8yo QH Rearing Under Halter & Bridle

Question
I have an 8yo QH that rears up when the slightest amount of pressure is applied. The rearing of the head or rearing up occurs under halter when leading, at cross ties, raise hand around forehead/ears/nose; it also occurs under saddle/bit (curb & snaffle) when stopping and/or turning.  She is well bred, for cutting, has received basic cutting training.  What can I do before deciding to send her to a trainer to correct her behavior?

Answer
Hi Jim!

Her feet are stuck.  She does not know how to operate in a bind.  That and she is scared.  This is another case of sending a horse to college with out teaching her the ABC's first!  

Cutting training is college.  It is the basic horsemanship that is missing.  This is the ABC's of how to be a quality performance horse.  Having a feel that is respectful and does not offend the horse is also critical.  If you are moving your hand and the horse is tossing her head and rearing, someone did way too much.  The horse has the need for self preservation in mind, body and spirit.  This is what the horseman tries to use and not fight.  The horse is NEVER wrong.  What the horse is doing may not be what the rider wants, but it is not wrong for the horse.  The horse is only doing what she thinks she needs to do to survive.  Period.  

Jim, don't take her back to another "trainer".  This is what got your mare into trouble in the first place.   I want YOU to learn to be the kind of horseman that can solve these issues with quality and that means YOU need the education, not her.  The "trainer" is just going to thump on her some more and then tell you she is a bad horse and to sell her.  I've seen it and heard it a thousand times.

She is not a bridle horse, her behavior is telling me that, so go back to the snaffle.  It is where she needs to be.  Then start learning how to do real ground work.  Start in the round pen or a small corral.  Start by hooking her on and proving to her that you are a leader she can trust and that you speak the same language.  Then start with your lass rope work and then your rope halter.  You are building on these lessons in layers with different means of direction and support from just your body language when the horse is loose in the pen, to your lass rope, which is more support, but still requires clear direction from body language, to your halter which allows for more refinement in the movements.  

Get control of the feet.  If she feels like she is going to rear...SEND HER FORWARD! Do not yank on her halter and back her up, this is what is causing the rearing.  Her hind feet do not know how to move with meaning and she has always been yanked to a stop and sent backwards when ever there is a problem.  This horse must be sent FORWARD.  Get her feet moving.  Not only will she become more relaxed, she won't feel the need to rear.  Also, no more cross ties.  If you are going to saddle her, keep her with you.  Make her part of the process and saddle with quality.  Your mare needs to learn to OFFER to stand.  You have to teach her this.  If she can't stand still to saddle, send her forward in a 10 meter circle around you.  Let me back up here, saddle in an area, like the arena, where you can MOVE your mare when you need to.  Never, ever tie to saddle.  This will cause her to rear and flip over.  Never back into a tight cinch, again, another reason horses rear and flip over backward.  Get organized.  Gather all of your stuff and saddle in an area that you can move in.  Every time your horse steps off, send her forward and roll her over her hind quarters.  This frees up the hind feet, where your problem is, puts her to work, keeps her from feeling trapped and allows her to let down and relax.  Wait for her to offer to come still.  Set things up so that it is easy for her feet to come still, then continue saddling.  

The more you learn about quality ground work and the better your prepare your horse for her job, the more comfortable and seamless your whole life will become.  I can't explain all of the ground work here.  I'd be typing for days.  I want you to watch the "Ground Work" DVD by Buck Brannaman.  It is the best.  Then watch everything by Buck and Ray Hunt.  It is the real deal and not some gimmick parted out in systems or levels in order for some goof to make money.  Buck's stuff is clear and complete.  Watch it and make it part of your soul.  Then, I want you to find a clinic with Buck, Ray or Ricky Quinn.  One of them should, I hope be in your area.  These are not dog and pony shows.  They are the real deal.  World class horsemen helping folks get better with their horses.  You will learn more in 4 days with these guys than a life time with most of the "horse trainer" types.  

Watch Buck's DVD and give me a shout.  I'll help clarify any of the concepts or movements you may be having trouble with.  Jim, you can do this with quality, way better than some "trainer".  You care about your horse and having a partnership that is meaningful.  Take the time it takes, be as gentle as possible and as firm as necessary and you will have what you are looking for.

Denise