2 year old rearing

Question
I recently adopted a 2-year old filly. She was bought at an auction and was
extremely thin, skin and bones really. She is very small...barely the size of a
yearling. I have had her now for 2 months and she's fattening up well. A week
ago I moved her to a new stable. There are lots of horses around. Until the
move she has been easy to lead but now at this new stable she has started
rearing up when I lead her in halter. Her rearing is quite aggressive. Today
after she reared and pawed the air several times, I let her loose in the arena
and she tore around like the wind for five minutes. Is my filly simple young
and feeling energetic now that she has put on weight? Or is she developing a
bad habit? How do you recommend I correct her rearing? I try to stay to the
side when she rears up and then have her walk in circles when she calms
down but this isn't curing the behavior. Help.

Answer
Hi Jennifer, this could be caused by many things.  One could be that she is feeling good, has energy now that she is being fed.  Try to never let her go when she rears or she will learn that to get free she just has to rear.  Horses rear for various reasons, to show aggression, to look bigger, to try and scare off predators, to show dominance, and to get their handler to let go of them :).

Under saddle a horse will rear if the bit is too tight, if the bit is hurting them and they think they have tried everything to stop the pain so they try rearing, some times when you back a horse too aggressively, too early, it will rear.  Usually the rear is due to pain, fear, or because they do not want to do something.  They will only try this  a couple of times and if it does not work they will usually quit.  However, if they get release when they do it they will continue to do it.  In your horse's mind, he reared and you let go, so he thinks rearing is the right answer to getting free, not good.  I know if it is between you getting hurt and letting go then you have to let go, but it is better not to get into that situation.

Now to stop a rearing horse you have to be prepared and fairly quick.  Have a lead rope long enough that if he rears it will not pull the rope from your hands.  When he rears move to his butt and pull his head to the side.  Do not try and pull him down and stop his rear, you can't and you will only show him you can't.  By moving to his butt and pulling him to the side you take away his power.  After you pull him to the side try and attack his butt so he will disengage and spin away from you.  This will cause him to face you.  He may try it again, do the same thing, if you can get him to back up or spin he should stop.  This is a tricky and advance move so you may want to get someone who has done it before.

I don't know why she would rear for no reason, I would think she would be doing this if you are trying to move her or circle her.  If she is rearing while you walk her then she is having a problem with where she is or where she is going. All horses paw when they rear, so she may not be being aggressive, just trying to keep her balance.  Horses don't normally jump on someone unless they feel cornered and threatened.  They don't want to lose footing and jumping on you is not a stable ground.  

This is more advanced but I would pop her with the lead rope on the front feet and chest area and charge her.  She would try and back up fast.  She can't rear well if she is backing.

Having her do circles may stop for a little while, but you need to make rearing as uncomfortable as possible, she has to think that rearing is more trouble than it is worth and it gets her nothing, don't circle her, attack her butt and get aggressive at her rear to move her butt and then back her aggressively like she has just tried to kill you.  Rearing, kicking, and biting are the only time I think you can be mean to a horse and it is ok.  They have to learn fast that these are not options when dealing with people.

Remember if you back her you have to make sure she can move backwards or she will feel trapped and rear again and that will make problem worse.

It would be better if you never had to do any of this and you could tell when she was thinking about rearing and make her do something before she ever reared.

Good luck and I hope this helps,  Rick