Rearing is\u00a0one of\u00a0the most dangerous behaviors a horse can demonstrate, and it is especially dangerous when the horse is being ridden.\u00a0 For many horses, rearing takes a lot of effort.\u00a0 Other horses seem to find it easy to do and will rise up either a little or straight up into the air on a frequent basis.\u00a0 Something to always bear in mind when a horse rears is that horses often overestimate their ability to balance on their hind legs.\u00a0 Almost any\u00a0horse can easily lift their front legs a few inches off the ground and remain balanced, but with the added weight of a rider, they can quickly become unbalanced and flip over backwards.<\/p>\n
There are, unfortunately, a few horses that rear habitually.\u00a0\u00a0Rearing should never be allowed to become a habit, but some horses have rearing at the forefront of their mind as\u00a0an early\u00a0solution when presented with something that induces anxiety.\u00a0 As with all things related to horses, we first must understand why the horse rears.<\/p>\n
Here are some cases I’ve seen:<\/p>\n
1) A non-reactive type of Thoroughbred reared straight up when the rider sat down on a saddle that didn’t fit.\u00a0 This was the first time the owner had known the horse to rear while being handled, and since this particular saddle was not used with the horse again, the horse\u00a0did not ever\u00a0rear again.\u00a0 There was no training done with the horse, it was purely a tack\/pain issue.<\/p>\n
2) A reactive, excitable Appendix Quarter Horse reared on several occasions when she wished to go forward and the rider held her back too strongly.\u00a0 No training was done, the horse needed more of an outlet for her energy with more exercise, needed more rides in the same type of situation, and the rider had to release more energy than was being held back so the horse didn’t feel trapped or claustrophobic.<\/p>\n
3) A young mustang reared on one of her first several rides due to a sudden fright.\u00a0 This was a very small horse and the rider was very experienced so she pulled the horse off balance to one side while quickly dismounting.\u00a0 The ground was soft and the horse rolled onto her side.\u00a0 Being a very intelligent mustang, she learned from that one experience that rearing was a dangerous maneuver and did not try it again (this technique is not recommended for most horses and riders).<\/p>\n
4) An exciteable Appendix Quarter Horse would turn to face the handler when being lunged and rear straight up.\u00a0\u00a0It was reported\u00a0that this would frighten the previous owner and the owner would then put the horse away.\u00a0 This was a learned behavior and the horse did not threaten the handler physically, but rather had an expectant expression as she waited for her reward of rest and food after her exhibition.\u00a0 Since the horse’s motivation was to get out of work, it took a few sessions of making the horse get down and back to work before the behavior went away.\u00a0 She simply had to learn that there was no reward for her behavior and then it was not worth the effort to keep it up.<\/p>\n
5) An Arabian\u00a0mare in heat reared up while tied in the barn at a horse show.\u00a0\u00a0She had become very excited upon seeing the other horses at the show grounds; no training was done\u00a0since she had never reared before\u00a0and she has not reared while being handled since.<\/p>\n
6) An abused and neglected Appendix Quarter Horse mare came to a new owner at age 20.\u00a0 She was frightened of being ridden outside an arena and a habitual rearer and bolter due to her fears from past mistreatment.\u00a0 Her owner accepted the fact that she reared and continued taking the mare out on rides, spending an hour to go a\u00a0quarter mile while the horse stopped and reared each time she grew frightened.\u00a0 Over time, the horse grew more accustomed to her environment and reared less often.\u00a0 After several years, the horse would only rear if very agitated.\u00a0 The horse did not wish to rear any more than she wished to be severely afraid.\u00a0 Once she did not feel the need to\u00a0escape, the rearing became a rare event.\u00a0 Due to her experience with rearing, this horse was\u00a0very balanced and stable on her hind feet and could rise up and down without falling over, even with a rider.<\/p>\n
As you can see, there are different reasons for a horse to rear; some of them are behavioral issues and some are not.\u00a0 Some are deep rooted and some are one-time events.\u00a0 If the horse with the poorly fitting saddle had been ridden multiple times in that saddle, he would have developed more deeply rooted fears and behaviors relating to being ridden.<\/p>\n
Many horses rear in play, especially male horses.\u00a0 Most horses that rear frequently in the field do not have any issues with rearing under saddle.<\/p>\n
If a horse rears with you, you must instantly give the horse complete control of his head and lean forward onto the horse’s neck, keeping your weight forward.\u00a0 Leaning back may unbalance the horse\u00a0and cause him to flip over.\u00a0Whenever a horse rears you must be prepared to instantly throw yourself clear to one side if the horse goes too high.\u00a0 This\u00a0can be\u00a0a life or death situation.\u00a0 Do not ever, ever have a tight rein on a rearing horse.\u00a0 Many horses that go over backward are pulled over by the rider.<\/p>\n
Here is an excellent video that demonstrates what to do if your horse should rear.<\/p>\n