What if the Horse Rears?
My very first Icelandic horse ten years ago rose up to his hind legs and this year one horse did the same to me three times. It comes as a surprise and I am slow enough not to react at all, I just kept the reins tight as before and my hands where they always belong: in front of my belly. The tight reins pulling from a low point kept me in balance and the horse’s head down. The result is that horse does not rise very high, does not get any new impulses from a rider, and decides it is easier to stand on four legs. You must not raise your hands up. If you do so, your backwards lean results in pulling the horse’s head up and backwards. The horse will lose its balance, sit down on its ass and you are likely to slide down the horse’s ass to the ground. Not a big deal either, but requires remounting. No need to get alarmed if the horse rears. Even if you get alarmed on horseback for a reason or another, do not act it out. It is enough that the horse does funny things. If the rider stays calm
