What should you do when a horse broncs with you?

Paint it Lucky

Paint it Lucky

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Sorry if this is a silly question but I had quite a scary experience yesterday where the horse I was riding suddenly set off broncing across the school and I didn't know what to do!

I had never ridden this horse before so didn't really know what to expect (I thought he was quite laid back but obviously not!) I got on and thought I'd walk him round on a long rein, get him to do some stretches etc and have a look round. He was fine until we got to the far end of the school and there was a pole he didn't like the look of. I had been expecting him to look at it as it was new, so naively was giving him a longish rein so he could look. He spooked, leaping sideways and then began broncing (bucking then leaping forwards into the air then bucking again) (this is how I define broncing, I find bucks fairly easy to sit to but this was something different!) I knew I was going to fall off as he was flinging me out of the saddle and making me more and more precariously balanced with each leap. He wasn't just play bucking, he wanted me off! All I could think was 'I don't know how to stop this,' he is a ver big chunly horse and I am only a small person (don't know if this makes any difference!), I tried to reach his mane to hold onto it but I couldn't and I didn't know if shortening the reins would help or make it worse as he had his head right down. Basically I didn't know what to do, and because of this I didn't really try to hard to stay on and sort of allowed myself to be thrown off. (I'm sure I would have fallen off anyway but I knew he wasn't going to stop and so I think this made me less determined to stay on).

After I'd hit the floor he carried on broncing and leaping about wildly across the school, then set off galloping laps madly round the school, and as the school has no gate he then set off charging round the yard and it took along time to catch him again!

I can think of lots of reasons why he started broncing, even though it was out of character I think that if I'd acted differently he woudn't have done it in the first place. But I have never had a horse try so hard and successfully to get rid of me before and I don't know how I should have ridden it once he started behaving like this.

So in case I ever have the misfortune to ride a horse that does this again please can you tell me what I should do!

Sorry if this post has gone on!
 
Keep his head up so he cant get it down in the first place and then if he does, pull it up asap!! Turning a circle can often help a lot
 
yank its head up as hard as you possibly can, with jerks of the reins rather than a solid pull if necessary, anything to get its head up. Yelling "NO" can also help, at least it distracts them. shove feet forwards, lean back, and pull on the reins, basically.
once their head is up, they can't bronc...
I can't be doing with people who say "oh, he's just expressing himself" when they do this... he can do that the other 23 hours of the day as far as i'm concerned. If he's being rude and broncing, i'm allowed to be rude back and sock him in the chops to get his head up...
glad you weren't hurt, hope it doesn't happen again.
 
Agree with the other replies about trying to get the head up, and then just try to sit up tall and into the saddle as much as you can.

I generally find that yelling at the top of your lung "you are not effing well getting me off you old bag" also assists with the staying on the back of the horse during broncing...
 
Ehmmm, after getting the head up, sticking some glue on your breeches, etc etc., my first action then would be to get the saddle checked! Sorry, someone else will say it if I don't ....., but seriously, whilst broncing can often be just a bit of spring grass or high spirits or whatever, if its an ongoing problem then there's a need to find out what's happening. So saddle check first, physio/vet or whatever next, not necesarily in that order.
 
I'm going for the obvious - if it's not your horse don't ride it again even if you are being paid. Not much fun being in a wheelchair for the rest of your life !
 
My daughter's horse can throw the odd buck and went through quite a bronc-y stage a couple of years back her instructor recommended that she bridge her reins and sort of rise up out of the saddle, she described it as rising above it whilst there is all hell underneath her.
 
Head up. By any means possible - kick, pull, grab, shout, yank. Once head is up, it can't bronc any more and you can be a bit politer back.

All dignity goes out of the window!!
 
I have a horse who does this at parties :rolleyes: Really, echo the others, keep the head up and bridge your reins so he can't shove his head down again. Ride through it (and lunge it into the ground before you get on.... :D)
 
This is totally what I've been told and not what I'm capable of doing!

Ye, head up. Also yanking one rein really REALLY sharply right round can break the tense muscle and stop the bronc cycle.

But I really would NOT ride him again. Broncing when determined to get you off is a sign of something bigger. xxxx
 
If it happens again, hands up to get the head up and then leg on. Then get back / saddle / teeth checked. If that is all good - get tough! Keep those hands up and solid and really make the horse move forward. if it has its head up and is going forward, it physically cant buck! Good luck - broncs are never fun!
 
just another wee suggestion, apart from hang on flippin' tight :D
Instead of pulling the head up, try bringing the head round to the side, say the left, as far as you need to and then use your left leg to push him round so it disengages the back end. You need also to loosen your grip of the right rein or you will stop him turning. If they are in that position they physically can't buck. Well that's the theory anyway. Hopefully you won't need to try it. Don't get back on him. Sounds like it was pain related doesn't it. Hope you're not too sore now.
 
Mine is a broncer and did this only last week - she plunged to bronc and meant it so as she started - i really yanked on one rein only upwards and with my schooling whip walloped her down the shoulder and she just stopped - i have come off many times through her broncing but yanking one rein upwards and fighting back has stopped them getting past about 5 seconds whereas b4 i would let it get to far and had no chance of regaining control.
 
I tend to spin Lil if she thinks about broncing. Its quite a forward motion so turning them sharply round will often snap them out of it.
 
Definately agree with everyone else I always find if they ever take off with me I find turning them in a circle always helps! Basically fight and don't give up! :)
 
Horses head up, your heels down, and a 'Oi prat frace beeping stop that beeping now your beeping beeper' is my usual MO! Agree with others who have said if this is a riding school horses, ask for something else - my 'ride anything' days are over now, but as a teen I would, now I am far more aware of my own fragility!

