3 y/o rears?

O

OneHoofBeat

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Jan 24, 2017
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My 3 year old got ulcers a few weeks back, he has been treated and is clear, but as soon as the ulcers began, he started to rear, he's never done it before the ulcers.
Now whenever something stressing him out, makes him nervous, anything goes near his stomach or the like he rears. Anything can set him off! He's an 11hh pony, so the plan was to back him as a childs pony, now I'm concerned. I can't school him, I'm too tall, fine on weight, but too tall.

Now I need input, do I chance backing him? Tried to long rein, but as soon as something gets close to his stomach, he freaks out. His rearing is controllable when you're at his head, once you firmly say "Ah!" he quits it, but as soon as we go back to what we started, he's back at it again. I am in the position to retire him. He's a great little pony in every other aspect! It's such a shame!

I've had the vets back out to him, they've rescoped him, come back clear. No pain in his back or anything. So the only thing they can suggest is that he "thinks" the pain from the ulcers is still there, when it isn't. He can go days, weeks even without an episode and then out of the blue, he's at it.
He's never gotten away with it, even when I didn't know it was ulcers.

I know for a fact, I couldn't sell him, he's too much of a liability to others. But what would you do?
I have three options,
continue getting him use to things, hope that the rearing stops eventually.
Retire him and just let him be a companion pony.
Or wait till he's around 6-ish, and re try again.
What would you do?

I'm at a lost and being told a load of different things!

I have the go ahead from the vets to back if I wanted to!
 
If he's only just been treated I would turn him away for a few months/until next year to get over/forget the painful episode and then restart him, possibly using different methods to those used before, only because if the ulcer development occurred during training I would think maybe it was stress related so want to try something he finds less stressful.
 
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To me it sounds like you could be doing too much, too soon and overwhelming him.

If he freaks out at long reining take him right back to basics. Spend a week just slowly getting him used to the equipment on his body so he understands that it won’t hurt him. When you start moving, have someone walk by his head and reassure him and ensure he understands what to do. Many horses will rear on the long reins if you are at all heavy with your hands because the pressure on the mouth can be severe.

He is only 3 years old and perhaps just needs time and reassurance. His behaviour may not be due to his ulcers at all, perhaps he just doesn’t understand what you are asking and/or is scared. I understand ulcers are painful, but I have never known a horse to rear simply by touching their stomach. If they really were this severe would the pain have really gone in a couple of weeks?
 
He's only 3. Imo it is far too early to make long term plans for him! Rearing is a 'liability' in an established mature ridden pony not in a baby with health issues who has just been started. What they do during the backing process/ early months is not a guide to future behaviour.

Why are your opptions carry on or wait till he's 6 or retire him? There are extreme gaps between all those option!

I agree with the advice above - turn him away to let him fully recover then re-start him from the very beginning. But no need to turn away till 6. A month would do with daily handling in ways he can tolerate. Once he seems relaxed and happy with routine, daily handling then restart him but do it slowly and patiently so no step is overwhelming. Something like:

1) Gentling him to touch so you can feel all over his body including belly
2) Gentling him to equipment everywhere including belly.
3) Halter training him - leading nicely, backing up, yielding to pressure in all situations
4) Gentling him to tack.
5) Long reining

The above might take months but it does not matter. You've got all the time in the world.

Make sure he is fully relaxed and happy at all steps before proceeding and just see how he goes.
 
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It's very unusual for gastric ulcers to clear in a few weeks, even with the proper drugs. I'm curious as to what made you suspect them in an unbacked 3yo, it's not unheard of them to get them but it's very unusual & I'd wonder if there's an underlying reason that's going to cause you problems in the future.

I certainly wouldn't be backing him at the moment, though I also wouldn't say this problem is a reason to retire him before he's even had a job. It sounds to me like you're writing off a horse for babyish behaviour that isn't that unusual, in two or three years he may be a completely different pony. Jim as a 2yo seemed to spend nearly as much time on his hinds as on all four, it was a stage he seemed to go through & yet in all the years I rode him he only ever went up with me under saddle twice & both times were when a well meaning person went for his reins when he was already stressed.

Give him time, it sounds like you're asking too much too soon for him to handle &this is his way of saying he can't cope.
 
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He was treated 1st April.
The ulcers came around because of colic, he had sand colic. And we (vets including) couldn’t get any food down him for 3 days. It was to the point he was having water tubed into him every 4 hours because he wasn’t drinking.

