Suddenly starting to buck...

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KatB

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If a horse who never bucked before sudeenly started, what would be your thoughts? The horse was brought last summer (and no it isn't Lucky!) and has been pretty foot perfect, competing lots, winning upto 1.05 Sjing, eventing successfully etc but has in the last 2mnths suddenly started bucking. Now it seems pretty random when he does it, but normally in the presence of other horses out hacking/in a school with other horses outside it. The horse is still jumping etc well, had done a lot of competing/hunting etc in its previous home (is 8/9 this year) and was never known to buck with old owner.

Ideas? :)
 
Hmm, as far as I am aware it's never in a competition environment, it was once in a school where he bucked his rider off twice in about 15minutes, and was then shaking afterwards and hyped up, and then out hacking, which again resulted in rider on the floor... he is normally a genuine type, certainly not nasty...
 
Is it bucking whoopee doo style/ because it seems very bright and fresh recently?
Or does it look like its really cross/uncomfortable/fed up?

Could be the grass recently coming through making him hugely OTT or could be the age old usual suspects-the shoeing/saddles/ back etc has recently gone wrong
 
I havent seen him do it, but I think it's quite serious to have the rider on the floor like he has been... rider is a very capable jockey. He was out competing 2 weekends ago and getting DC's at Intro with good dressage....
 
Well in all honesty my first thought is that its the grass. May just be my yard but cant believe how nutritious it seems- as you know Pops is wild on it and the other horses , who are kept in fields where it looks like there is no grass at all, are all looking incredibly well- like show ponies and I know that they dont get any hay or much food.
 
have they changed the bit at all recently. I did this with henry a while back, and he bucked! In four years of having him hes never done it. Changed back to previous one, no more bucking!
 
Snoopy has NEVER bucked ever when ridden in the school/hacking on the roads, eventing or sjing.
But.... he has been know to have a kick out whilst cantering in company for fun.

He reguarly blasts around bucking in the field tho :D so Id say high spirits if with others. If on their own and its totally random Id say pain.
 
Yeah fair enough. However I just wonder what may have started it, as I don't think he was ever known to buck with his old owner, even out on sponsered rides/hunting etc. Maybe he is just fitter!
 
If it becomes a habit or escalates in severity/frequency I would check saddle and back. Soap does the odd buck very few and far between and if someone asked me if he bucked I would say no because they are very rare and usually high spirits, but if it became a habit I would get him checked
 
Could have twisted a muscle in its back? Could have got cast/rolled awkardly in stable or field :)

First instinct would be to get a physio to give a check over :)

Also, has rider recently checked/cleaned saddle? Could be something stuck underneath saddle, like a tickily leaf :)
 
I'd be a tiny bit concerned by your description tbh - partly brcause I know you aren't an idiot, if this was in NL I'd be thinking something unflattering :D So I'd be having a real careful look at back and saddle fit...
 
My mare is usually very genuine and shes not a nasty horse at all but for the past 6 months she has started doing what I can only describe as frog leaping. Its not bucking, rearing or broncing. She just leaps. She hasnt got a rider off by doing it but does it most often with other horses in the arena with her. At first I put it down to an re-occuring abcess under her chin which was causing her discomfort but that all cleared up in March and she is still doing it occasionally. We then thought its just her being naughty and trying to get out of working as there really doesnt seem to be any reason why she is doing it.

A couple weeks ago I had my saddle fitter out to start eliminating what it could be. Saddles were pretty much fine, nothing major. Had the physio out yesterday and she said Tia is very sore along her back and said she wouldnt be surprised if that is what she is acting out about. So now I cant ride her for a week till the physio comes out again and the dentist is coming out in a couple weeks for a routine check up.

I suggest having a saddle fitter/physio/dentist checking the horse before putting it down to naughtiness or anything. :)

Sorry for the essay! :D
 
hmmm a strange one... :confused:
given the situations in which he's doing it and the fact that he's still jumping and dressaging well i would probably think its high jinks and the grass...V has been a loon recently but has now calmed down, i'm convinced it was our new grass coming through :rolleyes:
but...it wouldn't do any harm to get physio/chiro out just to check i wouldn't have thought...:)
 
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