Bucked off yesterday!! Would love your advice!!

SamuelWhiskers

SamuelWhiskers

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Morning everyone, well as the title suggest, we were bucked off... and feeling a bit rubbish!!

Just a little background, this is my young horse, who is after a bad start with us, has come sound again, and has only started to be ridden in December, after 3 months off. We have been doing groundwork, bit of lunging and riding! Due to the time of year, i can only ride him at w'ends...I moved house last w'end (he didn't as we moved to where he is!) and was unable to ride. I did some ground work with him yesterday, got on him (he was bolshy right from the start) rode around the field...ok...rode off with mum down the drive...he proceeded to have a tif, buck, kick, buck, kick, big buck...little sod got me off...ouch!! I was so annoyed as had been making a bit of progress, but he turned into a complete monster again!! Got back on him when he settled and rode him around the field again, we had one other bucking fit, but sat it all, then walked on again. Glad i got back on!

I knew this winter would be hard, but thought i could just keep him ticking over, with a view to really cracking on in March when the nights draw out..

Just wondering what to do....carry on at w'ends ground working? Lunging? Keep getting on so he doesn't totally forget what its like? OR just forget it and leave it till march when we can be more consistant! I do have someone who could help me out in the week, who is very competant and does know what he is like, but not sure i would even want to let her take him out at the mo (again had planned this for later!) Just really feeling the 2 steps forward, 3 back at the mo.....and really fed up!
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Thank you for reading x
 
I think the only reason for the 'fit' is freshness & as I think you've already recognised, it's due to inconsistent work - something we're all suffering from in this blooming weather!

Personally, I'd give up the riding for now (sorry!) - you're just encouraging him to learn naughty tricks including how to get you off! At this early stage it's really, really important to set the horse up as best you can to avoid any bad behaviour. Remember, behaviour is a LEARNED thing, whether good or bad.

Try using this time to de-sensitise him to things & introduce him to new things, so you're still building on his education, but keep off his back until you can ride consistently - that's my view, anyway.
 
I had this dilemma as well with a young horse.
I would really advise you to either work him or not - with a young horse, my experience has told me you either do work or nothing and if you can't now (I understand with winter and everything), wait till you have the good weather/light etc to be more consistent. Cos if he is naughty now cos of being too fresh etc, then you will have effectively taught him its ok to behave like that.

But you could spend the time getting him used to other things on the ground - leading him out and playing with him in general to get him used to different things.
 
Another vote for wait until march.
Youngsters need consistency. They learn each time you work them so you need to make sure it is the right things they're learning.
 
personally id scrap the riding and lunging til the weather is a bit better and you can have more of a constant routine / regime. lunging him alot will get him fit so when you do get on board he is fit anhd ready to go and will have energy to burn which could lead to outbursts. play with him take him for walks in hand, dont allow and pushing or bolshyness from the ground...you said you started with groundwork and he was bolshy before you even got on? he thought if he can get away with it on the ground why not when you are on board. take a few steps back towards the drawing board IMO and get his groundwork sorted. theres nothing worse than an impolite bolshy horse/pony (i know, i have one!!) and its not pleasant being dragged around etc. you need to srt this out before you think about getting on board x
 
You really want to nip this in the bud, as its not a good thing for youngsters to learn to remove their riders!!

Have you got a balance strap (baler twine from D to D on the front of your saddle) and a neck strap? Without the balance strap you don't really stand a chance if they really have a go, as you need to pull you weight down without leaning forward.

I also use Australian stock saddles, as these are impossible to fall out of unless you have a rearer (but if you keep them forward, they cannot rear)
 
Get back on and don't give it a second thought.

Friends youngster has just gone up to a professional rider to start some serious school work - and dumped him twice in three days. So it happens to the best of them.
 
he is 4 yo - 5 this year! From what i can gather, he was backed in sept '05, then turned away till May'06, then brought on and was nicely schooled, jumping just in the school and hacking out, when i bought him in september, he felt like a lovely horse, going well, very honest jumper etc! Its after he moved house, cut himself, had time off....now crap time of year......had a few nice rides etc on him, but this last one made me think!! To keep going on ground and not ride till March......or carry on as we are given he has gone well sometimes.......?? x
 
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To keep going on ground and not ride till March......or carry on as we are given he has gone well sometimes.......?? x

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Carry on. He'll be no different in March. And if he's too much for you , sell him.
 
Well, you do also have to bear in mind that you will have to go through this naughtiness at some point but I still stand by the point that there is little point doing a good sorting out on sat/sun if you can't carry it on the next day.

Can you not even lunge at night? Do you not have anywhere with lights?
 
Yes see both points and thanks for all this guys! No lights unfortunately...this time of year is hellish! Think i will ring the girl who said she would help and have a chat, between us, we could continue his education and like you say, the naughtiness will not go until we get on top of him again! Thank you!
 
Another 'wait til March' vote.

My boss says once you have backed a horse and are bringing him on you have to ride him every single day come hell or high water to really make it work. His advice is usually pretty sound when it comes to backing youngsters as he has done a lot of them in his time.

At this time of year, very few of us can make that commitment sadly - I know I couldn't. The weather is so vile and it gets dark so early. I'd just keep doing a bit of ground work and then wait until the spring comes and everything gets a bit easier.
 
Thanks so much everyone, and yes CotswoldSJ will defo invest in a balance strap and put a neck strap on, for when we continue....

I have thought about nothing else this morning, know what you are saying Amy May about just get back on, that is what i keep telling myself and have been doing, but don't want him to get worse with not having the reinforcement the following days! I am going to continue his ground work, we have done the basics, but will start with poles, tarpaulin, different obstacles and work on manners (at least i can do this everyday!) Then March we'll go for it, in a consistant manner, where he will in effect go to school everyday, learning to behave and take things from the ground upwards!

Thanks again
 
My vote is to do plenty of ground work now at weekends when you can and build a solid relationship with him where he respects you. Move him around, sideways, backwards so he focuses on you. I know they are a bit controversial on here but the parelli games can be great in this circumstance, i would definitely give them a go. Leave riding till March then go for it, work him every day, 1 day off a week if he is good. Yes you probably will have to ride him through it a bit but it is pointless doing this on a sunday and then not riding again till saturday and having to do it again!, you're just going in circles teaching him bad habits, give yourself a chance!
Good Luck and enjoy him!
 
box him up and take him for a blast while hanging on tight !!! Done this with mine when he had 3 weeks off as he always bucks after time off and worked a treat, when he slows, keep him going bit longer.

Obviously ensure saddle teeth back etc are ok first but the above always works for me as he gets so full of energy and excited
 
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