Barbara, Please do not think that only the
Arabian should not be started until 3-4, IMO NO horse should be asked to start
under saddle with rider aboard before the middle of the third
year.
Ground work, putting a light training saddle on
and working on the lunge line with saddle and even a bit before hopping on board
is fine, but the body and mind are just not ready for all that is required of
them to go under saddle with a rider on top no matter what the
breed.
amber
I feel that 3-1/2 to 4 is a minimum age to start an Arab, and
one should take things slowly and carefully. These are generally very
smart critters and don't take kindly to heavy-handedness. I KNOW
people start riding Quarter Horses at 2, but Arabs AREN'T Quarter
Horses!
> I have dealt with a rearer. Sometimes, the act of
trying to push them > forward will initiate the balk....then rear.
You have to find a safe way to > cure this problem pronto BEFORE it
becomes habit. With one mare I had, she > would refuse to go
forward (becuase perhaps she was being asked to leave the > property
or her buddies), and kicking or asking her to move forward with > prompt
the rear. What worked and was cured her, was this. Ask the
horse to > go forward. Give the horse a brief chance....if they
balk; IMMEDIATELY > crank their head to your knee hard, have a very
heavy crop, and run that > horse in about 10 good circles, whapping them
as hard as you can on the > butt and yelling. You HAVE to
make an impression and make it a horrible > consequence to not going
forward. If you do not cure this, or nip it in the > bud, you
risk getting killed, if the horse goes over backwards with you. If >
their head is at your knee, they cannot buck or rear. This worked
with the > mare I had and cured the problem. > > What are
you asking the horse to do.....that causes him to rear? > > I few
other comments....is, how long at his horse been under
saddle? Sounds > like perhaps pushed too hard at a young age. At
four, you need to be > establishing GOOD habits, by making it easy
for them to pay attention in > very short lessons or rides, and having a
buddy horse along on the trail > also helps a lot. Do NOT ask
things of them they are not ready for... > Karen. > ----- Original
Message ----- > From: <Lra1222@xxxxxx> > To: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> >
Sent: Saturday, August 16, 2003 10:59 AM > Subject: [RC] Rearing
(slightly OT) > > > > Hi all. I am working with a 4 year
old Arab gelding who has had 2 years of > "professional training." He
behaves really well for a while, then acts, > well, FOUR, and then is
good again. He was trained for hunter pleasure, then > got 7 months
off, and I have been working him for about a month now. He is >
EXTREMELY smart- when he learns he can't get away with one thing, he
tries > something else. OK, so down to the problem-- his new evasive
tactic is > rearing-- which I HATE!! I can deal with bucking and
spinning, which he also > tries occasionally, but not rearing. I
don't want him to fall over on top of > me, ya know?! I have checked
saddle fit, teeth, etc. and can't find anything > that may be causing
pain. I really think he is just acting his age! I just > want to find
out how to stop the rearing before one or both of us gets hurt! > Any
ideas? He is not my horse, but I do work him 3-4 times a week. I
try to > vary the routine so that he doesn't get bored, hoping that
will help with > the problem. He has reared about 4-5 times now, and I
am sick of it. As far > as trying to keep him moving forward, I try-
he will slam on the brakes just > to rear and spin. AUGGGHHH! Okay,
this is long enough, just trying to give > some background info. Thanks
in advance for your help-- ya'll are a wealth > of info, so I figured
someone would have an idea!!! > > > > Lindsey M21756 >
> > > >
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