How do you stop bucking?

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moodymare123

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How do you stop your horse from bucking when his legs are between his legs constantly in canter?
You see my four year old keeps on doing it, luckily i dont fall off though , usually i usually kick him through it pull his head up and give him a smack with the whip.
Would you say thats the right thing to do for a 4 year old?
Thanks(: x
 
Sounds as though he is
- confused (bucking can be a good way of sorting legs out for a recently backed baby!)
- uncomfortable (growing out of saddle springs to mind...) or
- enjoying spring grass/overfed/not turned out enough

Get all checks done, review management and then, TBH I'd ditch the whip and continue kicking him on. If you can sit up and ride him through it there is no point and all it will do is slightly unbalance you. And if you couldn't then you'd need to concentrate on that first anyway.

Depends how advanced education is but if it really is high spirits (seems to be the last reason in most cases) then try
- having a lesson
- hacking (cantering) out in company
- pole work
to liven things up a bit.

Have fun!
 
hi

i use to have the same problem with my horse when he was learning to canter :rolleyes:
it tends to be a balance thing i use to ride him forward and steady it down so he had to think about the transition more, when he rushed that would be when he would buck,

good luck
 
Providing there is no physical issues, it can be quite a common thing for young horses to do when sussing the situation out when learning to canter and carry themselves, you can usually tell the difference between those and the ones when they mean it, so long as there is no reason for it just carry on regardless.

If they are learning to canter and your stopping and starting trying to get the correct canter lead, this too can start them off because to them they are doing what you ask, you've asked for canter, they have given you one, if you start bringing them back trying to correct them it confuses them and hacks them off so to speak, so to begin with it's better to just let them go into canter (which ever leg) until they understand the aids and get used to short canters until they are balanced and fitter.
 
If he really is having a go and can get his head right down you can cross your reins over so that they are locked, this standard practice in racing. Holding your right rein normally, open the fingers so you can see the rein then put the left rein in to your right hand, then sort your fingers out again.
I don't think you should let him get his head down, but if he is bucking because of excitement eg in company then he needs more work and maybe less oats!
 
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i had a little chestnut welsh c (i think) that as soon as you got on would buck constantly until you were on the ground, we had checks done and all was fine. what i did to get him over it was, sit back in the saddle, kick the horse on and also pull there head up. as long as you stay on the horse will get over it!!
 
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