Some horses don't like to be ridden and some don't like their surroundings. Then some others have too much energy. Whatever the reason is not important; Clearly, horse rebellion is not safe for you as a rider and for those around horses. Fortunately, there are several ways to help your horse calm down and stop struggling.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Handling a Rebellious Horse
Step 1. When a horse struggles, immediately release the back of the horse's body
You can do this by pulling the reins sharply to the right or left, and making your horse touch your feet with his nose. A horse cannot struggle in this position; it can only move in a limited circle. This will also emphasize that you are the leader of the herd and will relax the horse's muscles so that it can move more easily.
Don't let go of the horse's reins until it stops moving, then wait three seconds. Repeat the motion on the other side to emphasize your leadership on it. Each time your horse wants to struggle, or starts to struggle, repeat this process again. If a horse is prone to buckling, do this every time you ride it - both while you're standing next to the horse and after you've ridden it
Step 2. Do a "scrunch
"With one hand, bring the reins together, and tuck your other hand under the rope, making a tight "squeeze" around the horse's neck. This will trigger a certain part of the collarbone, causing the horse to be unable to resist. Use your legs You apply a little pressure, and the horse will bow. Once the horse has calmed down, loosen the pressure on your legs and harness.
A horse cannot revolt without lowering its head. Keep your leash tight so you can pull it right away when you start to feel that the horse wants to lower its head. This will prevent the horse from rebelling
Step 3. If your horse struggles, sit firmly in the saddle
Keep your heels low and your shoulders back, and pull the reins firmly to prevent the horse from lowering its head. Remember - a horse with its head raised cannot revolt.
Also, make sure your feet stay in place. Often a horseman will try to settle a rebellion by stopping his horse. Actually, a more correct way is to use the power of forward motion. Don't force the horse to stop. Often, horses will learn that rebellion can cause them to be displeased
Step 4. If you feel uncomfortable, get off the horse, but don't run
The first thing you should do is lean back; this will reduce the risk of falling headfirst. However, if you are not a strong rider, it may be better if you get off the horse in the usual way. This may sound like a bad idea, but think about it: if you can't stay on your horse, which is better, getting off the horse yourself or waiting for the horse to catapult you?
- The safest direction you should go after you dismount is on the side of the horse. Immediately loosen your legs from the stirrups and slide down in the direction that looks safest. It might be a good idea to aim for a side where there are no other horses.
- If there are people near you, they may have tried to help you. If you are riding alone, ask for help. Chances are there will be at least one other person at the stables who can help you.
- Once you've dismounted your horse, don't run away from it. This can cause the horse to think that danger is imminent and run with you or even step on you. Walk away from your horse while keeping an eye on it. Once he calms down, if you don't get carried away, you can try riding him again. Horse revolt is not always due to a mistake they made, don't judge a horse based on its recent actions. Let them prove to you that they are good horses and can be trusted.
Step 5. If your relationship with the horse is close, let it smell you
The first step to stopping the horse revolt is to get rid of the threat. The second step is to introduce your body's scent (identity) by blowing the horse's nostrils. Horses have large olfactory glands which can distinguish many odors and are used to recognize different people/animals/other horses, etc. Once the horse realizes this, if he is close to you, he will immediately calm down.
If the horse still can't calm down, you just have to wait. Once the horse has calmed down, the third step is to place your hand on the top of its nose and talk to it to get the horse to pay attention to you. Continue to do this by pulling the horse towards you and stroking it by the neck. After that, take the horse for a walk so it can build new trust in its environment and see that there's nothing to worry about
Part 2 of 3: Preventing Rebellion
Step 1. Keep the head elevated, with the neck relaxed and slightly bent
You can do this by pulling the reins at half-force and making sure you always maintain a "connection" between his mouth and your hand. Don't let the horse bite the reins and don't let the reins loose or rest your hands on the neck.
- Most horses will simply do "pig-roots style," which is an act of rebellion on a smaller scale. A real revolt would result in the horse's head being in the middle of the front legs, with the hind legs raised above the buttocks.
