Rearing

[julienne.rha.b@bayer.com]

Hi everyone,

     Looking for advice on what to do here.. my 6 year old mare has been a total
     doll except for one MAJOR problem.
     Rearing..  I know it's the most dangerous thing a horse can do so I'm
     searching for advice and if I can't
     reduce/eliminate her problem I'm sending her off to a trainer since I don't
     want her or myself to get hurt!

     Anyways, this weekend we went on a trail ride with a few friends of ours,
     Dori and Steve..  Dori's
     horse hadn't been out much in the last year or so.. so he was a little
     antsy,
     jigging and wanting to be first.  Well, that set Isabella  (my mare) off
     and she started
     her little rearing spree I love SO MUCH (sarcasm here)!!  She doesn't rear
     very high (yet), but does go UP.
     I tried everything.. sending her forward (which she wants!), spinning her
     in circles (she does them amazingly
     fast - they're like pirouettes.  Steve said it looked like I was doing
     horsey
     ballet out there on the trail)  Sidepassing, lateral movement..  I tried
     everything and she still wanted to go up if I made her walk instead of jig
     or trot.  If I just let her
     go she'd just race to the front like a maniac.  So we got back to the barn
     and I
     worked her in the arena for 1/2 an hour.. she took off on me twice while I
     was
     trotting her.  I circled her like a madman until both of us were totally
     dizzy.
     So I slowed her down to a walk and every time she'd take off into a trot
     I'd
     circle her fast..  she tried to rear a few times and when she did I'd just
     switch to the other direction immedietly to put her off balance.  Finally
     we
     ended when she went around twice at the walk without trotting.  I don't
     know
     what else to do on the trail with her.  It seems like whenever there are 3+
     other horses she acts like this.. especially when another horse is a little
     bit
     antsy it sets her off.  I'm thinking.. maybe sending her forward but away
     from
     everyone to where we just came from?  I'm even thinking a running
     martingale if
     things get really bad.  I've tried head-down cues also.  Any suggestions??

      When I'm just with my fiance and his horse, Isabella is a doll.. she's
   perfect and I love her!

      I have her in a bitless bridle and I'm thinking about switching her over
   to a french link snaffle.  I'm afraid
      the compression from the contact I have when she starts jigging/trotting
   may be too much on her head
      and she's trying to evade it by going up.

     I'm gathering suggestions to really work on it from now until the CTR next
     month.. if she
     doesn't get better I'm thinking about sending her off to a trainer because
     it's
     getting too dangerous for me to deal with.  She's amazingly quick and when
     I try
     to school and correct her on the trail she doesn't care where she places
     her
     feet.. I'm afraid both of us are gonna get hurt.

     The good news is my seat is improving.. I'm pretty proud of it actually..
     hehe..

     Julienne
     &Isabella (evil demon mare)