please help, new horse bucked rider off!!

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rose bud

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Hi everyone, I could really do with some advice please.
I bought a new horse about 3 months ago, she was advertised as a bombproof dope on a rope type, which was just what I was looking for.
I tried her out, fell in love with her and bought her.
I hacked her out the following week in company and all was fine.
After that life got a bit hectic and I havnt been able to ride her for approx 6 weeks, ive taken her out in hand a couple of times but that is about it. the old owner said she could be left fir months without work and would be fine. she has been living out with a companion.
I am having a bit of a confidence crisis lately so decided to as a local girl who rided peoples horses for them to hack her out for me a few times, and I thought that if this went fine it would give me the confidence to get back on board.
The girl is experienced and a confident rider and she took her out for the first time at the beginning of the week. She said that she was a bit lively and looked at a few things but not naughty, so I was quite pleased.
She took her out again yesterday, and set of from the field, she was a bit nappy about leaving her companion but went. They were plodding along very calmly and the girl squeezed her on into trot. My horse put her head between her legs and bucked the girl off on the road!!!
Thankfully she was ok and got back on and rode her back to the field where she rode her round for a while and then asked for trot again and the same thing happened! i think they tried a few times and as soon as she squeezed that was it< big twisting bucks!!
I am gutted and shocked and really need peoples opinions as to why?
The tack is the same as the last time that I rode her apart from i changed her numnal from a fairly thick fleecy on to a non slip numnah.
Any ideas welcome please. thank you for reading!
 
You haven't ridden her for 6 weeks so I'm not surprised she was fresh TBH!! As to why she did it.. Who knows.. But I would get saddle checked as she will have changed shape and lost muscle in that time. She may also be struggling with the work as she's not fit, or she may not like the new numnah. She's also probably testing out her new environment. Lots of potential reasons..
 
Could be the saddle, changing numnahs isn't good enough. As she hasn't been ridden for so long she would have changed shape and she was probably quite keen as well. Plus the fact you had only just bought her, rode her for a week and then just left her.
First of all get your saddle checked then lunge her a couple of times before trying to ride her again.
 
Leg_end said:
You haven't ridden her for 6 weeks so I'm not surprised she was fresh TBH!! As to why she did it.. Who knows.. But I would get saddle checked as she will have changed shape and lost muscle in that time. She may also be struggling with the work as she's not fit, or she may not like the new numnah. She's also probably testing out her new environment. Lots of potential reasons..
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Thank you for your reply. I was expecting her to be a bit fresh but to be honest she didnt do a lot of work before I bought her and was always a plod. I spoke to her old owner last night who said it was totally out of character for her even if she hadnt been ridden for 6 weeks.
 
springer1021 said:
Could be the saddle, changing numnahs isn't good enough. As she hasn't been ridden for so long she would have changed shape and she was probably quite keen as well. Plus the fact you had only just bought her, rode her for a week and then just left her.
First of all get your saddle checked then lunge her a couple of times before trying to ride her again.
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Thankyou, I plan to get the saddle checked and have an experienced friend coming to have a look at her tommorow.
 
Poor you, it's horrible to deal with. Same thing is happening to me right now! Got a FAB new horse in November, only difference to you is that I have ridden 4 times a week since I've had him. He's been amazing until last night when he went bonkers in the school and nearly chucked me. He looks unsound behind to I think he's hurt himself.
Anyway, most horses don't explode like this unless there is something wrong, especially dope on a rope types, they can't be bothered, even if they've had a few months off. I'd get her checked out (back/saddle/teeth) then start back on the lunge so no-one gets bucked off, and build it from there.
Good luck, hope its nothing major. x
 
It sounds to me like her back is sore- run your fingers (with some pressure) along the top of her back from her withers to her tail, 1- 2 inches below the spine. If she ducks away from your hand at any point then you will have your answer. Bucking on the road hurts their back and pelvis- they try not to do it unless they absolutely have to.

