# Rearing and Biting in Yearlings



## CrossCountry (May 18, 2013)

For the rearing I would get his feet moving. Be aggressive and know what you're asking, but give release when he is doing what you want. Say that if he rears in the round pen, send him off - fast. Keep sending him until he licks his lips or slows down and listens. Make him turn and pay attention, but give him release once he stops being "funny". Ask him to come in and if he stands softly and gives you signs that he is done being feisty, praise him and reward him! If you're in the pasture (this depends if you can lunge him on a line?) send him out and make him work. I did this with my mustang and he stopped rearing after a few sessions because he associated that behavior with working.

For the biting I'd get him hard (elbow preferably) and make him think again before biting. He is a young, ungelded horse so that makes things a bit worse. Still, these behavior should not be acceptable because he's a "baby". It won't be much fun to try and deal with these behaviours when he's a 2,000 pound adult.

Make the wrong thing hard and the right thing easy. 

(I don't often post advice because sometimes it won't flow with other peoples way of training, but I had to deal with this so I thought I'd post what I did.) Please correct me if my advice is completely wrong.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Cadence (Oct 30, 2009)

Thank you for your reply. He never rears in the round pen only when he is walking by my side on a lead rope.


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

Can you turn him out with several geldings? This is an instant fix for any young stallion.

Then, I would give up the cross-ties and just tie him to a safe place and always tie him higher than his withers.

Then, I have better results using a stiff rope halter than a chain. I used a stud chain for many years, but now can get everything done that I need to do with just a stiff rope halter.

Always use a 12 -14 foot lead-rope so you can hang on to him if he puts a front foot over the rope. They quickly learn to do this intentionally.

Then, actually punish him for rearing up. I will just jerk that lead-rope as hard as I can several times and back a horse up 'roughly' for 10 or 15 feet.

I NEVER let a horse go to the left and never let one go around or pass me. I ALWAYS make one turn to the right and, again, will jerk the stuffing out of one that acts the least bit aggressive or does not instantly move over or back when I walk toward him and smooch.

The main thing you do not want to do with a young stallion is to 'peck' on one or 'nag' at one. Get after one hard and make him think he is lucky to be alive. Then, leave him alone and treat him as if nothing has even happened. Just NEVER scold him or peck at him. 

Personally, I totally avoid all praise and any rewards other than the release of pressure and leaving one alone. They react better and more consistently with this approach -- all business -- than anything else you cam do with one. I also never use a whip. I have found it a lot more difficult to re-train horses that have been handled by someone with a whip. And, heaven help you if you depend on a whip and don't have one when you need one.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Agree with Cheri, but I do use a stud shank, run under the chin, as I have shown young stallions at halter, and that is the way I showed them (never needed to run a chain through the mouth, as I have seen some halter stallions shown!
Any attempt as rearing is punished, by a strong jerk on that stud shank, and the horse backed hard
If you think your stud gets excited now, and is able to do what he does (spin, rear, try to bite ) imagine the control, or lack there of ,you would have, trying to show that young stallion, with mares around the hitching ring, etc!
I agree on ditching the cross ties and tying him solid
Agree totally on correcting hard enough to get the message across, versus picking on a horse, esp a stud!
He should walk with head at your shoulder, respecting your space, and never try to cross in front of you, but rather yield his shoulders to the right, in a turn, as is done in showmanship, where basic horse safety is taught
Is there a reason that he has to be stalled?
Turn out with a older gelding, as Cheri suggested, or even with some pregnant broodmares, will help give him lessons in manners


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## Cadence (Oct 30, 2009)

Can you turn him out with several geldings? This is an instant fix for any young stallion.

*He is turned out with a 7 year old QH gelding that pushes him around but, they do get along. The gelding chases him away from food or might kick if the colt gets too close. 

