Bucking on mounting

[olop]

due to personal reasons last year I had to loan my boy out to a riding school, he's still there now and up until Xmas all was going well.

Unfortunately he has started bucking on mounting. This can be from the ground, on leg up or from the block. He also starts bucking when dismounting. However in ridden work he is completely fine.......if you can get on him!

Back, teeth, saddle, full vet check has come back fine. He has had ulcers in the past so we are treating for ulcers at the moment but I don't think this is typical ulcer behaviour.

I went down at the weekend to see what was going on and I actually feared for getting off, (I managed to get on fine!). I'm just not sure what could be going on. Once I was on he was fine, going forward and working on the bridle, just getting on and off he was bucking. He almost feels like he is going to explode.

Horse has never done this before in his life, he's 16 years old now and I'm not sure at his age he has become crafty and doesn't want to work or if there is genuinely something going on.

Any ideas? Once I had got on and off a few times he was fine at the end but it took quite a few goes and quite a few times of me putting my brave pants on!

 

[GirlFriday]

Did you try from both sides?

If it is getting off as well as on I'd be thinking discomfort rather than not wanting to work... unless he is used for consecutive lessons he will know dismount = no more work.

 

[Kezzabell2]

Sorry but it defo sounds like a pain reaction! I would get a second opinion on the back and the saddle for starters! and if nothing shows up, I would investigate further with the vet! horses don't start acting like this for fun, they are always trying to tell us something!

 

[olop]

Yeah both sides. He also will not allow someone to check the girth or stirrups from both sides.

He gets used twice a day for roughly 45 minutes.

Edited to say he's currently not being used as they think he's "dangerous".

 

[MagicMelon]

I would take him away from the riding school and take him right back to basics with regard to mounting and unmounting, I'd have someone on the ground by his head giving him lots of pats and treats if he stands nicely when you put your foot in the stirrup etc. Then lead up to putting weight in the stirrup and when he's good and relaxed keep treating him etc. I'd only move onto the next stages once he was totally relaxed, even if that meant spending 10 minutes two or three times a day putting your food in and out of the stirrup and nothing else. Once ok with getting on, I'd begin working on the getting off part. During a schooling session, I'd come to a halt then pretend to consider getting off, so leaning forward. Treats when he's ok with that, then feet out of stirrups as if about to get off, treats and pats again if good.

I would however get a second opinion on his back and saddle first. I have twice had a professional saddle fitter fit saddles to two horses which never fitted correctly. One was on a pony I was backing, he threw me off in a big way twice within a week, the saddle was found to be bridging so no wonder I also took on a horse for a friend who had begun refusing to jump and broncing, he'd been checked twice by vet and back specialist and found to have nothing wrong, we sold him (once he began working ok) but then we heard a few months later that the new owners vet had confirmed kissing spines! We felt awful that at the time we believed it must have been a schooling issue as professionals had signed him off as in good health. Definately worth being totally sure hes ok.

 

[SEL]

Tetchy behaviour mounting is my clue that my mare's saddle is causing discomfort.

 

[LouisCat]

It's either pain related or being used at a riding school he's been having people lumping themselves down on his back insteasy of lowering themselves etc and he's come to dislike it

 

[GirlFriday]

He is probably working more than he did when he was just ridden by OP (not excessively, just more) and that could make him change shape (so, saddle fit?) and/or get sick of schooling...

 

[Goldenstar]

Check the saddle but it's probably going to need the vet .
He clearly is unsuitable for a riding school ATM

 

[Tyssandi]

due to personal reasons last year I had to loan my boy out to a riding school, he's still there now and up until Xmas all was going well.

Unfortunately he has started bucking on mounting. This can be from the ground, on leg up or from the block. He also starts bucking when dismounting. However in ridden work he is completely fine.......if you can get on him!

Back, teeth, saddle, full vet check has come back fine. He has had ulcers in the past so we are treating for ulcers at the moment but I don't think this is typical ulcer behaviour.

