always start with my mental intent and emotion, then I position and then the aids. 

I tried explaining once how to use energy to create or close off energy in the horse but I think that tends to be like trying to explain a color to a blind person. But the concept can help with emotionally sensitive horses. I rode a mare who if someone did not understand how to use their energy and mind to ride, she would just stand or back up until that mental connection was made, then she was lovely.

Though it could also be she's learned that rearing gets her her way, it's hard to say without seeing video or knowing her personally. But I do not think it's something that requires euthanasia. Have you done in hand work with her? How is she on the ground? Have you tried playing a game of where her line of discomfort is? At what point does she resist and to what kinds of questions? Like when I get on a new horse, I dont just jump in. I ask the horse "questions" How much to move laterally, how much to go forward, how much to rein back, how much to halt. I usually do turns on the forehand to feel the movement of the hind end and how much they understand crossing the inside hind to the outside rein. 

I've worked with a few rearers, most I've been able to stop altogether but I had one who was a half arabian-warmblood and he was rearer. I was at his birth. He was broke by a cowboy. He scared me when he went up because he was mean, he could have killed me and not cared. He did it with everyone, Im not sure the reason or what happened to him. I thought I had it solved for a while and he was going pretty well, then I remember gathering the reins and he leaped up in the air twisting buck threw me into the wall and missed kicked my head in by a few cms. It was so close. My friend whose a very good cowboy type worked with him for a while and he never sorted through it either. Another trainer tried and no luck but he had a meanness in him. 

I had another I developed who was a trakehner I rode as a 4 and 5yr old and he was sensitive but very straight forward and good. He went to a trainer who'd ridden PSG and fancies herself the only "correct" trainer but he came back from her rearing, bolting and super spooky. Im not sure what she did because when I was riding him, his amateur owner felt safe on him *Shrugs* 

I had one the spinning solved the rearing. He used to go up on a loose rein because I closed my thighs and asked him to halt. When he learned to leg yield and if I didnt release in the right timing, he'd rear. The spinning fixed that with him and he stopped altogether. 

My horse is a special case, he usually doesnt but sometimes he's like no way lady. :blueunicorn: An example would be I was riding medium down a long side and asked to shoulder in, he dropped back and didnt want to push through his body. So I put both legs on and he went up. I laughed so hard because it was pretty funny, did a 10m circle and asked again and he was like oh right. Or another time we were doing an extended trot and I closed my hip angle and hand, held my core asking him to come back and he went up and bunny hopped forward :lol: with him I've learned to just have a sense of humor and move on.

If you have video, you're free to PM me.


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

I personally don't think euthanasia is the answer for a horse that does a low rear. I understand she is scaring you, and you need help. 

My horse that reared a lot I corrected by spinning also. We did this so much, he eventually would start to go up and spin himself!! A whole other issue to resolve :rofl: 

One thing to keep in mind, rearing can not happen very easy if the horse is moving. Turning is your friend, but not sharp turns of course. Focus on only using one rein out to the side, and give with the other. 

Rearing is the one time when the order is different, release one rein, then add leg. 

May we ask what level you are riding at?


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## SteadyOn (Mar 5, 2017)

What, exactly, triggers the rear? What is she saying no to?

How much pressure is she under during your rides? Is she always being asked to collect, to hold herself, to go a certain way -- or does she ever go out for laid back, fun, relaxed rides that aren't primarily about training?


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

SteadyOn said:


> What, exactly, triggers the rear? What is she saying no to?
> 
> How much pressure is she under during your rides? Is she always being asked to collect, to hold herself, to go a certain way -- or does she ever go out for laid back, fun, relaxed rides that aren't primarily about training?


This. Her behavior is telling you she's avoiding something. What is she doing that triggers the rear? What is she trying to avoid or get away from?


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

*"The rearing terrifies me and even though she does not go up very high, I think she would go over backwards if I got harsh with her. Getting mad at her or stern makes things 100% worse. She will not submit but will check out and try to run away from the situation."

AND

"Very sensitive and feeds off my fear like crazy."*

I think you've said it all in those 2 sentences. 

It doesn't matter if the rear is low or high, it's scaring the fire right out of you. Eventually it will scare you to the point you no longer will ride. You already don't want to correct her because she has challenged you in the past and will fight you on being corrected. Sell the mare and disclose every single thing she does that's making you sell her. Yes, you'll take a financial hit on her price because of all that, but if she's otherwise well trained, athletic and does most things well, then someone will be willing to work with her to get rid of the rear. 

It doesn't matter what she's evading, and I agree she is evading something, if you're not able to work through the rear and the tantrum that will accompany it so you can persuade her that rearing is not in her best interest, then it's time to let her go to someone who can/will. You'll take a financial hit but not nearly as much as if you just put her down (which it doesn't sound like she needs to be PTS to me, not yet anyhow).


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## Horsef (May 1, 2014)

I’d sell her as well. If she’s that good, she will find a good home with someone who can deal with it. I mean, Valegro has been known to rear and that hasn’t stopped him taking over the world. No need to put this particular horse down, I don’t think, but you need to choose the buyer carefully and sell with full disclosure. I would drastically cut the price for the right buyer.


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## Winters Edge (Jan 2, 2020)

How do I send a private message with a video clip?


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## Feathers7 (Jun 11, 2019)

Upload your video to YouTube or pop it in Dropbox. Get a link for the video and "copy" (ctrl + c) the link. Then come back to the forums, and back your thread here. Find the "username" of the person you want to send your video to -- (when each person posts, their username is on the left in green.) Click on the username, and then click on 'send a private message to _____.' ... A new area will appear, where you can type up a message and send it. Simply "paste" your video link in the private message, and send it off. Voila!


