Article From SubmitYOURArticle.com: Proven Ways to Stop Your Horse From Rearing

Rearing under saddle is one of the most dangerous
vices a horse can have, not only is it
frightening, it can also be life threatening.
Rearing under saddle is a difficult vice to break
in a horse and to do so you must first try to
understand the underlying cause of the problem.

Many so called experts recommend tie downs,
martingales or "popping". Tie downs and
martingales force the horse's head down when
needed but they are not a guarantee to prevent
rearing and they do not break the horse out of
the habit of rearing, they merely deal with the
symptom. Popping consists of swatting the horse
between the ears when he rears to make him feel
he hit his head on something. Some suggest using
a rolled up newspaper and some archaic methods
even suggest using a plastic bag filled with
water to simulate the horse being wounded and
bleeding. All these approaches deal with symptoms
and do not address the issue.

If you've ever observed horses in the wild or
even in the paddock, you will rarely see a horse
rear except when they're playing or fighting.
Being fight or flight animals, horses invariably
deal with stressful situations by fleeing away.
When a horse exhibits the fight instinct he
usually does so by biting and kicking. Clearly,
rearing is not the natural reaction to stress or
panic.

So what drives a horse to rear? The underlying
cause is invariably an inappropriate bit or heavy
hands. Heavy hands, harsh bits and problems in
the horse's mouth can all result in a rearing
horse. If a horse is faced with a stressful
situation and finds himself unable to escape, the
resulting frustration can lead to rearing. An
inappropriate or harsh bit can cause so much
discomfort that the horse will rear in an attempt
to evade the pain. If your horse rears the first
thing you should do is check his teeth, they may
be overgrown and causing him pain. Next you
should find the softest bit that works for your
horse.

1. Predicting and Preventing a Rear: If your
horse is on the bit and moving forward in a
relaxed manner he won't rear. However, should the
situation present itself a rear is easy to
predict: before rearing a horse will back up and
crouch back on his hind legs as he prepares
himself to rear. To prevent him from rearing
refrain from pulling back on the reins and turn
the horse's head while using a leg cue in the
direction you want the horse to go. This should
encourage your horse to move forward and not rear.

2. What to Do if Your Horse Rears: Do not pull
back on the reins under any circumstance. Try to
lean forward gently but keep your legs in
position. Hold onto the horse's neck by placing
your hands around it. Once the horse goes back
down, push him forward and change direction, this
will discourage a second rear. If you feel your
horse will flip over, remove your feet from the
stirrups and let yourself slide down the horse's
back and move away from him. A horse that flips
over is extremely dangerous and should be handled
by a professional.

More often than not, soft hands, working your
horse on the bit, keeping the horse moving
forward and an appropriate bit will remedy the
situation. Rearing being such a dangerous vice
should be left to professional horse trainers to
handle. This is especially so if rearing has
become a habitual defense reaction.

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Stal Amani is a top equestrian centre based in
Belgium within 2 hours drive of most of the top
jumping and dressage competitions in Europe. At
Stal Amani we specialise in training riders and
horses to compete in top level competition.
http://www.stalamani.com

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