What to do When Your Horse Rears

When a horse rears, he is basically trying to evade the rider. He is protesting against whatever it is you would like him to do. He could either feel threatened or trapped and the only way may be to go up. There is the possibility he may not want to go forward and you would like him to. He may rear instead of simply going forward. Another reason a horse might rear is because he might want to go more forward and you are trying to hold him back. This is the case in a recent horse I purchased and the reason why I was inspired to write this article.

The horse I purchased "Vinnie" is an Off the Track Thoroughbred and he is rearing because he wants to go forward and I am holding him back as I do not want to gallop. Although this reason is not the usual reason a horse rears, I will explain it anyway. He is off the track (meaning he was a racing TB). At the track he was a winner and they treated him very well. They let him do whatever he wanted. In racing, if they are winners that is all the care, they win. If they are winning races they tend not to do too much with the horse. Usually every morning Vinnie would be tacked up, have a jockey thrown on him and he would go for a gallop. That is what he is used to. So when I get on and make him walk, he is not impressed. He rears and bucks in protest and he hopes I will let him get his way and let him go. Fortunately I am just as stubborn as he is.

Many horse trainers talk about the egg over the head method or the crop between the ears trick to stop a horse from rearing. If you feel comfortable doing that by all means try them. Personally I would not advise it. I am not sure who can hold on to an uncooked egg and wait for a horse to rear. I personally first try to figure out why the horse is rearing, in Vinnie's case he just has too much energy. The remedy to this is the lunge him for 30 minutes which worked. When he was rearing I would sit forward when he went up and when he landed I would tightly spin him in a circle and make him go forward by using the same leg that I was turning him towards.

Some trainers might say that you should be able to feel it before the horse goes up and that is fine, if you know the horse. If you know the horse is going to rear by all means turn in a tight circle and use the inside leg to press forward. Don't forget to use your voice when working with this problem, let the horse know you are not happy. Also, its important to correct it every time and consistently. If you are not consistent, your horse will not learn. They must know this is not acceptable behavior. The worst thing you could do is ignore it, as it will only get worse. If your horse thinks he can get one over on you, he will.

Let's talk about the other situations a horse might rear. You have probably all heard stories of a horse that reared and fell on its rider. This could happen in the case where the horse is moving forward and then is frightened, or spooks. The horse simply wants to get away from whatever is scarying him. Generally, horses don't rear when scared of things that are not moving. It would have to be something that was moving and coming towards him/her. The best thing to do in this situation, is hang on and have a loose rein. By the time the horse comes down, the scary thing is either gone and your horse will be looking around a scared or it will land and run the other way. Horses are fight or flight animals and allot more flight then anything. You must be prepared for this. After the horse has composed himself. Walk him towards the scary thing/place and if he starts to back up don't let him. Let him know if you ask him to move forward he must. He has to know he can trust you and that nothing scary will happen to him, when he listens to you. If you are unable to walk him forward with you on him, get off and lead him. Horses generally aren't as scared if you go first.

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