Bucking very fast!!

[ruby930]

Hey everyone!

i got another horse about 2 months ago and started jumping him almost straight away. I got on the other day and it felt like something had changed,
Before I even got to the arena on him he tried a bolt (he had never done this before), when I managed to get him into the arena I started warming him up to jump but he was very spooky and anxious, started cantering and he went FAST, not so fast that it was a gallop but very fast for him and a lot faster than any of my other horses have cantered.
I ignored it and proceeded with jumping, jumped a little course of about 40cm to make sure he didn’t do anything stupid. He jumped everything perfectly so we put the jumps up a bit to about 65cm, went over the first one fine, sped up towards the second but didn’t do anything naughty, bolted towards the third, fine on the 4th and 5th but after the 6th jump he started bucking I couldn’t control him and I’ve been riding for many years and I’ve dealt with my buckers in my time but never this fast. It wasn’t that the bucks were big they were just really fast and I couldn’t react in time so I fell off. Got back on after 10 mins of lunge and he was perfect again!

he wasn’t fresh because I had rode him everyday for the 4 days before this. Nothing could have happened with another horse in the field as he is turned out by himself. I have no idea what could have triggered it so I’m wondering if anyone in here knows what I can do. Thanks in advance!

 

[Henry02]

Could be one of many things. Teeth/back/saddle check are your first go to things.

the phrase “I started jumping him straight away” will ring alarm bells with forum members.

how often do you jump him vs how often is he schooled on the flat. If your just wanging him constantly over jumps, hes probably bored, and also in need of flatwork schooling.

 

[Lois Lame]

The first thing I would do in that situation is to unsaddle and check for anything that might be sticking into him. Then I'd check the bridle. Then my lower legs. Then I would lead him around, looking at him. Something seems to be very unpleasant to him.

 

[Red-1]

If this was the first time he had misbehaved in 2 months, I would have got straight off and checked under the saddle etc. Also the fit of the saddle.

Had he been worked the day before? Was it windy?

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I see more and more of this, jump jump jump without taking time to get used to a horse on the flat.

1. Vet
2. Chiro
3. Saddle
4. Teeth
5. bit

That would be my way of approaching. Not ness in that order

 

[AmyMay]

What do you do with him, other than jump?

 

[ycbm]

What did you check after he tried to run away before you had even got him to the arena?

Could he simply have had something irritating stuck under his saddle, like a shred of hay or a bit of dirt?

I would have to question why you continued with a jumping session when he was showing signs of discomfort which weren't normal for him before you had even got him into the arena.
.

 

[Trouper]

That is a classic pain reaction to something - and it is never advisable to ignore it and carry on. Look for the cause.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Poor horse!
If something like that happens again, LISTEN to the horse, jump straight back off, untack and check , especially the numnah/saddle pad and girth. I would bet that the horse had something digging into him and was trying to tell you so. Just for info 'bolt' is a term that means 'ran off in a blind panic', your horse may have tried to run away from whatever it was that was making him uncomfortable.

 

[ycbm]

Ruby I've been looking at your other posts. You've got an 8 year old Connemara you broke yourself (and jumped) at 3 who you compete at
1m 30, a 6 year old who you school 3 times a week for more than an hour at a time, and this new horse. With your experience I'm really confused why you would be asking what to do after one uncharacteristic bout of bucking from a horse who was telling you he was unhappy before you even got him to the arena.

I'm sorry to sound unhelpful, I just don't know what you expect from posting this thread except a whole heap of criticism for how you handled things when you have so many years of experience to know better.
.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

All the basic checks like teeth saddle and physio need doing, it really does sound like something was uncomfortable, if a horse generally doesn't feel right it's best to get off rather than jump a round of fences

 

[Shay]

Echo ycmb. And everyone else. You should have got straight off and checked. You didn't - lesson learned. From your post I would suggest you don't ride again until you have done the tack / back / teeth checks. You've had him long enough that he may well have changed shape. Even if you bought a brand new saddle it would be time to check the flocking for compaction.

 

[ruby930]

Ruby I've been looking at your other posts. You've got an 8 year old Connemara you broke yourself (and jumped) at 3 who you compete at
1m 30, a 6 year old who you school 3 times a week for more than an hour at a time, and this new horse. With your experience I'm really confused why you would be asking what to do after one uncharacteristic bout of bucking from a horse who was telling you he was unhappy before you even got him to the arena.

