Bucking

M

Meme14

Member
Joined
15 January 2014
Messages
15
Visit site
So after having our new pony since October, he’s started bucking when coming home from a hack which is making my 13 year old daughter very nervous.
Daughter is quite rightly nervous when heading out (with 2 other experienced riders) but naughty pony as soon as he realises he’s nearly home gets excited and bucks which unfortunately unseated my daughter yesterday.
He‘s had his back and teeth done and has a new saddle which has been checked.
He was ridden by an older heavier child in the past and I’m not sure if he’s just testing, however I can see confidence levels dropping ?
Any ideas??
 
Nasicus thank you for your reply. At the moment he’s out from 7am to 4.30pm. Admittedly there’s not much grass but he has hay and has ad-lib in stable at night.
 
Meme14 said:
comprehensive balancer and speedi-beet twice daily.
Click to expand...

I'm no feeding expert and am sure others might come and correct me, but that might not be helping. Does he hold weight well? Is he a ‘good’ weight currently? Do you know what the previous owners fed him?

Most ponies I know just get a handful of chaff as they get fat easily, although forgive me if yours doesn't hold weight well but that sounds a lot to me for a little pony.
I wouldn't feed all that to my 15.2 gelding and hes in more work.
I'd consider changing the comprehensive balancer or stopping it for a week to see if it makes any difference. I believe when I looked into it before it was full of starch and oats, soya, molasses, assuming you’re referring to Topspecs which the pony might be sensitive too. I fed it previously to my other rather calm gelding who was in heavy work and it blew his brains, so switched to Cool Balancer and he remained on that for years. Topspec do a Cool Balancer which might be better or a lite one if you want him on a balancer. Speedi-beat wise, fast fibre might be a good alternative with less 'in' (half as much sugar as Speedi-Beet) but will hold weight, if you know what I mean.

Pony just sounds like hes getting excited and has to much energy. Is he clipped out too? Could be worth trying a exercise sheet to keep the 'cold' off his bum, sounds silly but definitely helps mine when its cold out.
 
This seems to be happening as pony is coming back to the yard; and this is the only time its happening, yes??

Is there a pairbond back at the yard that pony wants to get back to?

As the combination is new, I'd be inclined to try working at some "bonding" exercises; i.e. encourage your daughter to do some groundwork exercises in a safe environment like the school, leading him over poles etc., you could also set up a little "TREC-style" obstacle course to stimulate his mind and also give your daughter some confidence at handling him. If he's polite on the ground he'll be polite under saddle. Then when the time is right daughter could pop up and do the same stuff mounted.

Is there someone who could lunge the pony before he goes out on a hack? Just to get any fizz out of him, that might be helpful!

It would be good perhaps if your daughter's instructor (or a suitable professional) could actually ride out with her when she goes for a hack, and help her to deal with this behaviour; but first perhaps it might be a better idea to pop up a capable little rider (small adult would be ideal) on this pony who is confident at dealing with such an issue, and go out with the same group and work through it with the pony before your daughter rides out again.

Getting a professional on board with this would be a good idea I think, as you don't want daughter to lose confidence and its all too easy to do.
 
I would say not enough exercise and too much food. I'd cut his feed to one meal or halve it to 2 smaller ones. Lunging on the days he can't be ridden might help. How long is the exercise when he has it? Lunge for 25 minutes before hack out might take out some steam. Or can he live out and just come up for work and his dinner? Ponies are notorious for taking the mickey, especially in the winter when a frosty morning can turn them into little demons.
 
I would cut the feed right back and try and lunge in between her riding or lunge him beforehand, he just sounds like his fresh and if I only rode my 2 3 times a week they would be the same especially if they were getting a decent bucket feed.
 
Is he being ridden after turnout? I am thinking that he may be hungry if he has been out all day with no food. He may be keen to get back to his feed/hay.

I too would cut back hard feed if he is well covered. Hay alone would be good, with maybe a scoop of chop before riding out if he has been out with nothing to eat all day.
 
I would also cut out the hard feed as the pony is unlikely to need it. I would also get a more experienced rider to hack the pony out to see if he bucks with them to try and break the habit.

I can understand why your daughter's confidence is being knocked. It might well help if you could put her on the lead rein when she starts hacking him out again.
 
Naughty pony! I do sympathise as my previous horse was a real pain on the way home, fortunately he didn't buck but he could be a handful and if I had held on to him too much I think he might have been very naughty. Agree with those who suggest cutting down the feed and I'd suggest asking her instructor to help her. I solved my problem by giving the horse some proper work to do by working him in an outline and putting him into shoulder in as soon as I could feel him getting buzzy if he settled then I got off his case. Just check that she's not causing the bucking by grabbing hold of him, it's so easy if you are feeling nervous to start tensing up in anticipation of a problem. Good luck Ihope yo find a solution.
 