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Winters Edge said:


> How do I send a private message with a video clip?


I think you have to have 10 posts before you can send private messages.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

I agree with Dante and all she said about rearing. 

I had a warmblood mare come to me. I knew nothing about her and to cut a long story short she attacked me when in the field. We came to an agreement over that one - she didn't go for me again. 

I worked with her and asked the owner if I could rode her, she hadn't been ridden for over a year. When I rode her into the field she started to rear, not baby rears but straight up. She was a pro, knew how far to go without flipping. 

I did nothing, just went forward when she went up. She stood there for several minutes going straight up. Then she realised that I wasn't afraid, that she was getting way more tired than me and wanted to go forward. I made her wait until I wanted her to move. 

Honestly I couldn't ride one side of that mare, she was so sensitive. I was getting movements I didn't think I was asking for. 

As she was so unfit she was soon in a muck sweat. I took her out and decided to ride her around the block to cool off (about a mile) I then realised that this mare had not been ridden out and about very much. She was so startled by drains, road markings and other normal everyday things one passes on a hack. Although she was not sure, she never once tried to rear. 

I found out that she had been bought as a dressage horse, only ever worked in an arena and finally had a total breakdown and fought back before she was ridden. 

I rode her daily, always out and about, laughed at her amazement at new things, one farm we rode through there was a drainage ditch with a metal cover over it, all of 9inches wide. She thought Old Nick lived in there and was totally uncertain about stepping over it. She finally jumped it, about 4' high over it. I was laughing as she did so, patted her turned and after going back and forth over it she was fine. 

She learned that Riding could be fun, going out with other horses and having a bit of a race, jumping obstacles, being allowed to slop along, (as in me stretching my legs out the stirrups and her on a loose rein) walking through puddles and streams. 

She never once offered to rear with me. 

I sold her for her owner, she went Show jumping and made a good grade, loving it. 

The video shows the action I took. This rider is exceptional in the way he deals with problems with racehorses and if you look you will see that he is riding without stirrups so if the horse did go over he could easily bail out.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

You are braver than me. While 'm not afraid of a horse that does small rears, or as I call them temper pops, I will not get on a rearer. When I was a youth, I saw a girl get killed by a horse who went over backwards on her. It all happened in a split-second. It was in that moment that I saw myself as very infallible. I gave up a free, multiple point AQHA earner horse that developed a random habit of throwing himself over backwards, even though he was going to be sent to someone who's supposedly could get him over the vice. Nothing will ever shake that vision in my mind of that girl laying on the driveway with blood coming out of her ears.


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

This morning I rode with a neighbor who buys horses from kill pens as a hobby, gets them riding nicely and finds homes for them. She is retired and enjoys doing that. She has an amazing eye for horses, or maybe a sixth sense, but she gets some lovely horses and people are happy to buy the horses she comes up with. But sometimes she keeps the horse.

And the horse she rode with me this morning was one of her kill pen discoveries. He is an Appaloosa who does the cutest little smooth gait called the "Indian Shuffle". Really attractive nicely put together little appy. I wondered how that horse ended up in a kill pen, and my friend said when he arrived at her place, he reared when he didn't want to do something.

She took a pvc pipe and bopped him on the head when he'd start to go up. After 3 days of that, he hasn't reared since. I've never had a rearer who either needed that or would tolerate it, so I've never tried it. It certainly worked for this horse!


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## Jolly101 (Jul 2, 2018)

Have you tried sending her off to a trainer capable of fixing a rearer? I think you will need to have someone who is confident in corrections and to eventually help you deal with it yourself. That, or sell her to a very competent rider with full disclosure that was previously suggested. Selling her might be the better option in your case. However, depending on your location, you may have to send her away to a trainer and then sell, if there is no one willing to buy her as she is.


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## Winters Edge (Jan 2, 2020)

Thank you all for your comments. I'm still processing sorry for not replying yet. 

I rode again this weekend and had the goal of just walking on her for a few minutes quietly. I did half an hour of groundwork until she seemed calm and focusing on me before I got on. 

She was quiet at first but when the other horses started trotting in the ring she started to act up. At first she was just tense, like sitting on a tightly wound spring about to explode. I could not take up contact because her head was in the air. When I asked her to lower her head she would shake her head and start jigging. She threw a couple of minor spooks but after about 15 minutes I was able to put my leg on and move her body around a bit at walk. She eventually lowered her head and took contact but was still super tense. There was a loud noise (chainsaw at farm next door) and she used it as an excuse to pop her head back up and spook. When I asked her for head back down she reared. Not very high just hopped up and down a couple of times about 2 feet off the ground. I STAYED ON and did not get off as I usually would and continued to walk and do a bit of leg yield, etc. She did not go up again after that and when she relaxed I praised her and got off.

