# Dealing with the bucking horse... Different approaches...



## furandfeather (Jan 4, 2011)

kitten_Val said:


> We have couple "bucking" threads going on at the moment... So I decided to ask after reading different opinions on how to deal with it.
> 
> Say, the tack fits, so that is NOT an issue... Now...
> 
> ...


as soon as you feel there head going down turn them in a tight circle kicking with your heels ,cant buck on a circle only when going forward good luck


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

kitten_Val said:


> When it's the time to turn the head? Wouldn't THAT be a praise (meaning horse got off work in some sense by not moving forward)?


No. Think about it this way; the horse doesn't want to move his feet, right? That's why he's bucking, or refusing to move foward. Tipping his nose to one side or the other unlocks the hind quarter so he eventually HAS to move, also preventing him from rushing forward and bucking, vs. simply trying to push him foward (if he is "locked up), and ultimately 'asking' for that resistance to end in a bucking fit. 

Now if the horse is already in motion, I prefer to push them foward and into the gait faster; the more he is moving his feet, the less "oomph" he can really put in his bucks...IF the horse gets too fractious I will grab a rein, and pull him around, and once he is responding in a more 'positive' manner, I will again push him foward again. 

Bucking is a symptom of resistance, and MOST often the horse also has resistance from the ground as well; essentially the horse is probably chumping you from the ground up, and of course resistance can get worse undersaddle. Fix it from the ground up...

When I get a known bucker, I will spend ATLEAST two weeks just on ground work...teaching the horse when I say move, he moves NOW...whether it be forwards, backwards, left or right. By the time I get in the saddle, he knows without a shadow of a doubt that I control his feet, not the other way around. If he happens to choose to buck undersaddle still (and some will), I will just work through it as it comes, and ultimately work the horse hard, until he "Gets it" that it is easier to move his feet where ever I ask, rather than argue about it. If you don't feel confident moving foward, just do larger circles, or even figure eights...the point is just to get him to move, "where" is irrelavant as long as he does it as slow or as fast as you want, and WHEN you ask for it. 

My mare, who was a known bucker/bolter undersaddle, never once bucked with me when I first got on her, even though when I first got her two weeks prior, I couldn't even rest my arm over her back before she was bucking and moving away; Ground work DOES pay off, and it does make a difference in a lot of behaviors...it's the respect thing; if the horse respects your leadership from the ground, he will undersaddle as well.


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## furandfeather (Jan 4, 2011)

hi,i once had a mare who when cantering could buck at the same time,, never outgrew it either ,might add corkscrew bucks are the worst .


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

mom2pride, I've definitely seen horses successfully bucking on canter. So I assume they still manage to do it on fast gate somehow...

I see what you are saying about breaking horse into circle as a "moving still"...


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

I turn the head in just enough to stop the buck, not necessarily all the way to the boot. This does sometimes result in a crow hop so best to be prepared for that as well. If that happens I quickly drive forward.


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

The best advice I ever got about bucking is that a horse has to have their head down to buck. If you can get (or keep) a horse's head up when they are going to buck it is impossible for them to buck. If a horse has a problem with bucking I like to put a ten-ring or six-ring running martingale on them. Even though it seems like this is to help a horse keep from putting their head too high, it also keeps them from getting control of their head position. I have used the martingale for awhile until the horse forgets about trying to buck, then I don't use it anymore. When you feel the horse trying to put his head down or round the back up, get control of their head. Even if they stop moving it's OK. Then once you have control you can make them turn or move forward and straighten their back out. Obviously this will only work if you don't ride in a curb bit.


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## sarahver (Apr 9, 2010)

If tack and health problems are ruled out, all that is left really is training!

I think the most important thing with training a bucking horse is really to have no fear. Sounds silly but if you are even a little bit apprehensive about whether they are going to buck or play up, they almost certainly will. Not only that but your fear will affect your judgement and reactions meaning that you may not make the best choices and land your sorry **** in the dirt. So you want to ride strongly, decisively and without second guessing yourself.

As for whether to ride through the buck or not, it depends on what you are asking for. If you are asking for some type of forwards movement then my belief is that you absolutely must get the desired response. Whilst stopping or turning may _stop_ the bucking, you haven't achieved whatever it was you asked for in the first place e.g. trot-canter transition. If they ignore the forward leg cue, I certainly back it up with a crop. Always a decisive SMACK and always BEHIND the saddle. When I was younger (well about twelve years ago anyway ) and breaking/training horses for a real old timer type of trainer, if I ever smacked a bucking horse on the shoulder rather than reaching behind and giving it a good smack on the butt he would literally drag me off the horse and send me home. So I guess his message has been a lasting one. 

