Sitting a buck - and surviving.

[Noodlejaffa]

Odd post. My OH's horse is a super Bavarian warmblood who we've had for six months now. He's 16.3hh, 12 yrs, and lovely to handle, and my OH's done well with him in dressage since getting him (a new experience!!).

Only issue is he can flick in a playful buck when he moves up a gear. Just one buck, and he doesn't do it everytime. Back/body/saddle/teeth all checked. However, my OH is losing his nerve and is worried about coming off.

Any suggestions as to how my OH can deal with this? Although he's been riding for 8 years now, he's been a bit on and off the last few years due to lack of horse and I know he's desperate to go out and do things with him, but can't break the chain of fear, so to speak (although not sure he'd admit this

).

Horse has a lot of power in his back end (in a good way) when working and is a rolls royce to sit on. It's a completely different feel for my OH compared to what he's been used to in the past.

 

[flyingfeet]

Well seeing as I just got bucked off my very quiet and polite granny's horse on sunday:-

1. Do not have really long reins
2. Do not lean forward (even though galloping up a hill)
3. Don't keep him shut up for a week and assume he'll be ok (apparently!)

If causing quite a problem:
4. Attach a big grab handle at the front of the saddle, has to be there and not a neck strap so the weight of the rider isn't forward

If horse is a total git:
5. Buy an aussie stock saddle, you cannot physically get bucked off in one.

 

[Imonone]

How about a balance strap. I used one for my big moving WB when she was first backed as I didnt want to pull her about if I was unseated.
Now I use a breast girth for my feisty 4 yo TB even though he doesnt need one, just so I have a strap to grab

.

Other than that, practice lots and lots of transitions until they become boring for the horse and the rider, under supervision if this gives the rider added confidence.

 

[jennystreek]

mine quite often chucks in a load of rodeos, so probably slightly easier to sit to rather than a poweful back end buck??! I dont know...

However, for me, I personally have never felt balanced when grabbing on to anything, so havent done so - prefer to keep my weight back in the saddle. I think the trick is just staying ultra relaxed so that you can move in balance to the horse? Seen so many nervous people fall off at the slightest of wobble just because they are tense... No easy way to fix that though

May sound crazy, but when ever I go to parties or away on hols, I always try to have a go on one of these to get my balance back in to tune

I probably am slightly crazy, but it really does work and gets you in to practise of sitting on a naughty horse

 

[Kenzo]

I think choosing your moments when to ask for a canter also helps, you can usually tell if there feeling that way out when their trotting, making sure there listening to you and reminding them that its not a time to mess around, then ask for the canter, in the space of 10 seconds, there can be a difference in how they will react when you put your leg on. Keeping the head up thinking forwards, the moment you feel the front leg going out for a strike or the back end tense up, remind them again, head up and a growl tends to help but keeping them well collected. Sitting up with his hands in the correct place, (some people ride with the hands further down which give them a little lee way to throw the head down)

The one I’ve been riding is a 17.2 DWB, really down hill type and he can really blow off at times, one after another, in fact I recently found out the reason he was sold was because his owner had a bad fall because he’s known to buck when he gets excited….I only found this out last week lol

It’s a case of sitting back, keeping that head up as much as you can, not clinging or tense up, but going with the moment but keeping your leg on, because if the suddenly stop, they your more likely to get catapulted off.

Depends what he’s doing when he bucks, is the horse doing a straight forward buck or punching the ground, doing a bit of twist and then bucking?

 

[Shazzababs]

Mine has a nice rear to a past the vertical buck with a corkscrew thrown in for good measure manouvre, from which I suffered a couple of nasty falls when he was young and got a bit over excited about someting. Not fun but fortunately now his is all grown up he only does mini on the move versions between XC fences at the begining of the season, or when we are practising our flying changes!

The only way to sit it I found was to jam my feet forwards and use them to literly press my arse in to the saddle. While at the same time trying to keep his head as up as I can, and as in his case bring us into a circle and stop.

