Rearing (horse)

A horse generally must stop before it can rear. Generally a rider can feel if a horse is about to rear, as the horse shifts its weight strongly to its hindquarters and begins to feel "light in the front end." When this occurs, rearing can still be prevented by a number of methods, the simplest of which is to either encourage the horse to move, either forward or to turn the horse in tight circles so that it cannot engage its hindquarters enough to rear. If the horse is allowed to stop or back up while behaving in a disobedient manner, it can more easily rear. When a horse manages to rear while under saddle, the rider has the best chance of bringing the horse back to the ground by leaning forward, keeping the reins slack and, in some cases, reaching around the neck of the horse to distribute as much weight as possible to the forehand. Once on the ground, the rider can prevent further rearing by asking the horse to move, either forward or in circles. ==Causes and solutions==

Rearing can be caused by fear; a horse that sees something alarming in front of it may stop and, if asked to continue forward, may rear rather than move ahead. Another fear response may come from poor riding. A rider that is particularly hard on a horse's mouth with the reins and bit may provoke a horse to rear from the pain the horse feels in its mouth. A horse may rear out of confusion because it does not understand what the rider's commands, or riding aids mean, or because the rider is giving harsh or conflicting commands. If a rider both holds onto the horse's mouth at the same time they push the horse strongly with their legs, essentially using the "gas and the brake" at the same time, they can also provoke rearing. In fact, trained, controlled movements such as the levade and the pesade are deliberately requested by a sophisticated form of collection where a careful, highly balanced rider asks the horse to raise its forequarters by a combination of riding aids that simultaneously gather the horse onto its hindquarters and lighten it in front. If rearing with a rider is not clearly linked to fear, disobedience or aggression, it may be linked to pain. An equine veterinarian can examine the horse's mouth and teeth, back, and feet for possible causes. Pain may also be linked to poorly fitted or improperly used tack. A rider or saddle-fitting specialist can determine if pain is linked to a poorly fitted saddle, or a broken saddle tree. The fit and severity of the bit can also lead to rearing. Riders should also consider the management of the horse, especially if the animal does not have turn-out time and has too rich of a diet. A horse may rear due to excitement and excess energy. For horses that rear while a person is leading them on the ground, the safest position for the handler is to be at the side of the animal so that the handler has maximum control but is still away from the front legs should the horse strike out. Leading horses with a stud chain on the halter or with a bridle offers more control if an animal rears; however, misuse of this equipment by jerking on the horse's head may also provoke rearing. == In popular culture ==

'' Rearing horses are often seen in movies and television, whether to signal urgency or if the character wants to look impressive. An example of this is The Lone Ranger, in which the white stallion, Silver, would rear up with the Lone Ranger on his back, then they would dash off, the Ranger encouragingly shouting, "Hi-Yo, Silver!" == References ==