- A horse may struggle to maintain balance. Some former racehorses often do this when they are racing on an open field or arena.
Step 2. Keep your center of gravity in the center - don't lean forward
Communicate your intentions - your weight is a very effective communication tool. Relax with your center of gravity in the center of your horse's body. Visualize where you want to go and let your head turn in that direction - this will change your center of gravity and point you in the direction you want to go without spending a lot of your hand effort.
You need firm command of your horse, but not too hard. If he relates to you as a rider who often causes pain, this may be the reason why he is rebelling
Step 3. Keep the momentum going
If you hesitate, the horse will notice it right away and may see this as an opportunity to rebel and knock you out. Maintain solid contact with your calves and if you start to feel a rebellion, keep moving forward - a horse can't struggle without putting its front paws on it.
Don't let the horse stop. A horse might struggle and stop; the only reason why he rebelled was because he knew that the rider would stop him. Keep moving if this is the case, and the horse will learn that there is no reward for it if it rebels
Step 4. When jumping, avoid "stumbling" before you do it
If a horse is prone to rebelling, it will use this opportunity to plant its front paws and throw you off its back. Make sure you practice keeping your distance before jumping and establishing a comfortable space for your final push. When you do it right, keep the momentum going!
- Encourage your horse with the help of your legs and give him plenty of room to stretch his neck by moving your arms forward and changing your body's point of gravity to also point forward.
- If a horse struggles, this means that they will raise their hind legs. This can be very dangerous for you if you are on it, it can also be dangerous for other horsemen around you. If it's another horse that's struggling, steer your horse away from it.
Step 5. Stay calm so you can calm your horse
You shouldn't share your fear or panic with your horse as he will notice it through your voice and scent. If you're on a horse, bend low, hold on tight, and keep your head next to the horse's neck but away from the horse's head. Speak as calmly as possible and say his name repeatedly.
- Don't talk to him like he is a baby, but talk to him like you would a frightened child. After a few seconds, you can try giving a firm, firm command (but don't do it angrily) to try to help him remember what he's learned. When it struggles, the horse is expending unnecessary energy, so if you help it channel it into a controlled movement; however, don't ask him to run fast unless you want to be in a situation as if you were on the roof of a speeding train.
- Calming the horse so it doesn't feel scared or angry is the only thing you can do. If you're on the ground, stay calm, move your body slightly to the side of the horse and look down like you want to avoid its eyes. Speak softly and calmly. Considering the horse's panic, try smiling, yawning, exhaling, or laughing. You will develop an intuition to calm down when your horse is out of control.
Step 6. Get to know your horse
Often horses try to catapult an inexperienced or unfamiliar rider. In cases like this, time is the answer. Get to know your horse and develop a relationship with it. This way, when you ride him he knows he can trust you.
One piece of advice that can be useful to help you and your horse respect each other is to walk with him. Speak and pamper the horses. Let the horse follow you around his training track or give him a treat and teach him a few tricks! Developing a strong bond with a horse is key to mutual respect. A true bond cannot be created just from riding a horse
Part 3 of 3: Knowing the Cause of Your Horse Rebellion
Step 1. Check all hooks and fittings
Check to see if your horse is showing signs of discomfort such as a hunched back, folded ears, or a pale expression. It could be that he is in pain so he struggles to get rid of the pain. Horses always rebel for a reason.
- Make sure all the equipment you use fits your horse. A saddle of the wrong size/shape will hurt the horse's back and could injure it, as well as frighten the horse's psychological side and cause it to refuse to ride. This can then make the maintenance and catching of the horse more difficult.
- Ask a specialist to check the fit of your saddle and the condition of your horse's back/spine. Once you've checked these two things, check the bridle and strap. If all these potential issues have been checked, then the next thing to consider is your own factor.
Step 2. Understand the horse's feelings
You have to find the problem. Is the horse getting enough exercise? Are you sure he's not in pain? Watch his ears. If the horse's ears are pointing forward, he may just be having fun and channeling his energy. If the ears are pointing back and folded over the head, then the horse may be sad or depressed.
