# bucking uphill?



## coelh102 (Oct 9, 2009)

I always heard horses couldn't buck going uphill so this puzzles me. It could be pain, check his back. They use alot of muscles going uphill that they usually don't use while riding on flat. Did you try going sideways up the hill? Not completely sideways, just go up at an angle. Maybe the hills are too high for his legs? I'd defiantly check for pain though.


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## Amlalriiee (Feb 22, 2010)

I checked his legs and they looked fine...though I'm no vet...we've decided to just keep a close eye next time I ride. He bucked everywhere...not just uphill...but I pointed out the hill specifically because it puzzles me as well that he can buck so hard on a hill. He bucked a lot harder on hills than he did on flat, which is opposite of what you'd think....oh well.


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## roro (Aug 14, 2009)

Could be a bunch of different things, to be truly accurate I'd have to see a video. If you can rule out pain, make sure your own position is correct. An off-balance rider could have irritated him and made him want to get you off. Also, many horses want to rush up hills as that makes the work easier. The harder thing muscle wise for them is a real, deep, slow walk up a hill. You said the hackamore made him buck more, maybe he felt trapped with your reins. Whatever the case is, don't let him buck. He's learned that's an okay thing for him to do since you didn't succeed in teaching him to stop. Learn the pulley rein instead of yanking up on his head, or the one rein stop. You can also try leg yielding up the hill, etc. I won't go into much depth here since there are multiple threads about bucking on the forum.


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## Amlalriiee (Feb 22, 2010)

I'll have to watch him for the pain thing, but otherwise...

I have been using the one rein stop, and spinning him when he doesn't respond. I don't like constantly bugging his head to keep it up, so was hoping there was a better fix. I think I worded my last post confusingly. He has always had a hackamore...I just called the hackamore a bridle at one point which might have been confusing.

He usually doesn't do things like this, so It's also possible that it was a total fluke.


Thanks for the response, couldn't find much on here when I searched before, but I'll look again!


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## ridergirl23 (Sep 17, 2009)

My horse bucked me off when we were galloping uphill about a week ago too! haha but i was way off balance.... which she did not like, lol. 

my first thought would be a grumpy pony, but thas just because most of the ponies over here in canada (we do not have as many nice ponies at europe  ) 
are all grumpy little boogers, its kinda rare to find a nice one. but they are worth theyre weight i gold when we do, haha. 
and my second thought would be pain.

i hope you findout what it was!


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

Two weeks ago yesterday I was riding up in a hilly area. We went down the hill and started back up. Red trotted a short way and then was basically jumping/galloping up. He had a new medium port bit on and I checked him the tiniest bit and he shook his head and bucked twice going up hill. 

Woo hoo - I got a GUT FULL OF HORN. It busted blood vessels and stung like wild fire. I ended up with a black and blue abdomen up to my belly button. I now have a hematoma that needs school supplies and a birth certificate. It was the size of a coke can and now it is a little smaller but it is still large and in charge. I can't trot but I can sit a walk. 

Red has probably never bucked in his life but I think I threw him off balance. Poor guy, he was just trying to get up hill with my big backside astride!


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## Juniper (May 4, 2007)

I have always been told that when a horse gallops uphill that is their favorite time to buck, I have never heard that it is hard for them going uphill, quite the opposite.


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## Amlalriiee (Feb 22, 2010)

The balance thing makes sense to me...maybe just the fact that he's so small!

QOS: that sounds terrible! That is why I don't ride in western saddles  Well, no, that isn't why...but it's a good reason!!!


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

LOL I was in my Aussie Saddle. I don't think I would have got Harriet Hematoma if I had been in my western saddle. OMG it burned like crazy. I was doubled over for a few minutes until it kinda quiet burning! I want to cut the horn off of my Aussie now. I love having a horn but not in the gut. I don't recommend it!


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## Indyhorse (Dec 3, 2009)

My old QH, Twister, almost ALWAYS bucked going up hills. It was never a "something hurts" buck, nor was it a actually trying-to-throw-me buck, it was purely high spirits on his part. His previous owner before me had always galloped him hard up every hill when he rode, so it became a habit for Twister to really cut loose whenever he saw a hill. It took *a lot of walking up all hills *for a long time to get him to approach a hill calmly without jigging, side passing all over the place, and puffing. He still almost always threw in the occasional buck when we did canter on hills, I just always had to be prepared for it - if I wanted to canter on a hill, he was going to get a little too happy about it. :lol:


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

LOL that is a hoot. Red loves going up and down hills but he has a tendency to go too fast and I checked him....lol I will not be checking him again. He is a good boy 98% of the time and his 2% is pretty darn mild so I will keep working at it. I just wish Harriet Hematoma would go to school, move out of state or something - she is pretty darn gross on my belly.


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## Duma (Apr 24, 2010)

a horse that needs his teeth to be floated has caused riding issues before, if he doesnt buck while running on flat land he probley gets away from bucking going up hill. if a past rider allowed him to get away with out disciplining he will continue to buck where he was allowed. make sure you hit him to keep running till you go down the hill. If at all possible spank him while running before he starts in the buck.


Amlalriiee said:


> I thought it had been an isolated incident, but happened again this week....thought I'd throw it out there for any ideas. I was trail riding a pony last year and we got to a steep hill and he bucked me off. I always thought it was harder for them to buck uphill, so I'm not sure why he chose to do it then, although I was only on a bareback pad so I assumed I may have slipped too far back.
> 
> Well, this past weekend I rode him on a trail again, and he bucked me off on another hill. This time he continued to buck throughout the whole ride, so I'm worried that something may be hurting him....but he never ran out of energy so I'm not sure. Right at the end of the ride he bucked and reared pretty big...for a pony anyway...the rearing was my fault. I pulled his head up from bucking and pulled too hard. As far as the bucking goes....anybody know what he might be doing? He is a pony, so he's small and I'm an adult...but I only weigh 105 lbs...and I've ridden him plenty, as has the owner who weighs more...so I'm sure it's not my size. I ride him in a hackamore so I doubt it's the bridle? But it was a different hackamore than usual....so maybe. The saddle is the same one I've used with him for a year...so I don't think it's that.
> 
> Just a cranky pony??? haha


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## Duma (Apr 24, 2010)

its sounds like you are doing the very thing he wants to do is walk, so if you make him work he pitches a fit . dont let him get use to that, discipline him like you would a child


Indyhorse said:


> My old QH, Twister, almost ALWAYS bucked going up hills. It was never a "something hurts" buck, nor was it a actually trying-to-throw-me buck, it was purely high spirits on his part. His previous owner before me had always galloped him hard up every hill when he rode, so it became a habit for Twister to really cut loose whenever he saw a hill. It took *a lot of walking up all hills *for a long time to get him to approach a hill calmly without jigging, side passing all over the place, and puffing. He still almost always threw in the occasional buck when we did canter on hills, I just always had to be prepared for it - if I wanted to canter on a hill, he was going to get a little too happy about it. :lol:


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