HORSE REARING
How You Can Cope With Horse Rearing Problems:
A rearing horse can be a real problem if not dealt with quickly. Bad horse behaviour can become "embedded" very quickly if not immediately confronted. Not only is it frightening for all but the most experienced rider, but horses that start rearing, or for that matter develop any bad habits, are often worth a just fraction of their purchase price - can you afford to do nothing?.
The problem can often cause a "downward spiral" of poor interaction between horse and rider. We all know how sensitive horses are to a rider's mood. Each year there are injurries and deaths
Think about this scenario...
The horse rears - the rider deals with the situation incorrectly out of fear or inexperience. The next time the rider gets on the horse, feeling slightly (or very!) anxious. Anxiety gets transmitted to the horse making it more likely to spook or rear, making the rider more nervous... and so it goes on to quickly become an entrenched problem, which is difficult to break.
You must act now.
Rearing problems can start for a number of reasons from veterinary problems, confused signals from the rider to poor horse training, and yes some horses are just bloody minded!
It can also be for the tiniest of reasons... just recently my horse started to rear when being led from field into its stable. We quickly realised that this only happened with his fly-mask on. Clearly he didn't like going from a sunny field to a darker "scary" stable with his vision slightly impaired by the fly mask
Of course the big problem is once a horse does this to avoid a situation or instruction from the rider and "gets away with it", what happens the next time it comes across something it doesn't want to do?... you guessed it... up on the back legs again!
The good news is there are solutions...
One to one training from horse trainers, can be very expensive, if you can find a competent person who you can trust. At last there is a simpler way
Jake Hamilton uncovers professor Jesse Beery's horse training secrets that will show you
Click here to find out more...
Jeff Rolo Explains What To Do When You Are Confronted With A Rearing Horse...
Every year horse owners experience serious injuries or even tragic deaths while riding their cherished equine companions. One of the more significant causes of rider injury is a rider being tossed from a rearing horse… or worse, caught underneath a horse that reared so fiercely that it flipped over on top of the rider. While sometimes injury is extremely difficult to avoid due to the spontaneous and powerful nature of many rears, all too often the problem is actually made worse by inexperienced riders panicking and inadvertently increasing the chance of injury. When an inexperienced rider is rudely jolted by a rearing horse he often panics and tightens his body. This is a natural reaction… when we perceive an impending and unavoidable blow, our body unconsciously stiffens and braces for the impact. When atop a rearing horse, a surprised rider will often recoil a bit and stiffen towards the hindquarters of the horse, which is a critical error because the rider drastically throws off what little balance he has, almost assuring that he will be tossed. The second critical error inexperienced riders make is using the reins as a form of security. They feel their body being thrown backwards so they grip the reins for dear life and try to use them to "pull" themselves forward and back into the saddle. Again… this is a natural knee-jerk reaction, but it's also a critical error. When you yank the reins of a rearing horse you drastically increase the likelihood of the horse losing control entirely and flipping over or falling down… with a good chance of you being caught underneath. Keep in mind that when a horse rears, he is already off balance. When you yank the reins backwards sharply, you'll only make it that much more difficult for the horse to resume his balance. In addition you'll very likely harm his mouth and cause him immense pain, and the shock of the pain could very well make the horse "freak out" even more! So we now know that the two natural reactions people often make while on a rearing horse will only serve to increase the chances of injury for both the horse and rider. If we are supposed to ignore natural bodily reflexes what should we do instead? First, when you sense your horse's front hooves leaving the ground make sure that you lean forwards, not backwards. This will increase both your balance as well as your horse's, thereby lessening the chance of the horse actually falling over. You don't want a horse that weighs around 1000 pounds landing on you. Second, thrust your hands forward so that there is absolutely no direct rein pressure against the horse's mouth. Do not pull back on the reins no matter how much your instincts shout to do so – I guarantee you'll gain no security or balance from doing so. Let him have his mouth and only apply direct rein pressure after he has all four hooves back on the ground. Finally, if you feel like you are losing control then it's generally better to take the cautious way out and dismount rather than try and ride the rearing out. Consider wrapping your arms around the horse's neck as you lean forward, then slide off his side as he rears. The moment you hit the ground you want to back up so that the horse doesn't step on your feet when his front hooves land again. It's best if you can keep hold of the reins as you perform this manoeuvre, but if you have to let them go entirely and get out of "Dodge" then do so. Your bodily safety is the most important consideration. Hopefully you will never be surprised by a rearing horse, but it doesn't hurt to practice quick dismounts in your spare time such that if you are ever faced with the situation you'll better know how to handle it. In addition depending on your breed of horse you might consider jumping him a bit. While a jump has nowhere near the potency of a strong rear, it can teach your body how to respond when a horse's front hooves leave the ground. Copyright ) Jeffrey Rolo, 2007. All Rights Reserved.|
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeffrey_Rolo |
Jake Hamilton uncovers professor Jesse Beery's horse training secrets that will show you
Click here to find out more...