Re: Rearing while saddling or tightening the girth.

[Annette Gordon <agordon@worldofwonder.net>]

If I were you I would check the fit of your saddle. Your horse's rearing
could be to due to that. It sounds to me like his rearing is a protest or
the only way he can think of to draw your attention to the fact that he is
uncomfortable. Although he isn't rearing when ridden this doesn't mean that
he is not in pain. He's probably just being polite and long suffering. 

I would also have his teeth checked. I know this sounds odd but again
discomfort in the mouth can cause a lot of strange reactions. 

Monty Roberts at a recent demonstration showed how to deal with rearers by
using a hood which prevented the horse from seeing above him - works a bit
like blinkers but shields sight from things above. Monty works under the
assumption that a horse won't go where he can't see - I've seen him use this
method and it works. However I wouldn't try this without checking saddle fit
and your horses teeth. 

Your horse is young so you don't want to start out life together this way. 

My mare has reared with me once or twice and got me off but never since. I
was able to work out the reason why she did it - I'd moved her to a strange
place for loading training, with strange people who stupidly fed her strange
food (not what I asked them to feed her). When I turned up to see her she
wouldn't say hello or talk to me and when I rode her she reared up twice and
I fell off twice. Because I know her so well I realised that this was not my
horse that she was extremely upset with me and the whole place and this was
her only way of sending me a message. I spent a couple of hours hanging out
with her in her stable where we made it up - she forgave me and I forgave
her. The next day I had my horse back and although we went on to have more
tough times together we faced them together and not fighting with each
other. Brings a tear to your eye!!!! I love that little horse. 

Good luck I hope you find your answer and I hope some of this helps. 

Annette


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> From: guest@endurance.net 
> To: ridecamp@endurance.net 
> Subject: Rearing while saddling or tightening the girth.
> Date: Tue, 11 Aug 1998 10:46:53 -0700 (PDT)
> 
>
>
>PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO GUEST@ENDURANCE.NET!!!
>You must post replies to the actual sender listed below.
>
>From: Hartley 
>Email: YoYoDeux@aol.com
>
>	My 5 year old Arabian gelding is extremely sensitive through the whithers,
shoulder and girth area - so much so that he has developed the habit of
rearing over backward when being saddled.  He has never reared while being
ridden - it is only when setting the saddle, buckling and tightening the
girth.  My trainer & I have been trying a number of techniques to
desensitize him with some success, such as lunging between progressive
tightenings;  massaging and patting the ticklish/twitchy areas, and wearing
a surcingle while being turned out most of the day.  He's getting better
(and hopefully past the surcingle stage), but I am worried that this
intermittent behavior is still a danger to himself and anyone around him (he
has reared up and flipped over up to three times successively & crashed
through a fence).  I would appreciate any ideas or insights from anyone who
has worked through a similar problem.
>