Young strong horse and weak rider

[Ellie1993]

Hi all, please do forgive me if it is a long winded paragraph. I have a 16 hh and growing chunky cob, just turned 4 this may. He has done some schooling with me just learning some basics and doing well but we have some issues. My boy is very spooky and strong in the school and will buck and buck til I'm on the floor and he runs off to one end of the school. I've had his back and teeth and all tack checked all all is normal. unfortunatly I fell arkwardly off my boy when he was bucking a few weeks back and fractured a few ribs and am now unable to ride him for a while. My farrier Used to ride the queens horses so there for used to big strong horses and he has been riding my boy for me just hacking him out once a week and he has behaved perfectly for him. What can I do to deal with the bucking in the school?? if he hacks out for a while and takes time out from schooling would that allow him time to mature a little and hopefully forget his bucking issue?? Thankyou

 

[tallyho!]

I am far from what anyone would call experienced but am also riding a young horse so I empathise with you. It sounds as if there is a balance and possibly a confidence issue and that can only come with lots of work out and about hacking at all speeds. I'm unsure if young horses can be *strong* as they have not had much experience moving whilst balancing a rider on top so the default is to rush, go on the forehand, pull, and if truly in doubt, get the thing up top off. The other default can be, go slow, get dead to the leg and not go forwards. I myself am riding a young horse and our default panic button is go backwards and I have hit the deck a couple of times too! I think what your farrier is doing is ultimately the best thing to do. Build balance, build confidence, relax and do it at a leisurely pace. All I am doing is hacking 20 mins here and there and working on getting some response to aids and relaxing. I expect thats all I will be doing all year!

 

[Ellie1993]

I agree my boy tends to put all of his weight on his forehand and then resorts putting all his weight into his back side and sticks it in the air as high as he can. He definitely enjoys hacking, my farrier is firm but fair with him and he definitely respects him, probably more so than me! Haha. My worry is that when I am able to ride again I won't be confident enough, I won't be taking him in the school any time soon without an instructor. Im hoping he matures a little and relaxes a bit so when it does come to doing a little work in the school he will feel a bit more confident and hopefully more balanced

 

[PorkChop]

Ouch, sounds sore.

I would stop going in the school, and do plenty of hacking. Maybe go in the school for five minutes after a hack.

If you think about it, young horses are basically teenagers and its very easy for them to test the boundaries and be a bit naughty. The easiest way to focus their minds is to ride them forward and when you need to be turning constantly in the school it doesn't help!

 

[Ellie1993]

It's going to be a while before I can ride properly but sounds like a good idea going in the school for 5 minutes after a hack. I agree with you, hopefully I can get past the my knocked confidence and ride him forward next time without getting worried when he gets worried if that makes sense!

 

[tallyho!]

You will! Don't beat yourself up Ellie..

I imagine your farrier...
a) perhaps can balance himself and relax on this horse a bit more than you can (as the owner gets over protective and overthinks therefore may lose balance - the mind is powerful.)
b) is hacking and just focusing on getting the horse exercised so there's no pressure. They can both enjoy the "ride".

At 4yo, all the horse needs to do is learn to carry a thing that moves and shifts it's centre of balance. That requires new muscles, new thought processes, new aches and pains etc. Frankly, I don't blame them for "oh rats to this!!! I'm outta here!"

Hats off to those pros and people who can get a 4yo to do a dressage test! Flipping 'eck, it's draining enough to maintain a bend on a circle without falling in! lol! I can tell you, I had a half hour "lesson" (one every couple of months or so just to give us goals and ive had all of two), and homework was basically, "get her to bend and move around the leg more!" Pah!!! Easier said than done as I ached for two days!!! Poor mare!

When you get back on, just stick to hacking. You can do loads on a lane or a cul-de-sac... if he's relaxed out and about then ask for a leg yield. Make it a game and reward. Just enjoy it for a bit, take the foot off the gas in the school and try again when you think you have him a bit more between your hand and seat. That's what I am doing anyway.

If it makes you feel any better, I went out today in the wind... only to walk around the many cul-de-sacs we have... on a very familiar route and she decided to do the backwards thing again. So, after asking a few times and getting more backwards (up a bank!) i decided we would practice "halt" at the top of the bank. For 10 minutes!!! lol! I chatted to quite a few people, caught up on some village gossip, watched traffic, braved the dumptruck etc. and the walked a different way home. A lesson in itself!