Barging and Rearing In Hand

Q: One of the new mares well both but one is worse have a problem with throwing their heads up and just running right over the top of the person on the end of the lead rope.
Normally this is not a problem that I have had issues fixing horses usually catch on fast to being in my space equals being uncomfortable as in working and staying outta my space means they can relax. However this one mare just doesnt seem to get it the more you try to make her move away even just move over while being brushed she wants to run over the top of you. If you ask her to back up she rears and jumps forward at you.
Im pretty sure the whole problem steems from the fact that she has never been taught any ground manners but it seems if you try to teach her any even something as simple as walking with you on a lead upsets her and she just wants to run you over crowd you and just be in your face. At first we thought it was cause she didnt wanna be seperated from her buddy but she really could care less about her buddy it just seems she doesnt know what you want so she gets upset.
So Im just curious how everyone else would work with this problem. We have been working on it and its helped alittle but Im wondering if there are others ways that might help it along alittle better.


A: Understanding WHY this girl is doing what she's doing will help you to deal with the behavior in a positive manner. First of all, the fact that when she rears when asks to back up tells me 2 things: 1. she doesn't trust you as a leader and 2. she feels trapped with nowhere else to go but ... up. (the photo above depicts a SCARED horse who has nowhere to go from the pressure that is being forced onto it with whip and flag.)

A horse HAS to move its hooves when its afraid. That is hardwired into them. So, all the shanking and pulling and yanking one does to try to hold the horse still just exacerbates the situation. Allow the horse to move then start to direct the horse's movement. As Old Grey Mare states, the horse won't back up due to hock pain or fear of not knowing what's behind PLUS ... not trusting the handler. Secondly, a horse will NOT back up except for a horse that is higher up on the social ranking.

what I've found to work, 100% of the time with all horses is to start establishing leadership (NOT dominance or "boss" or "alpha" but most definitely "leader" or "leadership" ... think about the differences between the implications of the words) is to ask the horse to yield its head to both sides of his body for you and then to turn on its haunches in a disengagement of the hindquarters. This doesn't mean simply turning around in circle but actual pivoting around its forehand by crossing the inside leg OVER the outside and shifting the hips around. Again, a horse will NOT do this for any other horse unless the other horse is higher ranking. But, in order to get the horse to do this you have to get the head to yield and then, because the head is around and you're applying pressure to the hip (be sure your energy, your belly button, is pointed towards teh hip and not some other part of the body - this means you have to position yourself accordinly while requesting and asking him to yieal his head around to you), the horse's body HAS to "come around" ... the hips HAVE to disengage. Do this from both sides. Use the LEAST amount of pressure you can to get a response but as much as you need to get a response. Even if the horse just STARTS to respond, release the pressure instantly and praise the horse. Repeat your request again starting with the least amt. of pressure and only increasing to what you need to get a response. You'll find the horse will respond favorably pretty quickly AND, in doing this, you'll notice your horse becomes softer and less resistant to your request. The eyes will begin to blink .. a blinking horse is a thinking horse ... and you'll notice that it begins to get a bit lighter in hand. The disengaging of the hips also disengages the mind ... so the horse will begin to feel MORE trusting of you simply because you are asking him to move his hindquarters and he knows you CAN do this! So now he begins to see you as his "leader".

Patience, gentleness, encouragement and confidence will go a along way ... ignore any "bad behaviors" as there is no such thing to a horse. That's strictly a human judgement. A horse is just a horse.

Again, think of the words associated with a good, trustworthy LEADER ... vs. a "boss" or "alpha". You want to be a good LEADER. Here's another little known fact - horses are also hardwired to NEED A LEADER and if the other horse/human does not exhibit correct leadership attitude and qualities then the horse WILL take that position. It's a survival mechanism that is instinctual.

Remember its never about the horse ... a horse is a horse is a horse. It's ALWAYS about the human and his/her attitude and manner of communicating his/her requests to the horse.

Try it out and let us know!

:) -- caballus