# Excitement Turning to a buck?



## Zeke (Jun 27, 2010)

I've recently joined the mounted drill team that will be performing at one of the local rodeos later this year. The horse I'm using however turns from his typically very laid back personality on trail and on the lunge/undersaddle at his home stable to a horse who gets excited to be riding with other horses. 

He's settled down a little bit at the last two practices but I'm wondering if giving him time to adjust is all he needs or if a little bit more of a correction should come into play. He's admitted been out of regular work for the last couple months. 

Here's what happens/my response:
After a 30 minute trail ride to the arena when he's a dream to ride confidence/energy wise we start to warm up. Nice big long trot until the jitters of being around 7 other horses in a big arena going all over the place wears down. First couple canter departures he condenses himself up and I can feel the burst of energy coming so I typically ask him to walk/trot nicely before asking again. When a buck DOES occur I've always instinctively held firm on the reins to keep my horses head from driving downward for another buck. He will give nice departures after the first couple and there's never ear pinning etc. 

The other time this happens is points in our pattern sometimes when we're playing "catch up" and trying to hurry towards the horse in front of us and he seems to feel left behind OR when we're next to another horse and I ask him to pick up the pace. So I'm thinking this is all excitement/needing to get used to regular work again? 

I'll admit I'm self concious since another rider has been telling me to kick him forward when he bucks, which doesn't seem right to me. I don't want to start a bronc riding episode. She also says not to pull him back, like I've been doing to ask him to calm down. Half halts have been my friend but I'm second guessing myself now.
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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

When you feel a buck coming, you're right to keep the head up, but you want to go ahead and drive him forward at the same time.
This behavior is very common with horses that get excited when working around other horses (i.e. like it's play time). Consistently correcting it and practice/experience/time makes it all better.


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## Oldhorselady (Feb 7, 2012)

subbing.....my percheron mare seems to get 'excited' and lift all fours off the ground like a rabbit.


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## Spirit Lifter (Apr 23, 2012)

Subbing because my horse got nervous about a rearing horse and bucked me off. I broke my rib and haven't ridden in 4 weeks.


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## corgi (Nov 3, 2009)

SpiritLifter said:


> Subbing because my horse got nervous about a rearing horse and bucked me off. I broke my rib and haven't ridden in 4 weeks.


Just wanted to say that I feel your pain. I got bucked off and broke my rib on New Year's Eve. Be careful if you get a cold or anything like that. I developed pneumonia because I couldn't breathe deeply enough to clear my lungs when I developed a common cold almost a month later!


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## Zeke (Jun 27, 2010)

See he's breaking my usual love for cantering with the bunny hops and it's a little embarrassing. I have a fear of failing (don't we all though?) and I don't want to let the behavior go on. 

Anyone at least able to weigh in on kicking a bucking horse? Doesnt sound like the best route?
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## Spirit Lifter (Apr 23, 2012)

corgi said:


> Just wanted to say that I feel your pain. I got bucked off and broke my rib on New Year's Eve. Be careful if you get a cold or anything like that. I developed pneumonia because I couldn't breathe deeply enough to clear my lungs when I developed a common cold almost a month later!


Coughing, laughing and sneezing is VERY painful!

So, to answer the OP's question, I just read a Montey Roberts book entitled "From My Hands To Yours" and he said for a remedial bucking horse, the best solution is a buck stop. It's a gear thingy


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## Zeke (Jun 27, 2010)

Thanks but no thanks Monty....
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## Zeke (Jun 27, 2010)

Again, it's not an all the time thing, it's when I ask him to move out around other horses. He's not biting, ear pinning, kicking out nada at the other horses just kinda bunny hopping/small bucks. A friend thinks his slight out of shapeness is a factor and just not being around this many horses often is making it exciting/a game almost. Sound viable?
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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

Is there a way for you to practice with other horses at a public arena to work him through it without the pressure of the crowd/teammates/scores?

He sounds like he doesn't quite understand it's "work" and not "play"

I rode a mare that did the same in the warmup pen because she wasn't sure what was going on lol.


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## Zeke (Jun 27, 2010)

Skyseternalangel said:


> Is there a way for you to practice with other horses at a public arena to work him through it without the pressure of the crowd/teammates/scores?
> 
> He sounds like he doesn't quite understand it's "work" and not "play"
> 
> I rode a mare that did the same in the warmup pen because she wasn't sure what was going on lol.