I will work the horse until I get whatever it is that I wanted in the first place with no fuss and bother each and every ride. If they are silly they get the snot worked out of them. The very first ride they are completely well behaved without giving any attitude I will get off and put them up straight away, all the while making a fuss over them like they have just won the Kentucky Derby.

It can take time and each horse is different. A horse that is 12 years old and been allowed to buck and misbehave all of its life is a very different story to a 4yo that is green broke and testing the limits.


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## KennyRogersPaints (Jan 9, 2011)

With a bucking horse its important to learn when they are about to buck, and stop it before they buck. Thats how Ive always done it, because they learn they cant get away with it, but if this isnt possible, its all about being firm and concistent without going overboard, let the horse know that they cant get away with bucking without being punished, you just have to ride through it. There's a lot of different approaches to different types of bad behavior but this is what has worked for me, Ive ridden many problem horses that all had different approaches to their naughty behavior.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

sarahver said:


> Always a decisive SMACK and always BEHIND the saddle. When I was younger (well about twelve years ago anyway ) and breaking/training horses for a real old timer type of trainer, if I ever smacked a bucking horse on the shoulder rather than reaching behind and giving it a good smack on the butt he would literally drag me off the horse and send me home. So I guess his message has been a lasting one.


Interesting enough the dressage trainer told me to tap (well, sometime smack) the side of the butt. However old timer jumping trainer always told me the crop goes right behind the leg and NEVER use it on butt. Frankly I found the butt tap to work better... 

I think with shoulder you only tap to remind to keep it in if nothing else help...


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## drafteventer (Jul 6, 2009)

I ride a lesson horse who bucks when you ask for the canter. She's a very stubborn mare and often won't move when you go to get her from the pasture. I find if you make her do what you want right from the get-go (in the pasture!) she does much better. When she bucks when I cue for the canter, I ride through it so there's no reward for the bucking. I never use the crop on the butt because it aggravates her more.
I haven't had a ton of experience with this though.


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## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

It doesn't matter if you ride the buck out or hurry up and dismount, as long as you make the horse work afterward. If you turn their head to the side when they buck, make them move when you regain control. Then immediately go back to what you had asked them to do before the buck.

There are instances that you shouldn't punish the horse for bucking. I had one of those while riding and training a green horse. He did two full bucks from a standstill, and all it was from was me pulling a piece of paper from my pocket. The wind caught it and he spooked. I had done a lot of sacking him out but this caught him by surprise. He bucked twice and then regained himself and stopped. Since then, he has no problems with me pulling things out while on him.


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## drafteventer (Jul 6, 2009)

usandpets said:


> It doesn't matter if you ride the buck out or hurry up and dismount, as long as you make the horse work afterward. If you turn their head to the side when they buck, make them move when you regain control. Then immediately go back to what you had asked them to do before the buck.
> 
> There are instances that you shouldn't punish the horse for bucking. I had one of those while riding and training a green horse. He did two full bucks from a standstill, and all it was from was me pulling a piece of paper from my pocket. The wind caught it and he spooked. I had done a lot of sacking him out but this caught him by surprise. He bucked twice and then regained himself and stopped. Since then, he has no problems with me pulling things out while on him.


I think the first paragraph was sort of aimed at me..I ride through it because if I don't, she gets to not canter and thats what I meant by reward. She does this every time so I don't know if stopping the canter and starting working again would help because she does it every time she's asked to do any cantering.


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

kitten_Val said:


> mom2pride, I've definitely seen horses successfully bucking on canter. So I assume they still manage to do it on fast gate somehow...
> 
> I see what you are saying about breaking horse into circle as a "moving still"...


I didn't say that they "can't" buck at a faster gait, but they have to pay more attention to where their feet are going, than just being able to focus on the buck...that's the main focus of trying to push them foward and "out" of the bronc moves...to get them to focus on moving their feet than to resist and buck. And alot of times 'bucks' in the canter aren't actual four feet off the ground bucks; not saying that can't happen, but most often those 'bucks' are simple kicking up of the heels (crow hops, pig roots, etc). Out of all the buckers I've retrained, only one has ever gone total bronc on me, and even though she was in a canter prior, she had stopped dead, then flew foward into an all out buck fest...now that was an interesting ride!


