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why does my horse buck when I ask her to Canter?

36K views 52 replies 27 participants last post by  ledge 
#1 ·
Hi everyone! I have a question i would like to ask you guys! Ok, my friend got her very first horse about 2 months ago. Shes not super experienced and she's trying to retrain the horse (it wasnt well trained). Everytime she asks her to canter the horse starts kicking and trying to buck! We would like your opinion on what she should do to keep this from happening, or maybe the possible reason as to why shes doing this. :)

THANKS ABUNCH!!! :D
 
#3 ·
I had a horse that was 13yrs old and no matter what if he ran he wanted to buck. It didnt matter if I was bareback or if I had a saddle on. It was just the way he was. After having him for about a year I finally got him to where he would start to buck and I would pull his head up and change leads so he had to focus on his leg movements instead of bucking. BUT I dont know if that was the answer to the problem so I am subscribing!
 
#4 ·
Oftentimes bucking at a canter is a pain issue - either physiologically ordue to an ill-fitting saddle. My first recommendation is to rule out pain by getting a professional saddle fitter out - they will check saddle fit and the back a bit and they are less expensive than a vet. If that doesn't help, get a vet to make sure the horse isn't in pain.
I don't like to advise beyond this point as many people ignore the pain advice and skip right to "he's doing it cause he's naughty." I do have advice for that, but it is a severe injustice to the horse if pain isn't ruled out first. They cannot speak, so we must listen to their actions.
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#6 ·
It very well could be a saddle fit issue. The pic you have of her with the western saddle shows a back cinch strap that doesn't look connected to the front cinch. The back cinch can slip back and act like a bucking strap (like on rodeo broncos). Your western saddle doesn't fit her well either. Looks like the gullet sits on her withers. That can be very painful for the horse.
 
#8 ·
But the thread title leads us to believe it is your horse.

"why does MY horse buck when I ask her to canter?"

The question was still answered with several versions of improper saddle fit or back issues. I am also going to add that it could possibly be rider error as well.
 
#10 ·
Barring physical probs/tack probs, horse could be a Left-brain Introvert, because LBI's don't want to "go" a lot, & will buck rather than go. Parelli has the information on how to motivate the LBI, which is the key action: getting harsher will only cause this horsenality to get more stubborn!
 
#20 ·
Barring physical probs/tack probs, horse could be a Left-brain Introvert, because LBI's don't want to "go" a lot, & will buck rather than go. Parelli has the information on how to motivate the LBI, which is the key action: getting harsher will only cause this horsenality to get more stubborn!
Guess he didn't remember his own advice when he was bucked off during the road to the horse.

OP - another theory - if your friend is pressing the gas and the brake at the same time, she is likely ticking off/confusing the horse.

(too much pressure on her face to hold her yet kicking her forward)
 
#12 ·
It does look like the gullet is flat against the horse's spine!

The easiest way to test for saddle pain is to ask her for canter bareback.

A few questions to ask yourself about whether it's a LBI issue: does horse say, "Make me!" a lot? Is she food-motivated? Is she calm & deliberate, rather than nervous & reactive?

Yes answers show a LBI horsenality.
 
#17 ·
Some horses are just "cold back" and will do that until they are warmed up. Does the horse do it all the time or only in the beginning of the ride?
 
#18 ·
HMM my friend said the only time she bucks is when she only asks her to canter. no other time than that, it could be her saddle. she said when she's trotting, her horse trots fast autmatically where it seems like she wants to canter. But when she asks, the horse just starts squirming and kicking out her legs and bouncing.
 
#19 ·
This sounds a little like my horse, Cinny. I know Cin does it when he is due for a chiro adjustment. Since getting him a year ago we have discovered that he is missing a vertabra (which happens sometimes with paints) and his sacroiliac joint has a bad habit of stiffening and locking up on him. I would definitely tell your friend to have a vet come out and check out that horse's back as it sounds like there may be an issue there. You also want to make sure that saddle fits properly (Cinny bucks with every western saddle I've ever had on him so we go dressage at this point) My vet gave me specific exercises and stretches to do with Cin which help him a lot.

It's always best to rule out pain and bad tack fit before assuming the horse has a behavior issue.....
 
#22 ·
I agree with what has been said previously about saddle fit, but I also agree with Cinny's Whinny: A chiropractic adjustment couldn't hurt anything. When I got my mare, I was told she was stubborn about loping, but would eventually do it if you were persistent. So I was, but every time I was bucked multiple times. I watched her running around with her friends, but she wouldn't lope if she didn't have to. If she did, it was extremely stiff.

