Up we go!

The first thing to know is, forget all that nonsense about breaking an egg over the horse’s head and other weird theories.

Don’t get angry, growl or kick. And don’t ‘clamp’ on a horse you feel may rear – the freedom to go forward must feel better in their minds and their bodies than going up.

Instead, do the following…

• Keep forward of the movement as he goes up
• When he comes down, give him a big pat and say ‘good’
• Get his focus back on the line that you want.

Yes, I said pat him when he comes down. It’s the only thing you can do and, in fact, you’re saying ‘good lad’ when he’s doing the right thing – ie, has all four feet on the ground.

If you can, while the horse is rearing, direct him back to where you want to go, as I’m doing here, but you need to be an experienced rider to do this. The main thing is to keep calm and get back to your original track as soon as you can.

Top tip

“If your horse rears persistently, ask a professional to help you. It’s dangerous and needs to be nipped in the bud!”