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## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

mom2pride said:


> I didn't say that they "can't" buck at a faster gait, but they have to pay more attention to where their feet are going, than just being able to focus on the buck...that's the main focus of trying to push them forward and "out" of the bronc moves...to get them to focus on moving their feet than to resist and buck.


That's the reason that when my trainer and I when we re-started my QH, if she bucked, we drove her forward. If I was to pull her head around so she was in a circle, she would have continued to act up but forcing her to GO and not letting her head go down meant I got maybe one more pathetic buck and a few kicks and could then continue on as if she'd never done it. Since bucking didn't get her out of going forward, she quit refusing to go forward within 2-3 rides and then gave up the "well I'll go forward but take this BUCK" within another couple rides. At some point in time she had learned that if I buck, the rider flops off and puts me back with my friends in the pasture. So it had to be made clear that I wasn't about to flop off from her pretty pathetic bucking, nor was I going to give up.


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

Stan normaly bucked only in faster gaits so canter or when asked to gallop on in a group. With him it was exhuerance, a sort of Whoopy I'm feeling welll type buck. all I had to do was drag his head up from between his knees and kick him on.

On the extremely rare occasion that that didnt work or that it wasnt a whoopie! buck then drag his head up, hefty smack on the backside to send him on.

When he threatened to rear I normaly dragged his nose round to my boot to prevent him.

Going faster does not mean a horse cant uck it just gives more momentum to the buck.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

usandpets said:


> It doesn't matter if you ride the buck out or *hurry up and dismount*, as long as you make the horse work afterward. If you turn their head to the side when they buck, make them move when you regain control. Then immediately go back to what you had asked them to do before the buck.


I'd think this definitely would be a praise. In particularly because it takes time to dismount, so you don't make the horse work within 3 sec. 

I agree that sometime buck is what the RIDER caused (poor riding, bad tack, spook), so punishing for that doesn't help in 1st place.


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## sarahver (Apr 9, 2010)

usandpets said:


> There are instances that you shouldn't punish the horse for bucking. I had one of those while riding and training a green horse. He did two full bucks from a standstill, and all it was from was me pulling a piece of paper from my pocket. The wind caught it and he spooked. I had done a lot of sacking him out but this caught him by surprise. He bucked twice and then regained himself and stopped. Since then, he has no problems with me pulling things out while on him.


Respectfully disagree here. I don't care if a huge hairy horse eating monster jumps out from behind the bushes, my horse should not buck. Not any time, not any place, not any excuse. In fact, being spooked is the worst reason to buck in my opinion because 
a.) you don't expect it
b.) it can be in a dangerous situation for example in traffic and 
c.) it is harder to train them out of doing it since you have to wait until something 'spooky' is around.

I understand some horses are more spooky than others and I have owned several like that let me assure you! However, I expect _my_ horses to acknowledge that something is scaring them and wait for me to tell them what to do about it. Not dismount me and then fend for themselves.


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## sarahver (Apr 9, 2010)

mom2pride said:


> I didn't say that they "can't" buck at a faster gait, but they have to pay more attention to where their feet are going, than just being able to focus on the buck...that's the main focus of trying to push them foward and "out" of the bronc moves...to get them to focus on moving their feet than to resist and buck. And alot of times 'bucks' in the canter aren't actual four feet off the ground bucks; not saying that can't happen, but most often those 'bucks' are simple kicking up of the heels (crow hops, pig roots, etc). Out of all the buckers I've retrained, only one has ever gone total bronc on me, and even though she was in a canter prior, she had stopped dead, then flew foward into an all out buck fest...now that was an interesting ride!


Agreed agreed agreed. 

Especially the part about how most 'bucks' aren't really 'bucks'. Very few horses will really trully buck with a rider on board, usually it is a somewhat watered down version. 

Also agreed with getting a horse to move forwards - sure they can still buck but bucking is very hard work! Even crowhopping/pigrooting is much harder work than simply cantering/trotting. Most horses are smart enough to figure this out pretty quickly.