I found that I learnt to tell when he was going to do it, because he drops behind the contact and tries to bounce on the spot as a prelude to letting rip. This is a good call to send them moving forward again strongly, although in my boys case turning a circle and dropping into walk to let him relax always worked better.

I also find that looking for a soft place to fall can be a good plan too!

 

[kerilli]

[ QUOTE ]

I think the trick is just staying ultra relaxed so that you can move in balance to the horse? Seen so many nervous people fall off at the slightest of wobble just because they are tense... No easy way to fix that though

[/ QUOTE ]

i would have agreed with you, i honestly believed this until the last time i hit the deck, i thought i reacted right, i stayed relaxed, i clearly remember thinking "i'm still fine cos i'm still in the middle, this is going to be okay" and the next thing i was on the floor... i still don't know how the hell that happened, horse skilfully removed herself from under me at the speed of light.

 

[Daisychain]

I think it depends what kind of buck, if it is just a kick up from the back end while the horse is moving forward, but the horses head is up still then personally i would lean slightly forward with this kind of buck, that way you don't really notice it.

If it is a head down bronc kind of buck, then brace back with feet very securely in stirrups and pull horses head up!

Also the more forward you can keep the horse, the less force they can get behind them.

 

[now_loves_mares]

I know how he feels, my baby makes me feel the same way. You don't say if he has actually fallen off? Few things to try, but they don't work for everyone so only you will know OH well enough!

- Video the horse bucking. Sometimes it FEELS awful, but when you see it, you think "huh? Is that it?" Or, the buck can look huge but he might think "oh actually I sit that quite well, doesn't look so bad". This CAN backfire though, so use caution

-Rescue Remedy or similar.

-Encourage him to flex to the inside while asking for the transition; it's much harder for them to buck that way

-Def try a balancing strap or similar. He can subtly tuck his fingers in it just before asking for the transition. A breastplate would do the same job and be more subtle, to protect his pride

Use a pole when asking for the transition, gives them something else to think about.

Hmm just thinking, did I actually read your OP correctly and it was just in the canter transition? Hope so otherwise you can ignore much of the above. Good luck

 

[Weezy]

Ensure your OH rides with his shoulders back and down - if he does then he is less likely to be pulled forward and will be able to get his leg on and kick if he feels a buck brewing. Also point out to him that there is nothing wrong with holding the pommel/grab strap at times of possible bucking

 

[RachelFerd]

I ride a couple of chronic buckers every day at work - racehorses, so this is sat in a flimsy little half-tree exercise saddle as well.

I don't get dumped very often, so reckon I have probably got my own buck sitting technique fairly sorted!

Firsty I always try and stay totally relaxed.. try and smile and laugh to go with the movement.

I always have my fingers looped through my neckstrap if I think there's any chance that the horse is about to explode - and on the yearlings I keep it through the neckstrap at all times. Would never choose a balance strap or holding the pommel over a neckstrap - they have you sat up too bolt upright which makes a buck much more jarring. To stay soft through a buck I think you actually need your shoulders very slightly forward - kind of the position you would land over a showjump in.

Depending on the horse - if they are a head-between-the-knees to buck type I won't let them get their head down under any circumstance... if they keep head and neck up to buck then I try and just keep the contact soft. Some of them get a backhander after a buck and they shut up - with others it makes them much, much worse!

Of course its all easier said than done... but main thing is to stay relaxed, keep the contact light, keep bottoms and legs loose and relaxed... and smile!

 

[worMy]

bucking horse --- watch their ears.
seriously works well!
just lean back, feet forwards and watch their ears!
its when u can no longer see the ears that you're in trouble

 

[Mickyjoe]

Sablene leather treatment.... On the inside of his boots (if they are leather) and on the saddle. It helps them to sort of stick to each other.
Otherwise, it might help to remind him of how he sits the landing phase of a jump. Tell him to bring his balance back, so that he doesn't end up being chucked forward when the hind end comes up. At least it is only up behind rather than all four legs.