Is there such a thing as an excited buck?

Tali has bucked once and it was rider error. I put my weight too far forward as we were going into canter. Lesson learnt, although she had a nice buck to sit too.
she will throw her heels up in the field when she manages to get the ponies to play with her.

TB would buck as we were going on one beach. It was the only one I could really let her legs stretch and that was excited bucking. It was more like bronking but she definitely felt like an RH at the start of a race.
 
My TB bucked twice under saddle and it didn’t feel fun. First time I discovered when I got home that a part of the saddle had broken while we were out & the second time was just as she went lame & is now retired. But I never did/do see her buck often in the field for fun.

My youngster on the other hand hasn’t yet bucked under saddle but I wouldn’t be surprised if he did chuck ones in for fun once he’s got the idea of speed - he throws some serious shapes in the field for fun 🫣

different horses, different norms I think & within that the context of tack/where/when the bucks happen
 
SO1 said:
Absolutely there is my pony used to gallop around the field bucking like mad with excitement some days.
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We have one who loves a good gallop and buck around some days, others if the weathers not to his satisfaction stands and glowers by the fence looking into the kitchen until someone brings him in.
 
A buck is a form of communication. The key is to look at the circumstances and the body language to figure out why. In recent months we have had…

- Give me some instructions I can follow child, this is ridiculous! (6yo - he more than had a point!)
- Aargh I am being attacked by a flappy coat! (4yo - poor thing had the fright of her life after child decided riding her in a full length unzipped coat and cantering so it flapped up and down was a plan)
- Get off child, it’s not my turn for the morning ride, you’re not my favourite person and I want some of that hay! (Also 4yo, with my son on, who then discovered that such behaviour was not polite and she had to work anyway!)
- We’re on our own without the kids! I can canter fast and have fun! Woohoooo! Bounce bounce bounce (my mare).
- I’m feeling bettterrrrr!!!!! Massive leapy things (without rider) while galloping up the hill in the field. (Shetland)
- Mud! I got attacked by Mud! It was grabbing my foot and I had to shake it off! Oh no, are you on the floor? I am so sorry! (smaller 4yo in first weeks of being backed - she didn’t realise kids fell off if she bucked!).

As their training progresses and they mature, I only really expect bucks to be either ‘woohoo!’ with clear circumstances showing that and ears forward, or ‘OUCH!’ with ears back. I don’t tend to get the latter as saddles are checked for fit every ride and the ponies know they can tell me when we go to catch if they have hurt themselves. So not a lot of bucking in anything over 8.
 
Mine does it in the field when he gets excited he'll bronk, he'll kick out and spin around all at the same time and at 17hh I'm glad he doesn't do it when I'm on him - but you can see he's enjoying himself, he tries to get the other two to play, but they look at him as if he's a loon
He's only got me off bucking once and that was when we were cantering in a field that went uphill, had a lip and then went down. We hit the lip a bit too fast and then all his weight went onto his forehand, so as his head went down his backend came up. I couldn't slow him down and I couldn't get his head up - I think I lasted 5 before I had to bail. My friend said it looked very entertaining from behind. Next time we went in the field we went a little slower and he thought about doing it again, but I was able to keep his head up and he was fine.
 
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