Sunshine comes out so cue the bucks!

[Scaty_Bird]

First little update - I have recently got a new horse, full TB, 6 years old, not done much before coming to me and had some time off.
When he came to me he had huge problems with his feet so not been ridden for a while.

So...I've started riding him again -Thursday was fine. Today not so good. He tends to really lean on my hands so I was working on getting him lighter in may hand. Then we started to trot and he just felt like he was either gonna buck or run off. His head was all over the place and he was trotting really slowly sideways. Then he stopped and bucked.

I am nervous anyway but didn't feel that bad today : o (

He is also showing quite dominating behaviour i.e. shaking his head at me and being in my space. This is only after riding. I watched him in the field and he was doing the same to the other horses! I think he's trying to show me that he thinks he's boss

Anyone got any tips for a youngster with a mind of his own!

Feeling rubbish about this, I hate being nervous!!!!!!!!!

 

[dwi]

Have you got an instructor who can help you? Lil can be very stroppy and opinionated and spent most of the first two weeks reaing and bronking but has really settled down now. It really helped to have my instructor on the ground telling me how to deal with it as you don't always think that clearly when they're having a tantrum.

 

[skint1]

Well, I'm not an expert by any means but last year around this time my daughter went through a similar thing with her TB mare (5 then, 6 now) I can tell you some of the advice she had that seemed to help. It might not be relevant at all, but you never know.

-Establish that the horse isn't in any discomfort with back, feet, teeth, tack fit. Our horse had some issues with muscular tightness down through the hocks and also through the neck and shoulder

-Have lessons, my daughter had to really work on using her seat more effectively and stay off her hands but everyone is different

- lunge before riding- gives a young, energetic horse the chance to blow off steam

-Ensure feed is appropriate to the level of work

-Work regularly and keep it varied

-Try to ride through it, even if it means you just keep it at a walk.
Good advice on sitting a buck daughter had was to slightly raise yourself out of the saddle and bridge your reins so that the horse can be bucking or whatever beneath you but you are kind of above it if that makes sense. Though of course at the time it can be a challenge to remember to do all that!

Again, what I've written could be a load of old tosh, but this is what we have tried and seemed to give an improvement. Ours is far from a perfect angel btw, but a lot better than she used to be. Good luck.

 

[Scaty_Bird]

Thanks for taking the time to reply both.

Have you got an instructor who can help you? QUOTE]

Luckily it's a riding school/livery yard so the yard owner was there talking me through what to do. I am quite capable and know what to do but I just freeze. I will have to book lessons and get through this just getting more and more nervous now as I'm putting it off. I did ask a friend to ride him once a week but she can't : o (

 

[Scaty_Bird]

-Establish that the horse isn't in any discomfort with back, feet, teeth, tack fit. Our horse had some issues with muscular tightness down through the hocks and also through the neck and shoulder

-Have lessons, my daughter had to really work on using her seat more effectively and stay off her hands but everyone is different

- lunge before riding- gives a young, energetic horse the chance to blow off steam

-Ensure feed is appropriate to the level of work

-Work regularly and keep it varied

-Try to ride through it, even if it means you just keep it at a walk.
Good advice on sitting a buck daughter had was to slightly raise yourself out of the saddle and bridge your reins so that the horse can be bucking or whatever beneath you but you are kind of above it if that makes sense. Though of course at the time it can be a challenge to remember to do all that!

Again, what I've written could be a load of old tosh, but this is what we have tried and seemed to give an improvement. Ours is far from a perfect angel btw, but a lot better than she used to be. Good luck.

Thanks for this advice - It's just starting to get me down as this is not the kind of horse I wanted and I don't want it to knock my confidence. When I tried him he was so relaxed and I was told he was a 'dope on a rope' kind of ned. I did ride him through it on Sat and I wasn't unseated so what's my problem!

I have had his teeth done but am thinking of getting his back and saddle checked next to rule that out.