Rearing

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JewelsOK

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Our little Image (gelding, 18 months old) has just started rearing and has twice reared up at my daughter - thankfully the older, stronger one who mostly deals with her two full size horses, but he could really hurt my youngest daughter with this. The first time he did it he caught her off guard and thankfully since one of his feet was on his salt lick he lost his balance. The second time she grabbed his front hooves and wouldn't let him have them back for a moment.

I'd like to stop this immediately!!!! What do you experts recommend?
 
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I am no expert, but I think that your daughter did just what she should have done. When I have one that rears, I make it stay up either my the front legs or the halter.
 
He is not reconizing your daughter as a dominant and is attempting coltish dominance play with her to test his own dominance. Your daughter reacted appropriately but it won't be the last time he tries it as she didn't actually reprimand him but almost engaged in the same type behaviour by grabbing his legs momentarily even though she did come out the dominant one in that situation. She needs to thoroughly establish her dominance in other situations and be very careful not to engage in "play" with him. She could carry a small crop with her and give him a whack on the front legs if he attempts this behaviour while loose. When his front legs hit the ground she can reward him with praise. She should also work with him in hand correctly asking for certain moves and rewarding when he performs them well until he knows who is boss. I would avoid asking for backing up at this point as that could help provoke a rear. There are other more drastic cures that can be done if he has trouble accepting dominance by a human but I would seek the help of a trainer if it comes to that. In the meantime keep your younger daughter away from this horse at all times.
 
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You could try rushing forward into HIS space a few steps, shouting and waving arms. Making him back away out of your space should teach him.

After he has backed away, stand quietly and reassure him.

This is very scary behavior, especially if it takes you by surprise, or happens to an non-horse person. Your daughter is certainly quick thinking, with quick reflexes!
 
I was told by a trainer that in the case of young colts rearing. "You should pull on the lead and try to make them lose their balance. Then they realize that rearing puts them in a position where they are no longer in control of their own body." This stopped my stallion from doing it.

This would be hard to do if your daughter is short or slight of build which probably depends on her age. In other words, you have to keep the little dudes away until this boy has learned some manners.
 
Hi, I had a youngster that did that every time I took him out of the pasture. Got scarey a couple of times. I was advised to get a rope halter. Downunderhorseman Clinton Andersen sells a very small, really nice, small black rope halter that fits my mini nicely. It was self correcting. My boy reared up, got a couple of taps on the halter and I backed him up a couple of steps once he was down, and led nicely after that. Now he leads nicely on a regular halter. I liked the rope halter because he got a well timed correction even if he caught me by surprise. It didn't hurt him, but it did correct him enough that he stopped quickly. Best wishes, I know they are all different so what works for one may not work for the other, but I was pleased enough with the results to mention. My boy was all play and trying to treat me like his pasture mate and trying to mug me and get me to play while at the same time he was also thinking about escaping to run around and be silly too. Cheers.
 
I agree getting them off balance does work best.

A chain lead rope under the chin by using a quick jerking motion does help bring them back down.

and also backing them, several times after the situation.

Every horse is difference, some things work and some do not depends on the age and horse.

Good Luck and yes, the younger child should wait till he learns better manners.
 
My gelding used to rear quite often. I solved the problem by pulling him around off balance, then backing him up hard and fast about ten steps. After only a couple of repititions the problem was solved. Good luck!
 
This is not uncommon behaviour in the boys. Most (tho certainly not all) colts will try this at some point. My usual response it to yell, walk into them and really dominate them if you back away from them even one step it says they CAN move you and thus dominate you. For the ones who are a little more determined to keep it up I will (like Ferrah) pull them off balance (all the better if they fall down) and then make a point of my dominance either by backing them away from me or if they fall by holding them down for a time. The few that I've held down have NEVER repeated the rearing after the second demonstration. Of course I make a point of setting them up for the rear in a safe soft place since I don't want them hurt, I just want them to THINK they are about to be. Rearing is NOT something I am willing to tolerate at all.
 
My gelding used to rear quite often. I solved the problem by pulling him around off balance, then backing him up hard and fast about ten steps. After only a couple of repititions the problem was solved. Good luck!

We do the the same thing.......knock them off balance, and then aggressively stomp my foot and lunge my body into their space and loudly command, "BACK! BACK!" If the horse is on a lead, I use it to make them back up as well.
 