To me it feels like she has LOADS of pent up energy like a bomb about to explode. I don't know how to help her get rid of that energy other than lunging the snot out of her. We do not have a safe place to lunge since everything is under water


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## Redj (Jan 1, 2020)

So I have 5 year old QH that developed a rearing problem during his 4 year old year and even flipped over twice with me, thankfully I was able to feel it coming and jump out of the way. I fixed it by obviously eliminating any type of medical condition/pain. Then I decided that instead of ignoring the problem ( I.E. getting off when I thought a rear was coming or avoiding his triggers) I went searching for triggers after a shot of tequila to take my edge off lol. I went back to a snaffle bit and if he even thought about rearing I put him to work by bringing his head to my knee and putting him in tight circles until he literally couldn’t do anymore, then making him do more to the other side. Then walk on quietly until he tried it again and repeat. I know it sounds drastic and abusive, but rearing is a drastic problem and it was I fix it or put him down. I was literally saving this horses life. It took about 3 days and some really really wet saddle pads, but now he’s super quiet even though I spend a majority of my weekday rides looking for stuff to set him off or that might spook him into a rear. I’ve since used this on a couple spooky horses and it’s worked. I let them basically spook or bolt to where you want, but when we get to where you thought was safe I’m going to work the crap out of you, then you can walk back to the spooky object quietly and rest. My point is it can be fixed but it’s going to take work and determination


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## 281187 (Sep 19, 2019)

*Rearing - when it gets too much?* 

I'd say -Barring any physical issues that may be causing the horse to rear out of pain- _just once_. 


You're terrified of this horse. You don't have the ability to fix whatever her problem is (I'd say she needs an attitude adjustment!). 

So sell her to somebody who isn't afraid and can train it out of her and buy yourself a nice, calm horse who _doesn't_ rear.


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## AtokaGhosthorse (Oct 17, 2016)

I can't diagnose the reason the horse is rearing - because I'm not there, able to see the entire big picture. Horses rear for a lot of reasons. 



What would seal the deal for me is the answer to this question: Is the horse making a conscious decision to rear in order to scare you so bad you get down, or even to go over backwards to get rid of a rider?

If rearing but it's reactive and out of fear or anxiety, I'd work on keeping the horse moving forward and keeping their feet going so they can't post up and stand up. Would also make sure they aren't trying to answer a question I didn't realize I was asking with the reins, or trying to get away from a bit that causes issues (Trigger)

If rearing because the person on the horse is provoking the horse and the horse hates them because he realizes they're a worthless pile of dog poo: Horse stays, person goes and does not come back on my place. (Supes)

If rearing because they will not tolerate a rider or learned to scare the bejeesus out of a person to get rid of them: Horse is outta here, on the first bus out of town. (Sally)


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

Winters Edge said:


> Thank you all for your comments. I'm still processing sorry for not replying yet.
> 
> I rode again this weekend and had the goal of just walking on her for a few minutes quietly. I did half an hour of groundwork until she seemed calm and focusing on me before I got on.
> 
> ...


Something I have frequently noticed, is mares (generally) are more likely to pop their head up to look at something. It can be aggravating, but IME the key to changing this behavior is to keep the mind busy. Also tip the nose away from the scary thing, and ride past. 


IME it is better to turn or tip the head, instead of asking for the head down. 


Leg yield and other lateral movements can be very good to keep the horse's mind busy. 


YAY for staying on and riding thru the resistance!! This will build your confidence, and hers too. Keep her mind busy, and please do not try to "tire her out" by lunging. Doing that will just make a fitter horse, not a tired one that won't try a resistance. 


Focus on turning, moving forward, and not trying to keep the head down.


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## Winters Edge (Jan 2, 2020)

AnitaAnne said:


> Something I have frequently noticed, is mares (generally) are more likely to pop their head up to look at something. It can be aggravating, but IME the key to changing this behavior is to keep the mind busy. Also tip the nose away from the scary thing, and ride past.
> 
> 
> IME it is better to turn or tip the head, instead of asking for the head down.
> ...


I wish I could send you a video clip of what she does. I just happen to have a clip of her doing it in a dressage test. 

What you say makes sense in not trying to work her head down and to move it to the side instead. I will definitely remember that. I find security in her taking contact and when she does not I feel out of control because she is so behind my leg. I'm worried about sending her forward into a trot because then she has the momentum to bolt across the ring. 

She never rears to get me off and has never tried to dump me in the 5 years I've owned her. Even at a dead bolt spook on a trail once she kept me with her. I realize this is probably my problem and not so much the horse but it is scary regardless LOL.

In warmer weather I have the BEST horse. I can really get into her and she does not give me any trouble in the summer usually.


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## Horsef (May 1, 2014)

Winters Edge said:


> In warmer weather I have the BEST horse. I can really get into her and she does not give me any trouble in the summer usually.


You know, a lot of people don’t ride during the winter. It might be a solution if you don’t want to part with her. You can just lunge her and do groundwork to keep your connection.


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

Winters Edge said:


> I wish I could send you a video clip of what she does. I just happen to have a clip of her doing it in a dressage test.
> 
> What you say makes sense in not trying to work her head down and to move it to the side instead. I will definitely remember that. I find security in her taking contact and when she does not I feel out of control because she is so behind my leg. I'm worried about sending her forward into a trot because then she has the momentum to bolt across the ring.
> 
> ...


Would love to see a video!! 

Can just post it to YouTube (start a channel if you don't have one) and then paste the link here.

My Arab/percheron gelding *hated* the cold weather and was definitely more spunky then!


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

I'd also like to see a video!

Different situatuion here, but my mare started to rear (only on the ground, never in the saddle) last year. She would do it because she just wasn't understanding, & I was working her in an open space (didn't have a roundpen at the time), so she would take advantage a little bit. She also hated the whip, I soon found out! It was really more me, than her. She was feeding off of my energy, because I'd get frustrated when she'd go up, but I had to learn not to get like that.

