How to deal with a bucker?

Serephin

Serephin

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my boy is pretty good usually - a bomb proof hack in company - spooks a lot on his own, but through naughtiness not fear. He spooks in the school when he doesn't want to work.

But he does have a tendency to bronc when he doesn't want to do something - back, teeth, etc all fine, but he has had me off about 8 months ago and I really hurt my back, and he got me off again yesterday on a hack, cos he wanted to canter and I pulled him up, so cue lots of squealing and a broncing session, I hit the deck and have done in my ankle (can't walk) and my lower back - was wearing a body protector thankfully.

suffice to say this is not doing my fragile confidence any good - I have been taking things slow with him and have been riding a bit more with other people - he is like a donkey on a hack - so his bronc yesterday came right out of the blue.

what can I do? My nerves are in tatters and I don't trust him - he is not malicious in anyway, just naughty and a bit strong willed at times - I don't wnt to give up, but I don't want to get hurt anymore either. Can buckers be stopped? or is it something that he will always do?

any advice/info appreciated, thanks
 
horsey is 8 years old - I asked the previous owner implicitly if he bucked and she swore that he didn't - I found out some time later that he had bucked her off too!

I have heard mention of something called buckstop, but I am not sure that they work that well?

He puts his head down when he canters, freely goes into an outline so it seems, so his head is already down there ready for a good bronc!

My back can't take any more punishment!
 
I used to ride a pony that would buck whenever hacked in company and also when jumping - he just got so overly excited. The only thing I could do was to try to keep his head up (sometimes needed a stronger bit to be able to do this) and try to keep him busy and going forward. If he's moving fast enough, he can't buck that easily.

If he gets you off his back everytime he doesn't wanna work, it might become a nasty habit and a way of avoiding working :/
Maybe you could try and find someone who stays in the saddle like glued? Just to teach him a lesson..
 
What do you mean by 'when he doesn't want to do something'? What are the things that he doesn't want to do? Are the surroundings the same when you ask him to do something, or do you ask for the same thing in different surroundings and get the same reaction?

The first step in dealing with a bucker is to identify the cause, hence the question overload
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My mare used to buck before cantering (still sneaks in the odd one if she gets excited!
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) - you don't say how old he is? Mine was definately related to her being young and green and it has improved with age but I can relate to you losing your confidence. It may also be related to spring grass coming through - they can get a bit livley!! What I did to get my girl over it - and still go back to when she has been off for a bit - was to lunge her through the trot/canter transitions on both reins a couple of times a week - either before or instead of riding. When riding her in the school again lots of transitions from trot/canter sometimes canter for only a few strides sometimes go large etc etc and whenever going to canter try not to hold her back but really get her going forward - if she is going forward she can't buck. It takes bottle to kick them on when you are scared of them bucking but it really is the way forward! I would recommend some lessons in the school to go through the transitions to get your confidence back and then when you are ready go out with a sane companion and just go for a short canter where and when you are ready - and you will come back in one piece with a grin on your face!!
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All of that and Rescue Remedy to help your nerves!!
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Good luck and let us know how you get on.
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My old horse that I bought aged 18 bucked me off frequently.
I never cure him and in the last year of hacking I never cantered!
He actually bucked me off on the hack home after I had just given his owner the cheque!
But I put it down to the fact we had a canter uphill and he was excited to have a new horse for company.
His owner told me he never bucked but I later found out he bucked her off at home and she lost confidence!
He would be a saint 9 times out of 10 on hacks but if we met another horse he would fly buck and spin round to follow.
He would also fly buck if he was behind when canasta started to canter in front. walk,buck canter!!!!
I never knew when he was going to do it so lost confidence also and that's why in the last year we stopped cantering.
He was old stiff and athritic so how the hell he manged these massive bucks I have no idea.
I guess I felt you can't change an old horses ways so gave up on him, I could not sell him on as it wouldn't be right so after he was a companion for a while I pts age about 23yrs.
 
My girl sounds just like urs! Although she never puts her head down. I agree with all the other comments about pushing her forward and not holding her back! This does work, But this is very difficult as she only ever bucks when im holding her back in canter - eg. if she wants to gallop and i want to canter or if friends horse bolts on hack! And therefore I know its pure excitement and a little bit of checkiness! I think its important to get the balance right between hand and leg - and if you feel them about to buck its prob best to forget collecting them up - and just push them on!
 
We have a young pony who bucks - find we have to ride him through it leg on sit deep and push on ! as he is doing this out of devilment have given him a good whack on his backside as he bucks ( have brave little rider ) My big boy bucks when excited but is not trying to get me off ! again just ride him forward and keep him busy .
 
My friends mare bucks if something goes into canter before her. She rides her in a daisy rein and has found it helps her a lot.

Thankfully my gorgeous girl never ever bucks (does a lot of other things I would prefer her not to do, but never bucks
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But I have had horses that did and I agree with pushing forward, but personally I find it almost impossible to do. I always end up in 'arse protect mode' of pulling them up. I can whallop them while mid bucking fit but cant kick on to save my life. I know its wrong but I cant do anything about it in the heat of the moment!