Everyone has been taken slowly, he’s fine with the lunge lines, they can touch him all over his body, you can tap him lightly with them everywhere.
Tried him with his bridle and halter. Same result.
Someone is at his head, and would of been for a few sessions at least!
He’s great a leading. Will walk, stand, back up, move his hand end, ground ties. I could walk him to and from the field without anything on him if I wanted.

My options are slim as the person who helps me with the ponies Starts college soon, therefore it wouldn’t be fair to back him and then have no time to continue it. She is expecting to do a 3 year course, which will make him six when we have time to fully back him and get a good foundation down undersaddle in at least walk and trot.
retiring him because he would be a child’s pony. And if he Rears, children can not ride a rearing pony! (He’s too small to be anything else!)
 
To be honest given that he clearly isn't happy with what you're doing now I'd rather leave him until he was 6. That doesn't mean you can't get him out & about in hand or led from another horse, heck maybe next year you could see if someone could break him to harness & teach you to drive! I'll say it again, just because he rears as a 3yo doesn't mean he will do when he's older & more confident, if every horse or pony that reared as a youngster was retired then there would be a lot fewer riding horses around.
 
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First thoughts are why do you have him? Whose pony will he for? If you are thinking of waiting until six won't the kids you bought him for be too big?

Second is for good sake he's 11hh.
I'm sorry but you do not have to wait three years for this person to finish college, you can source someone else.
If he wasn't rearing what would you be doing, carrying on and then turning away for three years?

You can either turn away as someone has suggested and start again on the basics.
Back off from the stressors and carry on gently with other things.

I can think of 101 things to do that don't involve riding.

Deal with it. He's a baby, it's something some do.
Sell on and be honest. Project. Halter broke or whatever the term is now.
Or get an instructor to either come out and help, or send away.
 
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He goes out hacking 3/4 times a week currently inhand.
Lungeing would start just before winter hits us.
Debating on showing him but not 100% sure yet.
I only have the option to retire because I don’t necessarily need him backed.

He was bought as a child pony. The child that would be riding him wouldn’t be too talk because he would be 6. Same age as the pony.
I shouldn’t have to source someone else out if I’m happy to wait.
If he wasn’t rearing, he would of been backed this summer lightly, so he had the foundation. Turned away for winter. And then started again over the summer holidays.

He won’t be for sale. He has a lot of uses. He’s a pony I won’t find again. So selling isn’t an option.
 
Your recent post contradicts your first one. Your first post says "anything that goes near his stomach" makes him rear. Which is why I advised you start with gentling him to touch all over his body, obviously including his stomach,. But apparently that is not a problem after all. You say he freaks out when the long line goes near his stomach which is why I said gentle him to all the lines. But apparently that is fine too.

So when exactly DOES he rear? Wherever and whenever it is, stop doing that, go back 5 steps from that point, break that task down and rebuild from there. If it is unpredictable then it sounds like the poor boy is totally overwhelmed and so he just gets to a point in the session where his worry cup overflows. He has been through a lot and is probably still in pain. I still think that deciding his future based on current behaviour is far too soon. If all ponies who wer tricky to back were retired I doubt there would be very many ponies around!! My YO has backed hunders but she was unable to start a particular mare a few years back and in the end sent her away for backing, She is now foot-perfect and a confidence giving hack.

I
 
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I'm losing patience now because this quite frankly sounds like a load of b******s. If the plan was to turn away over the winter & then start again in the summer holidays next year then why not just leave the poor sod until next summer? Your ego? Because this pony couldn't say any more plainly that he isn't coping. And as @KP nut points out your story is inconsistent which makes me doubt just how truthful you're being with us & wonder what exactly we'd see if we could watch you working with him. My advice now, for what notice you'll take of it, is to forget about this year & turn him away. Reassess next year & then get some proper help in either by sending him away to a yard that works with small ponies or if you have someone local who does them then seeing if they'll come to you to work with him.

That's it from me, I'm out of here.
 
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OneHoofBeat said:
I only have the option to retire because I don’t necessarily need him backed.

I shouldn’t have to source someone else out if I’m happy to wait.
He won’t be for sale. He has a lot of uses. He’s a pony I won’t find again. So selling isn’t an option.
Click to expand...

Did you read that back to yourself before posting.
Retiring from what? He hasn't done anything yet! Wait three years if you want, but it's hardly a 'no other option' because you go on to talk about all their uses.
So do those.
 
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