Another thought is don't put him back in stable with feed / hay after hack. Take him to school and lunge, so coming home is less exciting, as just means might do more work. Or stable him but without feed and hay for the first 30 minutes.

R-stor might help her not get bucked off too.
 
Agree with everyone else. He is thinking about his stable. Definitely cut out the hard feed. I've known hunters fed nothing but hay and eventers nothing but grass. I know we want to make sure our animals are given the best of everything, but it is often the same mantra, less food more work. Try it and see.
 
Would you be able to lunge before leaving yard or working him harder on a hack? Sorry if has already been suggested, but as long as no pain is at play tired horses are quiet horses!
 
ForbiddenHorse said:
I'm no feeding expert and am sure others might come and correct me, but that might not be helping. Does he hold weight well? Is he a ‘good’ weight currently? Do you know what the previous owners fed him?

Most ponies I know just get a handful of chaff as they get fat easily, although forgive me if yours doesn't hold weight well but that sounds a lot to me for a little pony.
I wouldn't feed all that to my 15.2 gelding and hes in more work.
I'd consider changing the comprehensive balancer or stopping it for a week to see if it makes any difference. I believe when I looked into it before it was full of starch and oats, soya, molasses, assuming you’re referring to Topspecs which the pony might be sensitive too. I fed it previously to my other rather calm gelding who was in heavy work and it blew his brains, so switched to Cool Balancer and he remained on that for years. Topspec do a Cool Balancer which might be better or a lite one if you want him on a balancer. Speedi-beat wise, fast fibre might be a good alternative with less 'in' (half as much sugar as Speedi-Beet) but will hold weight, if you know what I mean.

Pony just sounds like hes getting excited and has to much energy. Is he clipped out too? Could be worth trying a exercise sheet to keep the 'cold' off his bum, sounds silly but definitely helps mine when its cold out.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for your reply. As suggested by yourself and others I have cut his feed back this evening and will change the balancer and beet! He was on both the Alpha A chaff and balancer when he came to us, but dropped off hence why I put some of the speedi-beet into his feed! Also looking to get an adult in to hack him out once a week!
Thank you again x
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
This seems to be happening as pony is coming back to the yard; and this is the only time its happening, yes??

Is there a pairbond back at the yard that pony wants to get back to?

As the combination is new, I'd be inclined to try working at some "bonding" exercises; i.e. encourage your daughter to do some groundwork exercises in a safe environment like the school, leading him over poles etc., you could also set up a little "TREC-style" obstacle course to stimulate his mind and also give your daughter some confidence at handling him. If he's polite on the ground he'll be polite under saddle. Then when the time is right daughter could pop up and do the same stuff mounted.

Is there someone who could lunge the pony before he goes out on a hack? Just to get any fizz out of him, that might be helpful!

It would be good perhaps if your daughter's instructor (or a suitable professional) could actually ride out with her when she goes for a hack, and help her to deal with this behaviour; but first perhaps it might be a better idea to pop up a capable little rider (small adult would be ideal) on this pony who is confident at dealing with such an issue, and go out with the same group and work through it with the pony before your daughter rides out again.

Getting a professional on board with this would be a good idea I think, as you don't want daughter to lose confidence and its all too easy to do.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your reply. Funnily enough this is happening when he’s hacking from our instructor‘s yard so I can’t even blame it on that!
I have this evening cut his food back and our instructor is going to ride him out when they go out next. As for your suggestion with in-hand work, yes we do this as I’m always keen to get the respect on the ground right from the start!
Thank you again ☺️
 
Thank you all for your great advice, it’s much appreciated.
i should have said that we hack from our instructo’s yard and so he’s not coming back to ‘his’ stable.
Moving forward, we have cut his food right down (I think I always worried that if he was hungry he’d be naughty too!) our instructor is going to hack him out next time and I’m going to get an adult to hack him out from home 1/2 a week just so he’s not quite so fresh when my daughter rides him!
Thank you all again ☺️
 
Meme14 said:
Thank you all for your great advice, it’s much appreciated.
i should have said that we hack from our instructo’s yard and so he’s not coming back to ‘his’ stable.
Moving forward, we have cut his food right down (I think I always worried that if he was hungry he’d be naughty too!) our instructor is going to hack him out next time and I’m going to get an adult to hack him out from home 1/2 a week just so he’s not quite so fresh when my daughter rides him!
Thank you all again ☺️
Click to expand...

Well, I wouldn't ride a hungry pony because I think you are right that ponies are grumpy if hungry. Some people with little fat ponies keep them on very limited food and then wonder why they are very grumpy. So make sure he has hay it is the hard feed we are concerned about!
 
Stop hard feed and increase exercise. Pony is in very light work so I wouldn’t be feeding unless turned out 24/7 or doing more exercise.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top