I'm sorry to sound unhelpful, I just don't know what you expect from posting this thread except a whole heap of criticism for how you handled things when you have so many years of experience to know better.
.

yes I know about the other posts. people at my farm use my account to ask for help from other people. at my farm we read through all the threads together, laugh at a few and talk to the younger kids about some that could be helpful in their learning

 

[ruby930]

Also about all the messages with the pain or something under his saddle, he had injections and vet checks the week before so there wasn’t much chance of him being in pain. I got off him after the bolt and checked under the saddle, everything seemed fine and there was nothing wrong.
Mine and my friends guess is that he simply didn’t want to be in the school as the day before we had been on a hack. Checked legs and everything else as the replies to this said to do, nothing was wrong and I got a vet that has horses at my farm to double check and she couldn’t find anything wrong.
left him yesterday then riding him today around a field to see how he behaves. I’ll let you know x

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Also about all the messages with the pain or something under his saddle, he had injections and vet checks the week before so there wasn’t much chance of him being in pain. I got off him after the bolt and checked under the saddle, everything seemed fine and there was nothing wrong.
Mine and my friends guess is that he simply didn’t want to be in the school as the day before we had been on a hack. Checked legs and everything else as the replies to this said to do, nothing was wrong and I got a vet that has horses at my farm to double check and she couldn’t find anything wrong.
left him yesterday then riding him today around a field to see how he behaves. I’ll let you know x[/QUOTE


The very fact that you took the saddle off and lunged him, then put the saddle back on and rode again when he was fine points to there being something under the saddle/numnah sticking into him, which was dislodged. I am glad that nothing obvious was found to be wrong by your fellow livery who is also a vet.
Should there be a similar episode ever, get off immediately you notice the change in behaviour and check everything - that will save you being bucked off again.

 

[ruby930]

I definitely will. Thank you x

 

[SEL]

My old jumping pony did that when I was a kid. She was in her late teens, knew her stuff and one day I jumped her and said to my instructor she felt a bit odd. Told to crack on so took her round again and she exploded. I came off hard and fast into the arena wall and the poor pony carried on bucking until her saddle was under her belly.

Those were the days when the 'back man' would come out and crank them back into place. We gave her time off but she stopped being happy jumping and would shoot forward for no reason out hacking at times. Nowadays I would 100% get a vet work-up because it was definitely a pain reaction. Maybe hocks, maybe her back, quite possibly something going on in her feet - hard to tell. These days we have the diagnostics to find out so no excuse really for not involving a vet.

 

[ycbm]

yes I know about the other posts. people at my farm use my account to ask for help from other people. at my farm we read through all the threads together, laugh at a few and talk to the younger kids about some that could be helpful in their learning

Are you saying you didn't write the other posts? They all read as if the same person wrote them.

You don't personally jump an 8 year old horse you broke at 3 over 1m 30 courses competitively, or own a 6 year old you school and hack? Was it you asking about what colour goes with a new horse you bought recently?

Could you please identify who's writing what in future, it's very confusing and misleading if several people use one logon.
.

 

[ycbm]

The very fact that you took the saddle off and lunged him, then put the saddle back on and rode again when he was fine points to there being something under the saddle/numnah sticking into him, which was dislodged. I am glad that nothing obvious was found to be wrong by your fellow livery who is also a vet.
Should there be a similar episode ever, get off immediately you notice the change in behaviour and check everything - that will save you being bucked off again.

Echo this.
.

 

[ruby930]

Are you saying you didn't write the other posts? They all read as if the same person wrote them.

You don't personally jump an 8 year old horse you broke at 3 over 1m 30 courses competitively, or own a 6 year old you school and hack? Was it you asking about what colour goes with a new horse you bought recently?

Could you please identify who's writing what in future, it's very confusing and misleading if several people use one logon.
.

Person that broke at 3 isn’t at my yard anymore. The person that wrote this post about bucking was one of my friends at a different yard. I asked about colours for my dapple grey.
I’m going to make a new account for just me right now to stop the confusion and give this account to the 2 girls at my yard

 

[bonny]

Person that broke at 3 isn’t at my yard anymore. The person that wrote this post about bucking was one of my friends at a different yard. I asked about colours for my dapple grey.
I’m going to make a new account for just me right now to stop the confusion and give this account to the 2 girls at my yard

Why can’t everyone just have their own account ?

 

[Arzada]

I’m going to make a new account for just me right now to stop the confusion and give this account to the 2 girls at my yard

You could simply change your password and not share it with anyone else

 

[ruby930]

Why can’t everyone just have their own account ?

I’ll show them how to make their own tomorrow