Some advice re. Bucking and some pics...

sam1am

sam1am

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Hi not quite cr but I need some advice..
Rising 5 yo broken end of last summer with eventing in mind.
Super easy laid back horse most of the time, brought back into full time work about 2 months ago.
When we first got him
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problem 1!
Tends to fall behind the vertical
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Using lots of leg results in tail swishing unhappy horse but produces some nice work
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Problem 2.
This!
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I'm having real problems in canter!
Results in humongus bucks, teeth back checked etc and have the all clear.
I put it down to him being weak and not being able to carry himself in canter hence being uncomfortable.
Physio says as he's quite big and long it will take a while for his back to strengthen. But we have gone from being able to canter in straight lines to not getting any canter at all now just bucks. Very frustrating!
If it was anyone else I would immediately say it's pain related but I think he's just taking the pee now!
Any ideas to work him out of it?
A few more pics just because..
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I have a few badly needed lessons booked but as I feel there's a chance it may be pain somewhere?? I thought it would be good to get other peoples opinions first and a chance to post pics of course!
 
he looks so much like my horse its spooky and Ii had exactly the same issues - basically a long ex racer found it hard to carry himself but could do it. He used to buck whenever I put my leg on in canter so has a result I was unseated,gave the contact away so therefore he got what he wanted - aneasy life :D I went to a clinic with a dressage rider who firstly told me that my horse was a cantakerous old git (true :) ) and that he had me right where he wanted me (also true). He got on him as he was giving me such a tough time and thehorse tried the same with him but as his position was so strong when he bucked he wasnt unseated got legged on and basically told to shut up - we had problem solved in 1/2 hr - he hasnt ever tried it again and there wasnt any physical problem to back up what he was doing - would throughly recommend this trainer(pm me if you like) and he gave me my horse back
 
Sounds good! As he's quite young I'm wary of not being to hard on him, he does get a smack after bucking but I'm not good at pushing him REALLY forwards when he bucks which maybe I should be ..
 
I assume you have already checked the saddle? My mare refuses to canter if the saddle is even slightly wrong and when we first backed her we thought she wasn't strong enough to canter under saddle. In fact once we got a saddle that fitted and that she liked, she was fine.
 
When you say he has been checked, do you mean by a vet? If not I would get a vet out to rule any physical problems. Reluctance to go forwards and bucking may also be due to ulcers to might be worth checking for that.


He needs to work longer and lower to lengthen his neck and strengthen his back. If he holds himself tight and behind the vertical he will find it more difficult to cope with the work. For the bucking, provided there is no physical reason, he needs a good smack and sending forwards, but if you feel you might get bucked off it may be worth getting someone in to help. Either way lessons with a good trainer is usually the best way to go and he/she can pop on and sort out any nappiness as well.
 
I totally agree with u Boo boos - long and low, he will drop his neck at shoulder but not stretch his nose out if that makes sense? When I push for this neck comes up, when I take up a contact nose comes in.
Saddle is fine, recently fitted lovely new dr saddle! First time iv ever owned a brand new saddle!
I'm going to continue to tryriding him long and low into a contact in walk and trot and lunge in canter for a few days and if no improvnent get another back person out.
I'm capable of sitting to his bucks but I'm just not getting the impression there fun/ testing the limit bucks. They're more ' I can't do this' bucks! He's such a sweet willing horse in every other way..
 
Silly question, but does his jumping/GP saddle still fit? The pic with him bucking dosen't look like a dressage?

Only because Billy started to buck, especially going into canter, and I had my suspicions it wasn't due to freshness as he never used to buck, so I got my saddler to check and he said it was a pretty good fit and I trust him 100% - But I wasn't happy, my gut feeling was that it didn't fit, so I changed the saddle - hey presto, no more bucking & a much happier horse!! ;)
 
although he doesn't look the lazy type, this can be exactly what a young horse does to avoid real work, trotting along in a school is easier, but being asked to canter in anything harder than a straight line and they are sure to take the P.

don't continue to push through the bucks, bring him back in control and ask again and keep doing this, then when he does strike off just go a few strides before asking for trot again, so that on a whole circuit of the areana you have gone into canter and back to trot 3 times. then ask for a continuous canter around the the entire edge before asking him to do smaller circles.
 
Yep that was last week when we had sun! Yes jumping saddle not as good a fit as dr but he's been ridden only in dr the last week and no improvement.
He is a bit of a wuss as in very sensitive skin, if he gets a scratch you'd swear he thought his leg was going to fall off so maybe another saddle check needed..
 
as above, the only expert on whether the saddle fits perfectly is the horse... ;) ;)
i'd get him checked by a McTimoney Chiro, and try a totally different saddle. also, try more tactful aids maybe, i have no idea how you are asking but he may be a sensitive one who would respond happily to the thought of canter, if you know what i mean. those look like quite opinionated bucks, hard work for a happy willing horse, i think.
as for the hiding behind the contact thing, i'd put him in a nathe and see if he's more happy to go forward to that, worth a try.
 
You could do a test for ulcers by feeding a cup of limestone flour daily for a few days in his feed and make sure you give him a bucket of chaff before exercise and see if that makes a difference. Our boy had ulcers and he bucked and also was very tetchy being girthed and being touched around the girth area also when you put your leg on. The limestone/chaff test showed a significant improvement, hence we had him scoped. Good luck!
 
Will try a nathe tomorow, we broke him in one but I find they get sharp edges after awhile so instead of keeping replacing them( expense) they get moved onto a kk after awhile.
I will report back tomorow!
He is a funny mixture of lazy as in hard work keeping him going off your leg but still sensitive to everything so you do have to be careful with aids.
I don't think ulcers he's out 24/7 and not girthy but you never know, will try the limestone flour everything helps!
 
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