Before me, she was never lunged. Never really introduced properly to a whip (she had some bad experiences with them actually). If I got firmer with her after she reared, it would make it 10x worse. She wasn't being 'bad', she just didn't understand & was frustrated, so she reacted by rearing. Never tried to get on top of me or anything malicious. So, I learned to just stay calm, & not really react when she rears. Couldn't get angry, couldn't get frustrated. Only made things worse. 

I did end up getting some help from a trainer, but I also had to work on it myself -she hasn't done it since. Not once. It was me.

I had to go back a few steps, & desensitize her a bit with the whip, because she was very wary of it (also part of why she reacted the way she did). She didn't understand the aids with the whip, therefore she reacted (by rearing). Now? She doesn't rear anymore & she doesn't mind the whip. It took awhile to get to that point though. 

As hard is it is, try to stay calm when she gets like that - we cannot feed off their energy, we have to stay calm. It's definitely not easy. It sounds like she doesn't like winter either! :lol: They can definitely become more energetic in the winter/cold weather. Give her the winters off if you think it's doable. Up to you. My mare personally needs consistent work, so I work her all year-round, but everyone is different. It may help you both if you just do simple stuff with her in the winter, then go back to your normal routine come spring/summer.  Whatever works!


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## 3Horses2DogsandaCat (Apr 19, 2016)

"To me it feels like she has LOADS of pent up energy like a bomb about to explode. I don't know how to help her get rid of that energy other than lunging the snot out of her. We do not have a safe place to lunge since everything is under water " 






With a horse that has a lot of nervous energy at the beginning of a ride (especially with a rearer), I like to start out with lots of circles, figure-eights and changes of direction. That helps them to release some of that energy while still being under control, and it seems to naturally lower their head without you specifically asking for it.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

I want to add, that keeping their brain busy is SO important. Keep them busy, busy busy.


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## Winters Edge (Jan 2, 2020)

Hopefully the link works. This is a clip form a training level test. Cold and wet in April. Before this we walked for an hour and another half hour in the warmup ring so she should have been tired. Got a 61 on this test and had a perfectly behaved horse on the second test and got at 69.

This demonstrates the tension we deal with. I know my riding looks stiff and tense here - I was trying to survive after bolting and rearing in the warmup 

What do you all think?


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## 281187 (Sep 19, 2019)

Winters Edge said:


> Hopefully the link works.


The link didn't work for me.



Winters Edge said:


> What do you all think?


I think that you need to say goodbye to this horse and sell her. You aren't happy riding her, that's reason enough.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Link didn't work, maybe it's on private? Try changing it to public?


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Need to set it to public but I agree with Pahsimeroifuzzy. You don't have to justify selling a horse to anyone. We have them for our entertainment and enjoyment. When we have neither, it's time to move them on and find one who gives us what we seek. This is supposed to be relaxing and fun.


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## NSpoolstra (Sep 12, 2012)

I have been riding since I was 8 years old, and I just turned 63. I bought a horse two years ago and spent the summer of 18 and 19 riding him on the trail. He's a 1/2 Arab, 1/2 Quarter Thoroughbred. He was 5 when I bought him. He was bred to be a show ring performance horse. He had a year of work, sat for a while, then another year with my young trainer. I bought him from my trainer, kind of on a whim, but not without thought. Not long after I bought him, my fiance came into my life. He loves to ride, so he got my awesome Arab while I started putting trail miles on Finn. Since my Arab, Kadeen, had also been a show horse, I was confident that I could build a relationship with Finn and get him happy on the trails as well. The plan was to get Finn settled on the trail and then Alan would ride him and I'd get my buddy back.

In the arena, Finn's first line of defense for "I don't WANT to" was to back up. Occasionally he'd come up a few inches off the ground. He pulled that on my trainer. She felt like he "wasn't committed" to it and wouldn't go over, that it was a bluff. Mostly in the arena, though, it was back up.

On the trail the first summer, I didn't ask for him to be in front. We just worked on going where I pointed him. We had SEVERAL episodes of going up. It IS unnerving. I don't want a crushed pelvis... Initially, I got off of him and moved his feet. I wasn't comfortable pushing him while riding him at that point. By the end of that first summer, my anger and frustration over his temper tantrums trumped my fear, and one day I just grabbed my popper and let him have it. He was shocked but went FORWARD where I directed him. I had to repeat it immediately but immediately got compliance. I thought maybe we'd made some real progress...

He sat much of the winter. Second summer, on the trail... he would now do water crossings and mud. We did some tough trails in Colorado. When he was FOLLOWING Kadeen, he was pretty dependable. But when I would ask him to LEAD.... he was a basketcase. Again, I kept thinking, "we can do this, we can build the relationship where he will trust me and not be so afraid." On our last big ride of the year, in the woods, I again asked him to lead and he did quite the "Hi Ho Silver!" routine, in the trees, nowhere to go. It was freaking scary. My fiance said, "Either you stop riding this horse or I won't ride with you again because I can't stand to watch you get hurt!" I should add that Finn's horrible attitude about trail riding had started to extend to GETTING IN THE TRAILER to go riding or GETTING SADDLED to go riding. On that last trip, he flipped out in the trailer and gave me a concussion. He was arguing about everything. 

That last ride was the deal-breaker. We came home and put him up for sale, but not until sending him to a trainer for a performance horse tune-up. Once back IN THE ARENA, he was a model citizen. He is MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE in an arena. Not that he's suitable for any rider as he still has confidence issues I am sure. But he never gave the male trainer any real trouble. He loaded fine for the trainer. He was ridden by several other folks and did fine. He's now back at my original trainer (the gal I bought him from, but she couldn't take him initially because she was dealing with a high-risk pregnancy.) He's still for sale, and I think he will do just fine in a performance home. He just HATED the uncertainty of the trail. And I trail ride for FUN and he was NOT FUN. We bought a great little mare for my fiance and I am now back to riding my guy and we are BOTH happy. And honestly, Finn is happier when not asked to trail ride when he so hated it. 

