Rearing while saddling or tightening the girth.

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From: Hartley 
Email: YoYoDeux@aol.com

	My 5 year old Arabian gelding is extremely sensitive through the whithers, shoulder and girth area - so much so that he has developed the habit of rearing over backward when being saddled.  He has never reared while being ridden - it is only when setting the saddle, buckling and tightening the girth.  My trainer & I have been trying a number of techniques to desensitize him with some success, such as lunging between progressive tightenings;  massaging and patting the ticklish/twitchy areas, and wearing a surcingle while being turned out most of the day.  He's getting better (and hopefully past the surcingle stage), but I am worried that this intermittent behavior is still a danger to himself and anyone around him (he has reared up and flipped over up to three times successively & crashed through a fence).  I would appreciate any ideas or insights from anyone who has worked through a similar problem.