My 4 year old bronked in canter today! What to do next ?

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Geegeesarah

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I have a 3 nearly 4 years old Irish sport horse that I have cantered for the first time today in a straight line whilst following another horse. We managed the first three strides of canter beautifully then his head dissapeared and we started some proper bronking and I met the grass. The saddle fits great and there are no problems with his back. I am not worried about getting back on just dont want to keep meeting the ground. So any suggestions will be greatfully recieved. Thanks for reading.
 
It's really not uncommon.

Got any hills near you? That is where I always try and have a first canter if I can, it makes it very difficult for them to buck. Get the horse in front to really move forwards (not a steady dressage canter, firstly your youngster won't be balanced enough, but if he's having to move on to keep up, he won't have time to think about bronking). I'm not talking gallop, just not steady steady!

Put a neckstrap/martingale on, hold onto it, hands up and push him on!
 
I would lunge him for 10 mins before you get on, let him get it out of his system and then it is just a case of sit tight and canter him though it oh, and keep your leg on. It is not easy for a horse to bronk if it is going forward. If saddle fits and back good just a 4 year old being a 4 year old! Personally I would sit tight till he settles, easier said that done I know! Just make sure once you have had some nice sensible strides don't push it. Stop there. Baby horses are fun huh! x
 
Put a neckstrap/martingale on, hold onto it, hands up and push him on![/QUOTE]


Dont stop, just keep puching through the bucks. They cant keep it up for long and you have to use your leg to get through it. They will soon learn that it is harder work to buck than to canter nicely.

It is a youngster thing, it will pass, just dont keep falling off or getting off or he will think it is a great game!

Good luck
 
It was slighty uphill today and I had a martingale on. If I push him on will that make him bronk/jump further or does that push them out of it? Will try the faster option as I let him run into canter as I thought that this would be easier and for the first three strides it really was smooth and lovely then it all went tits up.
 
^^ good advice from g23 there - prob some of it is just high jinks. My last horse was a bronker and that was how I started with him. My YO used to just glance behind and say calmly 'Kick On!' while I would be bobbing about behind. We did get it sorted though :D Best of luck.
 
Don't panic, it's fairly normal with babies. I would make sure he is a bit tired before you canter again. Try lungeing first as suggested above
 
When I first cantered Belle (7 and we just cantered in the school) she threw her head down but thankfully didn't buck. I think it was just excitement!

Lots of good advice here so I hope that you work through it. He probably loved a nice canter, hehe. :)
 
Thanks for this. Will keep you all posted as to how we get on. If it goes tits up guess my hubby will have to be there with the video camera at least then I will be £250 better off.
 
yes, if you push him on he'll come out of it. Bronking is slower than cantering.... if that makes sense. covers less ground anyway! As they are going forwards and not up and down.

My old boy did it as a baby. Just after I thought he';d grown out of it, we went for a canter up a hill that had wire fencing each side (wasn't a narrow path) and he did it! Not funny! Didn't come off luckily, but made me make a mental note that cantering up that path wasn't a great idea (it had only just been fenced to stop people going on farmers crops!)

Can you find a steeper hill?
 
My youngster, rising four, also does is periodically. Make sure you have a lightish seat when asking for canter, and really push for a good working forward canter, don't worry for it being fancy ;). If he does it, I generally just push him on, soon he realises its far more fun to go forwards and not bronk. Ditto about going up hill :).
 
Plenty of hills where I live just not that many that you can really canter up. This whole young horse thing is a shock to the system as the last young horse that I had is now 19 and the rescue horse now for when her mum falls off.
 
g23's advice sounds good. Very steep hills!

Even when i started riding a 22yo 'happy hacker' in the school she bucked into canter due to being unballanced, it will soon stop (hopefully) as he gets the hang of it and becomes more ballanced.

Until then, some super glue and hold on to the martingale! ETS lifting off his back a bit might help, as they really have to bring the back up for a nice canter and it might not be easy for him with someone sat on it!
 
My intention is not to fall off as he has bronked before and I managed to stay on. I will lunging him then take him out for a ride somewhere with a big hill for him to canter up. Thanks for the advise
 
welcome to the world of young horses :rolleyes:
i would take a lighter seat (but not leaning forwards) and keep your leg on...if he starts kick on and try and push him out of it and he will probably stop bucking. if you have your neckstrap, wrap your hand tightly round it before you ask for canter :)
 
I would have been surprised if your youngster didnt get excited and bronc when cantering in the field for the first time. My instructor's 4yr old tries to bronc if he gets left behind when I go out riding with him on my mare. Definitely lunge him first next time. Kick on and put a martingale or stirrup leather around his neck for you to hold onto.
 
He would only need a slight squeeze to get him going forward as he is very sensative to the leg. Just I have never had a horse that bronked before. Horses that rear or buck I know what to do bronking is a whole other game. He has been a star to this point so I know that it only is a blip just I need to get him out of it.
 
Yep, utterly normal for a youngster! Keep the reins short, and your hands (or hand - I take the reins in one hand when cantering them for the first time) up the neck. That way, you can stop them putting their head down - that is when they get you...
 
Mine did this the first time I cantered him. Luckily he was in a western saddle. I remember looking down, it seemed a LONG way down to ground. I landed with my stomach on the pommel of the saddle which gave me a lovely bruise, but I didn't fall off and he never did it again.
 
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