I went down at the weekend to see what was going on and I actually feared for getting off, (I managed to get on fine!). I'm just not sure what could be going on. Once I was on he was fine, going forward and working on the bridle, just getting on and off he was bucking. He almost feels like he is going to explode.

Horse has never done this before in his life, he's 16 years old now and I'm not sure at his age he has become crafty and doesn't want to work or if there is genuinely something going on.

Any ideas? Once I had got on and off a few times he was fine at the end but it took quite a few goes and quite a few times of me putting my brave pants on!

Have you taken bloods in case it is Myopathy

 

[ihatework]

My money would be on the saddle/girthing.
First thing I would do would be to borrow a saddle that's slightly too wide but otherwise a reasonable fit. Pad it right out and then see what happens.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Saddle fit is the obvious one, but why is he not tricky to ride. I wonder if he would react to being got on bareback. You would need a fearless crash test dummy for that mind !

Before spending a fortune I think I would remove him from the school and chuck him out until the spring and then reassess. I am leaning towards he has got crafty and needs a change before he is labelled dangerous.

 

[Schollym]

This is clearly pain related. My horse started bucking when you put your leg on, but not if you asked him to move off with your voice, he was starting colic.
A friends horse who started bucking when he hadn't been a problem, later developed colic went for surgery and was found to be riddled with tumours.
Not saying this is your horses problem but he is clearly trying to tell you something.

 

[ROMANY 1959]

I had a horse on working livery,
She hated girth being done up
People getting on who would kick her in ribs, pull on her mouth, sit heavily in saddle,
When riding school ended and we just did livery she slowly reverted to the nice horse we used to have..
once back and saddle been checked, I would look towards management while being used in riding school

 

[Sparemare]

Poor horse. What girth does he have?

 

[SEL]

If the vet comes out then get them to check eyes as well. A old school friend of mine had a bombproof horse who started to get nervy being mounted and leaping forward when being patted by a rider. Got progressively worse - turned out he had a degenerative eye condition.

Vets said movement behind his eyeline went from 'can't see you' to 'wtf is that!' & he was panicking.

Not a happy ending for that boy and my money is still on saddle fit / sore back - but thought it worth throwing into the mix.

 

[Damnation]

I have a theory.

I suspect people are probably not getting on elegantly, so things like kicking him with their foot as they swing a leg over, possibly jabbing his mouth, sitting heavily in the saddle and maybe someone being too rough doing the girth up once someone is on.

I'd be removing him from this situation.

 

[scats]

Either pain related or an incident has scared him. Having taught in riding schools, not every rider is very forgiving when they get on, nomatter how much they are told about mounting and dismounting properly and gently. I suspect he may have had a scare that the riding school might not be telling you about.
Remove him from the riding school and sort this issue out yourself.

Also, and I'm going by things I've witnessed at riding schools, sometimes saddles get changed around for whatever reason. Could he have been ridden in the wrong saddle at some point and it has caused him pain when a rider has mounted and now he anticipates it?

I would remove him from the riding school.

 

[olop]

Bloods have been checked and are all fine.

I was also thinking he is not too happy about different people getting on and as some of you have said, no matter what people get on in different styles and you can't change that.

He has a leather girth which has elasticated ends.

I was going to give the bareback riding a go but I need to get in to brave mode for that lol.

Unfortunately the only way I can take him out is to chuck him in a field for the time being as I no longer have the time or money for him hence him being there, in Essex fields are very hard to come by!

 

[Damnation]

Bloods have been checked and are all fine.

I was also thinking he is not too happy about different people getting on and as some of you have said, no matter what people get on in different styles and you can't change that.

He has a leather girth which has elasticated ends.

I was going to give the bareback riding a go but I need to get in to brave mode for that lol.

Unfortunately the only way I can take him out is to chuck him in a field for the time being as I no longer have the time or money for him hence him being there, in Essex fields are very hard to come by!

