I have a 5 year old mare that Ive been tracking steers and loping the pattern on the last two summers. Nothing exciting as I know she's not the most mature mentally and I don't want to blow her up knowing the potential she has (this mare is ATHLETIC as all get out).  

Last night I was heeling on her and her feet got kind of stuck or hung up underneath her when I asked her to back after the run and she started to go straight up, almost rearing with me.  I bailed - she didnt come over backwards but I'm not going to get myself in a storm if I can prevent it.  She's done something similar one other time when my dad was moving cows on her and he leaned over to grab something off the 4wheeler and she went right over with him.

I don't see it as her being mean or trying to hurt herself to get out of working, but more of a scared, "I'm stuck and don't know where to go/get unstuck" reaction.  

Any similar stories with successful endings, or ways you've worked through this with any of yours?  She's naturally flighty and real looky, but also hasnt been hauled a ton so my initial thought is keep hauling and showing her everything and anything, slowly putting her into more and more pressure situations, etc.  

I will note she had a tie down on both times this has happend, and when I work her/ride at home I almost never put one on her.  Is this a somewhat normal reaction??

Ive also wondered if perhaps she's hurting and that's causing the spooky/reactiveness, but I'm not sure where to start because she APPEARS sounds.  Chiro?  X-ray (but what do you have looked at)?  Lameness exam?  

Just picking yalls brains this morning :) 

My gut is telling me potentially kissing spine. Backing or leaning off of one just right might cause those vertibrae to hurt if they are already bone one bone from the kissing spine. 

My four year old has started something similar. Whenever you try to get him to go right or get on his right lead, he tries to rear up. I feel in my case, it’s definitely something physically bothering him because this is a completely new development. Hopefully some people will respond with their thoughts on your situation, best of luck.

What exactly is "kissing spine?" I've heard of it but never had any experience or really now what all it entails. 

Just spit balling here - I would test/treat for EPM to begin with and then go from there.

Geez, folk. Maybe the horse didn’t quite know where her feet were or understand the cue. Let’s not dig a grave. One time doesn’t mean anything.

What makes you think possible EPM?

OP said its happened more than once. A lot of horses don't know where to put their feet but it is NOT common for the response to be rearing up. TO answer the question above, kissing spine is a condition where the vertibrae touch or grind on each other instead of being spaced apart. When pressure is applied its very painful. 

I suspect she does it as a response to not knowing how to give to pressure and how to handle herself in what she might think is a pressure situation. I had one like her...he'd get really light on the front end. You have to work more on the mental aspect of that one, put her into pressure situations and then back off. Teach her how to move up into pressure comfortably. Get her feet in a bind and let her figure out how to get out of it without panicking. All of that will build confidence.

Since she has only done this twice, and they weren't super close together in time frame...also both times it's happened is when you had a tie down on and you never use one...get rid of the tie down. I've seen more horses go over backward because os a too tight tie down. If you dont absolutely dneed a tie down to protect your face, I wouldn't use one. Sounds like that's the issue here, from what info I read! Hope that helps!

My filly Demons' two responses to new situations that she doesn't want to deal with are 1) run blindly away, including through fences and into other horses, and 2) throw herself over backwards (and one time threw herself sideways since up was too hard tied to the trailer for the 1st time).

These going over backwards situations were with a very, very experienced and patient trainer, working her from the ground, no overt physical pressure. She also gets right up and comes to whatever she is avoiding. Seeing a trailer - from 20' or so away, seeing same trailer at 10', seeing same trailer at doorway. Then loaded herself and was like nbd in less than 10 minutes. Going through a gate on the leadrope, same deal. Touching her hindquarters, shoulder, legs and feet. If she didn't like it she went over. 

I know there is no physical with mine, just mental. I've been ready to put this one down since her first fence run through at 6mos old. But since she gets up, or stops the run away, and always comes back to face her fear and learn not to fear I haven't yet. 

Your filly might just be having a panic moment in a new situation. It is definitely something you will want to track and treat, either physically if that's what it is, or mentally. Rearing is bad, throwing themselves over backward is dangerously bad. Much worse than bucking. 

My gelding when in training, did a similar thing. He went into first cross firing, I stopped to correct him (i could tell he wasnt paying attention). I stopping him somewhat hard and he got his feet crossed and half went up then almost tipped over.

If it were me, if no obvious signs of pain. Typically Kissing Spine, you'll see some noticeable symptoms such as cinchyness and/or back soreness from a simple palpation. If it were me, i would be taking that horse back to some basics. Not sure what the tie down is for and I have absolutely nothing against tie-down but since thats a common denominator, i almost think its a balance/panic reaction. Maybe find someone to do dressage with or work with a reiner getting her strong and fit to improve balance.