- Sometimes the horse bucks or acts up to tell you something. Listen to your horse because often he is just trying to tell you that something is wrong. Another reason is that horses may simply have excess energy - even the best horses can struggle to channel the extra power. In this situation, leave your horse until it runs out of energy.
- Letting the horse roam before you ride it can also help. The horse will release its frustration and energy before you ride it and the two of you will be walking around in peace. Make sure you also hold the reins through the stirrups and guide the horse around to get him used to it and aware of what he has to do.
Step 3. Notice if there is any particular relationship between any external factors and your horse's rebellion
If he is frightened when he is near a route, then he may always rebel when passing that route. Guide him and try to calm him down. If he acts reckless while doing a certain exercise, limit his practice time and encourage him when he does it well. Then do exercises or activities that he enjoys.
Don't force your horse to do activities that frustrate him for too long - add training periods gradually
Step 4. Start slowly, gradually learning the horse's behavior
If you can't ride it successfully without it rebelling, then start with walking and work your way up the process. Study the horse and know when it revolts, implement a reward and punishment system.
For example, if your horse rebels when you ask him to come up to speed, tell him firmly (but respectfully) that his behavior was wrong, then slow down to get him to gallop again. Ask him to run again and again until he stops fighting when you ask him to, then praise him. Giving compliments/gifts is an important part of the training process and you need to be clear about situations that make you happy
Step 5. Retrain the horse
Don't forget the possibility that your horse may be trained to rebel. Maybe your horse is a former rodeo horse, or maybe someone with a grudge against a previous owner teaches the horse to rebel as a cruel revenge. You may need retraining, or buy another horse and forget your rebel horse for safety reasons.
- Horses will quickly discover that revolting is a very effective way of getting rid of inexperienced horsemen. If this problem keeps recurring due to lack of exercise, then your horse may not respect you. In a case like this, send your horse in for training and you should also learn some lessons in horse management. Or, you can look for a different horse as the horse you currently have may be too difficult for a rider of your ability level.
- If you decide to continue with the horse you currently have, be aware that the horse may "test" you on your next ride (even if the horse has been able to get along well with the trainer). So if you think you can't afford another rebellion, leave the horse.
Tips
- Horses can sense the rest of the rider. Stay calm and don't be tense.
- Don't pull the reins straight back, this can cause the horse to stand up when it struggles. Pull the reins to one side of the horse.
- Putting off the reins once will also help stop the rebellion. Pull one bridle close to the rope and bring it up to your thigh. Make sure you don't pull on the other bridle. Keep your hands on your thighs until the horse comes to a complete stop and you regain control of the horse.
- A horse that often struggles should not be ridden by a panicky or novice. Green + Green = Black and Blue!
- Make sure the horse's saddle is extra tight if you know your horse is struggling. When a horse struggles, you can fall. When you ride a Western style saddle, there is a bulge that you can hold onto. However, don't forget to hold on to the horse's reins too.
- Consult a veterinarian or horse trainer if there's nothing else you can do.
- Don't come down. Try to survive on the horse. Lean back and press your heels into the horse. If you dismount, the horse will learn a way to get rid of the rider.
- If you are a beginner then use a stock or Western style saddle as they have support in the front and back.
- Bring a long whip. If the horse rebels, tap its shoulder with this whip. He will see the part of the whip, and will not rebel because he anticipates the uncomfortable feeling of being whipped for rebelling.
- Spend a lot of time getting to know your horse better. This will create a stronger bond between the two of you, and create a comfortable atmosphere when you ride your horse.
Warning
- If you fall, try to land on your side. Landing on the back, head, or front of your body can result in more serious injury and pose further risks.
- If you fall, stay away from the horse's legs. Although a horse will try to avoid anything on land, there's no guarantee it can do so. Accidents can happen.
- When and if you start to fall, try rolling. This will minimize impact and keep you away from the horse.
- Don't panic and try to pull the reins and stop the horse from rebelling. This will confuse the horse and make it even more rebellious. The key here is to stay calm and gentle.
