Bucking Before Jumping - Should I Stop Her Or Let Her?

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Mithras

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My mare likes to buck before she jumps. I have had her back checked and its absolutely fine, but the back person suggested that because she is long backed, she gets a bit tight in it and the bucking loosens it up. This is confirmed by observers saying she jumps much better after she has had a few bucks.

I dont mind the bucking at all. It isnt unseating, I've never fallen off (she keeps her head up) and it feels more like a kick back, though observers say it looks like a proper full-on buck. Yesterday, I actually encouraged her to have a lot of bucks before going in for our class as the warm up ring was deserted, and she jumped quite superbly, feeling very loose and supple.

She also likes to have 3 or 4 bucks before we go through the start, but she can tell where it is and never bucks once we have started our round.

The thing that bothers me is that its a bit unorthodox, isn't it? And it upsets other people. It looks a bit alarming and sometimes it scares other horses, although she has never tried to kick them and I usually only let her do it when they are a bit away. But I am sure she is getting a reputation as a difficult horse, when she is anything but. I could stop her doing it if I wanted, but she jumps so well afterwards and is so intelligent, I am sure she has worked out the best way of warming herself up for a class.

We do BSJA up to Newcomers at the moment.

What should I do? Let her buck and jump well or put a stop to it because some other people don't like it?
 
My sister's horse bucks all the time, in the warm up and in the ring. She has tried stopping it, but he just won't. Even though she gets nasty looks and some comments, she can't do much about it. So i would just let her carry on, if she is jumping well, why change it.
 
If it is helping her loosen up and is making her feel better and you really feel like she isnt in pain and and isnt trying to be naughty - let her get on with it - look at all the top Showjumpers that put bucks in here and there - if it was hampering your results to a degree then maybe go to a top insructor for a lesson to see what they suggest but other than that I'd leave her.

Enjoy your summer shows!!
 
I`d go with what others have said. You have had her back checked and all is fine, so there doesnt seem to be a problem. If it is working and she feels better for doing it, then let her do it. All horses have funny quirks and with this one, it seems to have a big benefit. Leave her to it and dont worry about other folks. If you have the choice of letting her do it, and she goes well, or trying to stop it and she stiffens up and doesnt do well, I know what I`d do.
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Ryan son bucked after the jumps, he used to go mad, milton did this reary jump thing- but i think john encouraged it with milton, possibly with ryans son too, many good horses do something.

good horses have querks, simple.
 
LOL, no quite easy to stop her bucking - not let her start in the first place. If I really concentrate she won't buck. She bucks if I tap her gently with the schooling stick or if we do canter work and I don't keep her collected - but then its a sort of excuse of a buck to do a flying change - she loves doing flying changes!

If I really wanted to stop her bucking completely, I would pull her in the mouth a couple of times and shout at her. But she would be a very dissapointed horse. As long as she dosn't use it as an excuse not to go forwards.

the only time she has done it in the ring, was when I walked in all collected and held tightly together, approached the first jump in the same manner, then halfway round she gave a buck and people said she jumped better after that. We went clear but we got one time fault, probably due to the buck. So better for her to buck before the start I think!

But some people do seem to get very upset when they see her do it. Its true though, a lot of very good horses buck and have quirks.
 
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