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Horse Rearing Information and Videos
Horse rearing can be a very dangerous habit and should be addressed as soon as the behavior occurs. Causes may include fear, frustration, confusion, pain or injury, ill fitting tack, too much energy, playfulness, and rebellion or disrespect.
It is important to consult a professional because inadequate correction of a rearing problem can result in serious injury and or death if the horse should flip over onto the rider. Below you will find video demonstrations on rearing behavior and ways to correct it.
Ruling out a physical problem should be the first step in determining why the behavior is occurring. If there is no physical cause, it is always a good idea to go back to the good old basics of ground work training. Ground work allows safety for horse and rider and establishes boundaries and respect.
Remember, there is a reason or cause for this behavior and it is more important to correct the cause than the symptom, which is the rearing.
When a horse rears, you should lean forward and give the horse their head by loosening the reins, which is usually the opposite of what most people do when they begin to panic. Loosening the reins and leaning forward gives the horse the opportunity to maintain their balance and come back down onto their front feet. If at all possible, grab hold of the horse's neck, slide off, and move out of the way so you avoid being stepped on.
Try to figure out why your horse is rearing: Does it occur in a certain place or after riding for a certain amount of time?Knowing when or why your horse is demonstrating this behavior can be useful in determining how to correct it.
If you cannot find a cause or a specific reason, then it could be that your horse is just being disrespectful or defiant and ground training can be the answer to cure the problem-reestablishing who is the leader in your relationship.
Here are two videos by Larry Trocha demonstrating what to do when your horse spooks, which can also cause rearing problems. I added this here because it shows what to do to get control when things go wrong.