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## BFFofHorses (Jan 29, 2010)

The way I have always dealed with bucking is this. If I can anticipate the buck, then right before it I give a series of cues and don't allow the bck to happen. If I am too slow, I ride her through it. I make her go faster, my horse always slows down to buck. This what works for me- but a the same time you need to implement solid training that will prevent bucking. My horse bucks when she is scared so desensitizing has helped a lot with her bucking. Is there a behavior that triggers the bucking that you can help overcome? My horse is naturally excited, so she spooks easily. This hasn't comletely solved the problem, but severely decreased the bucks. Hope this helps- I always call Sierra my little rodeo queen because the bucking was so bad when I bought her.


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## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

drafteventer said:


> I think the first paragraph was sort of aimed at me..I ride through it because if I don't, she gets to not canter and thats what I meant by reward. She does this every time so I don't know if stopping the canter and starting working again would help because she does it every time she's asked to do any cantering.


@ Drafteventer - I wasn't direction it to you. Some people don't have the confidence to ride it out. They get scared and dismount, which is fine as long as you make the horse work when you get off. Other people on here have also said to ride it out and that is what I do also. If you were to get off and instantly make her lunge, back up, yield her front end and rear, or make her work and hard, then get back on and ask her to canter, she would not be getting a reward. She would learn that it is easier to just canter. Sorry if that offended you.


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## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

kitten_Val said:


> I'd think this definitely would be a praise. In particularly because it takes time to dismount, so you don't make the horse work within 3 sec.
> 
> I agree that sometime buck is what the RIDER caused (poor riding, bad tack, spook), so punishing for that doesn't help in 1st place.


 You are entitled to your opinion. If you were to dismount and take the horse back to the barn and untack them, and return them to their pasture, yes that would be a reward. Yes, getting off can take a little time. A horse would remember the last thing they did, which was a buck. If you immediately put the horse to work when you get off, it would not be a reward.

Thank you for agreeing on the not punishing part. I admit it was my fault he did it. I had done plenty of sacking out on the ground but not enough in the saddle.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

usandpets said:


> A horse would remember the last thing they did, which was a buck. If you immediately put the horse to work when you get off, it would not be a reward.


I disagree. Bucking in most cases is trying to tell the rider to get off. By dismounting, you are getting off. If they buck enough and you get off enough, the first thing they will do is start backing as you as you shift your weight in the saddle to get away from you.


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## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

sarahver said:


> Respectfully disagree here. I don't care if a huge hairy horse eating monster jumps out from behind the bushes, my horse should not buck. Not any time, not any place, not any excuse. In fact, being spooked is the worst reason to buck in my opinion because
> a.) you don't expect it
> b.) it can be in a dangerous situation for example in traffic and
> c.) it is harder to train them out of doing it since you have to wait until something 'spooky' is around.
> ...


 There were two reasons I didn't punish him for it. One, it was my fault. He was the first horse I had ever trained. I had sacked him out on the ground but not enough or under saddle. He was very green and he was going off of his instincts. Two, he regained himself and corrected it himself. If he would have continued, I would have corrected him.

Actually, I would rather have a horse buck than dart to the side when they spook. It's easier to stay on and they stay in the same spot. Yes, it is dangerous when a horse spooks. That is why I try to spook them as often as I can. That was the only time he ever bucked. Like I said he was going off his instincts, and he wasn't doing it to refuse or resist.


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## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

mls said:


> I disagree. Bucking in most cases is trying to tell the rider to get off. By dismounting, you are getting off. If they buck enough and you get off enough, the first thing they will do is start backing as you as you shift your weight in the saddle to get away from you.


 Or it's the horse saying it doesn't want to do what you asked. If the horse was to start backing away, I would make it go forward. If it was to take off, I would get it to disengage its hind quarters, back up, yield its front end or basically move the opposite way the horse wants to go. All of this I would make the horse move energetically. Then I would get back on the horse and ask the horse to do what I had asked that caused the buck.

You are entitled to your opinion, as I am mine. Not every trainer will do things the same way. I'm not on here to get in an arguement but to share what I know and learn for myself.


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## sarahver (Apr 9, 2010)

usandpets said:


> Actually, I would rather have a horse buck than dart to the side when they spook. It's easier to stay on and they stay in the same spot. Yes, it is dangerous when a horse spooks. That is why I try to spook them as often as I can. That was the only time he ever bucked. Like I said he was going off his instincts, and he wasn't doing it to refuse or resist.


I know you don't want an argument but this thread was designed as a discussion. As such, anything that is written is considered open for discussion so please don't be too offended.