I wonder if his girth is being overtightened.

I find at a riding school because they are on a time limit trying to get X people on ponies quickly, they can be rough and it can cause bruising if the are rough with the girth and doing it up as tightly as possible in order to not have to adjust it midway through the lesson.

 

[AdorableAlice]

I wonder if his girth is being overtightened.

I find at a riding school because they are on a time limit trying to get X people on ponies quickly, they can be rough and it can cause bruising if the are rough with the girth and doing it up as tightly as possible in order to not have to adjust it midway through the lesson.

Would he not continue to buck though. Op is saying he is fine once mounted but gets anxious when being dismounted.

 

[Goldenstar]

Are they using the horse to teach people to mount from the ground ?

 

[Morgan123]

I had a pony that was a bit like this and we concluded might be something like a trapped nerve somewhere, hence painful when you move awkwardly (as in getting on/off or presumably if the mood takes you to do round the world or something!), but like yours fine once ridden. he did improve in time but nothing like massages etc helped, we just had to persevere. Some days would be worse than others. Sorry not much use but just in case it's a useful thought!

 

[Damnation]

Would he not continue to buck though. Op is saying he is fine once mounted but gets anxious when being dismounted.

I wonder if it is the sensation of being girthed and ungirthed, usually ridingschool ponies are ungirthed quite quickly..

Without seeing how they are using the pony it is hard to comment really, but not letting people fiddle with the saddle once he is on does make me wonder if they have bruised him, I know elasticated girths are better however they are easy to overtighten.

 

[madlady]

What type of riders has he been used for?

If he's a nice steady sort and has been used for beginners then there is more chance of 'bad' mounting and dismounting - being inadvertently kicked or having legs dragged across his back plus landing heavily in the saddle - I can understand why that would make him peed off with people getting off and on and he's doing what he can to say he's disgruntled.

I think in your situation I'd prefer him being turned out in a field that in an environment that he clearly isn't happy with.

 

[Wheels]

Second opinion on the saddle - I have come across this before, the sideways pull when getting on and also happens when some people get off.

Also if it is too wide it might drop at the front or too narrow will pinch, more so than during normal riding

 

[laura_nash]

Unfortunately the only way I can take him out is to chuck him in a field for the time being as I no longer have the time or money for him hence him being there, in Essex fields are very hard to come by!

Did you have any agreement with the RS as to what would happen if he was injured whilst they were using him and needed time off / rehab. If he was fine to mount and dismount when he arrived with them then they have caused this, so I would be taking a look at my agreement. If nothing was agreed and you don't have much time then yes, grass / retirement livery till the spring sounds the best bet.

 

[ljohnsonsj]

Sounds like saddle/girth OR it has been the saddle or girth or someone has been rough and nipped him and he is holding the grudge and anxious it's going to hurt

 

[olop]

He's a complete saint (before this started!) so they use him for beginners right through to there students. He's only 15hh and not much of a weight carrier so they don't put adults on him, I haven't seen an adult on him the times I have popped down anyway.

I am leaning towards the he's had enough theory rather than something actually being wrong. I will get the saddle checked again but as he is fine once working I'm really doubting this being the cause as surely he would be a pig to ride as well?

I've checked my loan agreement, there is nothing in there about illness etc it just says if the horse becomes unsuitable they will give a month notice to return to the owner.

 

[Wheels]

I am leaning towards the he's had enough theory rather than something actually being wrong. I will get the saddle checked again but as he is fine once working I'm really doubting this being the cause as surely he would be a pig to ride as well?

.

No not necessarily - the saddle would move side to side on both mounting and dismounting and if it was moving too much it could touch the side of his spinal processes or ligaments - you wouldn't really have this movement when riding.

Likewise it could move up / down at the front or back when mounting and dismounting as the ride leans forwards towards the pommel (even if getting on from a block).

Put the saddle on & girth it up and give it a GENTLE pull / push in all directions to check for movement.