So, not sure if this helps or not but it was MY experience with a rearer. I can ride nearly anything that stays horizontal when they are acting stupid, but that go up on the hind legs thing is a whole different deal. Stay safe!!!

Postscript, there are several blogs about Finn on my website, www.id-myhorse. You can follow my optimism about thinking we could get this whipped up to the "When to Hold and When to Fold" post where I talked about the concussion week.


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## Winters Edge (Jan 2, 2020)

Let's try the video clip again:


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## SteadyOn (Mar 5, 2017)

It looks like she was triggered there by you asking for an upwards transition. Is that correct? Is that what usually does it?


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## Winters Edge (Jan 2, 2020)

SteadyOn said:


> It looks like she was triggered there by you asking for an upwards transition. Is that correct? Is that what usually does it?


Yes could be, I was asking for trot, but that is also at "A" so I thought she wanted to leave the ring and got mad when I said no.


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

Well, the video helps a lot! Your mare is being a little brat! 

It is a bit hard to see because the camera was not zoomed in, but I really didn't see you being harsh or heavy handed. 

It does appear as if your mare has a real issue with the bit, could be any bit, could be that bit, not sure, but she definitely doesn't like it when you take up any contact at all. 

We saw long walk, in which she was happy to rather stroll along. Then you brought her back to walk, and she jigged in protest. The asking for trot she showed her temper with a couple of bunny hops. On the long side, she decided to canter a couple of strides after getting a little bouncy. 

My opinion is:

1) she is not ready to show- horse needs to be freely moving forward, and she is more or less doing what she wants

2) She is not "willing" and resents the rider telling her what to do. She needs to become willing, by what ever your skill set is. If you can pop her when she acts like that, without coming off or loosing control, that could work. Other wise you will need to sort of "trick" her into working better. That is hard to explain, but basically you reward profusely even small amounts of good work, while slowly increasing the time. 


For instance, she makes half of a circle correctly, and you can feel she is going to stop; you stop her first, and reward. Continue to make circles, adding a few strides each time, until she is willingly going around 5 circles. 


3) I do not think she is putting a lot of effort into unseating you, she is just not very willing and wants you to understand she is not happy.


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## DanteDressageNerd (Mar 12, 2015)

To me she has not really accepted rider direction and is being disrespectful and a little brat as AnitaAnne said. Fortunately this imo is quite fixable. 

You're not asking for anything unreasonable, your aid wasn't "too" much, she was reacting to that you would ask her what to do. 

One of the things I notice in general, not just here is a lot of adult amateurs wont address the issues or "can of worms" so they escalate into things that should not be an issue. But they become an issue because it's never being addressed. So when a horse has a "less than ideal" reaction most adult amateurs get scared and back off which makes the behavior worse. However if someone doesnt know what they're doing, if they attempt to address the issue it can escalate and be dangerous. So if a rider isnt comfortable, a trainer should be able to address the issue and then help the student to address the same issues. People back off, rather than address an issue. I see it all the time on fb when a horse reacts in an "undesirable way" they blame the person, rather than actually knowing what they're looking at or talking about. I think a lot of adult amateurs do this because they dont have the experience or knowledge to realize horses have reactions and it's not all rider/trainer error or asking too much or pain or mismanagement. Sometimes it's behavioral and needs to be addressed and it's not always pretty.

However I notice even a lot of trainers don't have the skill set to handle these issues as they come up because I find a lot of trainers dont really know or have the answers. And that just makes it that much more frustrating. I live in Denmark and I only know of one trainer, that isnt 300usd a lesson that can get along and understand the horse I have. But a lot of riders are not horseman and do not really understand horses, even if they can make the horses "dance" and do a GP with national titles. 

I dont think it's a "bit" issue, I think it's an issue with accepting direction and releasing herself to a rider's influence. And the first time you set an expectation is when you gather the reins and take connection to her mouth. Some horse's really dont like releasing their minds or bodies to a person. I find this more in mare's and find they respond better to being read emotionally and also "conversed" with on the ground and in hand. I find ground driving can help a lot with training a horse to release their mind and body to a rider. Ground work and in hand can help establish communication and respect. Warrick Schiller is a good one and Tristan Tucker I think that is also the purpose of lateral work, as well as transitions. It's about acceptance and making the aids clear.

I've heard people say laterals are for collection, that is incorrect. They can assist in collection but they are more for suppling and connecting the rider's mind and body to the horse's and getting both on the same page with execution and timing.

Same with transitions, I use the rise and fall of energy as my primary aid for upward and downward transitions (I've actually taught a lesson on this but I find it tends to be like explain color to the blind). Yoga and meditation helps understand this. I realize it sounds "crazy" but for nerds I'd like to point out there is a thing called quantum consciousness that talks about energy exchange and vibrations suggesting a link between quantum entanglement and consciousness. I find horses are very emotional creatures and they read emotions first and then body language. Horses really read emotion, when I ride especially spooky, nervous, emotional horses I have to channel very confident, secure, calm energy and keep their focus on me (the ear says what they're paying attention to). I actually really prefer a very hot, over reactive, super sensitive, nervous horse to one that is a bully and pushes into pressure or is a bully. I think they're easier and really want to do the right thing vs the more bully type is one to always test and see if you're willing to address the issue. 

