Hi to all out there. I have a horse who has started erupting in a bucking frenzy. It started out that he would do it when scared but now does it whenever he decides to. This is the fourth time he has done it and I've fallen off the last 2. Today he went up on back legs first then shot forward head down with all four feet off ground. It's like the bronco horses action. Does anyone have any bright ideas on how I can now break this habit?
cleavelandbaylover
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First, does this horse have any pain? Saddle fit, teeth done, feet recent, chiropracted?
Ruling out any of those issues, it's just blatant disrespect.
I would do a lot of groundwork. If you don't already have a groundwork program, I would go ahead and look into Clinton Anderson. It's a good basic groundwork that is easily accessed on the internet, and easy to figure out.
If you can get this horse's respect, a lot of the time this will go away on it's own.
If not, practice your one rein stops and kick him in the hip. Or kick him really hard forward. Move his feet. If you think you're gonna fall off, jump off and run at him. Make him run sideways and backwards. Get serious. Act like a serial killer for a minute then come right back down. As long as he's behaving, you behave. As soon as he misbehaves, come unglued like a crazy woman on crack...
Ruling out any of those issues, it's just blatant disrespect.
I would do a lot of groundwork. If you don't already have a groundwork program, I would go ahead and look into Clinton Anderson. It's a good basic groundwork that is easily accessed on the internet, and easy to figure out.
If you can get this horse's respect, a lot of the time this will go away on it's own.
If not, practice your one rein stops and kick him in the hip. Or kick him really hard forward. Move his feet. If you think you're gonna fall off, jump off and run at him. Make him run sideways and backwards. Get serious. Act like a serial killer for a minute then come right back down. As long as he's behaving, you behave. As soon as he misbehaves, come unglued like a crazy woman on crack...
I doubt this horse has any pain issues. He has been allowed to learn a bad habit and it is one that is very tough to 'really' correct. You can work him on the ground until he almost dies of old age and he will still buck your butt of when you get on without 'pre-working' him for an hour. I've seen some horses that are ground trained to the point of being impressive demonstration horses for ground work and they buck a rider off in a heart-beat -- just because they can and it is a habit to do just that.
You are correct that it started with fear. Most bucking starts as a 'fear reaction'. A lot of people literally 'try' to teach a horse to buck as their 'fear reaction' by putting a saddle on an untrained horse and turning them loose to let them "get it out of their system" -- about the dumbest thing anyone can try to teach a horse. We are firm believers that no horse should ever be put into a position where bucking is likely to be his reaction to anything. 90% or more of horses WILL get tired of bucking and then there are the others that learn that it is the thing to do when they are 'fresh' or get scared, or lope, or get mad, or don't want to do something or ?????? Horses are 'creatures of habit'! Letting one buck as well as not doing everything to keep young, green or fresh horses from learning to buck as a reaction to all of the things listed above (plus about 100 other situations) is one of the most important things any rider or trainer can learn to do.
I do not have the time right now to write all of the things you can do to try to break this awful habit or all of the things that we do to keep a horse from learning to buck in the first place. I will say that one of the worst things you can do is throw a saddle on a 'fresh' horse and then longe it or round-pen it while it crow-hops and bucks around while 'warming' it up. If you need to 'knock a little air' out of a horse or exercise one (a bad habit to get into in itself) before you ride it, at least do it with the horse turned loose and unsaddled. PLEASE don't try to teach it to buck.
You are correct that it started with fear. Most bucking starts as a 'fear reaction'. A lot of people literally 'try' to teach a horse to buck as their 'fear reaction' by putting a saddle on an untrained horse and turning them loose to let them "get it out of their system" -- about the dumbest thing anyone can try to teach a horse. We are firm believers that no horse should ever be put into a position where bucking is likely to be his reaction to anything. 90% or more of horses WILL get tired of bucking and then there are the others that learn that it is the thing to do when they are 'fresh' or get scared, or lope, or get mad, or don't want to do something or ?????? Horses are 'creatures of habit'! Letting one buck as well as not doing everything to keep young, green or fresh horses from learning to buck as a reaction to all of the things listed above (plus about 100 other situations) is one of the most important things any rider or trainer can learn to do.
