Now I Need Some Help :[

[Manda]

Okay. So I've been riding Wes for about a week now. He was the perfect gentleman, but I went out there today, and he kept bucking. (He bucked once or twice on Thursday when I rode him as well, but it wasn't really serious until today.) They weren't strong enough to unseat me, but I could still feel it (and see it in his shadow) and he even reared, and I have NO idea why. He doesn't seem to be in any pain, I checked both of his front legs for heat and/or swelling and there was none. It got to the point where he wouldn't even walk without bucking or trying to rear. I would try to hold his head down to prevent him from rearing, but then he'd buck, and vice-versa. I got so discouraged that I just got off, and I didn't want him to throw me off.

I've been riding him in a fairly large round pen, that is right next to the pasture, and the other horses like to gather around it/run at it, and freak him out, I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it, but he's been fine every other time.

I've just had some bad experiences with horses, and I don't want to have such a bad experience with him that I'm fearful of riding him, because it takes me forever to get my confidence back.

Help? Suggestions, anything.

Thanks. <3

[Skip_n_Hide]

Well... as long as its not his back, etc. it may just be high spiritedness... as you say the horses like to make an appearance in the field right next to it, that can become abit of a distraction.

Are all the fields at your barn separated? Or is it just one big field? If it is just one of many fields with a few horses in maybe you could either asktheowners to take their horses out for a while at a set time or ride when you know they arent gonna be out. See if this is the cause of the problem... if it isnt... atleast you can rule it out and start tryin to think of the next reason it could be!

Good luck with the training... dont be dishearted hun!

[aub TVF]

Manda,

It sounds as though you are just getting back into riding Wes after some time off? Regardless... the bucking and rearing that you seem to be experiencing seems to me to be A. a feeling good at the idea of getting back into work and/or B. a bit of a test for you in terms of your riding and/or training regimen. First and foremost I would hate for this to turn into a fearful endeavour that you spoke of in the latter part of you post...

Here are my thoughts... I think that you might need some guidance in the form of a ground person (ie: a trainer) to guide you in the right direction if only to get you on the right track and direction of a ultimate goal that you might have for you and your horse... Having said that... A simple fix in the mean time might just be a simple lounge to wear him down... Again as I stated earlier.... It might just be that he is eager to work and is feeling good...

Your mention of getting off of him when he acted up is the last thing that you can ever instill in a horse... Actions such as that only teach a horse that he does not have to work if he misbehaves... I recognize and respect your concern of not wanting to get hurt, but if ever in that situation again... I would recommend getting off and continuing to work him in a side rein, long line, or even something as simple as again a lounging situation...

You must set the precedent that you are the boss....To reiterate I do feel as though a trainer would be your best bet at this point... It does not by any means sound as though it is a physical ailment on his part though I do think it is good that you have had that thought...

Good Luck and Be Safe,

[Manda]

Well... as long as its not his back, etc. it may just be high spiritedness... as you say the horses like to make an appearance in the field right next to it, that can become abit of a distraction.

Are all the fields at your barn separated? Or is it just one big field? If it is just one of many fields with a few horses in maybe you could either asktheowners to take their horses out for a while at a set time or ride when you know they arent gonna be out. See if this is the cause of the problem... if it isnt... atleast you can rule it out and start tryin to think of the next reason it could be!

Good luck with the training... dont be dishearted hun!

There are two fields, but the gate between them is left open, because there are so many horses (8 including Wes) on 2.5 acres, so they have to be able to get away from each other if needed. My horse is boarded at my trainers, and all of the other horses belong to her. I said something to her about it, and she just said that "he needs to get used to it" which I agree with, but not if it's going to make him throw me off.

Thank you though.

Manda,

It sounds as though you are just getting back into riding Wes after some time off? Regardless... the bucking and rearing that you seem to be experiencing seems to me to be A. a feeling good at the idea of getting back into work and/or B. a bit of a test for you in terms of your riding and/or training regimen. First and foremost I would hate for this to turn into a fearful endeavour that you spoke of in the latter part of you post...

