Bucking - do you ignore or deal with it? WWYD

[cob&onion]

My welshie is 4 and has been going sweetly a number of weeks now. Last week at the show he threw a huge buck into canter, i put it down to excitement and me being tense and ignored it. He had never done it before.
He is the type who does get excited and is very sharp and spooky but genuine.
Tonight we had our first little canter outside of the arena tonight on a hack. My friends pony went first along a bridleway and went off into a steady trot then a canter, my boy trotted behind and then i asked him to canter he got excited and bucked again, then cantered.
Now i am sure these are excitement bucks. He had his teeth done on Saturday and his saddle was fitted a few weeks back but is due to be looked at again in august.
So ruling out the obvious what would you do? ignore the behaviour or do something about it?!
I don't do much in the school with him but will try him tomorrow evening and see if he does it there.
My instructor due out next week so will def be having a word.

 

[3Beasties]

As he's 4 I would probably just ignore it and keep riding him forward. I think babies sometimes buck when they are unbalanced so I think the rider needs to be sympathetic towards this!

My 7 year old bucks, sometimes I ignore it, sometimes I don't. It really depends on the circumstances and if I feel it is safe or not to tell her off (which usually results in more unwanted behaviour!)

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

help him out by only asking for transition when perfectly balanced, go back to little poles in the corner of arena [trot to canter]

 

[Beausmate]

Our four year old cob has been doing this. It's purely excitement and being full of himself, he does it with his ears pricked right up and sometimes a little squeal. I just bring him back to trot, settle him down and ask for canter again and that seems to get it out of his system. Until next time......

He is also bucking and squeaking around the field, doing the funny five minutes thing.

Youngsters are great!

 

[Charmin]

I've not yet successfully told a horse of for bucking without getting more bucks in response - a rap with the whip or an 'oi get on' kick just seems to get a buck as they're already wound up or in a tiz. so generally I just ignore it, push them on and try not to let them get their heads too low. Mine as a youngster threw the odd couple but doesn't bother any more unless very wound up.

rearing on the other hand I have a very different stance against and they get an immediate reprimand for that and most never bother again.

 

[Minstrel_Ted]

It really depends on the buck, sometimes Ted can do stroppy diva bucks so he gets a smack or growl for those ones but at times he reads off me being excited (when we place highly/win stuff and do laps of honour etc) and he is reading off me.

 

[Hoof_Prints]

with a youngster or inexperienced horse, i would and do just ignore it. I find it goes away after a few weeks. Recently had one that caught me off guard with a massive buck when asked to school- i went flying! So i improved my seat and just sat through the bucking phase that followed, she soon got bored and realised it achieved nothing . Just kick on

 

[Clare85]

Agree with others, it'll probably just be excitement and being unbalanced. My friend's youngster used to do this when he was first learning to canter in open spaces. I would set off on the older horse at a steady pace and the look round to see friend and youngster bouncing around on the spot as he was just beside himself! He grew out of it into a wonderful safe horse. Just keep riding him forward, and as someone else said help his balance out as much as possible - although that will come once he starts to get stronger

 

[oldie48]

Our connie mare would always put in a buck and a squeal when asked for the first canter but she settled quickly so we just ignored it. Bay has a habit of humping rather than bucking in first canter on left rein, which is his stiffer side, only happens if the trot before the canter is rubbish and rider sits heavily. Yours sounds like youthful enthusiasm, I'd ignore it.

 

[soulfull]

As he is young and possibly unbalanced I would ignore it too. however if it started to happen more often then I would stop him with a 'no' and then go again, also making sure when he cantered without bucking he was always given a good boy and a scratch

 

[rowan666]

I've not yet successfully told a horse of for bucking without getting more bucks in response - a rap with the whip or an 'oi get on' kick just seems to get a buck as they're already wound up or in a tiz. so generally I just ignore it, push them on and try not to let them get their heads too low. Mine as a youngster threw the odd couple but doesn't bother any more unless very wound up.

rearing on the other hand I have a very different stance against and they get an immediate reprimand for that and most never bother again.

^^ exactly this!

 

[Kikke]

I would wait and see for a bit, our young man normally put in a tiny buck the first canter of the day and the tosses his head and lets out a weeeeeeeeee at the same time deffinatly excitement. If he still does it in a few weeks time and keeps on doing it especially in the school I would have is back checked. Being young he is obviously not used to using all the muscles and could very well become sore!

 

[xTrooperx]

I have a 4yr old who has thrown some excited bucks, I like you let them go, though other day after few canters with others, she found quite exciting. After I wanted some steady calm trotting she decided to hAve a hissy fit & throw few bucks in, few in row & then a single, this she did get told of for.
It's trying to know when horse is meaning to get you off/being naughty or just forgets his/her self.

 

[Apercrumbie]

I wouldn't worry too much, as the others have said it just sounds like baby excitement. If it becomes more of a regular thing, I find a quick growl more effective than a smack or a boot with buckers.

 

[Suechoccy]

Yep, a bit of baby excitement coupled with learning how to use the legs, a bit of unbalance, wanting to go, wanting to keep up with the others.

My response tends to be "Oi!" and kick him on forwards, which works. Once they're in a rthythm, they're generally okay.

do keep a very close eye on the saddle though - they change shape amazingly quickly. Thomas is nearly 4.5 and on his 3rd (much wider) saddle since being backed lightly as a 3yo.

 

[WindyStacks]

Agreed. Tap of the whip sends those heels higher. Grrrrrowl!

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

My welshie is 4 and has been going sweetly a number of weeks now. Last week at the show he threw a huge buck into canter, i put it down to excitement and me being tense and ignored it. He had never done it before.
He is the type who does get excited and is very sharp and spooky but genuine.
Tonight we had our first little canter outside of the arena tonight on a hack. My friends pony went first along a bridleway and went off into a steady trot then a canter, my boy trotted behind and then i asked him to canter he got excited and bucked again, then cantered.
Now i am sure these are excitement bucks. He had his teeth done on Saturday and his saddle was fitted a few weeks back but is due to be looked at again in august.
So ruling out the obvious what would you do? ignore the behaviour or do something about it?!
I don't do much in the school with him but will try him tomorrow evening and see if he does it there.
My instructor due out next week so will def be having a word.

My welshie is a bucker too, she bucks out of excitement normaly
I have a buck stop which stops her as she hates the cruper round her tail and she has to learn to get used to it. Something we are working on,