I can understand why your confidence is taking a battering. I would seriously try the daisy rein and see if it helps
 
thanks for all your replies

I am not sure I like the idea of pushing him on to stop him bucking! *gulp*

he is a cheeky horse really, he has a lot of character - when he bucked me off the first time it was in the school, he spooked at the hedge and I tried to keep him on the track and he went into a broncing session and I came off when we got over the other side of the school! Yesterday we were on a hack with another horse he had been angelic all the way round until the other horse started to jog in front and we kept having to trot a bit to catch up, which he was doing fine, then when a gap was created again he decided he wanted to canter to catch up, only three strides at the most I reckon, so i tried to pull him up cos we had caught up with the other horse and he took umbridge and squealed and bronc'd across the field until he ditched me, which didn't take long!

He has shown signs of having a 'i don't want to work' kind of attitude in my lessons before, where he will protest slightly and then give in, and I am talking only simple basic stuff, not dressage moves or anything! But if he is ridden a bit stronger he gives in and does some nice work.

yesterdays bronc was because he got excited and I tried to stop him doing what he wanted which was have a canter - thats how I see it anyway. I can't sit his huge bucks, and haven't cantered out on a hack with him yet - he canters in the school lovely, its really nice - but I haven't had the nerve to do it out in the open yet, although I would like too, but not if he is gonna buck!

He is quite babyish in a lot of ways - I think he was broken late at 5 years old, from what information I have managed to glean about his past - but he has done some xc and dressage and seems to like to jump so he is not green as such - maybe more green in temperament than skills, if you get what I mean.

So I don't know what to do - I am wondering if someone at my yard will ride him for me a few times and see how I feel then......but I am not a brave rider anymore, so I am not sure I can deal with this by myself.
 
definitely kick on if they are bucking and broncing- if you watch a horse buck they always put the handbrake on with the front legs first.
it doesn't feel particularly safe but pulling up just makes them worse and the slower you go the bigger they can buck!

if your confidence is not too high at the moment (understandable!) i would get someone else to ride him and almost try to provoke him into it by putting him in situations where he bucks- then they can tell him in no uncertain terms that behaviour like that is not acceptable!
 
My pony can buck occasionly if he is excited and feeling well and I'm trying to stop him from cantering too fast etc - however it happens more in the school over trotting poles than hacking. He is generally a very well behaved pony who just stands there when others are being naughty and doesn't get wound up but can be strong when cantering at the back in company if I don't have the correct brakes in.

It's a big naughty strop, hand-standing type rather than lots of smaller ones and I find it quite difficult to predict when it is going to happen as it all happens so quick.

IF I sit the buck (and I normally do but did a spectacular somersault just before Xmas) I really get after him and send him forwards and he doesn't do it again and I've won.

Interestingly he doesn't do it when being asked to work hard - all of the instructors who have seen him do it are convinced it's just naughtiness rather than pain, it's him thinking he knows better than me..

I know it's difficult to send them forward when you already feeling like you are going too fast but the act of pushing them on seems to lift up the head and stop the bucks. My friends are always telling me that I'm not going as fast as I think I am.

My pony is 17yo, cheeky and seems to know every trick in the book so I don't think he will ever change - I (like you) just need to find the confidence to send them on more.

My pony only ever does it when well - which he isn't at the moment, Bone Spavin playing him up again so in a way I'm missing those bucks
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Good luck
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Would be interested to know if anyone has used that new buck stopping gadget....costs about £25...anyone tried it?
 
I really feel for you, i had to sell my old pony because of his bucking as my confidence unfortunately was in tatters. We had his back/teeth checked, changed feed did everything, it really was just down to excitment/naughtiness. But they were so powerful that i could only sit a couple before i was off!

Pushing him on through it did work, but then he had a habit of tanking off, not so much in school but definately hacking.

Almost EVERYONE down my yard got on him, he got nearly them all off, some were ultra confident and after realsing he couldnt get them off he would stop, but never for me lol!

AND previous owners said he has no vices (he was sold as a 'first pony' FGS) But after id had him about 6 months, I saw them at a show and she said to me 'does he still buck' i couldve slapped her! Unfortunately my mumand dad and everyone else had chosen that moment to leave me so i had no witnesses or anything, not that it wouldve done any good!

I'd suggest maybe getting someone more confident on him who doesnt mind if they come off a few times and see if they can sit his bucks, ride him through it and sort him out! Good luck
 
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Would be interested to know if anyone has used that new buck stopping gadget....costs about £25...anyone tried it?

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I've not tried it, but seen it in use by monty roberts and such like . When i saw it the difference was amazing. The little horse in the demo plunged/ rodeoed like i've never seen with a dummy on its back without it, they put the actual rider on with the buck stopper and it plunged twice and that was it. Heard through the grape vine its never bucked since, but i think it needs a fair bit of reading up on to be used effectivley. x
 
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