Re: Rearing Horse

["spencer" <spencer@inu.net>]

When horses rear my dressage instructor says to make them go forward.  
Easier said than done.  I am in  similiar situation with my 9yo green broke
arab mare.  She did fine during winter, but now tries not to leave home. I
am wondering if it is related to spring heats starting as she did so well
before they started coming into heat.  I have had to be firm and use my
riding whip on her butt.  Each day it was getting shorter--like from 20
minutes to 5 min.  Then , because I work one week on and one week off, it
has been starting all over again.  She gets herself into lather during this
and then after she figures out I am going to make her go, she cools and
goes like she is supposed to.  She has been doing this whether or not I am
riding alone.  I am planning to take her elsewhere to see if it is the
same.  In past with other horses, I have just worked thru it using english
spurs or pelam bit with short shank to give them negative reinforcement for
the sudden bad manuever.  It ended up taking 2x a much time to go away from
home as returning to home.   It is called barn sour.   I haven't heard of
any quick fixes.  John Lyions has a way of going about it a few months ago
in his monthly magazine.   It is time consuming and I actually feel that
the horse has suddenly found out he has to WORK for a living and sees goind
away from home as having to work.  Good luck.  You can always take to
trainer, but you will probably have same problem when you try to leave HOME
again when she returns.  Any other endurance riders had this problem?
Mary Ann
Zavalla, Tx

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From: G & J Thom <thomlabs@netbistro.com>
To: ridecamp@endurance.net
Subject: Rearing Horse
Date: Thursday, March 19, 1998 9:14 AM

Hi everyone,

This is not entirely endurance related tho the horse we
are having trouble with was to possibly be started in
endurance rides this year.  My friend has a 5 yr old 
arab mare .  This mare goes very well under saddle in
the arena and around the yard.  As soon as we head away
from home always in the company of another horse, we
get a certain distance out never the same spot and this mare
will all of a sudden start rearing and striking with her back legs
and will refuse to go on.  Even when you get off and continue
to walk her in the direction you want to go she will rear for a
few steps.  My friend and I are not horse trainers and were 
wondering if 1)  If this is something we should tackle ourselves
                  2)  If a trainer fixes the problem is it something that
                       may start up again later.
This horse has lots of potential for endurance and we were taken quite
by surprise when the mare started this.  This mare is bottom of
the pecking order in the herd and has never really indicated that
she had a temper like this.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Julia