Here are my thoughts... I think that you might need some guidance in the form of a ground person (ie: a trainer) to guide you in the right direction if only to get you on the right track and direction of a ultimate goal that you might have for you and your horse... Having said that... A simple fix in the mean time might just be a simple lounge to wear him down... Again as I stated earlier.... It might just be that he is eager to work and is feeling good...

Your mention of getting off of him when he acted up is the last thing that you can ever instill in a horse... Actions such as that only teach a horse that he does not have to work if he misbehaves... I recognize and respect your concern of not wanting to get hurt, but if ever in that situation again... I would recommend getting off and continuing to work him in a side rein, long line, or even something as simple as again a lounging situation...

You must set the precedent that you are the boss....To reiterate I do feel as though a trainer would be your best bet at this point... It does not by any means sound as though it is a physical ailment on his part though I do think it is good that you have had that thought...

Good Luck and Be Safe

I love your advice. I really do.

I just recently bought Wes (On December 31st) and I gave him some time to adjust, and then he pulled up lame, so I recently just started riding him. I don't think he's "happy" about getting back into work. He pins his ears back and doesn't want to move. In a way it seems as if he wants to wander over to the other horses, even though he hates every single one of them. I think he's testing me.

I have a trainer, but I haven't told her about this yet. I know I need to, but I know she's going to say "I told you so." because my horse is green broke, being only 4 years old, and she didn't want me to ride him yet. I lunge him before I ride him for a good 5-10 minutes, and he's perfectly fine. No bucking or rearing.

I know I shouldn't have gotten off, but no one was around, and the last thing I needed was to fall off, get hurt, and not have anyone around to help me.

I'm going to try to book another lesson with my trainer to see if we can sort this out, but at this point I think I may have to revert back to the training surcingle for a while, until he understands what is expected of him.

For all I know, he could be in pain, seeing as he did pull up lame not too long ago, but he is showing no signs of pain or discomfort, so I'm not really sure.

Thank you so much for your advice, I really appreciate it :]

[horsesxox23]

if wes wants to keep bucking and rearing, turn him in a tight circle on the forehand, this will disengage his hindquarters so he cant buck or rear, and get him focused on you, try to work his mouth with the reins in ur fingers, right as u get out of the turn make him go straight, dont let him stop, i no one of the horses i am training right now has somewhat of the same problem, he is a hyper horse and if there are other horses going out of the gate he will try to follow, if i stop him he will refuse to move and rear, so i do a turn on the forehand and before he can focus on the gate again i make him go straight away from the gate becuz his attention was still on me, and if ur horse is buckin becuz of giddyiness, dont stop him, if the bucking gets dangerous then yea, prolly stop and have ur trainer work with u and him, but if the buckin is not unseating u, then get him at the pace u want and keep him there until he stops bucking, when he stops and goes as u want him to for even the shortest time, stop and praise him, only when he behaves tho, this will show him that if he bucks he will only encounter more work, but when he behaves he is rewarded, u prolly no all this, but have fun and dont let it get to u

[Cornerstonegirl15]

The horse i ride, Happy also used to buck. what i did was to "punish" him for his bad behavior and to dicourage him from repeating it. A tap with a crop (if he doesn't react badly to it) may work. every time we decides to buck give him a tap on the hind quarters with it. also you should work through the bad behavior and not get off unless ur trainer get on to help you. if you get off you are in a way rewarding the bucking and rearing. I hope that helps... :)

[DixieGirl]

my trainer told me to bend horses when you think their about to buck. you just go around in a circle. or you could do roll- aways. does this help?? :confused:

[Lizard]

The horse i ride, Happy also used to buck. what i did was to "punish" him for his bad behavior and to dicourage him from repeating it. A tap with a crop (if he doesn't react badly to it) may work. every time we decides to buck give him a tap on the hind quarters with it. also you should work through the bad behavior and not get off unless ur trainer get on to help you. if you get off you are in a way rewarding the bucking and rearing. I hope that helps... :)


yeah...i agree with this. If they keep bucking, give them a tap right after they buck, no matter how many times they do it. This will hopefully teach them that when they buck, they get punished for it. Also try to keep your horses head up :)

[HappyHorse13]

Manda, you have some guts! Damn! If I were riding Wes, I would of either:

A.) Pissed myself
B.) Had a heart attack in fear
C.) Or, A and B
:p
But anyways...this is what I'm thinking. Maybe Wes, after not working for so long, maybe he is NOT happy about going back to work {like you've said}. My friend's horse, Dusty {the one who I always talk about} wasn't ridden for an entire year, and when he was first lunged {with the saddle on}...HOLY CHEESE & CRACKERS was he a total NUT! He was crowhopping at least five feet in the air, bucking, rearing....yep, that's my bronco boy! But that was only on the lunge line, under saddle he was fine.
Wes may have forgot what "saddle+rider=weight" and he might not like weight on his back {I'm not calling you heavy!}.
I was also thinking that Wes might of lost respect for you under saddle. You've said that you've been working with him on the ground, right? He could have forgotten that "ground manners" and "under saddle manners" are two different things, and maybe he isn't just ready for the work. Here's what I would do:
I would have my trainer ride Wes, and I would be lunging him. He just may need a more experinced rider under saddle right now. Every time Wes even LOOKS like he's going to rear or buck {hunching his back, etc.} tell your trainer to drive him forward {at a faster pace} and when he calms down, ask her to go slower. Every time Wes acts up, make him go faster, and every time he stops, slow him down.Teach Wes that it is only MORE WORK to buck and rear and BEHAVING is less work. BUT---do not over do it! Don't be cantering Wes constantly or something like that. Give him breaks, or split up days. I've read in the horse books that I have {and magazines} that lunging can be hard & tiring for a young horse. If you over do it, Wes will not want to ride at all. Make it fun for him, steer him around obstacles, etc.
Oh, yea...
And tell the other horses to STFUA!!!!!!
:D

[StarGirl]

Also, and any trainer will tell you this, a good way to discourage your horse from bad behavior, and pain free, is to back them up when they are about to do the action, or after it. If you know he's about to buck or rear, stop him and back him up. If he does buck or rear, once again, stop him and back him up.

But have your trainer get out there. Fast. The longer it takes for him to learn he's not the boss, the worse he will be under saddle. Good luck!

[Manda]

if wes wants to keep bucking and rearing, turn him in a tight circle on the forehand, this will disengage his hindquarters so he cant buck or rear, and get him focused on you, try to work his mouth with the reins in ur fingers, right as u get out of the turn make him go straight, dont let him stop, i no one of the horses i am training right now has somewhat of the same problem, he is a hyper horse and if there are other horses going out of the gate he will try to follow, if i stop him he will refuse to move and rear, so i do a turn on the forehand and before he can focus on the gate again i make him go straight away from the gate becuz his attention was still on me, and if ur horse is buckin becuz of giddyiness, dont stop him, if the bucking gets dangerous then yea, prolly stop and have ur trainer work with u and him, but if the buckin is not unseating u, then get him at the pace u want and keep him there until he stops bucking, when he stops and goes as u want him to for even the shortest time, stop and praise him, only when he behaves tho, this will show him that if he bucks he will only encounter more work, but when he behaves he is rewarded, u prolly no all this, but have fun and dont let it get to u


I've tried the turning on the forehand, it works, until I try to go straight :/ Then he just continues to buck/rear. Thanks for the suggestion though.


The horse i ride, Happy also used to buck. what i did was to "punish" him for his bad behavior and to dicourage him from repeating it. A tap with a crop (if he doesn't react badly to it) may work. every time we decides to buck give him a tap on the hind quarters with it. also you should work through the bad behavior and not get off unless ur trainer get on to help you. if you get off you are in a way rewarding the bucking and rearing. I hope that helps...

Thinking about that, it sounds like a good idea, but I know that he will go completely ballistic if I bring a crop into the picture. Before I bought him, the woman that rode him, to show me how he acted and moved, was just carrying a crop, and he was crowhopping and just terrified. The second she put it down, he was fine. If all else fails, I may try it. Thanks.


my trainer told me to bend horses when you think their about to buck. you judt go around in a circle. or you could do roll- aways. does this help??

I've done the bending, but I'm not sure what a rollaway is, care to tell me?

