New boy rearing on a hack- Thoughts please!

chestNUTTER.

New Member
Mar 19, 2018
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Hi all,

So I've acquired a new boy, 10 year old ex-racer, finished when he was 7. Clearly re-trained very well, but for the past year has been in a home with no turnout, no hacking, and he's been over fed and hardly worked.

I've taken him on and have been able to jump straight on- he's calm and accepting in the school and doesn't make you feel unsafe (yet to canter but doubt that will be an issue either).

Now we went on a hack last night, for the first time, it was super windy and involved road work and a forest. He was a GEM on the roads, and walked out very fast, but behaved. Rushed a bit more as the hack went on, we just had a walk and I could feel that he wanted to go, but he didn't bomb off at all... almost like he was waiting for me to say 'Ok now canter'. HOWEVER.... when we reached the track that takes us back to the yard, he looked the other way and reared up twice, then continued the way I wanted him to go. He didn't unseat me, and I didn't loose my stirrups but my friend said it was a full blown rear. After this, we were walking along on the road, riding on the buckle, being good as gold again.

My question is: Did he rear up as a 'but mum I don't want to go home because I like this and I don't know if we'll do it again', and once we've been out a few times he'll realise he will be hacking a few times a week, and it won't be an issue, or do you think it was something else?

My concern is that I've never dealt with a rearer before, I can deal with bronching etc... but this is my first experience of a rear, and from what I understand it's a refusal to move forward. How do I handle this if it happens again? What if it's worse? What else could it be? I rode him in the school again this morning, and he was foot perfect.

I want to reiterate that this was the only problem I have faced with him, and he has been solid for the rest of the ride, both before and after the rears. I'm not scared of him, but he's a big boy, and I don't want to become scared of him!

Many thanks,

From the idiot that keeps ending up with chestnut thoroughbreds!!!!
 
Maybe he's just a bit unsure, if he's not been worked much and not been hacked for over a year he's probably feeling a little bit insecure.
Who knows what goes on in their heads, my girl is as safe as they come but even she has a wobble once in a while.
 
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Without being there it's impossible to say why he did it. All I will say is if he does it again don't mess about, get professional help. Rearers aren't to be messed with, particularly ones that go right up, it's too easy for them to lose their balance or footing & then you're under them. Almost without exception they do need to be backing off/stopped (even for a split second) in order to go up so if you're aware you do get a warning & can try to send them on, but some are very determined & also it depends on you being quick & confident.
 
Maybe he's just a bit unsure, if he's not been worked much and not been hacked for over a year he's probably feeling a little bit insecure.
Who knows what goes on in their heads, my girl is as safe as they come but even she has a wobble once in a while.

They all do occasionally!! It wasn't dangerous at all, or at least didn't feel it, and he didn't go anywhere with it, literally just up and carried on! Maybe he was feeling insecure! Maybe the other horse we were with went out of his line of vision! Who knows... He seemed pretty happy and confident with himself in general though :)
 
Without being there it's impossible to say why he did it. All I will say is if he does it again don't mess about, get professional help. Rearers aren't to be messed with, particularly ones that go right up, it's too easy for them to lose their balance or footing & then you're under them. Almost without exception they do need to be backing off/stopped (even for a split second) in order to go up so if you're aware you do get a warning & can try to send them on, but some are very determined & also it depends on you being quick & confident.

Who would I go to for help if it did come to that?

I've always said I would never take a rearer, but this honestly wasn't anything scary or malicious, and he carried on like nothing had happened. I hope it doesn't happen again, but will bear in mind the moving them forward comment! I'm fairly confident, and happy to get after a horse, but obviously, with new experiences and different horses, it's always a little bit of the unknown there! I'll definitely be in my body protector until we've had a solid hack without any messing about.... and not try to go out alone!
 
The trick is to feel it before they stop, once they have it's often too late. So you need to feel that backward thought, the slight hesitation or dropping behind the leg & send them more forward while they're still moving.

If you're looking for a professional the best bet is often to ask around in your area - farriers, riding clubs & tack shops are all useful sources. And make sure you visit & see horses being worked, anyone can talk a good line.
 
The trick is to feel it before they stop, once they have it's often too late. So you need to feel that backward thought, the slight hesitation or dropping behind the leg & send them more forward while they're still moving.

If you're looking for a professional the best bet is often to ask around in your area - farriers, riding clubs & tack shops are all useful sources. And make sure you visit & see horses being worked, anyone can talk a good line.


Will apply all on our next ride, probably over the weekend! Going to get some more schooling in before we head out again I think!

Hopefully nothing comes of it, but if it does I'd find somebody who could work from my yard- too many big talkers around for my liking, I know what goes on behind the scenes at some yards!

Thanks for your advice!
 
My old boy used to rear occasionally, in fact he did it 3 times in the two years I had him, no rhyme or reason that I could see and he never went full up thankfully, I find it's probably best to do as @carthorse suggests also don't overthink it either, what I mean is if you go out expecting trouble you may well find it.
 
'but for the past year has been in a home with no turnout, no hacking, and he's been over fed and hardly worked'

Surprised you didn't hack out at break neck speed then!
How long have you had this horse to just hop on and go out?
Have you actually spent time longreining and building up some muscle to carry you first? It's personal choice that I spend at least eight weeks on the basics and in your case gradually introducing turnout- over fed to me sounds fat and on spring grazing- sounds like potential laminitis.