So when I order my aids for each ask, it's starts with my mind visualizing and asking, then my emotional read, then position, then physical aid. 

I also have a hierarchy of when I get on a new horse and I figure them out and what makes them uncomfortable and how to convince them to let me in. How much to go? How much to woah? How much to do a turn on the forehand? How much to move the shoulders? Do they respond just from position? How many supporting aids do they need to understand? How much can I back off and they still understand? 

Or if I have an undesirable reaction, I ask was what I was asking unfair? Was it unclear? Was my ask too loud? Did they not understand? If they didnt understand, then I break the problem down. If I ask for say a leg yield, How well does my horse understand turn on the forehand? How do they understand inside leg to outside rein? Why did they have this response?

And if they understood but were just saying no, is it a pain issue? Have the pain issues been addressed? then if it isnt a pain issue, I address the issue head on as behavioral. Addressing that I feel is instinct, reading the moment and timing based, so I dont want to make suggestions that could be dangerous. Because it's not necessarily about "kicking their butt" but negotiating through, making the message CLEAR, UNNEGOTIABLE, and WITHOUT holes. Just this is the direction, this the the option, you are not in control. If I show you respect and listen to you, I expect the same in return. 

Does this make sense?


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

Winters Edge said:


> Yes could be, I was asking for trot, but that is also at "A" so I thought she wanted to leave the ring and got mad when I said no.


I agree, it looks like she got mad and wanted to make sure you knew it.


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## ValerieR (Jun 28, 2018)

So… I’ve seen this happen at a surprising prevalence level in performance horses. There are 2 general sources that, speaking from personal experience, tend to be the culprit of developing a rearer. 

1. Pain. I am literally NEVER the person to go to the pain thing as a source of behavior problems and tend to look at a veterinary cause as the dead last thing that could be the source of the issue. With that said, one of the absolute worst rearers I’ve ever seen did it because she had a mass on her ovary that was causing her severe back and pelvic pain. She would absolutely take flight every time you cued her to the right lead. After trying just about everything behaviorally we could think of and consulting a fist full of horsemen who were exceptionally knowledgable, we took her in for a second veterinary opinion and surprise, she had this mass. Even after having it removed, she took a long time to settle into the idea that the lope wasn’t going to hurt her anymore. After about a year off and a year of just riding out on open country and letting her relax and feel out her new body, she settled in and the behavior is no longer an issue. She’s grown into a successful show and working horse. This is the worst case of pain induced undesirable behavior I have ever seen, but have had others who would behave similarly for other medical reasons (one had an injury to her diaphragm, one had a rib out, one had a hook in his mouth the size of a pyramid because the owner didn’t feel the need to get him floated, the list goes on). Stuff happens when they live in a pasture full time and let’s be honest, humans managing their care and sitting on their backs in less than perfect balance takes its toll. A lot of them deserve sainthood if we’re honest with ourselves.
2. Being bound up. While there are a number of cases I can think of that have been rooted in a veterinary base, an overwhelming majority of the rearers I have seen, worked with and watched blossom into rearers are the product of human error. On a biological level, horses are flight creatures. We all know this. They have an instinctive need to be able to leave their current situation. This isn’t exclusively the ability to run away, but also goes back to the idea of “release” in riding and handling them. After some hours spent talking to horsemen and women who I greatly respect, the consensus seems to be that rather than taking away the horse’s ability to take off, they allow the horse the opportunity to take off at all times and teach the horse that he has no need to escape. This is quite the unique concept for a lot of folks; the idea of allowing the horse the chance to take off with them sounds counter to their safety, but of all of the horses I have seen that turn into rearers or bolters, it happened because the human used gear or frozen, unrelenting hands to try to prevent the horse from being able to escape. We pull horses into frame with tie downs, martingales, screw bits, flashes, etc, which aren’t necessarily intrinsically evil but that can force a horse into a position that he is not mentally or physically prepared to handle, and in turn the horse feels that he has no way out of the pressure and starts to popping up in a desperate attempt to get out of there. Then the trainer or rider puts a tie down between his front legs to try to keep his head down and so on. It’s not done out of cruelty, it’s the rider trying to keep himself and his horse out of trouble, but the result is a horse who doesn’t understand and the behavior is bandaged as opposed to being fixed. Ray Hunt said “the horse does one of two things. What he thinks he’s supposed to do and what he thinks he has to do to survive.” I for one have no intention of disagreeing with THE man.

How you or the trainer you’re working with deal with is critical to this horse’s life and future. First of all, I would 100% leave your trainer. No questions about it, I’d be OUT OF THERE. It’s not personal, but if this issue has become so out of control that you’re considering euthanasia then that trainer has failed that horse and you need to leave. He or she does not have the skill set to help the horse through this problem, and while that’s not necessarily a problem for someone who does not have these challenges, it’s a deal breaker for someone who is in your situation. Find someone who has exemplary experience with helping horses through their people problems and go from there. I can’t say this enough, YOU NEED TO REMOVE THIS HORSE FROM THE SITUATION HE’S IN. There’s a good chance (given that you’re considering euthanasia) that his situation will literally cost him his life. 

