bucking thru' excitement - tell off or not?

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mirandaharry

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Just wondering what you do if your hoss bucks through excitement - I've had some people tell me to give a good smack and some to ignore it
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!

My boy can put in a maaaassssive buck or 3 when he gets excited
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! I'm finding it easier to predict when they are coming now, so if I can feel it I can keep his head up and keep him moving on.

It is done purely out of excitement, because it only ever happens if we go for a bit more of a blast, or in more open fields, or if other horses all shoot off etc, and it is something he has always done! It is just a real waahh-heeyyy, life is just toooo exciting sort of a buck!
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Anyway, would like to try and sort it out because would like to try and do some fun rides this year, but would prefer to do them attached to said horsey, rather than running along behind cursing him
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!!! So would you give a sharp whack and not take any nonsense or would it just make it worse?!

Thanks in advance guys! x
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My horse used to do it jumping & I used to take no notice - I was happy that he was happy! They never escalated into anything.
 
I'd be inclined to ignore it too - ours are very similiar at the moment (not enough turn out or work ... roll on the summer!) and there's no malice behind them, just excitement and too much energy! x x x
 
Mine does it after the first jump, I just ignore her and laugh, it's nice to know they are enjoying themselves, haven't cantered her in a group yet though...
 
If its through excitement then thats what you need to work on...Stopping him getting excited...Maybe get him out there more so it becomes more everyday type thing then a big deal to be cantering in open fields. Remember his feed and fitness will play a part too.
 
Used to have a pony do it. Owned her for three years, always did just the one when I asked canter. Not a problem for me, I can sit a buck, and it taught me to have a good old laugh at the whoopsies, rather he be a happy bunny then flattening the ears back every time I asked for canter..
 
I would ignore it as telling him off might make it into an issue or cause him to buck more in response to being told off! My boy does it when he gets excited too and if you try to tell him off by tapping him with the crop he goes into rodeo! So I ignore it and kick him on to stop repetitions of it. If you know when he is inclined to do it then that is good because you can get yourself positioned in the saddle to sit them. I tend to drop all my weight into my stirrups, keep my lower leg slightly forward and lean slightly back when I feel one coming...and then I sit them but make him go forward into it.
 
Silver does it all the time in exciting situationa, especially at shows just because he bubbles over with excitement. I just ignore as I'm just happy that he's happy! I'd only make an issue of it if the bucking became constant or he did it instead of listening to me. Just the odd one or two is fine
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My boy does it when he gets excited - after his first decent size jump in the warm up or out hacking before the first canter in wide open spaces....in fact he can do an amazing transition from fully fledged buck/all feet off the ground general leap in the air into flat out gallop in 1.72 seconds...
I just try to ride him through it - it has improved the stickiness of my seat no end & unless its actually a really naughty reaction to something I leave him alone & ask him to get on with the job in hand (except of course in the case of the gallop transition when I close my eyes & pray we have brakes when we get to the end of the field!)
 
If It is not a problem for you then why try to do anything. You may cause something that is a problem for you. If it aint broke why fix it?
 
My current horse does it in excitement, only when cantering in open fields though and usually if I am trying to hold on to him. Have learnt to let him have his head for a bit before on the first few canters before asking him back- still bucks but not as half as big. V hard for a horse to buck and canter fast at the same time so my general rule is to send them forwards!

I wouldn't smack a horse for bucking in that kind of situation.
 
If it was just in canter I would tend to ignore it, but ours does it when being asked to stand still or being asked to work a bit harder, I bought a very simple device that stops the bucking and allows me to concentrate when schooling instead of trying to pull his head up all the time to stop the bucks, its effective and humane and only comes into play when he goes for the big one!

He can still bounce around in every direction but it gives me a little bit more control and he has stopped trying to buck so much now and gets plenty of time to do it out in the field with his mates which he does.
 
Thanks the all the replies!

Yep, I do tend to ignore him and just keep riding, altho' to be honest if they are huge we sometimes have to stop for me to "readjust my position" (ie. haul myself off his neck and get back and back into the saddle!).

Forget-me-not - yep, good advice! Certainly the more things become routine the less exciting it will be! I'm not too bothered by them as such, it's a more a case of knowing whether to ignore or shout/hit etc!!

Breezesbenefactor - yep, have had all the usual checks done, and I definitely know it is purely high spirits because of when it happens, so I think the only thing he's trying to tell me is "yiipppeee, we're a-cantering!!!".

Anyways, thanks again guys, x
 
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