I ride the gelding every other day. I also separate them so that they are forced to spend some time apart. Sometimes the colt gets antsy when separated from the gelding. He will scream and run around but, settles down after a while. Some of the rearing and forging ahead is connected to the desire to be reunited with the gelding. 
*

Then, I would give up the cross-ties and just tie him to a safe place and always tie him higher than his withers.

*He is quiet in the cross-ties. He only rears up with he is in a lead rope.*

Then, I have better results using a stiff rope halter than a chain. I used a stud chain for many years, but now can get everything done that I need to do with just a stiff rope halter.

*I will look into this! *

Always use a 12 -14 foot lead-rope so you can hang on to him if he puts a front foot over the rope. They quickly learn to do this intentionally.

*I will have to find one! That is a good idea. *

Then, actually punish him for rearing up. I will just jerk that lead-rope as hard as I can several times and back a horse up 'roughly' for 10 or 15 feet.

*Ok, I did this before and it made him stop and think but, some people since then told me not to do that because it can make matters worse. I wonder if the difference is to know when the horse is scared vs being aggressive or pushy. 
*

I NEVER let a horse go to the left and never let one go around or pass me. I ALWAYS make one turn to the right and, again, will jerk the stuffing out of one that acts the least bit aggressive or does not instantly move over or back when I walk toward him and smooch.

*I go to the left and keep him by my side. Changing direction to the left is quick and puts him off balance so he can’t rear. He doesn’t pass in front of me, it actually slows him down. If I was to go to the right he pushes into me and it puts me in danger of getting hooves in my face or side. *

The main thing you do not want to do with a young stallion is to 'peck' on one or 'nag' at one. Get after one hard and make him think he is lucky to be alive. Then, leave him alone and treat him as if nothing has even happened. Just NEVER scold him or peck at him. 


Personally, I totally avoid all praise and any rewards other than the release of pressure and leaving one alone. They react better and more consistently with this approach -- all business -- than anything else you cam do with one. I also never use a whip. I have found it a lot more difficult to re-train horses that have been handled by someone with a whip. And, heaven help you if you depend on a whip and don't have one when you need one.

*I agree about with the “all business” approach. I am glad to hear you say that because I am starting to believe that this is the case. I use a lunge whip in the round pen and twirl a lead rope to get him to move out of my space. Sometimes I just have to flick an arm or my hand to get him to give me space. *


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## Cadence (Oct 30, 2009)

Agree with Cheri, but I do use a stud shank, run under the chin, as I have shown young stallions at halter, and that is the way I showed them (never needed to run a chain through the mouth, as I have seen some halter stallions shown!

*I will try under the chin*. 

Any attempt as rearing is punished, by a strong jerk on that stud shank, and the horse backed hard

*Ok! *


If you think your stud gets excited now, and is able to do what he does (spin, rear, try to bite ) imagine the control, or lack there of ,you would have, trying to show that young stallion, with mares around the hitching ring, etc!


I agree on ditching the cross ties and tying him solid

*Why should I not put him in cross ties? He is quiet on them!  *


Agree totally on correcting hard enough to get the message across, versus picking on a horse, esp a stud!

*Ok!*

He should walk with head at your shoulder, respecting your space, and never try to cross in front of you, but rather yield his shoulders to the right, in a turn, as is done in showmanship, where basic horse safety is taught
Is there a reason that he has to be stalled?

*He does not cross in front of me and 80% of the time he leads quietly. He only gets anxious and rears when he is being led to the gelding he is pastured with or food. 

I stall both horses at the same time when the pasture is muddy and I want to dry their feet or there is a storm. *

Turn out with a older gelding, as Cheri suggested, or even with some pregnant broodmares, will help give him lessons in manners

He is pastured with a gelding. The gelding puts him in his place. I have been observing their interactions and try to duplicate them when interacting with the colt. It has been successful so far but, he does still rear up a couple times a week and tries to bite.


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## Incitatus32 (Jan 5, 2013)

I agree with Cherie and Smilie. My Colt just turned two. He decided ONCE to rear up and discovered what a big mistake that was. 

