Handling a mini stud who wants to rare up

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MBhorses

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We have a nice stud who decide today he wants to rear up. What is the best ways to work with him, so he want rearing up anymore. He is a nice stud and has been great. We don't have any mares in season, so I don't know why he decide to start rearing up.

thanks MELISSA
 
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It's called "rearing" not "raring" or "rear" opposed to "rare"
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It's a way for him to avoid your authority.

When my young colts have pulled this, I usually follow as instantly as possible with a loud squeal and forcing him to back up for a long time, and shank him (tug downward on his lead rope/halter, no chain) down just as we begin moving back.

Most of my stallions already know to stay out of my space, so for me to advance towards them is for them to back up. If yours doesn't know this, he won't understand anything, and so you have to establish some basics in order to curb this dangerous behavior.

If you're uncertain about handling a stallion, it might be a good idea to get a trainer or experienced handler to help you. It is not necessary to HURT a horse to discipline them, even a "bad" stallion. They don't know what you want from them, and a stallion's job is to challenge and work/assert his authority.

For me, watching herd interaction is a big help, and if I'm meaner than his meanest mare, I almost always have the upper hand.

It can be a constant job to keep a stallion in line, but some of them "get it" and don't do much in the way of challenging, I would never say a stallion is 100% fool-proof in his manners just because something may arise that gets him feeling defensive and puts him in hormone-driven instinct response.

Anyway, I hope this helps some. Hard to know how to help w/out seeing the behavior, but some ideas just to get you thinking about it, hopefully, and good luck w/him!

Liz M.
 
Hello,

I misspelled rearing up sorry.You know how it is when your fingers are typing away.

thanks melissa
 
I do know! I speak and type fluent "typo!"

*LOL*

Anyway, try to note when he does the rearing, but my guess is he's trying to circumvent your authority and avoid doing something you want him to do (such as leading him away from his mares, or lead him past another male, or something).

He needs to understand unconditionally, that you are to be respected and obeyed, and most stallions I have owned/worked with, do "get it" and they are all too happy to be an "equal" with you, because that is the most rewarding relationship, when they obey you because they respect you, and look for your approval. Stallions can be quite different than any gender of horse, more challenging, but the rewards can be greater, too.

Good luck with your boy!

Liz M.
 
How old is he??

Where is he kept and how long does he get outdoors??

When does he do it??

Did you handbreed or Pasture breed him??

Is he still with his mares??
 
I know that our stallion started rearing up after he had EPM. The only time he does it though is when we trim his hooves. He is still not certain about were his feet are suppose to be. He never reared until then and has done so ever since; however we get him to lay on the ground and do his hooves and he doesn't mind. We are gentle working back building his confidence on the weight issue from EPM.
 
I once had a young stallion that decided to start rearing up as a two year old, and he was 35" and all muscle and testosterone. This was back when I had little stallion experience, and I brought in a trainer to help me. The trainer showed me how to handle him, and it was just as Nootka described. We ran a rope under his chin for control, with his halter, and I would start leading him, and as soon as he would rear, I would tell him "NO!" and yank on the lead, then back him up. Consistency was the key, and lots of practice. With time and patience I finally was able to lead him with no rearing or misbehaving through the barn, past mares and other stallions.

It was pretty funny, when he started to "get it"-- he would rear and then immediately back up, since he knew that was what had to be done, lol! After that it didn't take long for him to decide that rearing wasn't accomplishing anything for him.
 
How and when he rears up is important to know.

If he truly isn't listening to you and needs some correction that will get his attention, a rope or stud chain can help. Running it OVER the nose as opposed to under it is helpful, as a chain under the chin tends to cause a horse to fling it's head upwards and encourages them to rear. Running it over the nose is helpful in the case of a horse that rears up or plunges forward.

Have a command like "quit" that you use in conjunction.

Most miniature horses are not like big horses and don't need a chain or rope to get their attention, because they are so small and don't need the extra force. You can use a shank of their leadrope effectively to get their attention, because they truly are small enough to pull their whole head around with (not so with a big stallion!!)

Nootka gave excellent advice.

Andrea
 
When Sweet Tart started doing that to me.... I took a kids plastic wiffle ball bat and bopped him in the chest. Not hard before I get acused of beating my horse with a baseball bat ( I see that coming) but it made a loud noise and I said NO!. I also used a stud chain over his nose for the reason that Disney stated. under would tend to get them to throw their heads up. Mini stallions are still stallions no matter how you look at it and they need to understand that YOU are herd boss. Then the behavior will stop.

Lyn
 
Could we just find out a few basics before we start telling people to use chains and force??

He could just need his teeth floated and be a real pussy cat...in real pain!!!!
 
Jane is right on. I had a mare once that began rearing and "boxing" with me. Turns out she had a very sharp molar that was cutting her cheek and the halter she wore pressed her cheek (which was raw), over the strap and had to just murder her nerve endings. I quit using a halter and used a strap around her neck til we could get the dentist. She only reared when I was applying pressure.