I also wouldn't want a horse to dart to the side when spooked as it can be equally dangerous. I understand that horses are frightened by various things, it is a natural response. However, if they are under saddle I expect them to look to me, as their rider and leader for the appropriate response. That means that they shouldn't respond _instinctively_ at all. If something startles them they are allowed to be unnerved by the stimulus but look to me for the correct response and not take evasive action themselves.


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## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

sarahver said:


> I know you don't want an argument but this thread was designed as a discussion. As such, anything that is written is considered open for discussion so please don't be too offended.
> 
> I also wouldn't want a horse to dart to the side when spooked as it can be equally dangerous. I understand that horses are frightened by various things, it is a natural response. However, if they are under saddle I expect them to look to me, as their rider and leader for the appropriate response. That means that they shouldn't respond _instinctively_ at all. If something startles them they are allowed to be unnerved by the stimulus but look to me for the correct response and not take evasive action themselves.


 Don't need to worry about me getting offended. I just don't want others to get offended at what I say. I'm not saying they are wrong and I'm right or vise versa. Everyone's entitled to their opinion and I respect that and I hope they do too.

I agree a horse that spooks needs to look to the rider for direction, but that doesn't always happen. There is the time that while they are learning it that they do revert back to instincts.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

usandpets said:


> I agree a horse that spooks needs to look to the rider for direction, but that doesn't always happen. There is the time that while they are learning it that they do revert back to instincts.


Which isn't bucking. How many horses do you see bucking when they spook out in the pasture? They either run or dart to the side.

I'd much rather have a horse dart to the side than to buck. But then I ride cutting and reining bred horses so it's very natural to have a deep seat.


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

kitten_Val said:


> I'd think this definitely would be a praise. In particularly because it takes time to dismount, so you don't make the horse work within 3 sec.
> 
> I agree that sometime buck is what the RIDER caused (poor riding, bad tack, spook), so punishing for that doesn't help in 1st place.


I've gotten off of horses before, and while it's not nearly as convenient, the horse still learns that he is NOT getting out of work for his attitude; The Appy I had last year was one of the WORST barn sour horses I've worked with...He would try everything (bucking, rearing, spinning, etc) to get me off, and get back in the pasture. So rather than land in the dirt I would slip off, and work his tail off at the gate (where he though he wanted to be), got back on and tried to ride off...if he went willingly, I would go a ways into the driveway, and stop and let him rest; then I would take him back toward the gate and ride him away again...if he wigged out, I would slip off, and work his tail off again...trust me this horse was dripping wet for several sessions. I would give him a good hard work out, again, where he thought he wanted to be, and then remounted and rode away. It only took about 3 tough sessions (for him) of that sort of work for him to figure out that being by the gate was a bad idea, and he would ride off willingly every time. He only had one relapse when I moved to AZ, and I worked his tail off at the gate for a good long time, and then we rode off...no issues again after that. 

I do NOT think that a rider who feels uncomfortable about staying on a horse in a particular situation with a particular horse is always the 'right' thing to do, for horse or rider. As long as the horse is being driven forward and NOT getting to stand around or put up in the paddock, he is NOT winning. Work with the horse in a manner YOU feel comfortable, and in a way that keeps you safe...that Appy I worked with would put himself in danger when he didn't want to do what I asked, so there was no way I was putting myself at risk of being hurt; I know there are other horses like that, and being on the ground can make a big difference safety wise. Even alot of 'big name' trainers will say the same thing; as long as the horse is not being unsaddled and put away, he is not winning the battle.


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## KawaiiCharlie (Nov 17, 2010)

I cant say the "moving forward" thing would work in some cases, as my old TB used to bolt while bucking. all i used to do was pull him up until he stopped, take him back to the place where he started bucking & make him do it again at the pace i wanted. it helped eventually, i got him to stop bucking. i dont have him anymore though.


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## Jacksmama (Jan 27, 2010)