I don't agree that a broncing fit is a sign of something bigger in all cases. I had a great horse I rode on a semi regular basis, he was huge, IDxDinosaur I believe, and one day, from nowhere, he had the scariest broncing fit I have ever seen, handstands and all - he was trying to turn himself inside out, he wanted me OFF. Once we had calmed down (the rider perhaps more so than the horse!) I checked him over to see if he had been stung, if some tack had caught, etc. I had the YM check him over to see if she could see something I was missing but nothing at all. The next day I rode him, he was a bit huffy puffy (on his toes) for a few minutes in the same school as the previous day, but then back to the big cuddly giant I knew and loved. He didn't do it again in the several subsequent years. I can only think he saw or heard something that frightened the life out of him, that was inperceptible to the humans that were around (although there were other horses in the school too, and they didn't flinch at anything).
 
As another person has said, if it is out of charachter for that horse, it suggests he was in pain, so whoever the owner is should be getting those things checked out.

If the horse is trying to get you off and is in pain, perhaps the kindest thing to do IS do as controlled as possible flying dismount ;)

Horses who bronc with me get kicked on, and I sit UP. Kicked on because the more a horse is going forwards the less he can be going up and down, or put in a twist/spin to the side, and sit up because no matter if the horse's head or tail is down or up, upright is the most secure place to be. No good leaning back, as if the horse then puts in a rear or exuberant leap to start the bronc you're going off the back.

By all means grab the pommel if you want to, or if the horse is wearing a neck strap go for that: pommel being my favourite as mane or neckstrap will be going up and down with the broncs too ;)
 
Thanks for all the advice everyone. I am fine by the way, just a bit sore where I landed but otherwise ok (had to get up and run after him afterwards which probably helped prevent me from getting too stiff!)

The horse actually has an injury to one of his hind suspensories but vet is insisting we keep riding him (though only meant to be walking!), it wouldn't surprise me if this is causing him pain which might have triggered the episode, though also he never gets to go out in the field :( because of dodgy leg so he probably has far too much pent up energy as well. Fortunately he is going for an operation soon to try and fix his problem so hopefully it will work. He is normally sensible so I can't blame him for acting this way knowing his current situation. I won't be volunteering to be first back on him once he's had a rest and comes sound though!
 
The last time I rode a horse that properly bronced, all I remember doing was whimpering quietly to myself as I clung on by any means possible! Mine wasnt going forwards though, he was doing it on the spot facing the large yard gate, backside into the road - proper rodeo style broncing. I remember someone telling me I should have been walloping him - hello?!!! Have you ever tried to sit on an alternately bucking/rearing horse who was doing it all vertically!? Removing one hand from wherever you have rammed it to cling on, to thump a horse goes against all your instincts. With a bit of forward movement it should be easier to yank (hard) upwards and kick hard. In this horses case it was intense pain related - but my old 14.2 pony I had as a teenager used to bronc seemingly for the hell of it. If you sit enough of them you get better at staying on! (and they subsequently lose the will to do it if you dont fall off!) :)
 
Ha ha, totally agree Mavis :D. I knew i should be doing something, (eg.trying to shorten the reins, cling on to his mane etc), but the thought of actually moving and upsetting what little balance I had wasn't very appealing! I also didn't particularly want to yank his head up as I was worried this would just upset him further and so make matters worse! (Might have tried it had I been in a secure position but as I was struggling to stay on anyway I don't think it would have helped!)
 
kerilli said:
yank its head up as hard as you possibly can, with jerks of the reins rather than a solid pull if necessary, anything to get its head up. Yelling "NO" can also help, at least it distracts them. shove feet forwards, lean back, and pull on the reins, basically.
once their head is up, they can't bronc...
I can't be doing with people who say "oh, he's just expressing himself" when they do this... he can do that the other 23 hours of the day as far as i'm concerned. If he's being rude and broncing, i'm allowed to be rude back and sock him in the chops to get his head up...
glad you weren't hurt, hope it doesn't happen again.
Click to expand...

I completely agree with this one!!!
 
I school horses with such issues and with broncing I find head up, feet forward and sit slightly back. If you sit up right your not in balance and will tip forward. Iv never fallen off by a horse broncing and by doing this can just carry on sitting the little buggers. They are easier to sit if they move forward at the same time and don't do it on the spot
 
Thanks for this thread..just in time!
Got jumping lesson on YO's horse tomorrow morning, she's big and chunky and I'm a short a*se with no chance of stopping her should she start broncing! (and she is reported to be a little erm, cheeky once she knows people can ride!) I haven't jumped in months due to own horse's injury and haven't ridden a broncer since my mum's cob - can't really remember what to do, except head UP so thanks very much!! :D I will bear in mind....
 
Oh I've got one of these :(

As soon as I feel him 'puff out' I raise my hands and pull his head up as high as I can. At the same time I shove my feet forwards, lean back and sit as deep as I can into the saddle, wrapping my legs tight round so he can't unseat me. 9 times out of 10 I stay on board. Although I have had a few nasty falls because of this.
 
Lean back hard raise head with one rein (support with other if there is a risk of the bit running through the mouth,fulmers are wonderfull).If you pull un both reins you stand a very good chance of being shot out the saddle. And kick him forward as hard as you can . Then turn him sharply and keep him on the turn change reins if you like but a straight line is what he needs to buck. Try not to hurt yourself if you fall off. Some bucks are simply unsitable.Body protector please.
 
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