Training Tips

QUESTION: Hi Sylvia: I am desperate and I hope you can help. We own two geldings (8-year-old palomino paint who was trained as a show horse) and an 10-year-old quarter horse whom we were told was a ranch horse. The 10-year-old is very sweet, kind, gentle, and I am currently working with him to yield to his bit and bend better. He was turning left and not listening. But he is very good with the round pen training. His main problem, however, is that he has a nasty habit of rearing up when he does not want to do something and he is on the lead rope. (He even does it with a stud chain.) Once he does one rear, he then seems to settle down and does what we ask. He has done this before being loaded into the trailer, being clipped, and when being shod. I do not know a lot of history other than he was owned by one person for 9 years, and the past year we are his 3rd owner. The biggest problem is his size: 16.3 hands and gigantic feet. So he really could hurt us with the rearing up. He has bonded so well with our other gelding, so we really want to train this out of him, instead of getting rid of him. Please any suggestion would be appreciated!

REPLY: Hi. Thanks for writing. First...lose the stud chain; that's actually contributing to the problem. When you use pain with horses, this only puts more fear and/or fight into them.

Instead...teach him this (at some quiet time):

Leading Problems - Horse runs over human/How to teach horse back-up cue on ground

All of the above (and much, much more) is taught in my Whispering Way 12-Step Total Training System DVD set. Usually it helps to see this natural horsemanship art taught visually, to really understand how it is all done. You can get that DVD set here: CLICK HERE

And incidentally...my Whispering Way Complete Training Package contains all my videos and training tools that you need to train or retrain your horse yourself the natural horsemanship Whispering Way. You can check out/order the Whispering Way Complete Training Package on my web site here: CLICK HERE

This will give you better control of his feet (and mind) on the ground from now on, and will give you a tool to back him off when needed. After you've practiced that and he's gotten really good at it (often in just one session), next time he tries to rear (now...only do this in a natural horsemanship halter with 12' lead rope like you can get here on my web site: Natural Horsemanship Halter with 12 foot lead -- very crucial training tool and the 12' lead keeps you at a safe distance), when he comes back down from the rear, instantly make a loud "shhhh" sound (actually...start the shhh sound while he's rearing & continue that sound as you..), then jerk the lead rope downward hard repeatedly as you walk into the horse (after his 4 feet are on the ground!), and this will send him scooting backwards. Horses don't like to go backwards fast like that, so...you are making the right thing easy, the wrong thing hard, making it more unpleasant for him to rear than to stand quietly. Give that a try and this should fix this chronic problem, especially if you are consistent in your reaction there from now on.

Hope this helps and good luck to you there!