Bucking??

So tonight we went to work Thunder under saddle a bit. I tried some new stuff with body language last week in the round pen, so I was going to practice it tonight. For the first time EVER with a saddle on or at all really, he went ballistic and started galloping in the round pen and bucking like crazy. I thought he was going to hurt himself. Does it sound like maybe the saddle was bugging him, maybe he was sore after last week??? We only worked about a half hour. Or maybe just feeling good??? I have NEVER seen him buck like this, it was straight out of a rodeo! I don't want to continue to use the saddle if that's what's bugging him, but I don't know how to tell....

Is he a young horse..newly broken? Has he had a spell latley? Was this a different saddle compared to him norm saddle (if broken)
?? Its pretty scary when you think a horse is going to hurt themselves .. isnt it

Well, he's not broke yet, I've walked with him 3 times in the past 6 months for no more than 10 or so minutes. It's the same saddle I have been using for the past couple months, lunging him in ect. I had him in the round pen and last time we were in the round pen he accidently clipped his back leg got a nice scratch from it. He's not very graceful out there, always tripping. I just don't know how they act with sore muscles or back. He might just have been acting up for whatever reason, but it's not like him to buck IMMEDIATELY when I put him in there, it looked like he'd never had a saddle on before or something.

Here's a short video, my mem card ran out of space...this is mild to what he was doing.

I think he's just being a normal horse.
The saddle probably is bugging him, but not in a hurtful way. It's bugging him in a "Hey, I don't like this thing on my back and I'm protesting."

Sometimes horses, if they are really unconfident, will not buck the first few times with the saddle on because they're too worried trying to figure out what exactly it is.
Once they start to build up confidence that it's really not to going to hurt them, they start to test it and then try to get it off.
Maybe that's what your boy is doing.

It's hard when they buck enough and act like a skitsofrenic and you think they might hurt themselves... but it could a huge mistake if you stop just because he is bucking.
It doesn't take long for a horse to clue in that "Hey, if I buck, she takes it off." and you're going to have a really big problem on your hands.

I would just do the same thing that you were doing before.
Once he finishes his bucking fit, walk him around a bit longer, then unsaddle.
Make sure it ends on a good note, but make sure that the good note it ends on is on your terms and conditions, not his.

Good luck, and hopefully he learned this time and won't do it again! :)

Ya I didnt take it off of him, after the round pen, we did some work in the arena. That makes a lot of sense about the confidence thing...i didnt even think about that! Thanks a bunch :)

I was just really concerned that he was sore or hurt or something, but I didnt' really think he could have been.

Thanks again!

No problem!

Too be sure he's not sure, just make sure that the saddle fits nicely and isn't pinching his withers, and the girth hasn't got a pinch of his belly skin in there.

Also if you take the tips of your fingers,using a fair amount of pressure, and run them down from the base of his neck to the top of his butt, if he is really sore he will dip his back down quite a bit.
He will drop his back some, but if he really dips it away then he may be a bit sore.

However, I think it's just a part of him being a horse. :)

And just take into consideration that when you start to ride him, he may react the same. The first few rides may be okay but he may have a test with you during the 3rd to 5th ride.
That's usually when they start to act more... well, confident. LOL

Hey that's great information, you're awesome! I just figured he would act good all the time lol. Naive! Im getting a helmet soon, so ill make sure to have it for the next couple rides. Thanks again you're great!

You're welcome! :)
It's not a rule set in stone but I've started MANY horses and that seems to be the regular pattern. Good ride, good ride, good ride, bad ride! LOL
The more confident they get, the more work it is to convince them that they really should and will do things your way.

LOL
I always thought that my stallion would always be good until he bucked me off and ran me over as he took off. :p
Stupid me, didn't check my saddle again and it was loose and slid up his neck, so I pitched forward as his head went down, and his ears couldn't hold me up!
Jerk couldn't even jump me. :roll: LOL
So... a helmet is a great idea!

Oh my goodness! When do you start your horses?