Re: Reply to rearing

[Howard4567@aol.com]

In a message dated 6/26/01 3:55:53 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
guest@endurance.net writes:

> Ray O. rno2m@virginia.edu
>     The endurance folks are better horsepeople than me,but since rearing is
>  potentially so dangerous,I want to make a few observations.I think putting
>  the go forward cue to a high-rearing horse may bring him higher and
>  higher,just as the spur will send a backing horse faster backwards.When
>  Chico rears on me,I YIELD,and we try again with some different approach
>  after his feet are back on the ground.Is this conditioning him to rear?
>  Maybe,but you are SCREWED,potentially with a crushed spinal cord, once
>  they are up pawing at the sky and turning.All I do up there is lean
>  forward , get out of the stirrups,and talk softly to him.There is said to
>  be a technique where you take your feet out of the stirrups and drag him
>  down in a heap with one rein,whilst neatly sliding off and stepping
>  aside,avoiding all flailing legs and hoofs,and quickly sitting on his head
>  to punish him.Hah! Maybe some Olympic gymnast,but not me.

 My 17 hand Saddlebred used to do this (rearing), and, sometimes, still tries 
to.  
First thing is use a tie down.  Get your horse used to one, don't make it too 
tight unless they leave you no choice.  But make it tight enough to stop 
those big rear ups. This doesn't stop it completely, but controls it to a low 
level.  

There is a way to ride your horse safely, if they have a tendency to rear.  
Since I'm cheap, I buy young horses.  Young horses that rear are humblingly 
dangerous.

The main thing is to temporarily change how you ride, especially in the trot. 
 I call this rear maintenance (maintaining your butt up, no posting).  Ride 
like a jockey; but not with your stirrups as high, some call it the two or 
three point.  Make that third point your hand, on your horses neck, above the 
withers.  And keep the pressure of your weight over this hand, all the time.  
This will encourage your horse to keep moving forward, and with your weight 
on top of your hand, it will stop the rearing.  

You are more in tune with this part of your horse's body, when you're 
constantly applying pressure on his neck.  And if you let your horse stop, 
you're hand on his neck will let you know when they're attempting to rear up. 
 You don't want this to happen, but if it does, you throw all of your weight 
towards the neck, and force the horse down.  Be careful here, this is the 
dangerous part.  Like I said, avoid it if you can. But, because your hand is 
constantly there, you are able to do this maneuver with quite a force, and 
timed correctly, it will get any horse down quickly.  As quickly as your able 
to do so.  And I'd yell in his ear as my head goes down alongside his neck.  
I want him to know I'm pissed off.

Your horse cannot rear up while moving forward.  They may, however, be able 
to do it if you spin them in tight circles.  Your circle must be large enough 
to keep that forward momentum going.  Rearring up while making a tight circle 
is very dangerous.  This is when they can flip over.

Just keep your horse in a straight line, down the trail, riding two point, 
with your hand on their neck.  If they stop and try to rear, put your body 
weight over your hand, and you might even have to slide your hand up higher 
towards the horse's head.  And try to keep them moving forward.  Personally, 
if the horse does this cause he's young, green, or just full of himself, I'd 
wear them down out on the trail.  At least far enough to take full control; 
especially with the rearing.  A semi-tired horse won't rear.

Also, play around with the tighness of your tie down.  Eventually, you'll 
want it loose, but if your horse keeps challenging you, don't be afraid to 
make it tighter.

Please, be careful.  My techniques are my own; they're not certified by John 
Lyons or Monty Roberts.  And I'd hate to read a post that someone's ended up 
in the hospital because they tried one of my ideas.  But this one does work, 
for me and my nutty Saddlebred, and a few others I've tried it on.

cya,
Howard