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by Ditte Young
Updated on February 5, 2024
Estimated reading time: 7 minutesย
You’ve probably seen a horse rear, even if you haven’t experienced it firsthand. The horse stands up on its hind legs with its forelegs off the ground, ready to strike at a perceived threat. Not only does it look dramatic, but it’s also an extremely dangerous behavior โ not just to us but also to the horse itself.
But if it’s so dangerous, why do horses rear โ and how do you stop a horse from rearing? In this article, I will answer both questions and walk you through what you need to know about horse rearing.
Most horses will naturally buck, or crow hops a little when playing or when their backs are sore. However, not all horses rear, and if they’re only kept around other horses who don’t rear, chances are they won’t. If you turn a horse out with a horse known to rear, the first horse might pick up the behavior, too.
However, horses rarely rear because of their experiences with humans โ not with other horses.
If an unfamiliar object, animal, or other circumstance startles the horse, the horse may react by rearing. If the horse has experienced trauma or abuse in the past, it may also be fearful of certain situations and react to them by rearing.
In the wild, it is common to see stallions rearing when they fight, striking their opponent with their front legs. Mares are more likely to kick but will also rear on occasion.
Some horses rear from excitement. Typically, this happens when the horse has a lot of pent-up energy and doesnโt know what to do with it. Horses sometimes buck for the same reason.
If a rider is inexperienced, they can sometimes make mistakes that frighten or otherwise upset the horse. Horses are also very sensitive to their ridersโ energy. If the rider is nervous and unsure how to handle the horse, the horse is likely to feel nervous or anxious, too, which can cause the horse to rear.
If a horse is in pain, it is likely to react to anything that triggers that pain. For example, if the horse has a sore back, the weight of a rider on its back will be very uncomfortable. The horse might seek to remove that discomfort by rearing to throw off the rider. Read more about pain in horses here.
Rearing is typically the last behavior most horses resort to when trying to get away from unwanted pressure. Some horses, however, have learned through past trauma that rearing is the only thing that works. For example, if the horse has previously been subjected to a lot of abuse, it might skip through any other reactions โ e.g., spinning, bucking, biting, or kicking โ and go straight to rearing.
I mentioned above that rearing is extremely dangerous to the horse and its handler or rider. When a horse rears, it can lose its balance and fall, quickly resulting in broken bones or other injuries.
The horseโs front hooves can catch a person on the head, resulting in anything from a broken nose or jaw to a crushed skull. A person standing too close can also get knocked to the ground, and the horse can come straight down on them. Not only can this break bones, it can be fatal.
If a horse has started rearing, stopping this behavior is essential, especially when working with humans.
Below, you’ll find 5 tips for what you can do to stop a horse from rearing.
Before rearing, many horses give small cues through their body language that show what they’re about to do. When it comes to learning how to stop a horse from rearing, the first thing you should do is familiarize yourself with these cues. If you know what to look for, you can prepare for the reaction and possibly prevent your horse from rearing.
Rearing is often a response to some form of physical or mental pressure. Pay attention to how your horse is reacting to that pressure. If you notice your horse getting agitated, lay off whatever you’re doing that’s upsetting the horse before it resorts to rearing.
You might also be interested in: โHow to stop a horse from cribbing.โ
If your horse is rearing as a fear response or as a reaction triggered by past trauma, you should stop whatever you are doing that is causing your horse to react. Do not punish your horse for the behavior โ itโs best to give no feedback.
Just stop what you are doing and note what triggered the horseโs response to avoid pushing your horse too far next time. This will help teach your horse that you will not punish or abuse it and that youโre listening to what your horse is telling you โ in this case: โPlease stop, Iโm scared.โ
When your horse is back on the ground and has calmed down, you can try what you attempted again, only slower and with less pressure. This will show your horse that you heard what it told you, that you will not go too far, and that the rearing will continue the training.
Rearing under saddle is even more dangerous than rearing on the ground. There is a significant risk that the horseโs hind will buckle, resulting in the horse flipping backward onto its rider. This can lead to severe injuries that can leave a person crippled for life.
Like rearing on the ground, the best thing you can do to prevent your horse from rearing is to stop what you are doing, which is putting pressure on your horse. Let your horse rest for a moment before you ask again.
If your horse is about to rear, you can make your horse move its hindquarters. Ask your horse to turn and engage its front end. If your horse refuses โ or if you werenโt fast enough โ lean forward and put as much weight as possible on your horseโs neck to prevent the horse from flipping over. Do not pull the reins; this can cause your horse to lose balance and buckle.
As I mentioned above, some horses rear from excitement or because they have too much pent-up energy for which they have no outlet. In both cases, ensuring your horse gets enough exercise is important.
Identifying the trigger when a horse rears can be difficult because itโs excitable. However, daily exercise can help keep horses from rearing, as they wonโt feel the sudden bursts of energy needed to go straight up into the air. You may also be able to stop an excitable horse from rearing by pulling it towards you, disengaging its hind end, and engaging its front.
You might also be interested in: โWhat personality type is my horse?โ
Above, I talked about how learning to understand your horseโs body language will help you pick up when your horse is about to rear. However, body language is not your horse’s only language to communicate with you.
While unable to communicate with us verbally, horses and other animals use other forms of communication to express themselves. They send nonverbal signals to each other and us to convey their feelings and how they experience the world. This form of communication is called โtelepathyโ โ and we can learn to understand and use it, too.
With the help of a horse whisperer or animal communicator, you can learn how to communicate with your horse telepathically. This will allow you to understand exactly what your horse is trying to tell you and how to stop your horse from rearing; it will also strengthen the bond between you and your horse.
I, Ditte Young, have been a spiritual coach, therapist, and clairvoyant for 25 years. I am the author of three books about animal communication and am known as the most recognized animal communicator and horse whisperer in Europe. Iโve made various online animal communicator courses for those interested in learning more about animal communication.
In my online course, โHorse Personality Types,โ I will help you get to know your horseโs personality profile and gain a new, more profound understanding of how your horse understands you, responds to you, and reads your signals. All my online animal communicator courses about horses will help you know precisely what your horse is trying to tell you and how you can stop your horse from rearing.
Want to learn behavior techniques applicable to horses from Europeโs most recognized horse communicator? Now is your chance.
You can now participate in Animal Telepathy Mastery from anywhere in the world.
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