A few years ago I took Jack to his first under saddle show. He'd been to several for halter but this was his first experience being ridden, and BOY was he hyped up. Early that morning I took him out to work some of the fuzziness out. He was antsy but managable at first. Let me say that I have had Jack since he was a month old and the amount of ground training he's had is ridiculous and at home he's a bit lazy and not flightly at all, but he was 3 and other than a few short trail rides he's never been away from home. He had never even offered to crow hop/buck/rear. So, after about 20 min he really wanted to go close to the outdoor ring but I didn't want to disturb the classes going on so turned him away and he COMPLETELY blew up. I admit it, I was blind sided and almost lost my seat, jamming my wrist in the process. I rode him through it until he stopped and then dismounted, I was really hurting. Luckily a friend was with me that can ride anything with hair and he climbed on. Let me say that I have seen easier rides at rodeos, I wish I had the pic on this computer. He did everything he could possibly do to get Brandon off except lay down and roll on the ground. Brandon did nothing but sit there, didn't use a crop or anything just let Jack get it as hard as he could. Seriously, it took about 20 min for him to wind down. I got back on and really made him tow the line, transitions, backing, around the arena and away from it, everything I could think of. Then he was fine. I rode with a crop for a while after that and if he even thought about giving me crap he got a tap, and I started riding two handed again for a while so I could keep closer tabs on his head going down. I got the occasional little crow hop but that has stopped too. Personally, I feel that if at all possible it's best to ride them through the worst they can throw at you, this way they learn that they aren't going to get you off and it does no good. When you really work them right after the temper tantrum they realize it's easier to be good and listen than misbehave and work their butts off.


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## barrelracer892 (Apr 3, 2010)

Toby used to be a horrible bucker. His bucks ALWAYS got me off too. If I was cantering him and he rounded his back or started to put his head down I would jump off of him and drive him in circles so he would learn that even though he got me on the ground he was still going to have to work. 

Snickers used to be a bucker too, but his bucks were way easier to sit through. I would just pull his head up and make him canter even faster and longer.


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

When I respond to a bucking horse I try to first understand why they are bucking. Here are some of the reasons I have seen horses buck. 1) exuberance: I feel great! 2) This footing is crazy deep. 3) My saddle is pinching me. 4) I'm so frightened I've lost my mind so I need to get free of everything and run (instinct). 5) I just jumped over something, so I want to throw in a buck once. 6) I feel unable to go forward, but you're still pushing me. I am not sure what to do. 7) I am angry! 8) Some piece of tack has slid backwards around my flanks. 9) I don't want to work or don't understand the work. 10) I don't get enough regular exercise, and I don't know what to do with this energy. 
I'm sure there are more. A lot of these bucks can be dealt with simply by saying "knock it off" or whatever verbal cue your horse knows means displeasure. Or a smack on the neck, etc. I've seen horses termed "cold-backed, when really their saddle didn't fit. Before we blame our horses for being bad, we have to rule out all the things we might be doing to cause their behavior. Do you have a four year old high energy horse that you leave in a stall and ride once a week? This horse can be EXPECTED to buck. 
As far as training your horse to not respond instinctively...I am highly skeptical. Not to be rude. But I don't believe it is possible to remove instinct from a horse. Every horse will revert to instinct if the right situation comes into play. If you expose your horses to many things you can reduce the risk that they will revert to instinctive behavior. But I can only think you must only be around more mellow types of horses if you can believe that your horses will always react by training rather than instinct. Some horses cannot be trained to not spook or react violently to unexpected situations. And I believe that every horse has a nemesis out there that will freak them out. It might be a red umbrella. Maybe you would call these horses "bad," or say they had poor training, but some of the best horsemen in the world work with some of these hot bloods and consider their horses well trained. 
One more thing, there are buckers and there are buckers. Some horses buck like a gentle rocking horse, some horses throw up their hind ends, but some horses can twist their insides out and nearly somersault and there is no way anyone can ride that. Not unless you are tied on like a rodeo cowboy. I have ridden a lot of buckers but there are some horses that if they start bucking I bail as fast as I can. I feel that it is better to get off and still be able to work with the horse than to get smashed into the ground and drag my beaten body away while someone turns the horse out for me.


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## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

mls said:


> Which isn't bucking. How many horses do you see bucking when they spook out in the pasture? They either run or dart to the side.
> 
> I'd much rather have a horse dart to the side than to buck. But then I ride cutting and reining bred horses so it's very natural to have a deep seat.


 No you don't see them buck in the pasture because they don't have something on their back that spooks them. Haven't you ever seen a horse that had a saddle slip and go under the horse? What do they do? They don't dart and run off. They buck. The horse I was riding did buck two full bucks, when I pulled a piece of paper out of my pocket and the wind caught it. In his mind he was being attacked on his back so he bucked. Or what do you call it when all four of his legs come off the ground and he goes straight up in the air? Maybe he was just jumping for joy.

Ok. You have the experience of riding a cutting horse. I don't. Granted I am getting better at staying on when they dart, but I still think it's easier to stay on with the buck. Just my opinion


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