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Kelly
Platinum Member
England
1571 Posts |
 Posted - 12 Apr 2007 : 5:41:45 PM
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Do any of your horses buck when cantering? Why? Is it an excitement thing?
Jack and I haven't done that much cantering, and I've known him to buck a few times when we are in company and the horse in front shoots off at high speed. He's never done it when we're alone, so I just took it for high jinks.
But we went out alone last night and he nearly had me off. Just one buck, but it took me by surprise completely!
He often bucks when playing the field, so I'm tempted to think it's just playing, not realising that it's very bad manners when being ridden! Maybe combined with spring in the air as well.
What do you think?
And any tips for getting him to not do it, or do I just have to wait? PLEASE tell me he'll grow out of it....!
Edited to add that it's not due to discomfort - he's had his back checked recently, teeth less than 6 months ago, is otherwise healthy, and hadn't done it during the previous 3 canters we'd just had!
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Kelly
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Edited by - Kelly on 12 Apr 2007 5:42:58 PM
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Grey Girl
Platinum Member
England
1554 Posts |
Posted - 12 Apr 2007 : 7:17:39 PM
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Amelia sort of 'humps' when cantering: all four legs off the ground at once, head dropped low. She did when she and I were learning canter together; she does it when coming back into work. Once established back in work she's fine (touch wood!) although I am a nervous rider and fearful of horses bucking at speed (which she has never done), which probably doesn't help matters.
Your boy may be bucking to help his balance if he's feeling wobbly (a possibility if he's young/green/unfit); because he's peeved that you won't let him go faster/canter when he wants to; or because he's feeling merry and is kicking his heels for fun.
I'm not being very helpful here, am I! One tip: if a buck happens I find lowering one hand and raising the other stops the action.
Hope you get it all sorted.
Grey Girl |
 Said the little eohippus, "I´m going to be a HORSE"  |
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LYNDILOU
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
13976 Posts |
Posted - 12 Apr 2007 : 8:12:59 PM
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I used to ride a horse that could put in a buck during an almost flat out gallop, I can tell you it terrified me[:0, then I found that just before he bucked I felt his back round a bit and he started to lower his head, so when I felt him do this I lifted his head and found that he stopped doing it, hope that helps |
   
www.dreamfield-arabians.com |
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beau
Gold Member
United Kingdom
806 Posts |
Posted - 12 Apr 2007 : 8:28:15 PM
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| I.m with Linda, my old mare used to throw in the most awful bucks she jumped in the air then bucked, could feel her round her back just before + if i could stop her getting her head down she didn't do it, was nout wrong with her physically ahe just got overexcited, |
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Judith S
Platinum Member
Wales
15686 Posts |
Posted - 12 Apr 2007 : 8:51:42 PM
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In my youth I usd to help exercise a NH racehorse - bucked like hell on the gallops - not when racing though!
Kelly - check your saddle!
Judith |
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anne
Gold Member
England
877 Posts |
Posted - 12 Apr 2007 : 9:55:06 PM
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My anglo arab was terible for bucking in her case it was to get that extra inch of rein so she could get away from me but to be honest I never felt unsafe on her as she never tried to get me off just a case of trying to get her own way. However I have to confess that I had two people try to ride her when I was pregnant and one said it was as near to death as she wanted to get, she was very much a one person horse. Yet in the other breath I rode her till I was 8 months pregnant (only walking for the last month or so) and trusted her compleatly.
My youngster Tara puts in this silly little buck if she does not want to go out or to voice her disaproval of something.
and my new forest throws himself around in pure excitement. especially if we go jumping after a break |
    