Luckily this is just practice so there isn't a crowd or any score right now so I have the time to ask him to slow down most of the time without penalty etc. And these would be the people I'd call anyways I guess to practice on since they're the only ones who would understand lol. Luckily we haven't been exiled since he has actually mildly improved. 

He gets right back to focusing rather well...so I guess I'll give it time. How long did it take your mare? Did you do anything special besides basically just practice and exposure? 

I have to put my patience pants on huh....**** :razz::think:


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## Oldhorselady (Feb 7, 2012)

Here is a video of Belle doing her bunny hop. She just started cantering under saddle a handful of times. She seems to just get excited! So, this last time, she didn't do it when I first ask her to canter, as usual......instead, she did it half way down the arena in the canter and I fell off and have pins in my finger and a cast. After I fell, she stood there and looked at me like, "Hey are we going to do that again!".....lol


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## Zeke (Jun 27, 2010)

Ok Sky, I just read the post you made on the thread about canter problems with a lease horse who is unbalanced at the canter. You mentioned your horse hopping due to a lack of enough muscle basically so I'm assuming the hop helps them propel into the canter better? Which totally makes sense....this guy is out out shape, that could be a definite factor on top of being around horses. Trot trot trot it is for awhile?

That sounds painful old horse lady! He's only given me one big buck mid canter but that was when he hadn't been out the three previous days and totally my fault not giving him an outlet for all that energy. I'm going to go remind myself that I shouldn't worry about falling now....Oh and Belle's hops sound/look familiar. I've only felt not seen them from my POV though haha


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## Oldhorselady (Feb 7, 2012)

Well, I guess I shouldn't be so dramatic in calling it a 'buck' anyway....more of a bunny hop! Would make sense that Belle is just out of shape and unbalanced.


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## Zeke (Jun 27, 2010)

Oldhorselady said:


> Well, I guess I shouldn't be so dramatic in calling it a 'buck' anyway....more of a bunny hop! Would make sense that Belle is just out of shape and unbalanced.


They look like they feel awful big though! I don't think I could ride a draft, I'm a wimp.


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## Oldhorselady (Feb 7, 2012)

Zeke said:


> They look like they feel awful big though! I don't think I could ride a draft, I'm a wimp.


Yes it is!!! It feels like she is vaulting you to the moon! She is SUCH a good girl though....no way she is trying to intentionally unseat me.


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

Zeke said:


> Ok Sky, I just read the post you made on the thread about canter problems with a lease horse who is unbalanced at the canter. You mentioned your horse hopping due to a lack of enough muscle basically so I'm assuming the hop helps them propel into the canter better? Which totally makes sense....this guy is out out shape, that could be a definite factor on top of being around horses. Trot trot trot it is for awhile?


Yes exactly. They spring into it because they don't have the strength or balance to go into it smoothly. 

Practicing cantering on the lunge line (without tack, then with) will help a lot. Paired with trot to canter and canter to trot transitions (lots of them) will help your horse become even more efficient at the canter under-saddle.

~~

The mare isn't mine, it was a friend's that I schooled in the warm up pen since she was too nervous to. 

Just keeping her going forward and pushing her through her attempts to attack other horses. I stayed out of her face and used more seat and leg and put her into circles and figures when she tried anything. 

Being consistent and not changing my emotions. Acting like everything is the same, no big deal, and she caught on quickly. 

As for my gelding, any horse in the arena and he enjoys snuggling up to them. So I worked on the same basics leg yielding away from the horses and going to and fro until I felt him quit his attempts to hover toward them. Except you'd stop when you felt your horse stay relaxed and focused on you. Once they get tense, put them back to work.

Hope that helps! It's a process.


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## Zeke (Jun 27, 2010)

Skyseternalangel said:


> Yes exactly. They spring into it because they don't have the strength or balance to go into it smoothly.
> 
> Practicing cantering on the lunge line (without tack, then with) will help a lot. Paired with trot to canter and canter to trot transitions (lots of them) will help your horse become even more efficient at the canter under-saddle.
> 
> ...


TOTALLY helps! Thank you  staying out of his face as his excitement builds but putting him to work with legs is good. I'll have to relax a bit myself but *deep breath* I can do this lol.
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