I called a chiro/vet come look at her and her hip was out of place. A quick adjustment and all she wanted to do after that was lope.
 
#24 ·
Hey everyone. Barrel Baby posted this about my horse Lady because I didn't have an account yet, but now I do. So I'll just tell you all everything I can about her so it might help.
_______________________________

I got Lady about 2 months ago from friends of my family that live nearby. They were planning on auctioning her and her 3 year old daughter. I was talking to the wife about how I was looking for a horse, and she said I could just have Lady because they knew she'd have a good home. So a while after that I got her.

I started off bareback just because I felt like it, and I'd had a little experience on a bigger barrel horse that belonged to my mom's friend. She did really well, but I only walked her (I was mostly testing how well she responded to her bit and reigns). Then I started under her saddle, which I have to admit... is a tad small. But I'm only borrowing it from the woman who's horse I rode on before. I'm getting my own saddle soon, which will probably be synthetic or nylon because I don't have practically any arm strength yet to heave a leather saddle onto her back. She's a perfect size for me, follow me around like a puppy, isn't afraid of heavy machinery, cars, storms, or dogs.

My mom and the previous owners (she belonged to the father in the family), think she was abused at some point in her life. She isn't a fan of men. She doesn't rear in the saddle, and I've started training her to lunge (which she's doing amazing at). So to my main problem (I have a talkative issue and I kind of went crazy with this post, and went into life storm-mode). Walking a trotting are great when I'm riding her. I use my feet to cue her, and only kiss a little to get her attention if she isn't paying attention. I never kiss to make her speed up on anything but the lunge line, though I'm trying to get her to move when I cue her by saying 'walk', 'trot', and 'canter'. I think she's getting 'walk' down a bit.

Anyways, when we're trotting she's automatically speed up on her own like she's going to break into a gallop or canter. I usually have to have a bit of tension on the reigns to let her know she has to keep the speed she's going, or else I know she's going to take off. Every time I've asked her to canter because I was ready though, she started bouncing and kicking. It wasn't a bronco type of thing, but I most definitely noticed it. I've never been bucked off, but last time I accidentally jumped out of the saddle by reflexes. I kept hold the reigns and landed on my feet though so she automatically stopped next to me.

I read I should try pulling one reign and making her go into a few tight circles then let her straighten out, and that I should keep doing that until she realized she should stop bucking? But I'm also going to ask my mom to get hold of out vet and see if he'll stop by too. Other than that, I don't know. My mom showed horses and she says I just need to keep training her, because when I got her she hadn't been ridden in over 6 months and she still was never ridden much before then. Thanks to everyone who has posted so far to my friend, by the way! I really appreciate it.

:D
 
#26 ·
It's too small for her, and almost too small for me. I can't use another saddle right now because the one I'm borrowing is the only one available right now. Not everyone can afford a saddle right after they buy all the other tack for their horse. I have literally everything BUT a new saddle. I sold a lot of things to get $100 for equipment like her girth, brushes, bathing supplies, halter/lead rope, bridle, etc. I sat several hours at an auction to get everything. Like I said... I'm getting a new saddle soon.
:-|
 
#27 ·
A saddle that's too small for your horse and you would definitely be painful for the horse, I would stop using it.

It still sounds to me like there may be some other issues going on with the back or hips. Also, if the horse hasn't had much work, then it might be too out of condition to canter comfortably....also an issue I had with Cinny when I first got him. In fact, I've had him a year and it has taken this long to smooth out his canter....we have done a lot of lunge line work and other exercises to build top line.
 
#29 ·
If your saddle is too small you should not ride her until you have a saddle that fits. It sounds like you have more work to do on the lunge line, so you can focus on that for now. I understand not having the money to do everything at once, but you should not do something that's just wrong for the horse because you don't think you have another option, you do, it's not riding.

If she continues to do this once the saddle fits, I have a question, are you asking for the canter before you kick? Are you sitting for a few strides first so she has an idea that there is going to be a transition requested?
 
#30 ·
Pain may be an issue however I dont think its the main cause.

IMO, I dont think the horse has been properly trained to the canter cue and just bucks because the horse doesnt know any better. In the mind of the horse its like this ..." what the heck is that? I dont know ...get it OFF me" hence the bucking.
 
#31 ·
I have my saddle picked out, and when my mom gets a check she's owed (which should be any day), I'm going to get my new saddle. I never liked the one I'm borrowing anyway. It's been raining a lot again lately so I haven't been able to work with her anyways. I rode her bareback, so I'll just stick with that and lunging until I get the new saddle.
 
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