# What would you classify this movement as?



## BornToRun

It looked like a whole mix of things, it's hard to say really, maybe a rear and a buck in there?


----------



## equiniphile

It looks like the beginnings of a rear to me, with a little attempt at a buck at the end. Next time, push him forward, make him give you a nice canter, and then stop. Of course, this is not always easy on a misbehaving horse without stirrups. :lol:


----------



## HollyBubbles

After this I got off him and lunged ... and lunged... and lunged a bit more.

I would have pushed him forwards but I had an English exam the next day and decided I probably shouldn't fall off, so I just lunged most of the energy out of him, then got back on and got what I wanted. The last time I rode in this paddock he threw me off, in february, so I was quite determined not to have a replay of events :lol:


----------



## AlexS

I think it's a rear. While lunging can be great to get the excess energy out of a horse, if this is an ongoing issue - be careful about lunging as it increases fitness and you could find yourself lunging for longer and longer to get the same results.


----------



## Twilight Arabians

My pony did that when i was a kid, she was a brat, not sure what to call it.


----------



## kait18

my gerlding used to do that when i changed saddles. from western to english. once i switched back he never did again... so if he continues to do it i would check for pain. might not be saddle related like mine was but could just be sore or something. 

but i called it his "chicken dance" lol he was to scared to rear but then chickened out of bucking so just kinda hoped around like a chicken..


----------



## HollyBubbles

AlexS said:


> I think it's a rear. While lunging can be great to get the excess energy out of a horse, if this is an ongoing issue - be careful about lunging as it increases fitness and you could find yourself lunging for longer and longer to get the same results.


That's a good point about the lunging, if it turns out to be an ongoing issue I'm going to have it addressed by a trainer or someone. I've also decided to not ride him until my last exam has finished which is on the 23rd November:lol:


-He is not in pain, he's been checked just recently and we are on dairy pasture and it's spring time so that's where this behaviour is coming from as well as being young and not in full work since it's exam time for me. Since the episode he's been on equilibrium B1 cool mix in a slightly higher dose and it seems to have done the trick for now.


----------



## Horsesdontlie

Isn't it called pig rooting? Slamming down on the front feet with the head down. most riders go flying with that. Lol Looks like he was having a good time at least.


----------



## Dreamcatcher Arabians

I call it crow hopping, trying to buck buck and then finally a rear. Caused by you driving him forward with seat and legs, but you got a hold of his face and didn't let go when he started crow hopping and kept trying to drive him forward, so he kind of half reared. I'd work him down some first then try the canter and if he starts that bucking and crow hopping nail him with a crop and spurs and send him forward at a full gallop if need be. You've got a good enough seat to stick it.


----------



## smrobs

See, now I have a slightly different method for dealing with a horse that acts like that. I take their head to one side and push them _hard_ into little tiny circles. I keep them going in the circles/spins until they are really sucking air and they are not bracing against my hand or leg. If they start to brace or pull, I am not above giving them a decent pop with bit or heel. If I start to get dizzy before I feel they've had enough, I'll switch reins and spin them the other way too.

You do that every time he starts to act like a fool for _any_ reason and I bet you'll see improvement in just a couple of rides.


----------



## Allison Finch

What I see is a totally ****ed off horse who is counter flexed and pushed into a canter when he is too unbalanced to do it well. He is angry and, as a result, is fighting against the rider. You totally got in his face on that transition. Sorry to sound harsh, but that is what I see.

When the horse threw his head up before you even asked for the transition, you should have read that as a real message from him. He was not in the position to deliver what you asked. He was unbalanced, counterflexed, and too heavy on the forehand. When he resisted, he was hit in the mouth pretty hard. That really escalated his anger. All he had left was to fight back.

I would go back a few steps. I would make sure he could do nice circles and serpentines at a trot maintaining *bend*, balance and impulsion throughout the exercise. Only when he can do that consistently at trot would I go to the canter. He needs miles of dressage flatwork.

While "spring grass" might give him a bit of an energy boost, I see rider issues as a main cause here, IMO.


----------



## HollyBubbles

Allison Finch said:


> What I see is a totally ****ed off horse who is counter flexed and pushed into a canter when he is too unbalanced to do it well. He is angry and, as a result, is fighting against the rider. You totally got in his face on that transition. Sorry to sound harsh, but that is what I see.
> 
> When the horse threw his head up before you even asked for the transition, you should have read that as a real message from him. He was not in the position to deliver what you asked. He was unbalanced, counterflexed, and too heavy on the forehand. When he resisted, he was hit in the mouth pretty hard. That really escalated his anger. All he had left was to fight back.
> 
> I would go back a few steps. I would make sure he could do nice circles and serpentines at a trot maintaining *bend*, balance and impulsion throughout the exercise. Only when he can do that consistently at trot would I go to the canter. He needs miles of dressage flatwork.
> 
> While "spring grass" might give him a bit of an energy boost, I see rider issues as a main cause here, IMO.


