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Discussion on Rearing up when He should be Backing up. | |
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Posted on Wednesday, Mar 13, 2002 - 2:23 pm: I just leased a Quarterhorse gelding that has the habit of resisting backing up when someone is in the saddle. He will set himself stubbornly stiff until you probably overdo the command then he will backup one or two steps then rear up. I have tried different hand/rein positions to see if he was trained to something specific but I get the same reaction. He seems to be fine when I am in the Barn. All I have to do there is give a little shove on his nose he will back up like Michael Jackson in concert. I am puzzled as to how to correct this problem. Can anyone Help? |
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Posted on Wednesday, Mar 13, 2002 - 4:05 pm: Rearing is dangerous, so you want to avoid that at all costs. If a horse does rear, release your rein aids totally and push him forward with your legs emphatically, sending him on briskly.For backing up, try using less rein to get him to back up. Focus on keeping a leg on, shift your shoulders back just a tad, and keep your rein closed/slightly wiggly but don't pull back. You just want to discourage him from going forward. The moment he shifts his weight back, release your reins and give him praise, stroking his neck. Then do again. Concentrate on using the different seat aid and legs to back up. You can add a voice such as baaaack or a unique cluck/kiss. To prepare him, you can use your voice while standing on the ground and get him used to that as a command. Then use the same voice tone from the saddle A single shift of his weight to the hind legs with a rider aboard may be the best you get initially. It may take a few sessions to get more than one or two steps. Alternate backing up with just standing and then going forward briskly. Be sure your forward aids (seat and legs) are a tad different than your back up ones. Since he backs up nicely when you are on the ground, perhaps you could have a 2nd person help you through this. They could give the command from the ground while you do nothing from the saddle and later add very soft aids from the saddle. Since he is rearing, I'd also investigate his bit and its adjustment. Its severity or leverage may be more than the horse can handle and that is causing him to go up. Be sure to reward the smallest try. Be careful. |
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