Manda, you have some guts! Damn! If I were riding Wes, I would of either:

A.) Pissed myself
B.) Had a heart attack in fear
C.) Or, A and B
But anyways...this is what I'm thinking. Maybe Wes, after not working for so long, maybe he is NOT happy about going back to work {like you've said}. My friend's horse, Dusty {the one who I always talk about} wasn't ridden for an entire year, and when he was first lunged {with the saddle on}...HOLY CHEESE & CRACKERS was he a total NUT! He was crowhopping at least five feet in the air, bucking, rearing....yep, that's my bronco boy! But that was only on the lunge line, under saddle he was fine.
Wes may have forgot what "saddle+rider=weight" and he might not like weight on his back {I'm not calling you heavy!}.
I was also thinking that Wes might of lost respect for you under saddle. You've said that you've been working with him on the ground, right? He could have forgotten that "ground manners" and "under saddle manners" are two different things, and maybe he isn't just ready for the work. Here's what I would do:
I would have my trainer ride Wes, and I would be lunging him. He just may need a more experinced rider under saddle right now. Every time Wes even LOOKS like he's going to rear or buck {hunching his back, etc.} tell your trainer to drive him forward {at a faster pace} and when he calms down, ask her to go slower. Every time Wes acts up, make him go faster, and every time he stops, slow him down.Teach Wes that it is only MORE WORK to buck and rear and BEHAVING is less work. BUT---do not over do it! Don't be cantering Wes constantly or something like that. Give him breaks, or split up days. I've read in the horse books that I have {and magazines} that lunging can be hard & tiring for a young horse. If you over do it, Wes will not want to ride at all. Make it fun for him, steer him around obstacles, etc.
Oh, yea...
And tell the other horses to STFUA!!!!!!

Trust me, I felt like I was going to do both, but I had to concentrate on him. I agree with you though. He's 4 years old, the guy who owned him before me only rode him once every few months, and only at the walk. He was supposed to be put on the track, and that never happened, so he's never really been worked. I can lunge him with a saddle on, and he's fine, he'll even go over little jumps, but the second I get on his back, he's a disaster. He was fine the first few times I rode, but then I think the realisation of "work" hit him, and he decided to get a bit ornery.

I understand what you mean about the weight (I know you weren't calling me heavy :]), it makes sense. I think I may have to put him in a training surcingle until he understands that he has to work.

Having my trainer ride Wes is going to be an issue. She won't ride him. For that matter, she barely ever rides. That's one thing I really dislike about her. I love her to death, but there are some things that bother me about her, and for that reason I was thinking of moving Wes to another barn, and probably another trainer. Either that or convince my parents to let me send him away for 30 days of some professional training, and I don't want to do that.

I've only cantered Wes twice since we've started. The first time he was a bit out of control, but the second time (which was right before this whole problem started) he was perfect.

I try telling the other horses to STFU, but they don't :[

Thank you for your opinion and insight, I appreciate it.

Also, and any trainer will tell you this, a good way to discourage your horse from bad behavior, and pain free, is to back them up when they are about to do the action, or after it. If you know he's about to buck or rear, stop him and back him up. If he does buck or rear, once again, stop him and back him up.

But have your trainer get out there. Fast. The longer it takes for him to learn he's not the boss, the worse he will be under saddle. Good luck!

That's something else we've been working on, but I'll try it. Thanks.

[aub TVF]

Manda,

My thoughts are by no means the end all be all? It sounds as though you are thinking that he is a bit herd bound... It happens... Are you riding him away from his "buddies?" Are they visible? That could quite possibly be a reason for his reluctance to go to work if in fact he can see them... (A visual or vocal remembrance of his friends can be a extream deterant to work...) If you really feel that is the case... mabey it is time to turn him out by himself, out of sight of his "friends"? The thought of him "needing to get used to it" does not always work for every horse... in fact.. for all of the years I have been doing this... thier have been very few barns I have worked at and/or had expierences with that turn out horses together... (for many reasons.... one of the few being what you speak of). We have to remember that we are working with heard animals... Of coarse they will carry some attachment... some more than others...

