Posted: 12th August 2015 | Back to news feed
After an accident in the field Wendy Taylor’s horse Bea, took to rearing when she felt anxious. With the help of Guy Robertson, Bea is now on her way to being the contented dressage horse Wendy dreamed of.
When Wendy Taylor’s Welsh Section D retired, she decided to take on a new project. Looking for a horse to do dressage and eventing, Wendy found Bea, an Irish Sport Horse yearling.
Based in West Yorkshire, Wendy and Bea formed an instant connection, and spent hour’s together working on the ground. Wendy broke Bea in with no problems; she was very easy and eager to learn. Although she was a reactive mare and her first instinct was to rear, if something upset her, but Wendy thought this was just a habit, that she would grow out of.
Bea was successfully showed in hand, then once broken Bea competed in Prelim dressage classes, Hunter and Riding Horse classes as a five-year-old.
Half way through the showing season in 2011, five-year-old Bea had an accident in the field. It was thought Bea had injured her left foreleg so the vets gave her a MRI scan, the vet then advised box rest.
They did as recommended, then in the winter Wendy brought Bea gradually back into work, but she started to rear more during walks out and didn’t seem happy on her back legs.
They went back to the vets for answers, Bea spent three weeks in total at the vets, every time the vets tried to take her out the stable, she panicked and learnt that if she acted up and reared they would put her back in the stable. So it took quite a few days to examine her. Bea was finally diagnosed as having damaged both suspensory ligaments in her back legs.
Bea had six weeks box rest, then Wendy slowly brought her back into work over a six month period. Bea had made a full recovery, but in total had two years off. Work was fine initially as long as you were consistent, if something changed or you put pressure on Bea she would rear.
Unfortunately at her first dressage competition since the injury, Bea was confronted by a traditional cob, crashing into her and pushing her against the fence, this seemed to cause her to have a breakdown.
The rearing got worse, at competitions she became dangerous. Faced with any new situation Bea reared, Wendy didn’t know what to do or where to turn.
“I wanted to do the best for her, she is a sweetheart in the stable and in hand, but I was completely at a loose end. I knew no one would buy her, so I looked for a solution” said Wendy.
Now 7-years-old and 16.2hh, Bea was too old and big to carry on behaving in this manner.
Wendy’s friend in Canada had roping lessons with a man called Guy Robertson, so she googled him and found Guy Robertson from East Yorkshire - what a coincidence she thought. She looked at the website and facebook and liked what she saw.
Speaking to her vet, who actually knew Guy, he recommended him as a true horseman.
Off to a demonstration at Guy’s yard Wendy went, she was so impressed. Wendy knew she had to bring Bea for a lesson.
Bea’s lesson with Guy in August 2014 went really well. She was well behaved, as it was a calm environment, with no pressure, to make her panic. Guy showed the pair a lot of exercises to practice and work on at home that would help them bond, as the relationship had become fraught. Bea had lost respect for Wendy and when Bea got scared she came in Wendy’s personal space. As the pair had done ground work in the past, so they both enjoyed it and found it very rewarding, working on Bea respect.
Guy recommended Wendy and Bea attend a clinic, where there is more going on and other horses, so he could see exactly how Bea behaved.
In November the pair attended a two day clinic with ten other horses. The rearing escalated, with Wendy unable to get Bea to enter the indoor school. With a lot of work Guy got Bea into the school. Bea then just wanted to nap to the gate, so they then spent time letting Bea walk to the gate then putting negative pressure on her when she reached it, so she realised she didn’t actually like it at the gate and got bored.
Guy advised Wendy to circle Bea every time she reared, turning her to the left not right. As when she turned her to the right Bea came over onto Wendy. Wendy had to drop the reins and use alternative legs to disunite Bea and always keep her on a circle, until she wanted to stand still. Once the rearing had stopped, Wendy had to halt for a few minutes, rubbing her withers to calm her down, not just carry straight on.
Guy offered advice and techniques to deal with different situations. The crucial thing to remember was to approach everything slowly. With exercises working on circles, transitions and supplying to practice on at home to improve control, confidence and respect for each other.
Wendy is now confident to know how to deal with Bea’s rearing.
“If Bea feels like she might rear, I need to relax, despite my instant reaction being to tense.”
“I was delighted to work through the whole course and not feel embarrassed or upset by Beas actions. I tackled everything without having to get off, it was a huge break through” added Wendy.
Last winter Wendy and Bea practiced all these exercises six days a week. Working on groundwork and ridden work, over and over again. The pairs confidence has grown and they started visiting new yards, where there were a few horses, to get Bea used to it.
In June, Bea now nine-years-old and Wendy attended their second clinic, to re-visit everything they had learnt. Bea was very responsive and enjoying working through groundwork and ridden exercises on the first day. The change was incredible, Bea behaved impeccably without rearing.
“Bea did feel anxious at certain points throughout the day, but walking and circling relaxed her.”
Day two saw the group work on exercises in a large paddock, with a hack in the afternoon to look at how to deal with different situations.
“Never in a million years would I have thought Bea would go into a large field, with steeplechase fences, wind and a motorway at the bottom, my initial reaction was feeling really sick. Her adrenaline was up, but by doing exactly what Guy said, completely diffused the situation.”
When horses are excited, you don’t have to gallop around to tire them out, its control and consistent exercises to engage the horse to keep their attention that work.
“I now feel confident about taking Bea to a competition. I can’t speak highly enough of Guy. He doesn’t want to take the sensitivity away from a horse, just to have a controlled horse.
“I don’t know what I would have done without Guy, I am looking forward to having fun with Bea and enjoying having a horse again” added Wendy.
For further information contact 07876 033028, email info@guyrobertsonhorsemanship.co.uk or visit www.guyrobertsonhorsemanship.co.uk
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