rearing

Question
I recently bought a filly that had been raced and I would like to retrain her for english eventing. My problem lately is that she rears in different situations. One time when she spooked (while I was riding her), one time when I was leading her from one pasture to another, and one time out in the field when she was running around. This seems very dangerous and I would like to stop this behavior before it gets worse. What can I do?  

Answer
Hi Cecilia,
When she was running around in the field, did she rear all by herself, or where you riding, or sending her off, or?

Now, I have had horses who reared for fun, when they were playing out on pasture.  No worries there, just let them be, it just shows you the readiness to rear and if one was inclined to train for tricks, one could use a clicker or other bridge when a horse rears and put the rear on a cue.

However, whenever leading  a horse or under saddle, rearing is dangerous and you are correct in wanting it to  stop.  While the cure is  simple , it is not easy, nor always prudent.  The cure of course is FORWARDS.   Here is the deal though:

Most people want horses to move, race and win or jump and win.  Yet the very same "most people," are terrified and discourage forwards movement from the moment a foal hits the ground.  Ever saw chains used to lead horses? That's to discourage forwards movement.... Ever saw anyone use harsher bits, tie-downs, martingales, ... those are used to discourage forwards movement. (incorrectly, I might ad.) No real horsemen, no real dressage person, jumper, or cowboy (realones!) would ever use a harsher bit, nor a chain, to discourage forwards movement.

What we do, is we encourage or let the horse move.. . and direct the energy to the horse's feet, direct it to a circle.  

But therein lies  your dilemma:  I am NOT encouraging you to use a crop etc kick/ whip your horse forwards when she rears.... because if you do, you'd have to stay out of the horse's mouth and pet her.... if she truly rushes in a mad, bouncy, frisky, ...*unsafe* ... forwards motion at what  might pass for a gallop.   Most of us don't have a good enough seat, and most of us don't have a safe enough arena in which we can let a horse rip and we'd pet her for it.  Heck, what if it happens out on the trail?  I ride OTTB's out on the trails after only a few sessions in the arena, and I would not want to whip them forwards when I feel a rear coming on.

So, here are a few tips.  But, warning:  the solution may change the way you approach  a few different things about how you handle the horse.

1. rope halter, 12ft lead with no metal snaps.  Learn to lead a horse --- in all conditions, like out on  trail or pastures --- with minimal or no pressure on the rope.  Teach your horse to pay attention to your own feet when you lead:  if you stop, she stops.  Teach a horse to lead 8 feet behind you, you should not have to hold her, or hang on to her head in an attempt to make her stand still, or make her not crowd you.

2. be extremely, and I mean extremely, consistent about never lettting any horse intrude into your personal space of about 2feet or so around you.  For no reason.  Not to look for treats, and not to look for pets.

3. teach your filly to disengage hind, and step over behind.  This is a forwards and sideways motion, never allow a backing up step  in this.  This single one motion is what will allow you to lead and be able to encourage a horse to circle around you if she gets frisky, then bend, step over behind, stop.

4. teach your filly to step over behind when you ride.  Again, this simple (but not always easy) motion will allow you to be able to encourage her forwards motion and be able to control / stop... always!... without needing anything more than a halter or  eggbut snaffle.

5.  Teach her to yield at the shoulder from the ground
6. yield at the shouder riding.

7. Learn the soft feel (no, it is not taught in English riding, but ressembles the hallf-halt, somewhat.)

You can practice a combination of stepping over behind, yielding at the shoulder, and soft feel to always be able to encourage your horse to go forwards and in a circle by a spooky thing...withuot needing to hold her back using two reins of "pulling" on two reins.

Pulling (even holiding) two reins evenly will cause a rear, if  you do want the horse to move forwards at the same time.  (we are not talking advanced stuff like riding with contact or on the bit, this is too early for her to do so.) Remember, you want forwards with impulsion at this stage, the horse is not ready to be "on the bit."

Last but not least, and this is not easy to do in real life:
If you feel the horse even tense up, bend, ask for forwards and bend/ step over behind / yield shoulder and ****release**** reins, and release leg aids.  You can't, and it's too early for the horse to look pretty going straight: use her energy and let her/ encourage her / ask her to move, move move, bend, do lots of figure eight's, shoulder ins, leg yields, transitions every 3 strides or so.  And REWARD / release for every step forwards.

Rena