Rearing how to correct

Question
QUESTION: I just bought a 6 year old Appaloosa Mare . She is great on the ground. can do most any thing with her. My problem is she rears when she is asked to do something she does not want to do  
I want to know if I could use a tiedown or a running Martingale until I can figure out what is causing this problem.
she is a little on the lazy side and  not very well trained
the people who had her knew little or nothing about horses. so she pretty much did what she wanted and I believe reared so they would take her back to the barn. Which I refuse to do.
This is not my first horse. and not the first I have trained. but never had one who reared. before.

ANSWER: Hi Ruth!

In my opinion, rearing is the worst defensive habit a horse can have...almost impossible to train out of them.  Once they learn it works and gets them their way, they do it all the time.  And from what you said, it always worked for her before.

In the hands of a rider who acts inappropriately in the split seconds before and after the rear, the rearing can lead to very, very dangerous consequences.  Such as flipping over.

Before I can recommend a tack change, I need to know the specifics about when she does it.  In a typical day, how many times does she do it?  Always under saddle or on the ground too?  Did you know this when you bought her?  The more you tell me the better I can give an opinion.

Solange



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Yes and I have seen horses flip over backwards. Abbey rears
at different times. She doesn't get ridden very day. she didn't  do it when I first got her. and no I didn't know it when I bought her. they told me that she was a great trail horse.. the first time was when I took her away from her stable mate. and she decided she was going to turn around and go back. I leaned forward and urged her forward then she came up a little higher. and I smacked her which made things worse. finally convinced her we were going forward not back to the barn. she didn't do it again that day. The next time was a couple of days later and again I kept her going the direction I wanted to go.
Always under saddle.
I have been studying the Parelli method of training because I really like not forcing a horse. but I am at a loss on this one.
I think my answer is work her more and start from the start
with ground work.
I still don't understand what a martingale is?

Answer
Hi Ruth!

Hmmmm....since she is ridden infrequently (for lack of a better word) I would make sure she was not over-fed and under-exercised.  A very bad combination.  Lots of regular turn-out and always longe her before riding.  And it should be longing with a purpose, always training her.

I am going to assume you ride Western.  Are you using spurs and how harsh is the curb?  Do you feel you have good hands?  Are her sides dead?

For right now, I would stop riding her altogether.  She must be tricked out of rearing and you simply must not put her into situations where you feel she will do it....like riding her out.  You will never win through force.

She needs tons of ground work in tack that makes her accept the bit.  I cannot explain what to put on her over the Internet.  I would need to see her go.  I can tell you that a Martingale is a training aid used in the English disciplines.  The Standing, Running and German are the most common.  A standing is like a Western tie-down and can be as tight or loose as the rider wants.  No, you should not just throw one on her.  Too tight and she will certainly flip!  Too loose and it may as well not be there.

Have your vet or farrier recommend a local trainer to come out and evaluate you and your mare.  They should be able to tack her up right and teach you how to properly longe her in the tack to gain bit acceptance and eventually put the rearing out of her head.

Just remember....if you put her into a new or stressful situation, she will always go back to it as her defense mechanism.  She may never be rid of it or it may take years for her to get out of the habit.  So, she must be properly prepared and trained for anything different or new or potentially stressful/scary.

Spending the time and money now to attempt to correct this is the only way to go.  You have not owned her long and can still get a handle on the situation if you approach it logically and correctly.

Good luck and remember to always wear an ASTM/SEI approved helmet!

Solange