I would also get the saddler out to have a look at her saddle. Get a proper instructor and get a bond with her. a proper instructor will help you look at her feed too. She is trying you out and feeling fresh!
 
seoirse said:
Poor you, it's horrible to deal with. Same thing is happening to me right now! Got a FAB new horse in November, only difference to you is that I have ridden 4 times a week since I've had him. He's been amazing until last night when he went bonkers in the school and nearly chucked me. He looks unsound behind to I think he's hurt himself.
Anyway, most horses don't explode like this unless there is something wrong, especially dope on a rope types, they can't be bothered, even if they've had a few months off. I'd get her checked out (back/saddle/teeth) then start back on the lunge so no-one gets bucked off, and build it from there.
Good luck, hope its nothing major. x
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Thank you for your reply and I am sorry that you are going through the same thing - its horrible. I thought that I had found 'the one' and now am so upset and my confidence is in tatters. I am hoping that there is a physical explanation (as long as it is fixable) and that it is not a behavoural one really.
I hope that you get yours sorted too xx
 
Thankyou for your replies so far.I just find it strange that one minute she is plodding alond happily and calmly and then as soon as she is squeezed on into trot the bucks start..... does this point to a pain issue?
I forgot to also mention, she is barefoot at the moment and is only fed a double handfull of fast fibre in the morning and a small haynet at night.
 
Its so difficult with new horses if things done go as planned especially if you suffer from lack of confidence.
Am I right in saying that you did not witness this bucking fit and you have not seen the rider ride before?
I would want to see the horse lunged and then ridden personally as you possibly don't know the whole story? Then again it could be the horse is in pain for some reason such as back, hips, saddle pinching, bit, teeth... list is endless with these sorts of cases.

I would get everything checked and make sure you see her worked next time maybe with your experienced friend there for advice?

Good luck x
 
I'm guessing she's also moved yards to be with you - that can cause them to act out of character too, and it can take them quite a while to fully settle in. And you're new to her as well, so you won't have a solid partnership yet, that comes with time.

ETA totally agree about the physical checks as a first port of call though!
 
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Another vote here for back and saddle checks and gettin an instructor out PDQ.

Other thoughts - being moved to a new yard is unsettling and she may have found confidence/comfort in her new companion rather than you/girl rider and reluctant to leave her comfort zone
Sounds like her feed is ok, but is could she be getting too much grass - ours is like spring grass - rocket fuel for cobs.
Once back and tack are checked would old owner come and ride her for you?

Good luck, confidence is a tricky thing to fix, keep us posted.
 
Oh poor you, I can totally sympathise!

Would not necessarily be not having been worked, I can leave my mare for a couple of months and not have any problems. However, I would lunge before riding if I thought she was a bit fresh and not hack out first time! I do think horses which need very little work are few and far between, our other horse needed riding 5 days a week..

If the horse is as described when you bought her I would get her back and saddle checked as a priority. Also a really good instructor is worth their weight in gold, do you have one who can help?

For a new horse, it might be worth trying to ride a little more often (I know this isn't easy with life!) so you get to bond and know her a bit better. Doesn't sound like it would be a feed issue, as in too much but out of interest how much hay does she get? Is she in at night?

Hope you get it sorted out, as it is a horrible feeling losing confidence.
 
Just one last thought (or me grasping at straws!!) ......... she is very sensitive about having her ears touched due to a bad case of ear mites in the past (so i was told) so it is a bit tricky getting her bridle on over her ears and you have to sort of dismantle the bridle and slip it on without her really noticing.
when the girl came the first time she said she had no problems getting it on first time, but yesterday she said it was much more difficult and it took her a few attempts to do it.
could this be anything to do with it? could it be her ears? although i'm not sure why it would cause a problem in trot and not in walk?
The last thought is.... could she be in foal?? she has quite a big belly but I just put this down to lack of work and the fact that she had a foal last year.
 
Kittyk said:
Oh poor you, I can totally sympathise!

Would not necessarily be not having been worked, I can leave my mare for a couple of months and not have any problems. However, I would lunge before riding if I thought she was a bit fresh and not hack out first time! I do think horses which need very little work are few and far between, our other horse needed riding 5 days a week..

If the horse is as described when you bought her I would get her back and saddle checked as a priority. Also a really good instructor is worth their weight in gold, do you have one who can help?

For a new horse, it might be worth trying to ride a little more often (I know this isn't easy with life!) so you get to bond and know her a bit better. Doesn't sound like it would be a feed issue, as in too much but out of interest how much hay does she get? Is she in at night?

Hope you get it sorted out, as it is a horrible feeling losing confidence.
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Thank you for your reply. I was planning on riding her more as soon as the nights get a bit lighter, and thought that having someone exercise her for me until then would be a good option, but Im not so sure now!
she is out 24/7 and gets a hanfull of fast fibre in the morning with some magnitude in it and a small haynet at night.
 
It sounds like she has a couple of things you really need help with a recommended instructor or experienced friend (think you said you had a friend coming to help you) is the best bet. Get the back and saddle checked and you can then tackle the issues once you have ruled out pain.