Of course I forgot to say (and Jane is right about checking physical problems first), please check any and all areas for physicial discomfort, and once that is ruled out, you can start addressing the behavior issue.

9 times out of 10, with a young colt, it's behavioral, but you never know and don't want to cause more emotional damage for yourself to undo if it's not necessary to do this, let alone cause discomfort to your boy.

(other than teeth, another place that some horses get issues that may be causing this behavior is in the ear/poll area, as well as over the nasal area which is often teeth, too).

I was also going to add that I had one young colt that just liked to rear. that was his evasion of choice. He did it for a good, long 6 months at varying intervals. What finally worked was when he was rearing, (he was a long yearling at the time), I stepped in and caught him in the "up" position and held him (sort of like we were dancing), then I began to walk back and fort with him, mostly backwards but some forward. I held him for several minutes til I could see his expression and tension release, and then I set him back down on his feet.

He stopped doing it almost exclusively after that. The backing didn't work as well w/him.

Good luck!

Liz
 
Running it OVER the nose as opposed to under it is helpful, as a chain under the chin tends to cause a horse to fling it's head upwards and encourages them to rear. Running it over the nose is helpful in the case of a horse that rears up or plunges forward.

Andrea
Yes I agree with that and under the chin IMO is the last thing I personally would do as it can tend to cause them to go up. I was in the ring with a mini at a open show a QH was in front of me and started to rear the handler kept jerking on his chain till the horse went up again and over backwards broke his neck and died (yes that is more of a freak thing)

Anyway the key really is to try and keep him moving forward I have yet to use a chain on a mini and rarely ever on a big horse I just don't like them.

If you cant keep him going forward try and move into him when he rears most horses expect you to move away from them but if you turn your body into him at the shoulder it will throw him off balance and he will 9 times out of 10 come back down. When I have one who tends to rear that is what i do rather then back them up which if you think about if can help them in momentum to rear when they are backing especially quickly all the weight is towards the hind end making it very easy to go up again it is much more difficult for them to go up if going forward

But you will find different things work for different people sure wont hurt to get some help and try a variety of things to see what feels most comfortable for you since you are the one who has to quickly correct him.
 
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HELLO,

HE IS A 3 YR OLD STALLION. HE HAS NOT BEEN BREED TO YET. WE ARE PLANNING ON BREEDING HIM THIS SPRING. HE IS BEEN GREAT HORSE UNTIL TODAY. HIS TEETH HAVE BEEN CHECK NO PROBLEM THERE. WHEN I WAS WALKING HIM IN THE PASTURE BY HISSELF TODAY HE WHEN HE DIDN'T HE DIDN'T WANT TO WALK AND DECIDE TO REAR UP AT ME. WE DON'T HAVE ANY MARES IN SEASON AROUND HIM. MY DAUGHTER TOLD ME SHE WANTED TO KNOW IF HE DID THAT, BECAUSE SHE(MY DAUGHTER) WAS ON HER MONTHLY STUFF.
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: DO STUDS SHOW OUT DURING WOMEN MONTLY TIME? MY STUDS IN THE PAST HASN'T SHOWN ANY DIFFERENCE DURING A WOMEN MONTHLY TIME.

THANKS MELISSA
 
Every stallion is different.

If it is just one freak thing, him rearing up just this one time, it may have been a handler error or some miscommunication or something like that. Like I said, it is important to evaluate the whole situation to best give advice.

I don't know why he didn't want to walk or how you asked him to walk, but it sounds like a miscommunication over him not wanting to walk versus you asking him, and he reared up in confusion that your cues were not right or you didn't ask him properly. That's what I'm putting my money on. Because this is just one case, I don't think the horse is to fault at all for any reason.

Andrea
 
I am NO EXPERT, but I would like to add...

My stallion did this as a yearling/two year old too. I tried the backing, the "crop/bat", and the chain over his nose. To tell you the truth, I don't really know what caused him to stop the behavior, but I'll tell you we did have our go arounds on a regular basis.

My point to this was about the chain going over the nose. In MOST cases, yes that is best, however... For my guy, he responded better to the chain under his chin (and NO it did NOT make him rear, ever). After we settled the rearing issue, he started "charging/pulling" on the lead rope/lunge line (when I was teaching him to lunge). He'd pull right through the chain like it wasn't even there. In fact it made him pull even harder just to prove his point. I finally tried the chain under his chin. We'd walk to the round pen and he'd take off, ready to protest having to work under "my rules". With the chain under his chin, he'd hit the end of the lead and stop dead in his tracks just staring at me. It "hurt" just enough that he stopped pulling all together on the line. He lunges like a dream now.

Off topic... I don't know how you all feel towards rope halters, but even though I do work all my horses in both nylon halters and rope halters, he is the one that responds better to the rope halter. I don't even remember the last time he wore a nylon one. Even when he was teasing mares last spring.

