rearing & round pen work

[Wrecksduke@aol.com]

Hey ridecampers,

Not specifically endurance related, but......

What is the best way to teach a 2 year old not to rear?  She did this when we
tried to load her in the trailer after we bought her (she ended up getting
sedated by a vet and we herded her in - to avoid injury and save some time).
The other time she did this was when we had a no-pressure, learn to cross
small creek lesson.  We stood in the water and let her check out the water
from the edge.  When she started to pull back, I did not react in time and she
came up against the lead rope and then when I caught up to her she flipped
over - gently.  She was alright.

I don't want her to flip over and hit her poll -- 'cuz that supposedly could
kill them, right.  

When she reared up several times on me the other day when I was hand walking
her.... I just kept walking back with her.... so she would not come up against
the pressure of the lead rope.  After she settled down, I walked her home in
small circles to try to get her mind off of whatever it was on.  When I got
her home, we decided it was time for some round pen work with her.

Soooo, my questions are:
1)  How do you teach them not to rear?  Does it entail teaching them to give
to pressure on the poll?  (Just quickly saw something in a John Lyons article
on that.)
2)  Is it too young to start round pen work with a 2 year old?  Especially an
arab?

Thanks in advance for your helpful advice,
Melody
Wrecksduke@aol.com