Was she vetted when you bought her? If not and the previous owner didn't mention the ears it could be worth getting a vet to have a look. If you are seriously concerned she could be in foal, I would say get a vet out sooner rather than later.

Also most people who get a new horse go through a settling in period which is usually not much fun! It could be something simple like she is trying it on in her new home to find where she fits but it is best to rule out everything else and get help so it doesn't escalate. I speak from experience here, I let it escalate, got the wrong sort of help, lost all confidence and it took a long time to get back on track!
 
I would say that the bucking when asked to trot is definitely a pain reaction. She's doing her best to let her rider know "it hurts to do this, get off!"

Get her back checked out by a qualified back specialist.

What sort of non-slip pad do you have? My saddler told me that some of them are so "grippy" that if the saddle moves the feeling the horse gets is similar to a chinese burn! If you have to use a non-slip because the saddle is slipping, then you need to get your saddle checked for fit.

Would the previous owner come along see if she can help you?
 
Get the vet... I initially thought saddle/back
My mums Horse never bucks, and whilst my mum was trying saddles with a qualified fitter, he put a saddle on that was a shade narrow on the horse for mum to try the seat (he had bought along a few models... And not a cheap saddle)
One minute he was fine, and then exploded into a broncho down the long side, took a sharp right turn, flinging my mum out the side door (she did well to stay on as long as she did)
Thankfully no one was injured, the saddler was sheet White, but goes to show what badly fitted tack/pain can do. The Horse had never done it before and never since.
You probably need to your vet to give her the once over. Get her teeth done too. Then get a decent saddler out as it's not clear whether you have done that already. And don't put yourself under pressure to ride, relationships take time, but you can do an awful lot from the ground.
So ask your vet to give her the once over, check she's not pregnant, do teeth, worm, check ears etc.
Good luck
 
I think the vet to check she is not in foal should now be your first step. After this back/teeth/saddler as everyone else suggests.
I would also build her fitness up before asking her to trot. She could injure herself if she is not fit enough.
I am sure once these things are sorted then she will be fine and get back to her bombproof self and your confidence will improve.
 
I would suggest that you now start riding your horse at a walk only each day and get used to each other. Don't let anyone else ride your horse as you need to build up a relationship with your horse and get it established. If you don't have time to ride your horse then you will have problems - even the safest of horses needs to ridden regularly especially when you first buy it.
 
Tammytoo said:
What sort of non-slip pad do you have? My saddler told me that some of them are so "grippy" that if the saddle moves the feeling the horse gets is similar to a chinese burn!
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Good point. I have known a couple of horses that have reacted badly to non slip grip pads. They can pull hairs and nip.

As others have advised, get her back, saddle and teeth checked out by a qualified person.
 
Ali has a nasty scar on her side from a non-slip pad:(

Get the vet and physio out. Hopefully all will be well here.

Provided your mare is healthy, dolots of groundwork until you feel ready to get on and then just sit there if you want. Build up to walking. Leave trotting for now.

I would also want to see the girl riding a different horse and to ask around discreetly for references about her. She might ride very differently to you. This could have caused the behaviour.

Good luck.
 
I would suspect that just fresh, I would lunge or long rein without and then with a saddle. Work on all your transitions, when she can canter comfortablly without bucking, then she should be ok to ride.

It will also give you a chance to check out how she is moving - if sore this should be apparent, but most likely just fresh.

I do like to check out my ponies/horses before I get on when they have been turned out. It is just commonsense really.
 
Thankyou everyone for all your replies and suggestionsm
My first port of call will be the vet and then a saddler.
I will give you an update when I know more x
 
Those non slip numnahs often work by gripping the hairs, therefore if there is any movement in the saddle (that will be more obvious in trot) they can really pull on the hairs, especially with a long winter coat or unclipped saddle patch. See what she is like with a different numnah. And as others have said, have the saddle checked. Good luck!
 
jeeve said:
I would suspect that just fresh, I would lunge or long rein without and then with a saddle. Work on all your transitions, when she can canter comfortablly without bucking, then she should be ok to ride.

It will also give you a chance to check out how she is moving - if sore this should be apparent, but most likely just fresh.

I do like to check out my ponies/horses before I get on when they have been turned out. It is just commonsense really.
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This is def likely to be a factor- one thing I was wondering- we've had some real mild weather and a sudden frost in some areas- cold weather can sure get some horses feeling frisky! Was it nippy on this day?
 
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