Okay that was my two cents worth.

Erin :saludando:
 
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I do demand that all my horses, not just my stallions, respect my space and walk nicely and be polite in my presence. That being said...I also take into consideration circumstances and situations.

For instance, a young colt or even an aged stallion may just feel really good one day and cant wait to get to where they are going with you. I have a barn full of different personalities and although I do not encourage any of them to go off of four legs sometimes they just cannot control themselves as they are so full of themselves that particular day. If this happens with a horse that I know respects me, and they are away from me and not facing me like a challenge I do not make a huge deal over it. I do ask them to come down and knock it off but I dont get heavy with discipline in this situation.

I am not sure you are at the place that you can make this call, but I just wanted to let you know that rearing is not uncommon thing that minis do and not always a direct challenge or attack on you as the handler.

If this is a one time thing, great, if it becomes a common occurance you will have to take action. Just dont get yourself worked up over it happening once, just be prepared next time to react to the situation. Do not let it become a habit I guess is what I am trying to say.

I should also add that this is with horses that I have already established a relationship with and they know that when I say knock it off, I mean it, and if they dont the next level of discipline will come, which is very similar to what Nootka explained. I have rarely used a chain on a mini. Just my opinion but I feel there are more productive methods, only had one mini that I felt it was necessary on, he was older and had been very spoiled and had absolutely no respect for humans.

Cute Magic what you said as I have this happen as well. They will do something that they know they shouldn't and they respond with their own reaction to discipline before you even give it. Just like a kid!
 
I don't even think I own a stallion chain except the one that came with my show halter.

The law of gravity says that what goes up must come down so he doesn't need any help coming down. His front 2 feet will land back on planet earth I promise.

I have a barn full of different personalities and although I do not encourage any of them to go off of four legs sometimes they just cannot control themselves as they are so full of themselves that particular day. If this happens with a horse that I know respects me, and they are away from me and not facing me like a challenge I do not make a huge deal over it. I do ask them to come down and knock it off but I dont get heavy with discipline in this situation.

Thank you Annette. :aktion033:

Now if the little dude is doing this just to try to terrorize you or deliberately hurt you, this is another story and I would be on my guard and ready for him and anticipate this by doing exactly what Lisa has told you about keep him moving forward etc. and etc.



DO STUDS SHOW OUT DURING WOMEN MONTLY TIME?

Yes, some stallions absolutely do and this could be the reason for this sudden rearing. He could be wanting to display his dominance over "your daughter" as being part of his herd, one of "his mares" so to speak and you have to prevent him from acting territorial over you. This is a good time for her to work with him agressively and stay on his case if you feel this is the problem at hand and teach and correct him how to get over himself and learn the difference between her and a mare. If you don't get him under control now and teach him how to behave like a gentleman under these circumstances breeding season is going to be one big pain in the butt for everyone. :lol:
 
He is a THREE year old.

He has been in a stall for a week.

He has not got out at all except on the lead.

Yes, he will rear.

Under those circumstances I have had mares that rear.

Do I put chains on them and chastise them??

No, it is called "High Spirits" and I cluck disapprovingly and walk on.

As you become more experienced with these horses you will come to learn that some things are best ignored.

We cannot cause the behaviour (NOT deliberate, I know) and then attempt to "cure" it.

Once this horse is out in his paddock running around as he should be the chances are this will not happen again.

My stallions rear when they see mares waiting for them, they sometimes rear at shows, they rear occasionally if I have had them in for long periods of time- although that does not happen nowadays as they are all out- and they can sometimes rear because they are glad to be alive.

None of them wear chains.

None of them are punished.

The only consistent rearer I have had I cured by passive, rather than active, resistance.

Once you start using force with a horse you have to continue and get more and more forceful.

It is far better to take longer and look at the WHOLE problem, that way, once the problem is cured it stays cured.

As I see it the only problem here is that the horse has not had any exercise and was blowed if he was going to go on playing his new owners games.

Fair comment if you ask me!!!
 
JANE i couldn't agree more :aktion033: i remember when i first got my then colt, he was so disobedient, he would rear and kick, but to be fair he was hardly ever handled, it was funny to see him rear and because he was so small, we didn't see a problem for about a DAY
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: especially since i had a five year old daughter, but i did get a bridle and a stallion bit, which looking back now and only using once to show in, it was VERY SEVERE and i hate myself for it, when i look at the chains that some use, i find it incredible that they would actually use them to stop a rearing horse, as surely the chain would almost make a horse rear away from it?

any way i did do what some have said and i backed the horse up IMMEDIATELY!! and constantly, he does still occasionally do it but only if hes very fresh,or excited,

he also used to bite all the time, and i bought a book on trick training, and taught him to kiss instead, thank god lol

good luck!!!!!
 
sounds to me like in this case it could be a matter of high spirits rather than a disobedient, aggressive stallion thing, ad if so the best way to fix the "problem" is to turn him out & let him rip around on his own for awhile.
 

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