Well I'm probably going to be very unpopular with my next comments.
The fact you have two relatively new horses and one is knocking your confidence on your wits end thread now this one is rearing. I would definately be getting outside help because they can help with both of them, before this one knocks your confidence as well.

In two minds with this thread because of your other one. I can't decide if this is genuine or not. We have had threads up about racing and the fact that some people buy them that are not experienced enough to be doing so.
I hope you are not one of these people.
 
'but for the past year has been in a home with no turnout, no hacking, and he's been over fed and hardly worked'

Surprised you didn't hack out at break neck speed then!
How long have you had this horse to just hop on and go out?
Have you actually spent time longreining and building up some muscle to carry you first? It's personal choice that I spend at least eight weeks on the basics and in your case gradually introducing turnout- over fed to me sounds fat and on spring grazing- sounds like potential laminitis.

Well I'm probably going to be very unpopular with my next comments.
The fact you have two relatively new horses and one is knocking your confidence on your wits end thread now this one is rearing. I would definately be getting outside help because they can help with both of them, before this one knocks your confidence as well.

In two minds with this thread because of your other one. I can't decide if this is genuine or not. We have had threads up about racing and the fact that some people buy them that are not experienced enough to be doing so.
I hope you are not one of these people.

I do have to agree with this. Is it really sensible to take an ex-racer out hacking (especially on the roads) when he is new to you and hasn't hacked out or been turned out in a year? Long reining is a great suggestion. I am doing lots of it with my horse who is on rehab and the benefits are huge.
 
Now we went on a hack last night, for the first time

HOWEVER.... when we reached the track that takes us back to the yard, he looked the other way and reared up twice,

My question is: Did he rear up as a 'but mum I don't want to go home because I like this and I don't know if we'll do it again', and once we've been out a few times he'll realise he will be hacking a few times a week, and it won't be an issue, or do you think it was something else?

Having read your post the above points make it appear to me that he wouldn't have known he was going back to the yard as it was his first hack and so consequently wasn't rearing because of that. Could have been any number of reasons..........as someone else has said who knows what goes on in their minds.
I have a "rearer" too, not a regular one but anything that gets past her uncomfortable zone and into her panic zone will bring on a rear - its her first reaction as opposed to bucking. The regular thing that brings on a rear for her are hacking out alone too far from home. As said above I can feel it a milli-second before it happens now and the way to get past it is to push her forwards so that she can't go up. On saying that she's a persistent devil at times and for both our safety I keep our hacks to within a certain safety zone only pushing tiny steps further at a time.
If I were you, having just read your other thread re your other young horse, I would be getting an RI to hack out with me and school too before both horses crush your confidence xx
 
I've read your posts again in the light of things some others have said, and picked up a few things. One is that your friend said it was a full blown rear, yet you later say it wasn't scary - if you don't find a full rear scary then you're mad or too inexperienced to realise the danger, or it wasn't a full rear in which case please don't exaggerate because people can't give valid suggestions if they don't have a true picture. I do wonder, unless you've had him some time now, if this horse is even strong enough to be hacking, mentally as well as physically it can take a long time to recover from a long period with no turnout or work.

Saying you're fairly confident & not afraid to get after a horse, plus thinking that wearing a body protector will make everything ok, makes me feel that you really don't know enough to realise what you're potentially dealing with let alone fix it. It shouldn't come down to getting after a horse, the skill is in reading the horse well enough to not put it in that situation & if things do start going wrong being sensitive enough to pickup early warnings & deal with it then. You sound like you're completely out of your depth & if you intend to carry on with this horse I can only advise you get in a good RI now, explain the situation honestly & ask them for a frank assessment after they've seen the horse & the pair of you in the school & hacking. I don't want to hear that he's gone over on you & you're posting from hospital!
 
@eml, could you offer any suggestions? I know you have a lot of experience retraining ex racers to a good level as well as being very skilful at assessing riders.
 
Since the OP has decided to private message me about not returning, perhaps it's a waste of time adding input. That message could have been put here and it could have been discussed.

I have offended them, been rude, come across as all high and mighty and above everyone else.
I did point out that my comment probably wouldn't be popular, but everyone including the OP and all replies to it are entitled to their opinions and views.
Not everyone gets theirs views over in the written format, myself included in that.
What really irks me about this forum is people cannot listen to someone who says something they do not like.
If I come over as up my own arse, my apologies and I will buy some pig oil and get it out.
 
I had an interesting hack out on my boy last Monday- He objected to walking past a paper bag (McDonalds, squashed, not moving), and first of all backed up, then at second attempt to get him past it, took his front feet off the ground a couple of times. Leg on + stick and a stern verbal “GET ON” was all it took to get past it. Front feet off the floor does not equal “rear” in my book.

6 months ago I would have needed a change of pants and I would have got off and done the walk of shame home. As it was, I thought “not today sunshine” and thanked everything holy that he wasn’t in his snaffle.

I’ve not seen any rudeness here at all. One of the things I really appreciate about this forum is the honesty without nastiness or name-calling. I sometimes need a reality check kick-up-the-jacksy. Or to be told to just get on with it.

The kindness I have been shown here is one of the reasons I keep coming back (you have only yourselves to blame ;)).
 
I guess the 'trouble' with forums (and text, email etc) is that everyone reads things slightly differently and you can't get as much context as you could when speaking to someone in person. What's fine to one person might offend another person depending on how they interpet a response. I think with a problem like this you can't really dance around it as it's potentially so dangerous, but it can be hard to hear.
 
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