A Rearing Horse -
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How do I deal with a rearing horse?
My 3 and a half year old stallion had been a sweetheart. I was able to saddle him, put my full weight on him leaning over the saddle, handle his feet so I could trim them, touch him all over without a problem and even tie him out.
However, he has becomes studdish to the point of being very dangerous. One day I was leading him by the halter, which he had always cooperated with perfectly, when he pulled away. I held on, thinking he would get the point, but he reared up and as I turned he struck me in the back with his front hoof leaving me with a contusion over a large area of my back and left side.
That was about 2 months ago. This morning I went in with him, finally gathering the courage to do so, took him by the halter and began to lead him.
After a few seconds he reared up again. I walked away and he followed, rearing up a few more times. I clapped my hands hoping to discourage him from following me, but he reared up and I got out of there. He still comes to the fence and lets me pet him, but I don't trust him not to bite me (which he used to do until I discouraged him by squeezing his nose).
I have a 3 year old filly separated from him by a field with another field between them. He is constantly watching her. He might have actually got her in foal (she looks as though she might be pregnant) one time when I decided to put them together, hoping he'd be less frustrated. I never saw them mate and assumed it hadn't happened, but now I wonder if that's so.
The filly is also a problem now (sometimes sweet, sometimes not); I will ask about her another time, since the stallion is a more pressing issue. My questions are:
Will the stallion ever be safe again?
Would castration work or is it too late?
Is there any other way to deal with this problem?
I appreciate this opportunity. Thank you. Matt
Hi Matt - thanks for your question.
At 3 years old, your stallion is starting to mature and will almost overnight realise his strength. It is highly likely that he is not behaving like this because he has suddenly taken a dislike to you - nature is simply taking its course.
A combination of high levels of the testosterone hormone surging through his body and the presence of females in the immediate vicinity will turn him from a teasing, playful youngster into an unrecognisable, volatile heavyweight.
Unfortunately, every time he has reared up it has given him a little more power over you so that you feel much less confident in handling him and he becomes keener to assert his authority over anyone and everyone.
Stallions Require Careful Handling
Stallions need to have the boundaries re-inforced daily of what is acceptable behaviour and what is not. Because of this, a handler must be on high alert to ensure that a stallion remains attentive to instruction even when surrounded by tempting distractions.Stallions will definitely not suit most owners.
Although you love your horse dearly and have clearly spent much time in building his trust, his behaviour shows that he does not respect his handler when being led.
More recently this is evident even in his stable and this presents a very real risk to your safety.
Maturity - When Nature and Testosterone Kick In
Stallions become very territorial and you quite rightly observe that he seems to demonstrate a protective attitude towards the filly. This is because his natural herd instincts are kicking in and he feels the need to reinforce his masculinity.
Unless you have a very good reason for keeping this horse entire, we would strongly recommend having him castrated or "gelded" by a qualified veterinary surgeon as soon as possible.
The longer the horse is left as a stallion the harder it will be to adjust their mental attitude once the castration has been done.
A 3 year old horse is still young enough to train correctly and the habit of rearing is not one that is well established.
The Secret of Successful Horse Ownership
We passionately believe that the secret of successful horse ownership is having the right equine partner, one you can handle safely and one that you can trust.Owning a horse should be an enjoyable experience and sadly from what you've said it does not sound at all like you are enjoying his company recently. Please don't think that this is just a phase your stallion is going through - the reality is he is maturing into a determined, independant powerhouse.
Going Back To Basics
- The Best Way Forward
To counteract anti-social behaviour, a rearing horse in this situation must be educated under the supervision of a handler operating a consistent "zero-tolerance" approach. Once it becomes a habit, a rearing horse presents a constant battle that only destroys trust but also potentially puts you both at risk of serious injury.
Is it possible to arrange for another handler to work with you - perhaps someone with stud experience who is used to dealing with stallions until he is castrated and for the immediate recovery period following the operation?
It can take from six weeks to six months for the hormones to regulate themselves and during this time the horse may still exhibit stallion behaviour.
Once the horse has healed satisfactorily, we would suggest that you ask an instructor or experienced knowledgeable friend to work with you and your horse.
Start from scratch, practice simple exercises one step at a time such as grooming, handling and leading him.
Do this with an open mind to help you evaluate whether there is the potential of a long-term partnership with this horse. As with human relationships it takes time to find the right partner but you are truly blessed when you do so.
Regarding the filly, we would advocate having her tested for pregnancy as this may be a very real possibility. The disposition of a filly or mare in foal is quite often dramatically different from their normal personality, due to the fluctuation in hormone levels brought about by pregnancy.
We wish you well with your horses and hope that this response has helped you understand the behaviour of your rearing horse more clearly.
Thanks from the team at Total-Horse-Expert.com
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