*Update on my Bandmaster anglo arab* also advice with bucking when you get on!

[fruity]

Hi all again,well a little update as a few of you were interested in my boy,it'd be great for some views also,i really appreciate your advice. Castielle has settled in very well,he comes to call,loves to be groomed and my friend who's a vet really likes him,he has good confo she sais and could be a good un as she calls it!

The only thing that isn't great which i knew about before i took him on is his bucking,now he only bucks a few times when you get on but they are big and they are all four feet off the ground leaps,bit interesting. He has had his back all checked,saddle recently fitted and all is well with the physical side of things. It started when his very large (well for him,14 stone!) owner got on him the first time he ever had a rider on,he bucked her off.He also did it the second time she got on and after that she didn't ride him for months.That was back in sept 10,then in dec/jan/feb her small friend rode him for a bit and although he bucked a couple of times each time she got on him he was then ok. When i tried him he did do it but after a big 'No' from me and big kick he then went on and was foot perfect,very baby and nervy but did as he was told.

The few times at mine i've ridden him now he has done it each time i've got on but after a few leaps and bucks he goes on to be a good boy for being so young and green.

Now the ? is do i ignore him when i get on and just make sure his heads up and kick him on,which is what i'm doing atm OR do i tell him off and give him a smack or similar?

My friend who i ride out with thinks he needs to be told off and given a whack but as i've never had a behavioural bucker i'm not sure which is the best option.

Any thoughts/views? He is quite sharp when he does spook and drops a shoulder quite well but isn't being nasty and does listen to his rider.

A few pics of him since he arrived at mine:

 

[LEC]

Can you lunge before you get on? Do you have a helper holding the horse? Have you tried feeding treats and when you get on to reward? I would never tell off about getting on as you make more problems for yourself and they probably need more reassurance.

 

[dominobrown]

I think as soon as you get on you should think about riding fowards (as you are) and use your voice strongly. And maybe spend as session just getting on and off until he behaves himself. Personally I wouldn't go down the titbit route as he causes more problems than it solves.
p.s He is quite nice for a ginger

 

[TGM]

Does he literally buck the minute you get in the saddle? Or do you mean he does it in the first few minutes of being ridden? Does he do it if you lunge him with the saddle on first?

 

[millreef]

I've an Anglo-Arab Stallion too and the advice I've been given is not to punish him if he bucks when you first get on as it's just "joie de vive" and you don't want him to associate riding with punishment. I think if he's not bucking you off and you can handle it and it stops after the ride then I bet things settle down as he matures.

 

[MHSporthorses]

I have had a similar problem where my youngster stands still while I am legged up by a helper but as soon as we move forward his back comes up, head goes down and enormous all four off the floor bucks follow!! This only lasts for a max of perhaps 20-30s and then he relaxes and works like a complete angel!! After all the appropriate checks, cold backed investigations etc I have come to the conclusion that this is his way of being a baby and "challenging mum" as it were....he wants to be the boss and we are going where he says etc.
The new approach which has worked wonders is when I am on and ask him to move off, as soon as I feel him go to start I spin him. Literally nose to my leg with my leg rammed on, and then walk forward again. If he goes to try again then I spin him the other way with plenty of leg again. This continued for several spins the first time but progressively it reduced to the point where now If he feels like he is going to do it I don't even spin fully, I just ask him to bend and move away from me laterally so I am still occupying his brain!
We are not perfect yet but I started this just under 1 month ago and the improvement is massive. We are a more confident combination now from the moment we get going as I now know what to do to occupy him in order to avoid the naughtiness!!
Hope this helps...and makes sense!!!

 

[fruity]

I have had a similar problem where my youngster stands still while I am legged up by a helper but as soon as we move forward his back comes up, head goes down and enormous all four off the floor bucks follow!! This only lasts for a max of perhaps 20-30s and then he relaxes and works like a complete angel!! After all the appropriate checks, cold backed investigations etc I have come to the conclusion that this is his way of being a baby and "challenging mum" as it were....he wants to be the boss and we are going where he says etc.
The new approach which has worked wonders is when I am on and ask him to move off, as soon as I feel him go to start I spin him. Literally nose to my leg with my leg rammed on, and then walk forward again. If he goes to try again then I spin him the other way with plenty of leg again. This continued for several spins the first time but progressively it reduced to the point where now If he feels like he is going to do it I don't even spin fully, I just ask him to bend and move away from me laterally so I am still occupying his brain!
We are not perfect yet but I started this just under 1 month ago and the improvement is massive. We are a more confident combination now from the moment we get going as I now know what to do to occupy him in order to avoid the naughtiness!!

Hope this helps...and makes sense!!!

This is kind of what i was thinking to do next time,i used to use a similar thing on my mare as she used to bolt,going to try that tomorrow,thanks.

He lets you get on do and stirrups,girth etc but it's when he moves off that's when it starts,he is no different when you lunge him,so far he has had someone hold his head whenever someone gets on him but i want to get out of this asap as i won't always have someone to do that as i often ride on my own,it's my own small rented yard so only my horses there,my friend who rides with me just hacks to mine and we go off from there. Don't really like relying on others so am hoping to be able to go it alone soon,won't hack him out on his own for a while as we are a working wheat farm and he is def not good with moving tractors/machinery yet so seeing one on my own will almost cetainly get me off!

 

[daveismycat]

My mare used to do this. There's light at the end of the tunnel though as she's as good as gold now, in fact she can be a bit of a donkey.

I used to get stressed and anticipate it; I'd literally get on and not breathe as I was waiting for an explosion.

Obviously I checked there was nothing physically wrong with her. I think it was her just being very fresh and she does have a naughty streak that gets progressively more hidden as she gets older.

I got around it by lunging her before getting on, and really making her work, only getting on when she was a little out of puff. Then, I used to get on from a block and I trained her with voice commands (reinforced by the lunging too) and I would ask her to 'Stand' whilst I got on. I then made her stand and I gave her a treat before moving off. It wasn't long before she was standing and waiting for her treat. Mares eh, who'd have 'em?

Good luck, he looks lovely.

 

[seabsicuit2]

What about being legged up, then leaning over him and having someone walk you around for a good ten mins with you leaning over?
Also when you lean over, give him a treat ( he'll soon learn to turn round and take it from your hand) give him lots of pats/good boys etc.

Then when he's happy with all that , move your right leg over to the other side of the saddle on/off/on/off until he doesnt flinch before finally sitting normally. ( then another titbit- may just take his mind off bucking)

Also do you lean right forwards with your weight off his back ( I just fold my body right over their necks) when you first get on instead of sitting right down in the saddle straight away? Its seeing the height of the rider's body above them that makes young horses scared. Also Im sure you do get on lightly but be very sure of sitting down very lightly in the saddle and moving about very quietly.

 

[fruity]

Well i rode him today and he was rounding and doing a couple of warning broncs so i did my quick turn in a tight circle a few times and he quickly gave up,i've been concentrating on getting trust from him and he is def bonding with me more everyday,even started grooming me back yesterday when i was brushing him,he loves being faffed with and i guess as he's never had much attention he is loving it! When he got over his 'moment' he went on to be a very good boy on our ride,we even saw a moving tractor and although he stayed close to his friend he was brave! We had a canter which was lovely to so am very happy. Riding tomorrow so will see if we have a even better improvement. I think it is purely out of excitement so am going to be patient with him and keep doing the turning thing if he starts up,it worked today so fingers crossed. Thanks for all the helpful replies. x