# horse shaking while in saddle



## bitinsane (Jun 5, 2013)

Took a long trail ride yesterday and my horse kept shaking while I was on him. (Like how a dog shakes when they are wet). Is this just something they do or should I be concerned? Never had it happen before while I was in the saddle.


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## Mingiz (Jan 29, 2009)

Mine do it too. Especially since the weather is getting warmer. Some times 2-3 times a ride depending on how far we have gone..:wink:


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## timeee07 (Mar 9, 2014)

I have a pony that does this often...mostly when she is relaxed! Does she do so when you break in the trail, or just stop without instruction and shake?


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## DuckDodgers (May 28, 2013)

My horse does this after we've been walking through any significant amount of water. I almost had a very embarrassing moment when hacking out on the cross country course at my old barn with a 13 year old girl and her pony. I'm just casually walking around with my reins at the buckle after playing around in the water jump when my horse shook. I have a pretty good seat, but it was so violent and unexpected that I nearly got shook right off the horse in front of this girl!!

He's also done it before right after I undid his girth and was about to take the saddle off. I was standing next to him and he shook the saddle right into my arms :lol:


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## MangoRoX87 (Oct 19, 2009)

I don't think I've met a horse that doesn't do this!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## timeee07 (Mar 9, 2014)

Duck explained it a little better than I could. That is the way my pony uses her shaking abilities


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## EdmontonHorseGal (Jun 2, 2013)

DuckDodgers said:


> He's also done it before right after I undid his girth and was about to take the saddle off. I was standing next to him and he shook the saddle right into my arms :lol:


ah, you got yourself an 'auto-untacker', hahahaha!

my old gelding Boo would do this often. more so if i was riding bareback. i think he kept remembering the one, and only one time in our early years together that he was able to shake me right off, lol.


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## Roux (Aug 23, 2013)

Horse-quake!


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## Boo Walker (Jul 25, 2012)

Mine seem to do it more while they are shedding - a little sweat and yuck! It must be really itchy, a good head to tail shake probably feels really good!


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## ForeverSunRider (Jun 27, 2013)

Sonny stretches himself out, crouches down and has at it lol. I always grab the horn, stand in the stirrups and hold on for dear life lol


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## morganarab94 (May 16, 2013)

One of my mares, Flicka, does this every.single.time when I get on her.:lol:


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## bitinsane (Jun 5, 2013)

hahaha well I'm glad its normal! I've never had a horse do that to me while in the saddle :lol: I didn't have my feet in the stirrups and I was looking behind me and bam! I stayed on, but barely lol was quite embarrassing


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## amberly (Dec 16, 2012)

When I go on trail rides with my horse, he does this too. Sometimes he will do it right in the middle of the water, right in front of a horse, on a one-man trail, basically in the most inconvenient spots to stop and shake, haha!

Also, after a trail ride he does too.
I wouldn't be worried about it at all.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

It is normal and indicates that you have a horse with miles underneath--a very good thing for a new owner.
With ALL of the articles on the internet that indicate some kind of duress or torture given when we ride a horse, we sometimes forget just how powerful they are, that a horse can shake with OUR FULL WEIGHT in the saddle.


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## mslady254 (May 21, 2013)

Sonny does this a lot. Like recently 3 times in a 1 hour riding session in the arena at the times we were halted. I think of it as my own personal earthquake. It makes me laugh every time, guess because I feel so silly, I'll bet it looks ridiculous. 

I think it's a relaxation behavior, like yawning or blowing. Sonny's shaking isnt related to water, sweating or shedding, that I can tell. It happens any season of the year, no water in sight, and he's dry as can be. 

You do have to relax and sorta go with it, I think if you tensed up you'd ping right off the horse. I do slightly stand in the stirrups if I'm using the bareback pad which makes it a little harder to stay on.

Fay


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## ShadowRider (Feb 28, 2014)

My boy does it every ride and usually several times. Being a newbie, it freaked me out the first few times, but now I am used to it.


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## ecasey (Oct 18, 2013)

My ten year old was on our mare the other day when this happened. Her eyes got really big and then she giggled and said, "That tickled." lol


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