Training Tip: What to do When a Foal Rears

Question: I’ve been following the Foal Training Series, and my foal has started to rear. What should I do to stop this behavior? I backed him up a couple steps and that worked for a while, but he started doing it again today, so I backed him up and scared him away. – S. Langston

Answer: If your foal is being disrespectful, you are right to nip this behavior in the bud as quickly as you can. Although foals are small, they quickly grow into 1,000-pound animals. Behavior that might be cute when they’re small soon turns dangerous.

You’re on the right track with moving the foal’s feet when he rears. However, I’d say if he continues to rear you’re not being effective in your correction. Be sure that you’re hustling his feet. What you ask him to do, whether it’s backing up, lunging or the Sending Exercise, doesn’t matter. The key is to make him do it with urgency. If you back him up with a “There, there, Precious” attitude, it’ll have no effect on him. He’s got to connect hustling his feet and feeling uncomfortable with rearing up.

When you back him up, don’t just back him one or two steps. Back him 20 or 30 steps aggressively so that he understands that he made a mistake. Remember, be black or white—make the right thing easy and the wrong thing difficult.

With all that being said, when working with young foals and teaching them the groundwork exercises, it can be common for them to rear. They’re not rearing to be disrespectful. They’re doing it because they’re confused and not sure what to do. If that’s the case, then just ignore the behavior and maintain the pressure you’re applying and wait for the foal to figure out the answer. Remember, horses are just like us—they don’t learn perfectly.

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