Bucking & bolting

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Olliepoppy

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Hi, I have a 7 yr old cob who yesterday threw me off twice when I asked for canter in a stubble field. He has been known to bronk when excited but this is the first time he has bucked. The second time he took off in full blown gallop and before I had chance to ease him up he threw a huge buck which resulted in an afternoon at A&E, luckily nothing broken but huge soft tissue injury likely resulting in a week off work as it is excruciatingly painful to walk. His saddle was checked in July and I've had some lovely canters on him when hacking in company. My question is does anyone have any idea how I can stop him doing this? I don't know if he does this on the lunge without a rider as he has only done walk/trot lunging. Also, I have not cantered him in a school yet.
Obviously this will result in a lack of confidence to canter him so any ideas/thoughts gratefully received.
 
I would have the saddle checked again, if your fitter says it's OK, get a 2nd opinion. Next have a vet check his back. Then whatever the outcome, you need an instructor to help. Eyes on the ground are vital when there is a problem.
 
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I'd suggest standard teeth, back, saddle check.

If those come back clear, also worth thinking about, what are you feeding him, is he getting enough work, do you always canter in the same space
 
Were you alone for the first time? You say you have only cantered him out hacking in company and never on the lunge or in a school. When you have cantered in company were you in a more confined space? A bridle path or in woods rather than an open field? Also do you know (and if you were alone you may not) if he was just fly bucking out of excitement or if it was a serious attempt to remove you? What did he do when you fell - stop and look confused or take off? That might help you determine if he really meant to get you off or not.

Quite right to re-check tack. A saddle fitted in July may not fit now. Also back and teeth to rule out any pain. And then work on being able to canter and stop in a closed environment like a school - ideally with an instructor.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
I would have the saddle checked again, if your fitter says it's OK, get a 2nd opinion. Next have a vet check his back. Then whatever the outcome, you need an instructor to help. Eyes on the ground are vital when there is a problem.
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This but if nothing shows I suspect he was just feeling fresh and your biggest mistake was asking for canter after being dropped the first time, he had got away from you once and like many cobs he repeated his success in a bigger better way, I would have trotted him after the first fall and not given him the opportunity to try again, you need to learn to anticipate him tanking off and keep a decent hold on his head so he is working up to the bridle then he would not be able to take off or get his head down to buck. It is easier to say that to do so some lessons in the school and then in a field would give you some confidence and it will help him be less excited about the whole cantering situation, he may well be unbalanced and some schooling would help with that.
 
Agree with the others get everything checked, back, teeth, tack etc.

I think we can all get a bit carried away when we see stubble fields!! My old horse was a saint to ride in all situations, but when I took my newly backed horse who'd been saintly to ride, then I had a two week holiday came back from hols and the farmer had cut all the crops and all I could see was miles of stubble fields!! Cue taking said newly backed horse out on a hack after a two week field break, and guess who got bucked off and rightly so far asking too much too soon.

It's taken me two years to get cantering out on a hack, and this week we had a lovely slow sedate 'canter' on the stubble. I would suggest not cantering on the stubble until you can safely canter in the school with control, control of tempo, and of when and where you start and stop. Discipline in the school can then be transferred to hacking. I know a lot of people will say get them hacking first, but if you're nervous and not fully in control then practice in the school first would be my advice.

Can you ask an experienced friend to hack him? Not necessarily in canter, just walk and trot so he is behaving. There's always next year.
 
Thanks for the comments. In answer to your questions so far. Yes we've cantered with a friend in open fields before. I always canter in a different place. He hadn't been out for nearly 2 weeks. I 'think' it was excitement as he took off at full speed. He just stopped about 20 feet away and started eating. I can control him in walk/trot. It was the second time we'd been on our own in fields. The first time he was more tired after a long hot day hack. Will get tack etc checked then no more cantering in fields, certainly not on a straight line anyway. Oh and I did keep his head up as I know he can do a wee bronk occasionally, but obviously didn't keep it up enough..
 
It's getting fresher, horses are feeling a bit lively, and he's just had a lovely holiday. What are you feeding him? What's reason you don't canter him on the lunge or in the school?
 
He gets a Chinese takeaway size tub of low calorie chaff, a tablespoon of salt and linseed daily. Other than that grass only, or hay if he is stabled due to extreme weather. Both me and him and quite new to lunging so we have only done walk/trot so far. I only have a schooling area I can ride in for part of the year (due to cows being in it). They just got moved 2 weeks ago so it's now something I can try but again, schooling is something he's just learning so we have been concentrating on getting walk/trot better. I have been taking him to a proper school/lesson once a month so we are in early stages of training. I got him in April and he'd only really been hacked.
 
Tack and back check definitely.

What happens if you pop him on the lunge (large circle) and ask for canter? Can you try this with him tacked up and see what happens?

It could have been an excitement buck- as they sometimes do when you turn them out and they go charging off down the field. I would get some canter established in the school, just on the long side for now- a few controlled strides and see what happens. Pop a body protector on, just incase. I have one who is an absolute to canter on the lunge- you honestly wouldn't put anyone on him if you saw what he can do- but fortunately he would never dream of bucking under saddle.
 
