Head up and bucking in canter....scary!

kc100

kc100

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Hi all,

I've recently got a horse on part loan and I am sharing him with his owner, I have him 4 days a week. He is a 16.1hh IDxTB, 13 years old and generally in good health apart from a very mild case of arthritis in his hind legs (which he is being treated for).

Now here is the problem, he bucks (violently) when asked for canter. He continues to buck and canter at the same time, his head gets higher and higher (despite wearing a martingale) and he storms off very quickly getting stronger and stronger.

He nearly had me off when riding him on Saturday morning and it has scared me a bit, so what I would like to know is aside from any health issues (his owner is having him checked by the vet this week - he has already seen a physio last week and we have ruled out the saddle being a possible problem) - how do I stop this and get him cantering nicely?

I've read around various sites but I cant seem to get a definitive answer - I want to rule out medical issues first but I get the feeling he is doing this for another reason than pain. Could it be that I'm new to riding him and he is testing me, so I just need to persevere and hope I dont fall off?! I am hoping to have lessons on him at the yard where he is kept however I can only afford them around once a month, and I dont want to stop cantering as I dont want to let him win!

He is a very clever horse so I do try and keep our schooling sessions varied, making sure I'm giving him lots to do, lots of circles, transitions, leg yielding, trotting poles etc. One other potential reason that I have thought of is he is worse with his bucking when we are alone in the school (when other horses are in the school he is very well behaved) - his owner has said that she tends not to hack him alone as he can be naughty so perhaps it is a problem only when he is alone? I'm riding him again on Tuesday so I am hoping someone else will be in the school to test this theory! If this is the case - how can I overcome the problem of bad behaviour when he is on his own?

Thanks in advance
 
my boy bucks with his head up. I prefer that to his head down!! Mine doesn't buck violently so you can just laugh at him and put up with it but I haven't found a way to stop him apart from variety and not letting him get excited where possible, ooh and lots of work!

Really just wanted to say look on the bright side, his head is up so not likely to be malicious Get him checked out and bung on a neck strap! I find shorter stirrups easier so maybe experiment with your leg length and position a little and there is no shame in strapping on a body protector!! You will feel braver knowing coming off won't hurt!
 
kc100 said:
Hi all,

he has already seen a physio last week and we have ruled out the saddle being a possible problem)
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Hi - who has ruled out saddle problems? owner, physio or qualifed saddle fitter?

My pony had a similar issue which turned out to be an ill fitting saddle. I've changed her saddle and the bucking stopped immediately. BTW she has arthritis in her hocks.
 
Does he behave like this with his owner? If he does, it sounds like it's pain related and something needs to be addressed - and I certainly wouldn't be trying to canter him again until it was sorted out (probably wouldn't get on at all, TBH).

If he only does it with you, it's more likely he's testing you or perhaps you're giving different signals than he's used to which are confusing him, in which case lessons with someone who knows him would be helpful. Can you watch his owner on him and try to see if she rides differently?

Assuming it's not pain related, if it gets worse and worse as the canter continues, I'd keep them very short rather than letting him build up a head of steam. If he's fine in company, I'd only canter in company until you've got to know him well enough to feel confident in pushing through if he misbehaves on his own.

Above all, don't put yourself in a position where you - or your confidence - are taking unnecessary risks. I appreciate you don't want to "let him win" but he's not your horse, and quite honestly it's not worth it!
 
Does he do it on the lunge or in the field? If he does then it is probably habitual.

My cob occasionally fly bucks with his head up when ridden - usually when excited or frustrated ie being held up at the back of a group. He does some major launches in the field too and accept this as part of his personality! I find the best thing to do is to just ignore him and push him on forwards.

However if my horse was only doing it under saddle I would be certainly looking at all the normal checks.

Good luck, and hold tight!!
 
What sort of martingale are you using? Might be worth trying a standing martingale if he is currently in a running. It wouldn't stop the bucking but would stop his head getting dangerously high.
 
Theocat said:
Above all, don't put yourself in a position where you - or your confidence - are taking unnecessary risks. I appreciate you don't want to "let him win" but he's not your horse, and quite honestly it's not worth it!
Click to expand...


Agree with this^

I used to part loan and have done for a few years. I would ride most things just to have a horse to ride, beggars cant be choosers sort of thing. Found out that a number of people who offer their horses for a share are the ones who are frightened by it in some way.
 
Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for replying - he has not done it since so I'm pretty sure he was just testing me to see how easily I will come off!

I have cantered him plenty of times since alone and with other horses around and he has been going really well, it seems that a couple of weeks of just walking and trotting and getting to know each other has really helped.
 
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