I do not have the time right now to write all of the things you can do to try to break this awful habit or all of the things that we do to keep a horse from learning to buck in the first place. I will say that one of the worst things you can do is throw a saddle on a 'fresh' horse and then longe it or round-pen it while it crow-hops and bucks around while 'warming' it up. If you need to 'knock a little air' out of a horse or exercise one (a bad habit to get into in itself) before you ride it, at least do it with the horse turned loose and unsaddled. PLEASE don't try to teach it to buck.
One-rein-stop and turning them in a circle/disengaging the hind quarters is what I've been told. My 3 yr old has done this a few times too. First time was the result of a spook. A couple other times was when the horse in front of him tripped (fear reaction?).
He's gotten much better though. I have been doing a little round penning before I ride (which isn't my preference, but it seems to establish a little respect for the coming ride) and then disengaging his hind end when he does it and trying to make bad behavior as unpleasant for him as possible. Hoping mileage and correction will be the cure for all ills. :lol:
He's gotten much better though. I have been doing a little round penning before I ride (which isn't my preference, but it seems to establish a little respect for the coming ride) and then disengaging his hind end when he does it and trying to make bad behavior as unpleasant for him as possible. Hoping mileage and correction will be the cure for all ills. :lol:
Our pony was an old hand at this so I put a check rein on him. A snaffle bit was used and just binder twine (not the nylon) tied to each ring, brought the two loose ends together and tied a simple knot which rested on his nose. I attached another twine to the ends of those and ran it up between his ears and back to the saddle. Pony was allowed to get his nose almost to his knees and no farther. First time he got broncy his head shot down and promptly came up when his mouth collided with the bit. We were riding together so my son made him canter again. The eventuality was that he just got over bucking.
Cherie has nailed it, of course, as usual. I should just like to add that from your side of things you need to become ever vigilant, always on the look out for what might trigger a bucking session. Look at external sources like a bag blowing across a field, someone going to start a lawn mower, etc. Look at the horse to see where he's got his ears focused, if there is tension in neck, stiffness in his gait, etc. When you see any of those signs then immediately redirect him - getting his focus back on you and getting him flexed laterally going into circles, etc.
I can think of one trick to prevent bucking but have never used it so don't know if it's valid or not but it does have some logic to it. Take a piece of baler twine and tie it around his neck using the d rings in the front of the saddle - essentially like you would put on breast strap. Have it only tight enough so that if the head/neck go beyond a certain point it will come up against the twine. Coming up against the twine this way will make it uncomfortable for him and he will realize that if he keeps his head up (harder to buck that way) it won't bother him. The thing with tricks like this though is that he may just move onto other forms of resistance as it does not get to the root cause of the bucking and eliminate that.
I can think of one trick to prevent bucking but have never used it so don't know if it's valid or not but it does have some logic to it. Take a piece of baler twine and tie it around his neck using the d rings in the front of the saddle - essentially like you would put on breast strap. Have it only tight enough so that if the head/neck go beyond a certain point it will come up against the twine. Coming up against the twine this way will make it uncomfortable for him and he will realize that if he keeps his head up (harder to buck that way) it won't bother him. The thing with tricks like this though is that he may just move onto other forms of resistance as it does not get to the root cause of the bucking and eliminate that.
Are you letting your reins be too long? Keep head up.
What breed, registered and do you know how is bred?
What feed?
What breed, registered and do you know how is bred?
What feed?
It has gotten progressively worse because he has found out he can toss that annoying and demanding thing on his back OFF.
Ultimately now that has been taught (not intentionally.. but by you coming off) you have a double whammy. You have to make bucking extremely unrewarding and as part of that he will go through extinguishing behavior.. which means he will try even HARDER to get the self reward bucking has given him.
Ultimately now that has been taught (not intentionally.. but by you coming off) you have a double whammy. You have to make bucking extremely unrewarding and as part of that he will go through extinguishing behavior.. which means he will try even HARDER to get the self reward bucking has given him.
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