How to stop my Thoroughbred from rearing?

He's a nice boy, I like him. But then I like the ones with attitude.

First of all, well done you. He is really throwing himself around and you are just taking it nice and quietly. Seriously, excellent work.

As Im sure a million and one people will tell you, make absolutley sure nothing is irritating him or causing him pain. We only say this because we are thinking of the horse, and the intensive work needed to correct this problem will damage him severely if he is in pain or responding to an irritant.

You look very professional and well funded, so Im sure checking him out wont be a problem. You know him best, so think. Washed his saddled blanket in a different powder? Changed to a different curry comb? He has that smart look which makes him a great competition horse, but it also means that the littlest thing could set him off.

To fix the problem you simply have to perservere. You will feel when he is about to rear and ride into it, push him forward, turn in circles, anything to win and get what you want instead of what he wants. Every time he rears he beats you just a little bit more. He may start bucking instead - when you get the front end down, the back end comes up. Same thing, ride him into it.

I would suggest cutting his grain a bit. I can see he is in competition and is obviously on a good diet tailored to his needs, but in my opinion, if he has the energy to rear, he has too much energy. Maybe you could switch some of his grain to a more easily digested pellet, something that wont hot him up so much?

More flat work and ground work. If necessary, do half an hour to an hours flatwork before you even think about jumping. Doesnt matter if you are both bored to tears, upward and downward transitions, walk to trot and trot to walk. Bore him to death with it. Get his rears out there before he gets to the course.

More lunging and ground work. Get him listening to you when you are on the ground. Half an hours lunging before you get on. Transitions again.

Also, familiarize him with ditches. He might be genuinely scared thinking something is in there. Walk him into some if you can. Build up the trust between you.

Good luck hun, he's some horse.

I swear I could write you a three page essay on the matter. I have been working with thoroughbreds for 15 years, every size, shape, and attitude and nothing worked better than what I like to call "the invisible roof". A close friend of mine is a western instructor and she uses this technique on her yearlings. Whenever they rear, reach up and hit them on the poll. Because this seems to be more of an issue with his personality, than an actual health issue (you KNOW he can jump) and he is sound in every way. This is a case of him taking advantage of you in the one way he can, being afraid. Fearing something and reacting badly IS another way of taking advantage of a rider suprisingly enough. They feed off of your panic (which is usually unavoidable, even if you are calm) and they decide that because you are afraid, I can be afraid, but no one will be mad at me because I am afraid, therefore he can get away with it.

Using this method, you are putting a fear in him of rearing. It's simple; when he rears, he hits his head, so he'll stop rearing because he doesn't want to hit his head! Horses don't quite understand the concept of a ceiling in that they have to be indoors because 1) they can't necessarily look up and compute that there is a ceiling there 2) Just like us, their subconcious tells them to avoid things that it is aware of. Just give it a a try, it really works wonders.

*Julia really had a good idea with a water balloon, that would work well too. Don't necessarily smack, just kind of bop them on the head.

Make sure he isn't in pain or anything.

Maybe he has a fear of the ditch? Get off him and just walk him around it, show him the jump. It may take some time to get used to.

Don't force him to do it, just take it slow. I'm sure you have a fear of something too? My horse is afraid of water and i'm still building up enough confidence for her to let me put the hose near her face!

Hope it works out well, he looks like a lovely horse. :)

Well i once read in a book, ... When he is rearing get someone to smack him on his belly with a lead rope or sumtin and he will associate rearing with pain and should stop.. Also change his diet by reducing thee energy intake and posss use a calmer in his feed?

18 hand tb are you sure??

its rearing is comon for tb it seems to be in there blood my horse is a tb she rears when she doesnt want to do something for example she hates cows she wont walk past them with out rearing first, she also doesnt like been ridden in the rain she rears up alot when its raining.

it is a way of getting out of things. when my horse first reared up when we where riding past the cows a just smacked her bum and she walked straight past them she hasnt done it since. as for her rearing in the rain i sort if just try my hardest to get on and do what i want to do and she does eventually stop doing it as she realises she not getting out of it.

with your tb i would do the same just be the boss lol

find something that he rears over other then a ditch lol not the safest place to be arguing with your horse...

just tell him off and make him do what ever it is he will eventually realise its not working anymore. just remember tb are very smart he will most likely find something else that gets him out of it. my horse now refuses to move forward when she sees a cow. its just something else i have to deal with.

i do love tbs they keep us on there toes lol

hope this helps if it does get too much get an instructor :)

Smack him on the poll of the head. Or, if you don't mind waiting for a rear, carry an egg or water balloon with you and smash it on his head. It gives the illusion that when he rears, he'll hit something above him. it worked for me after using a water balloon only twice.

if its just a behavural thing, then every time he rears, make him work even harder, keep pushing him forword making him canter, when he relaxes then stop, and continue on with what you were doing

Assuming he isn't in pain, get a professional on him. It won't take much for him to flip over with you on him.

First, make sure he isn't in any pain, if everythin is as it should be and he is just doing this to be a turd, punch him in the head. Right on the poll.