I can tell you that I have personally helped a pretty decent number of horses through their rearing issues (I explained what has been successful for me on a different thread but since you’re not asking about that, I won’t get into it). I’m an adult amateur who enjoys riding horses with baggage and starting colts, and I’m about at your experience level years wise. I’m here to tell you, rearing is an extremely solvable behavioral problem. It’s not something that the horse deserves to lose his life over. I’m going to be honest, as green of a horseman as I am, rearing issues don’t really bother me that much because by and large, they tend to be pretty simple to solve once you learn the base of the problem and get with someone who has the skills to work through it with you and your horse. 

It sounds like you’ve got a phenomenal athlete with a good mind who’s seen some sh*t. On a tough love accountability level, you owe it to this horse to do right by him and help him as best you can. My advice to you would be to get him the heck out of the situation he’s in because it’s clearly not doing anything of value for him, get him to a top caliber vet to rule out an underlying physical issue, and then find yourself a highly recommended horseman (not trainer, horseman. Horses don’t like horse trainers. They like horsemen.) who has extensive experience helping horses through these kinds of issues. You owe that to him. 

Good luck to you and don’t lose faith, this is likely a highly solvable situation if you get out in front of it. I hope you find this advice of value to you and happy trails.


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## vonlora (Mar 28, 2011)

yep. looks like she is throwing a temper tantum.
trust you have had the vet check her teeth, mares don't generally have wolf teeth, but could be something else.
you may think I am nuts, but hitting her between the ears with a water balloon that breaks, they hate water going down their heads


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## 4horses (Nov 26, 2012)

I would start with a vet check. That could be pain related. The reason I say that is because some horses react to pain by becoming resistant and wanting to rear/leap. That's not exactly what I would call a rear, more of a leap. Does she tend to break gait from the trot to canter? In the video I thought I saw a funny step at the walk in the back right hind. But it's hard to see that zoomed out. 

My mare at age 2 had some physical problems that manifested as a bad attitude. She would aggressively fling her head, crow hop, and swap leads behind. It was pain related. She is a very bossy and headstrong mare, but she was not trying to be bad. She was trying to communicate that she was hurting. If pushed she could have been turned into a bronco. 

If she does break gait and has difficulty maintaining a steady trot, that is indicative of pain. Can she hold an extended trot comfortably? 

Once pain is ruled out, then you can treat this as behavioral. It would not hurt to treat for ulcers or try a different bit. 

Is she stalled or on turnout and how much exercise does she get, how often? I'm not saying it isn't behavioral. Even if this is pain related, it can have a behavioral component.

Issues like this need a though work up and a great deal of consideration on your part. Every interaction you have with her should give you clues to the reason. You just have to figure out all the pieces. How is she on the lunge, with and without side reins, how does she move, is she maintaining a steady gait, is she distracted? Under what circumstances does she act up? Keep a journal. Take more videos and share them. 

She may have ulcers that hurt during exercise. At least that is easy to treat for. I would try treating for a couple days and look for improvement. 

Some horses are excitable and easily distracted. She may be one of them. She may not like arena work and be best suited in a different career. That's the challenge of owning horses.


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## Queenofsomethinghopefully (Aug 31, 2018)

Vet check and tack check is always a good idea just to eliminate that possibility. Sometimes horses are just more sensitive as well. My mare is super finicky with her saddle so she throws a fit whenever the fit isn't absolutely perfect due to her back still changing shape and I try to accommodate that to make sure she's comfortable, though there is a limit still. And even just changing tack even if it fits can make a difference just based on their preference. 

It sounds like she's coiled up a lot, so you need to get her uncoiled. I like setting my mare loose in the arena and just running back and forth with her at full speed. She usually sprints a bit and bucks and rears plenty. It helps to get them out of their head a bit so they can think. Then you start with what I like to think of as "high energy" exercises where there's not a lot of finesse involved as coiled up horses will sometimes blow up when they have to focus on small details. My favourites are going forwards really fast, and then backing up really fast, running towards a fence and then stopping right before it, spinning, and acting really crazy while on the ground a bit away from the horse. That last one sounds weird but sometimes the best thing you can do is surprise them. Like how I've seen some suggestions of breaking a water bottle over her head when she rears to just kinda shock them a bit. Unpleasant noises can also act as a deterrent.

Once you've got your horse in a bit of a sweat, its a good time to make them work harder whenever they rear or buck or whatever because they don't have that excess energy and are a bit less inclined to spend so much energy trying to do the easier thing. Mine used to rear whenever I would ask for a canter, and I would just push her forwards into a small circle until she loosened up a bit and then I would ask for the canter again. Eventually they figure out that cantering is easier. 

Horses that blow up seem to benefit from clear cut rules and boundaries as well. Every time you do something it has to be pre-planned with your reactions to whatever the horse does already in your head. Getting nitpicky and nagging also seems to aggravate them. 

Of course, if you are not enjoying riding and feel scared even of riding, it might be time to switch horses. Both of you should have the chance to enjoy life. And plenty of people like taking on project horses and dealing with behavioural issues. 


Hope this helps


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Definitely rule out any pain. How is she when you tack her/groom her? She may just be throwing a 'tantrum' but 99% of the time, there's a reason for it. She may even have ulcers. It all can contribute to the behavior. I agree with the above posters about getting a vet out, & also checking your tack fit. Maybe try a different bit as well. See how she does. In the video, she doesn't look like she's doing it to be malicious.


