# My horse threw me and I don't know why



## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

I hope your are okay? She could have bucked because of pain, or she decided she had enough of you and knew you couldn't stop her from bucking or biting. Or both.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

Is there anyone you know, who is more knowledgeable, who can see if the saddle fits well enough?

Have you been spoiling this horse? As in being super sweet to her and acting like/hoping she is your new best friend?

It may be because she is testing you, or rather, already has and knows what she can get away with.

It is not because she is a mare.


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## Chasin Ponies (Dec 25, 2013)

While it could be a saddle fit problem and pain/discomfort, it sounds like you haven't really dealt with a horse of independent mind before.

It took about a week for this mare to realize that you were not correcting small, testing, bad behaviors like her former owners did. You probably didn't even realize that it was happening. That she was getting away with acting exactly the way she wanted with no correction and now she has the attitude that if she doesn't want to be ridden, she'll just dump you.

Most horses, especially smart ones, test humans constantly in small ways to make sure that their "boss mare" is still in charge. They can actually be feel reassured and safer to know that their human is still the boss. I suspect that this mare acted just fine with her previous owners because her little challenges were corrected as necessary and then life went on as usual. This mare needs you to establish yourself as boss mare, not in some nasty, abusive way but in constant correction of any unacceptable behavior and you need to learn how to do it. All of us have to start somewhere so don't feel bad.

I suspect a couple of handling and riding lessons with a knowledgeable trainer or instructor working directly with the both of you could solve a lot of the issues you have now and will have in the future. You handle and then ride your horse while the instructor/trainer watches and tells you exactly why the horse is doing a certain thing, what you should be doing and what to stop doing. 

This sounds very much like a horse that knows it's stuff but needs you to tell her what she can or cannot do.


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## Skaylenn (Jun 12, 2017)

I don't have a lot of experience with mares as I tend to stick with geldings 

You should probably have someone with saddle fitting experience to check to see if the saddle fits. I know horses tend to hold a grudge if their owner has "hurt" them. If she has assumed when you go near her she may feel pain she may just be in a word to say... protecting herself. If you could seek out professional help from a trainer that may be the wise choice. Don't give up on her tho.  Good luck!


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

When you test rode her, was it with or without a saddle? Do make sure the saddle you're using fits her properly, ideally by checking with a saddle fitter. There's a lot to saddle fitting.

While Chasin ponies makes a valid point about correcting small behaviors, be careful not to over-correct. Some horses get frustrated when they're constantly being corrected, and will express this fairly clearly. 

Give her time to get to know you. I also bought a mare last year that test rode perfectly, but dumped me twice when I brought her home. She was spooky though, so that's why it happened, she had big spooks and I couldn't stay on. But I know believe she spooked because I wasn't confident enough to convince her I had everything under control. It took us a while, but we now make a pretty good team. She just had to get to know me and trust me, as well as get used to a completely new environment. With more sensitive horses (mares are more often in this category than geldings), it can take a while and they don't do well until they come around to trusting you. I suggest you spend time bonding with her by doing ground work exercises. That will reinforce you as the leader, and you can correct things like biting very firmly.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

It could be any number of things. I have several thoughts running through my head so I want to ask some questions....


Are you an experience rider? What level would you consider yourself?


Was this horse trained in a specific style? i.e. saddle seat? What kind of saddle did you use? What kind of bit did you use?


When you were riding her, was it with a halter and a lead rope? Were you steering or was someone leading you?


What environment did the horse leave? i.e. Stalled every night/turned out all day? How are you keeping the horse?


Did the feeding schedule and amounts change?


When she threw you, do you know if it was a buck or did she take off? 


Have you been keeping treats in your pockets and giving her them by hand?


I'll try to think of other questions when we see these answers.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

You need to give her some time to settle in. It will take time for her to get 'close' to you- be patient even though I know it's not easy to be! She will warm up to you.  Some horses take longer than others.

I think you should check to see if the saddle is fitting properly, it could be a pain issue.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

PoptartShop said:


> You need to give her some time to settle in. It will take time for her to get 'close' to you- be patient even though I know it's not easy to be! She will warm up to you.  Some horses take longer than others.


I disagree with this. 

If I jump-ride a horse (aka - jump on a friend's horse I've never ridden before and go), I expect them to behave even though they do not know me. Bucking is absolutely NOT acceptable, nor any other poor behavior just because the horse "needs to warm up to the rider".



Cierra Whitlock said:


> She had been being weird and avoiding me all day and I have only been riding bareback without a bit and she did okay but we saddled her yesterday and she didn't like it and I was thinking that could be the problem, it gave her back problems or something and she bit me about an hour after she threw me and I don't know if it's just *because she's a mare, because she's testing me, because she doesn't respect me, or if it's her back.*


It could be any of those things. So, start from the bottom.

(1) Have someone experienced examine your saddle to see if it fits your new horse. Find a new saddle if yours is not a good fit.
(2) Schedule an appointment with a reputable chiropractor to look at her back. 
(3) Because of her age (17 years old) it may be worthwhile to have a full lameness evaluation. Maybe she has an old injury that bothers her from time to time. It is still not an excuse for her to buck you off, but if there is somethings causing her pain, you can address it. 
(4) Once you've ruled out any pain causes, you can now work on fixing the behavior. She might just be testing you, or she might be a brat. She was giving you obvious red flags leading up to the buck that you'll need to learn to pay attention to and "be ready". If you are not confident to stay on if she bucks, then have someone experienced ride her who is. But it is important that she learns she cannot unseat her rider with bucks, or get out of working by bucking.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

@beau159 No, you misread my post- that's not what I meant...I meant in general, wasn't talking about the bucking situation. I was referring to when she said the horse 'stays away' and 'avoids her' in the field etc...that's what I was referring to- as it takes awhile for some horses to warm up to them.  Took Redz at least a month or so to start coming up to me from the pasture.

Wasn't referring to the bucking, obviously that's not acceptable.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Yes,there are a lot of un answered questions.
First, is when test ridden. Did you ride the horse with a saddle and bit?
Where did you test ride her? 
Did you take your own saddle and bridle to ride her with?
When you rode her bareback and with a halter you said she rode 'okay' -what does that okay mean? Just strolled around a bit in a corral, or did she ride out willingly,obeying cues?
I can see a saddle fit being the problem, or a bit adjusted or used incorrectly, but horses don't hold grudges, so biting you an hour later, because of the saddle, makes no sense
I'll just ignore that being a mare has any relevance , far as an excuse for bucking or biting , unless she has a cystic ovary or something similar.
"weird ' and avoiding you all day'-was that a change in her behavior, as to when you first brought her home? 
Any chance she was drugged when you test rode her, with taht effect gradually wearing off?


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

After she 'threw'you with the saddle, did you try to ride her bareback?


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