Shoot, was I flexing him the wrong way, I was trying to get him flexing to the inside but I couldn't get him to do it. You don't sound harsh, if I've made a mistake I do need to learn from it and I'll accept that.

I had been asking for a canter for half a circle already (before camera was started) and he wouldn't do it, my fault? Probably, but he does get like that, when I first got him his head carriage was sky high and he would still canter willingly, I have no idea why his head carriage was like that but he's improved a lot

He can do all that, we've been working on it for months, but he had a week off(to slippery to ride) not long before that ride and also his hooves trimmed and had all four shoes put on on (previously had none).

Last spring he threw me off, he gets pretty affected by the grass we have here. I had to have the neighbour keep him for a few weeks because he was just so full of the grass I couldn't control him undersaddle. (Neighbour is a racehorse trainer, and is bigger and stronger than I am)

I'll work on it more after this wednesday coming, which is my last exam. I'll bring him back in to work slowly, he's also been shifted into a different paddock with a different type of grass so we'll see how that goes.


----------



## ~*~anebel~*~

I agree with Allison. Honestly if one is riding correctly and with a good feel they should be able to feel a behavior such as this 5 strides before, correct their aids, correct the horse and continue on without a single bobble.
I would not blame the horse a bit in this instant, he was only reacting to the rider.

Also riding, especially a flightly or hot horse, has very little to do with strength and quite a lot to do with timing. We should strive to ride with finesse, not force.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## HollyBubbles

~*~anebel~*~ said:


> I agree with Allison. Honestly if one is riding correctly and with a good feel they should be able to feel a behavior such as this 5 strides before, correct their aids, correct the horse and continue on without a single bobble.
> I would not blame the horse a bit in this instant, he was only reacting to the rider.
> 
> Also riding, especially a flightly or hot horse, has very little to do with strength and quite a lot to do with timing. We should strive to ride with finesse, not force.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I knew he was going to do something but I didn't know what. If I feel like this is going to happen again, what would you suggest I do to correct it before it happens?

I'm getting better slowly, I know my riding has a lot of improving to do, and I am hopefully getting an instructor out within the next few weeks to help me out with this (Due to where I live and not having a float, getting lessons is very difficult)


----------



## ~*~anebel~*~

To start, sit up and put your hands down, grab the saddle pad if you need to to keep you from catching him in the mouth.
You need to develop a better feel of the balance of the horse and help him stay evenly on all 4 legs. That's mostly experience but instruction helps immensely.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## HollyBubbles

~*~anebel~*~ said:


> To start, sit up and put your hands down, grab the saddle pad if you need to to keep you from catching him in the mouth.
> You need to develop a better feel of the balance of the horse and help him stay evenly on all 4 legs. That's mostly experience but instruction helps immensely.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I may have to get some longer reins if I do that then, he has such a long neck compared to what Bubbles did, I'm still getting used to it and I don't think my reins are long enough even on the buckle a lot of the time. But it's because my hands weren't down that I caught him in the mouth?

I'm hoping to get lessons from one particular coach soon, but if I can't I'll have to either borrow my neighbours float or wait till I have my own (we're in the searching process)


----------



## ~*~anebel~*~

People often think long, loose reins are softer than a well adjusted rein with contact, this is not the case. Think about a tow rope - a loose one that all of a sudden has tension put on it will be harsher and jerked than if the rope is pre tensioned. (citing courtney king)

You brought your hands up in a way so as to catch your balance and because of your too long reins, jerked his mouth. If you are holding onto a bucking strap and have low hands it allows you not only to stabilize your seat meaning you won't fall out of balance as easily - but also holding onto something means that even if he does knock you out of balance you have something other than his mouth to grab onto.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## HollyBubbles

~*~anebel~*~ said:


> People often think long, loose reins are softer than a well adjusted rein with contact, this is not the case. Think about a tow rope - a loose one that all of a sudden has tension put on it will be harsher and jerked than if the rope is pre tensioned. (citing courtney king)
> 
> You brought your hands up in a way so as to catch your balance and because of your too long reins, jerked his mouth. If you are holding onto a bucking strap and have low hands it allows you not only to stabilize your seat meaning you won't fall out of balance as easily - but also holding onto something means that even if he does knock you out of balance you have something other than his mouth to grab onto.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


That's a good point, I didn't think about it like that. But my reins are still too short to be comfortable haha, I'm going to buy longer ones this weekend 

so maybe I should put a bucking strap on then? Hold onto the reins aswell as the strap so my hands can only go up so far?


----------