My young one, uses rearing as her "go to." And before anyone panics, I think she has reared twice under saddle but when she panics or gets ticked off she rears. One day ponying her, a motorcycle went by and scared her, she ripped backwards and hit the end of my line and went up. Another time, trying to load her and she kept rearing. Another the neighbor was chopping wood and she reared up every time he hit the splitter. She HATES being bossed by her face. Even when I lead her into the pasture, she prefers to be lead on a loose rope. If you start pulling on her, she will tug back at you like "I'M COMING!!!" I've never put a tie down on (never needed to) but I would guess she would have a similar reaction.

ETA - that gelding never had that happen again although he always remained clumsy. And my young mare is one of the coolest horses I have ridden.

That was my initial thought - and plan for the barrel pattern!  But we rope on everything as well and I'm not real excited about heading on one without a tie down.  If she can get by without, GREAT.  But I would like to get her past this problem if possible (not to be argumentative!  Would just rahter fix than bandaid the problem if possible!

Has anyone had success getting one over the "fear" - for lack of better terms - of a tie down??

I went with a friend to a trainer one time - she was having that same problem when she put a tie down on her horse! The trainer free lunged him in a round pen with the tie down on - tighter than what he would ride in. The horse flipped himself over once, the trainer immediately got after him HARD and lunged him until he quit fighting the tie down...horse never did go up or over again. You could try lunging with it and see if it gets her kinks worked out?? She might just need to fight it out for a bit!

I can read Flit. She said she tried to back horse. That is very common. Common for commoners. Maybe not for the ones you get to ride. 

If it has only happened twice and you suspect it was a "I don't know what to do, so I'm going to go UP" type of reaction, then that's probably what it was.

Now..... what did you or your dad do to CORRECT her when she did this? Honestly, if you didn't do anything the first time, and didn't do anything the second time, you are reinforcing to her that it is okay to do this and you may have a problem on your hands. Yes, it is always valid to make sure a horse isn't in pain, but in the heat of the moment, they still need to learn that something as serious as rearing is NOT to be tolerated. Period.

My gray went up on me one time last summer at the barrel race. And he is NOT the type to get light on his front end and never has, so it was a total surprise for me. I'm positive he was just confused about the pen setup and knew it was time to run barrels, but couldn't see the barrels, and just had a panic moment. (and we were just at the vet the prior week for a routine lameness check and he was fine) However, after he didn't go over backwards (I was ready to step off him, because he went very high), and when he came back down to the ground, he was spanked and reprimanded for his actions. And then we continued with heading in for our barrel run.

He hasn't done it since nor even hinted at it.

A lameness exam isn't going to hurt just to make sure, but I suspect this is a training issue you are going to have to nip in the bud quick.

I agree about not letting her get away with it.  I did step off when she did it this time, then got on and loped her until her head was darn near in the dirt, but there were enough people around I wasnt comfortable whipping on her too much.  

Does anyone think ulcers might be an issue here??

I had one do this once with my husband. Went to stop while heeling and ended up going straight up in the air. The only time he ever did it. He was a playgun though so I blame that lol

Ulcers are always possible...however, I think you have far more likely culprits than ulcers. JMO.

By the time you got back on, your "window of opportunity" had passed for a correction. The fact that you loped her until her face was in the dirt did nothing for her. If you don't do anything within 3 seconds of the behavior, don't bother.

I'm not saying you need to whip and beat the snot out of her, but you need to do SOMETHING immdieatly to indicate to her that she is NOT to be doing that. I spanked my horse with my over-and-under, and kicked his butt around to move his hindquarters, and hollered at him .... in front of everyone at the barrel race. I don't care. He's not to be doing that. For something as serious as rearing, I could care less who was watching. I didn't think twice about the other people around me (didn't even cross my mind) because all I was thinking about was correcting him for doing that. And honestly, I had several people specifically tell me they were GLAD to see me correcting him for doing that.

Bringing this post back out for some more opinions and/or examples. Recently, I started working a 4-year-old mare and she gets in a bind when I ask her to do tighter circles to the left. She starts shaking her head and shouldering, if I get after her she will rear up slightly in the front end.  Just did a vet exam and chiro last week – she showed have thin soles and was tight but nothing major. Then perfectly fine to the right…help!  

Bump

Something not right or she really weak and needs to build up.  tight circles is how I tell where my horses are fitness wise tho I do not do everyday just to check to make sure nothing going on. 

One side can be stronger than the other side.  With her rearing I bet something is wrong and it was missed or wont show for you vet and chiro.