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## Winters Edge (Jan 2, 2020)

vonlora said:


> yep. looks like she is throwing a temper tantum.
> trust you have had the vet check her teeth, mares don't generally have wolf teeth, but could be something else.
> you may think I am nuts, but hitting her between the ears with a water balloon that breaks, they hate water going down their heads


This is definitely behavioral. 
- Teeth are checked and floated if needed every 6 months so no wolf teeth. 
- Vet sees her every 4 weeks for Legend injections (preventative).
- Feet are trimmed and shoes reset every 4 weeks
- Chiro and MFR treatments as needed
- Recent x-rays show clear joints in hocks, fetlocks and hooves, with no arthritic changes in 5 years
- Saddle fitted annually, etc

I am literally doing everything by the book for my girl so I'm very confident in saying that it is behavioral probably learned from her life before me.


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

Winters Edge said:


> This is definitely behavioral.
> - Teeth are checked and floated if needed every 6 months so no wolf teeth.
> - Vet sees her every 4 weeks for Legend injections (preventative).
> - Feet are trimmed and shoes reset every 4 weeks
> ...


There wasn't any rearing in the video you posted, so hard to determine how dangerous it might be. But you feel it is dangerous, and that is all that matters. 

Lots of folks are nervous about rearing. 

IMO, it would not be a good idea to hit her over the hear with anything, the resulting explosion could easily be worse than the problem. 

IME, it is best to keep her moving; lots of turns, changes of direction, circles, etc. One of my favorite is the "teardrop". Go along the long side, half circle 10 meters at the end, and leg yield back to the center of the wall. Repeat at each end. Start at walk, then try trot.


Another good one is the spiral. Start on a 20 meter circle and slowly spiral in to the 10 meter, then slowly back out. Again, walk then trot it. 


Also, give her a lot of verbal praise, at the same time give with your inside hand for a moment for release.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

I agree with @AnitaAnne. I wouldn't hit her over the head with a darn thing...why make it worse? 

Keep her busy. Busy busy busy. Get her thinking. Don't do the same exercises every time you are in the arena. Keep her mind going. Horses get 'bored' just like we do. Always praise her when she does good. Talking to her may help too. I always talk to my horse in the saddle!


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## carshon (Apr 7, 2015)

Not a dressage rider but I have to say that was a buck and not a rear. A rear does not normally include the hind end coming up. Is it possible she is just burned out? I see a temper tantrum and a little buck. If she really wanted to unseat you she could. Maybe the tenseness is coming from you anticipating the transitions? And then she is anticipating and you are holding tighter.

When you said you feel more comfortable when she is collected or on the bit - my immediate thought was that maybe you get in her mouth too much. I don't know. I have ridden a rearer and a horse that would flip herself over when over whelmed- it took a lot of diverting her attention to get past it.


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

PoptartShop said:


> I agree with @AnitaAnne. I wouldn't hit her over the head with a darn thing...why make it worse?
> 
> Keep her busy. Busy busy busy. Get her thinking. Don't do the same exercises every time you are in the arena. Keep her mind going. Horses get 'bored' just like we do. Always praise her when she does good. Talking to her may help too. I always talk to my horse in the saddle!


I tried to fix the spelling error in my text, it said "hear" instead of "head" but the post disappeared. With the op being not English speaking I was worried the information would be confusing...hope your post clarifies it...


Head. Do not hit her with anything over the head, please.


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## jgnmoose (May 27, 2015)

Winters Edge said:


> At what point do you say enough is enough with a horse and put them *down*?


Since we are talking about putting an otherwise good horse down. As in the cost of her raring is death. 

Has anyone really just really gotten after this horse with authority and determination and made her work really hard when she acts up? 

My impression is that this horse has learned how to escape using rearing to get people to back off. When the horse doesn't want to do something she can rear and act up and people will jump off her and put her away. If being 100% honest about the horse and how this usually happens if that isn't the case I'd be really surprised.

She could really use a couple months of tough but fair ground work with someone who is going to get her good and sweaty, gasping for air whenever she pulls that raring crap. Take advantage of that lazy streak she has to turn the tables on her and make her never want to rare again.


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

I just skimmed the thread and watched the short clip.
Aside from possible physical issues, the horse looks sticky and bound up. He needs to go outside and go trot some miles on a loose rein.

My cousin is friends with a dressage trainer and when horses get like that she ships them to him and he cowboys on them for a couple months. Lots of long trotting, long days so they can expend their extra energy, sorts and even ropes off of them. It does wonders for those horses that constantly schooled in the ring.

Good luck OP! And no shame in selling if you no longer enjoy the horse or don't have the means to fix him.


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## Horsef (May 1, 2014)

Does she ever misbehave going towards the exit? She seems to be gate sour - she had a tantrum at the gate and again going away from it.


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## 4horses (Nov 26, 2012)

I agree that getting her outside an arena will do her some good. Lots of trail rides and fun things. She might be arena sour. 

I don't see a rear in that video either. You did not mention treating for ulcers... It is worth a try.


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

Here's my perspective:
She may not be the right horse for you. 
Yet you say she is a 17 hand warmblood mare, a good athlete, and she does that hop once in a while when she is upset? I would consider myself quite lucky. A large warmblood mare with tons of energy could give you a whole heck of a lot of trouble. From what I saw, she did a little hop in protest of something or a spook, and then went back to business. 
If you don't want that sort of thing, I'd suggest getting a horse that was not a mare, less athletic, with a mellow personality.

Are you sure she knows you don't care for that? I didn't see any type of reprimand. If you don't want her to over react, you could try just using your voice in a harsh tone or give a snap with one rein. My horses know what it means when I use an unhappy tone with them.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

What she did in your clip is not a rear, I call that a temper pop. I would just go ahead & treat her for ulcers, take her off all grain and ride her on trails for a year. She looks nervous, irritated and sour.


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