So he's a green rising 8 year old that's not had a lot of schooling, and you are relatively inexperienced? Not surprising that he's acting this way then, all you need to do is get some proper training for the cob, and lessons for you.
 
Cortez said:
So he's a green rising 8 year old that's not had a lot of schooling, and you are relatively inexperienced? Not surprising that he's acting this way then, all you need to do is get some proper training for the cob, and lessons for you.
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agree with this and if you factor in the grass is growing like spring grass now and it's got a bit colder he just sounds fresh, one of my horses is used to cantering on stubble and has been very laid back up until last week, he started throwing himself about and leaping in the air and it's purely because of the reasons I have stated above, I would get him cantering properly in a school before you canter on the stubble most horses can find it highly exciting on open fields.
 
Thank you all for your comments, yes I think he is just fresh and have realised the mistakes I've made, the pain when walking reminds me constantly! Will work on his training when I've healed.
 
You have my sympathy - I've got a thread elsewhere about my young mare dumping me last week with a spook and then bucking until I was splatted! I'm still on painkillers. I'm going through the saddle fit, physio etc with her but I have a sneaking suspicion it was a complete over reaction to the muntjac deer that came out of the hedge. She's one of those horses that when she's good with something you can polish her halo, but has an absolute melt down if she doesn't understand what to do in a situation or is upset by something.

No holding on to her reins as I flew through the air but by the time I got my breath (& realised I'd screwed my back up) I spotted her just 20 feet away neighing at me anxiously. She's not on grass normally so I wouldn't have blamed her if she'd p'd off to eat but no - wanted her mum! Took me back to the yard hanging round her neck with my back in spasm so she's totally forgiven - just needs to learn that deer don't eat ponies!
 
Forget hacking for the moment and focus on building trust, discipline and clear aids and clear reactions in the school first and for a good couple of months after buying. Mix it up to keep him interested - buy books on flatwork, pole work, gridwork and jumping or a trainer. You'll both get fit, strong and the bond you'll build will be priceless...hopefully, he'll have too much respect than to bolt you. My loan is an ar5e in the school and does big bucks with me (only - hence fizzybum) in the jumping paddock - tries to bolt and generally take the mick because we can't school atm so the discipline of who's boss has been compromised and weakened. Out hacking still,he's a gent - he knows when it's time to behave and the paddock he thinks is not one of them. Be mindfull of the setting - his paddock is their emergency turnout used all last year so his playground so I know that this is part of the issue but you have to pursevere. We've moved to a smaller, quieter livery- he was unhappy not being excercised and was lonely and bullied. Took off on the lead rein the first day, I got straight on and he floated round the menage tail in the air like a prince. So consider hiis surroundings in whole...and your attitude and body language.

Start schooling all winter...and jumping lots to get the fire out ina controlled and disciplined way. Hacking could then be introduced as a treat after a good sesh...walk, trot after a couple weeks and finally after a month a little controlled canter - doing lots of transitions (walk trot halt trot trot halt etc) to get him in the frame of LISTENING. Works for me but not for all i guess...

Apart from that, sit deep will and push the ****** on and make him keep going when he wants to stop - i've often found the realisation that you wanted that, enjoyed it and are in control will dissaude.
 
Thank you fizzybum for your sound advice. I am arranging to get part of a field topped and fenced off to use as a winter school. I will only be doing groundwork for a while as I'm still recovering from the fall then will be moving on to gentle schooling. He's only ever bronked before when excited which I can sit and ignore but I was not prepared for the severity of the high speed buck! He is very well behaved on the ground, can be lazy schooling but obviously thinks he's a racehorse in the field! I don't have a problem hacking him other than the usual inexperience of a young horse, will spook at a pheasant but not a tractor. With the amount of time off he's getting just now we will need to go back to basics anyway so a winter of mainly schooling of coming up!
 
Olliepoppy said:
He gets a Chinese takeaway size tub of low calorie chaff, a tablespoon of salt and linseed daily. Other than that grass only, or hay if he is stabled due to extreme weather. Both me and him and quite new to lunging so we have only done walk/trot so far. I only have a schooling area I can ride in for part of the year (due to cows being in it). They just got moved 2 weeks ago so it's now something I can try but again, schooling is something he's just learning so we have been concentrating on getting walk/trot better. I have been taking him to a proper school/lesson once a month so we are in early stages of training. I got him in April and he'd only really been hacked.
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It takes a while to get to know a new horse. If you can, find yourself a copy of The Art Of Lungeing by Sylvia Stanier and read it cover to cover. Building a relationship and instilling obedience on the ground is a very useful tool IMO. The voice is also a very powerful aid. Lunge in an enclosed area if you can.
 
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Fellewell said:
It takes a while to get to know a new horse. If you can, find yourself a copy of The Art Of Lungeing by Sylvia Stanier and read it cover to cover. Building a relationship and instilling obedience on the ground is a very useful tool IMO. The voice is also a very powerful aid. Lunge in an enclosed area if you can.
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Thank you, I will have a look for this
 
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