A REARING HORSE

Rearing is a dangerous defense. It is a major conflict between a horse and his rider and the rider does not have many options. If his hocks are weak or if he does not control himself well, the horse could fall backwards and crush the rider. This could also happen if the rider pulls on the reins to hold on while the horse is up in the air.

One reason the horse rears is to escape from the rider’s actions, generally to refuse to go forward. The rider is forced to lean forward and put his hands forward on each side of the horse’s neck to loosen the reins, so that he does not fall off and so that the horse does not fall backwards. The horse comes out of the conflict as a winner.
The horse can also rear because the rider’s hand is particularly clumsy, hard or inappropriate. That is a revolt.

The horse also rears to escape from the rider’s control. A competitive or exciting situation in the presence of other horses can provoke a stallion to rear. The rear will then become a habit if the horse is not controlled and dominated by the rider.
The rider must therefore avoid this kind of situation.

Preventing the problem is much better than having to fix it… 

1. To prevent a rear
A well-educated horse will not rear. 
If the training of the horse is done progressively with tact, the conflict situations will be avoided or will be very rare, and they will not reach the violent level of refusal that rearing represents.
A horse on the bit, at work, forward and relaxed does not rear!

Nevertheless, some situations (aggression of other horses, excessive excitement due to a new environment or violent emotion…) can lead a very sensitive and reactive horse to occasionally rear.
The rider should not put his horse in such situations; he should keep his horse calm in all circonstances.

A rear is almost always predictable.

The horse backs up and crouches on his hind legs to brace himself for a rear.
Quickly move the horse’s head opposite from the haunches with a very clear and wide opening rein, associated with a vigorous action of the leg on the same side.
Doing this, you will carry your horse forward strongly (and he will not rear).

2. To deal with a rear
When a horse rears, the most important is not to make him loose his balance.
The rider leans forward fast but not abruptly, possibly on one side of the horse’s neck.
The legs stay in place.
In the mean time, the hands must go forward on each side of the horse’s neck, so that the rider does not pull on the horse’s mouth and make him fall backwards…

Pulling on the reins when the horse is rearing can be a very heavy mistake… Unfortunately, it is the first reflex of any beginner!
The rider must stay well seated in his saddle, calm and serene, and take his regular posture back when the horse goes back to the ground.
He must then instantly push his horse forward and change direction, so that the horse cannot crouch to prepare another rear.

3. To rehabilitate a rearing horse
If the rear occurs as an exception, simply be careful to not put the horse in the same situation to rear again after you clearly showed him your disapproval. Do not put yourself in a bad conflict situation.

If the rear becomes a habit, the problem becomes much more complex.

When the rear is rather slow and balanced, attack vigorously with your spurs and your whip… the horse will leap forward and up. He will gradually give the defense up.
Your seat must be strong, your self-confidence total and your nerves solid!
You can also jerk on one rein to put the neck down while leaning forward.

When the horse rears violently and abruptly with no control, it becomes much more dangerous.
Pull on the horse’s head very hard on one side. The rear is often stopped… but if the horse has started to fall, he will then fall on his side. This is still very bad but is less dangerous than falling over backwards.
There can be real aftereffects for the ride and the horse.
The horse might think twice before he does it again… but some horses will do it again anyway.

A tie down can be used. But be aware that a tie down is never used as a horse-training tool. This is about rehabilitation. 

A well-adjusted “Gogue” theoretically prevents a horse from rearing.
Being a creature of habit, the horse will probably forget to rear with a well-conducted work plan.
Use of the tie down must then be suppressed.

If the horse is an extremely hot and aggressive stallion and nothing has helped, he must be castrated… no consideration is justifiable when it comes to protecting the rider from a life threatening accident.

But all these procedures are only remedies!

This dangerous and unacceptable defense can be avoided by educating the horse correctly and with tact
from the beginning.

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