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Kelly
Platinum Member
England
1571 Posts |
Posted - 13 Apr 2007 : 09:45:19 AM
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Thanks all, that is a little reassuring! I think it is probably just high spirits, though what Grey girl says about balance is interesting.....
I can get his head up and it stops him doing it, he just takes me by surprise sometimes!
As Judith says, I have checked my saddle as a possible cause - it is treeless, so a close eye is being kept! I check his back before and after every ride, and whenever I groom him as well, and have seen no bad signs. Both the saddle fitter we had out recently and our chiropractor have given it the thumbs up, so I aren't too worried!
Except for being paranoid, and checking like a loony! 
Thanks everyone! |
Kelly
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Mad arab rider
Silver Member
England
483 Posts |
Posted - 13 Apr 2007 : 6:41:50 PM
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| Mia (the chesnut in my signuture) will sometime buck when out with others, but think that is excitement. I no longer ask for cantor when schooling as she ALWAYS puts in a big buck and I'm not good at sitting bucks and am frightened that she'll have me off. We have had this problem before,and its just her being naughty. What it needs is someone who's prepared to ride her though it, which is what we did last time (my instrutor sorted her out, but no longer having lessons so don't have that option). A couple of weeks ago we were doing some trec training, and she did the narrow corridor really well in walk and trot, so thought we could try it in cantor, but she put in a huge buck, so gave that idea up. |
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Arachnid
Platinum Member
England
1872 Posts |
Posted - 13 Apr 2007 : 6:51:20 PM
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| Spider will buck from walk if he considers that we ought to be cantering and I havent asked him. I think it is as Anne says, it gives him an extra inch of rein. It is very bad behaviour on the one hand but on the other he is just letting me know what he thinks..Jack is only a baby Kelly, he'll probably grow out of it. Just dont let the bucks get any bigger. |
   
West Sussex |
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Honeyb060674
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4301 Posts |
Posted - 13 Apr 2007 : 6:52:56 PM
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Honey can throw some amazing bucks And like Lyndas experience shes very good at doing them flatout gallop...usually when I'd ask her to slow up a little There's never any notice she fly bucks, just the one mind, no head between knees, no fighting just feels as though she going to catapult you for miles! I def think in most cases its a high spirited/arab thing |
      
Claire & Sunny x
http://sunnyandclaire.blogspot.com/ |
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Grey Girl
Platinum Member
England
1554 Posts |
Posted - 13 Apr 2007 : 7:15:18 PM
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I mentioned the balance thing cos it's the same if we are running and lose our balance, we tend to sort of do a few jiggy steps and wave arms to re-balance. If Amelia tripped while cantering (usually due to being nosy about something on the distant horizon) she would often put in a quick hump to reorganise her legs (and probably to get me off her neck!), and then carry on. Last summer she finally began to get the hang of sorting herself out without the hump, so I was very pleased with her.
My old mare had, during the course of a long and interesting life, discovered that she could throw her rider by bucking (or spinning, which was her speciality!) - and when given sufficient provocation, would do so. However, on the few occasions she did buck it tended to be because she was REALLY widdled off about something, and there was considerable warning that she was losing her sense of humour. The very last time she bucked with me it was terrifying because she was going at a gallop (which accelerated out of a collected walk/trot transition during a lesson) and she was furious that I was stoppng her (she would have stopped when she reached the edge of the field but I was afraid I would fall off by then!) She bucked hard several times - the only reasons I didn't fall was that she was going so fast and straight they were straight too - and I was too frightened to fall off, I hung on with everything I could! It jarred my back but for the rest of the lesson she didn't dare breathe unless I said she could!
Grey Girl |
Said the little eohippus, "I´m going to be a HORSE" |
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MirandaToo
Silver Member
England
381 Posts |
Posted - 13 Apr 2007 : 8:52:47 PM
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Hiya
My boy does it too! Had everything checked and nothing wrong apart from being a complete wally!!! It is purely an excitement thing! I can now feel them coming, and also know what sort of situation is likely to trigger that sort of excitement, and when I feel him sort of lifting his back I go for an rather unelegant old fashioned hunting seat - heels down, leg forward a bit and shoulders back! OK, so it doesn't look great, but it makes me feel far more secure!!! Also may be worth sticking a neck strap on?
Just one thing though - I did find I went through a spell of dreading my boy bucking, and because of that every time we went into canter I had the reins waaaay too tight because I was paranoid about him either getting his head down, or getting away from me. This just lead him to feeling too restricted and gave no where for his back end to go other than up (also not helped by him being a baby and a bit all over the place!)!!!
Stick with it, hope it improves! Good luck x |
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