I do use a halter and stud chain (I however do a track wrap so that I have an instant release). Mainly because my colt would eat the rope halter...... 

For biting he nipped once and I hauled off and smacked him hard in the muzzle. He backed up, snorted, shook his head and never attempted to take a chunk again. 

As for rearing, when he did he got the rudest awakening I could possibly give him that included a couple of smacks with the chain, and being backed up at ninety miles an hour down a distance of about a block. Then I took him back in hand and walked away like it'd never happened. 

As for trying to rush over me when going out of a stall I usually give them a few sharp whacks until they stand peaceably in the back and wait. 

The thing with stud colts is that I expect perfection. I expect them to walk alongside me with a loose lead 100% of the time. My corrections are hard, fast and mean because that's how studs process things. My colt doesn't get a cookie for not rearing, or for ceasing to do so. He just gets to go about his business. I also don't use crossties with my colt, only because I'm teaching him to ground tie first and I'm personally too lazy to put them back up if he should destroy them. haha


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## Cadence (Oct 30, 2009)

Sorry for the confusion about the cross-ties. He is good in cross ties. He only rears when I am leading him to a pasture for grass, to grain, or to his pasture buddy. 

I try to feed him before moving him to grass or to head to the barn. I try to lunge him before leading him to the gelding to establish dominance. That has been helping but, not 100% fool proof. 

When he rears I do pull on the chain and Growl a firm NO. 

Perhaps it just takes time and consistency and I just need to be patient.


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## CrossCountry (May 18, 2013)

Good advice given! It may take a few sessions for him to get it but I would start as soon as possible before he gets worse. 

Be rough, but fair. Timing is essential. Don't get after him 5 minutes after he rears - get after him the second he attempts or does rear. Don't be afraid to be harsh, you'll never be able to match how rough horses are with each other.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

> When he rears I do pull on the chain and Growl a firm NO.


'Growling' at him is about as effective as singing a Christmas Carol to him.

'Pulling' on his chain is about as effective as brushing him.

JERK him hard and make it hurt or don't bother doing anything. You are describing 'pecking' at its worst!



> Perhaps it just takes time and consistency and I just need to be patient.


That is exactly what it doesn't take. If you have to get after any horse for anything like this and you have to do it more than twice (should only take once), you can be assured that you are not only 'ineffective' in you form of dicipline but are actually making the problem worse. When you 'peck' at a horse, you strengthen his resolve and make him much tougher and more difficult to deal with. Since he does not respect the consequences, it is only a game to him and he will get better and better at this game.

I can assure you that every single viscous horse, particularly stallions, that I have had to straighten up over the years all started out with someone 'scolding' them like you are doing.


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## Cadence (Oct 30, 2009)

Thank you everyone!


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

If you go back over all of the responses, you will find that all of the people that got after a colt really severely the first time that horse reared up or struck out or tried to bite them told how the horse NEVER did it again. It took ONCE and the horse found out it was a really bad idea and never did it again. THIS is effective punishment. If one does not do it this way or is unwilling to do it this way, they are going to create a monster and may create one like the horse in the movie 'Buck'. 

The reason you do not put a horse with any problem with bad manners in cross-ties is because you cannot punish one that tries to bite or do anything that needs a reprimand.

Horses with problems should always be tied with one good nylon lead-rope and rope halter to a safe place. Then, the handler should snap on a second lead rope to the halter and hold it in their hand. That way, even a tiny bad move can be interrupted and the handler has very good control.

We even do this with green horses and horses we do not know well. No horse can turn its butt to a handler, kick a handler or reach around and bite a person it that person has that second rope in their hand. We use a stout cowboy style rope halter and I even take a lead-rope with a bull-snap and fasten the snap above the tie loop and snap it around BOTH halves of the nose-band right above that knot. This is also how I handle any new horse that thinks they are tough or that might try to jerk away.


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