Rather than trying to come up with a way to deal with a bad behavior after/while it has happened, how about trying to keep it from happening in the first place?

Was this little guy on lead? or loose. If loose I would say have an adult get him haltered first. Then have youngster take him and practice 'heeding' while going wherever they need to go.

Always keeping the lead loose.......too tight a hold on the horse can cause one to be fractious. Hold the lead about 3",4" below the snap. To 'heed' start off going where you want to go but after 2/3 steps turn part way to the right, a few steps then back to the left, then straight, then left, then right, then a full circle, then straight....you'll eventually get where you are going, but horse will begin to focus on you because he doesn't know what you are going to do next. And what you want is his focus on you instead of his own ideas.

Maybe this will help.

Charlotte
 
Thanks for all the feedback. I'm hoping that this lapse in good behavior on his part is due to the fact that we haven't been working with him as much the last few weeks because of the cold and holidays.

The two times he reared he did not have a halter on and my 13 year old daughter was in his pen with him playing so I'm sure he was treating her like a playmate and "playing".

Today I spent some time with him and he had a bit of sassy attitude (didn't want to stand still for haltering, turned his back side to me, etc.) so I got the lunge whip and put him to work running. He was more mannerly after that. I let him stand tied while I did his chores instead of letting him run around. Then we worked a bit on leading. He did not attempt to rear at anytime, but I was prepared to try and knock him off balance and or back him, and see how that goes. On the whole he is such a sweetie and I want to keep it that way!!

Do mini's go through a "terrible two's" phase like human kiddos? In big horses we've always had mature horses and not really dealt with too much of this stuff (thank goodness, especially since they are so much bigger).

I will let you know how it goes....

Thanks again,
 
Its been my experience that horses go thro the terrible ones.lol At least colts seem to. Somewhere between their first and second birthday usually they act out and test to see who's really the boss. After that it is usually more subtle.
 
Its been my experience that horses go thro the terrible ones.lol At least colts seem to. Somewhere between their first and second birthday usually they act out and test to see who's really the boss. After that it is usually more subtle.
We are exactly between 1 & 2. He doesn't turn 2 until late July.

What just so hard for me is he is so tiny. If one of our big horses cocks a hind leg or starts to turn a hip toward me I have no second thoughts about popping them one and letting them know in no uncertain terms that that is NOT acceptable. But mini's are just so cute and tiny.... I know, treat them like a horse.

I hope it doesn't come across that I beat my big horses - NOT so, but I will flat handed smack one for a threat because they can cause me so much more harm than I can cause them. If our former mare who was cinchy would turn to nip when tacking up, she would meet a well placed elbow. I am more about making the right thing easy and the wrong thing difficult, but because the big horses belong to my 13 year old, they have to have manners and be safe to be around. Thankfully, we have very rarely even had to give them a smack. Usually a loud "eh" is enough.

Thanks again.
 
Trust me your not alone, my little gelding did the same and Im right between 1 and 2 (2 in Feb.) and the last time he tried this with me he was wearing a halter so I grabbed his halter threw him to the ground and then smacked his croup with a lead roap and I left the barn, it worked and he hasnt tried it since...

Im so happy he should grow out of this
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hope he stops for you
 
Do mini's go through a "terrible two's" phase like human kiddos? In big horses we've always had mature horses and not really dealt with too much of this stuff (thank goodness, especially since they are so much bigger).

Yes, they do. It's a "bratty" stage and can happen as yearlings or two year olds. Uncut colts are WORSE, sometimes.

You are very right in looking at it as a parent, in my opinion. I think of it the same way. You have to discipline firmly, but with love behind it as well. The important thing.....as with human children.......is nipping it in the bud.
 
Do mini's go through a "terrible two's" phase like human kiddos? In big horses we've always had mature horses and not really dealt with too much of this stuff (thank goodness, especially since they are so much bigger).
Oh, do they ever! My stallion reacted "bratty" between 1 and 2. My filly is 3 going to 4 and suddenly thinks she "owns" her stall and occasionally "threatens" to nip and loves to crowd. She bosses the her "boys" (gelding in the field and stallion across the fence) around and has decided she might try it with me. She drove quite nicely at the end of last season so I'm wondering what spring will bring - a sweet girl or a pain in the ---?

You've got it right that you have to be the "boss" and let them know it. Nothing mean; just don't laugh it off because they're not "big" horses.
 

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