Excluding the fact that you bought a young horse (which I might agree with you trainer was not the best idea... It is what it is), any horse must learn to aclamate to a sort of program... being it novice or advanced... If you have a trainer that is truly passionate about horses and the success of a horse/rider combination... Listen to him/her... Mabey... As it sounds to me... you should invest in a professional only riding your horse for one month to see what his "test," "quirks," and "challenges" really are... In some cases... they are more than you can, or could handle, and for that, be glad he is in training.... and for others they might possibley be innocent... either way... having a pro. spend some time with him will give your teacher/trainer a better understanding and/or direction of which to teach you on how you can be a better be a team player with him... Green horses are often challenging and unpridictable... If it is success and a quality rider/horse team you are after... I again highly recomend and can not emphazie enough you seeking and commiting your horse to some time with only a professional (Say 30 days to start with) to evaluate what you really have... Then you might re-evaluate if this is really the horse for you...

Good Luck,

I am anxious to hear how your progression goes...


There are two fields, but the gate between them is left open, because there are so many horses (8 including Wes) on 2.5 acres, so they have to be able to get away from each other if needed. My horse is boarded at my trainers, and all of the other horses belong to her. I said something to her about it, and she just said that "he needs to get used to it" which I agree with, but not if it's going to make him throw me off.

Thank you though.



I love your advice. I really do.

I just recently bought Wes (On December 31st) and I gave him some time to adjust, and then he pulled up lame, so I recently just started riding him. I don't think he's "happy" about getting back into work. He pins his ears back and doesn't want to move. In a way it seems as if he wants to wander over to the other horses, even though he hates every single one of them. I think he's testing me.

I have a trainer, but I haven't told her about this yet. I know I need to, but I know she's going to say "I told you so." because my horse is green broke, being only 4 years old, and she didn't want me to ride him yet. I lunge him before I ride him for a good 5-10 minutes, and he's perfectly fine. No bucking or rearing.

I know I shouldn't have gotten off, but no one was around, and the last thing I needed was to fall off, get hurt, and not have anyone around to help me.

I'm going to try to book another lesson with my trainer to see if we can sort this out, but at this point I think I may have to revert back to the training surcingle for a while, until he understands what is expected of him.

For all I know, he could be in pain, seeing as he did pull up lame not too long ago, but he is showing no signs of pain or discomfort, so I'm not really sure.

Thank you so much for your advice, I really appreciate it :]

[Manda]

Manda,

My thoughts are by no means the end all be all? It sounds as though you are thinking that he is a bit herd bound... It happens... Are you riding him away from his "buddies?" Are they visible? That could quite possibly be a reason for his reluctance to go to work if in fact he can see them... (A visual or vocal remembrance of his friends can be a extream deterant to work...) If you really feel that is the case... mabey it is time to turn him out by himself, out of sight of his "friends"? The thought of him "needing to get used to it" does not always work for every horse... in fact.. for all of the years I have been doing this... thier have been very few barns I have worked at and/or had expierences with that turn out horses together... (for many reasons.... one of the few being what you speak of). We have to remember that we are working with heard animals... Of coarse they will carry some attachment... some more than others...

Excluding the fact that you bought a young horse (which I might agree with you trainer was not the best idea... It is what it is), any horse must learn to aclamate to a sort of program... being it novice or advanced... If you have a trainer that is truly passionate about horses and the success of a horse/rider combination... Listen to him/her... Mabey... As it sounds to me... you should invest in a professional only riding your horse for one month to see what his "test," "quirks," and "challenges" really are... In some cases... they are more than you can, or could handle, and for that, be glad he is in training.... and for others they might possibley be innocent... either way... having a pro. spend some time with him will give your teacher/trainer a better understanding and/or direction of which to teach you on how you can be a better be a team player with him... Green horses are often challenging and unpridictable... If it is success and a quality rider/horse team you are after... I again highly recomend and can not emphazie enough you seeking and commiting your horse to some time with only a professional (Say 30 days to start with) to evaluate what you really have... Then you might re-evaluate if this is really the horse for you...

Good Luck,

I am anxious to hear how your progression goes...


Actually, I'm not riding him away from the herd. The round pen I ride him in is right next to the field where all of the horses are. They can literally stick their head over the rail of it. I was going to ride him in our other round pen, away from everyone else, but my trainer started helping me, and kept me in the one I was already in. I don't know if he's herdbound. I think it's the fact that they're annoying him is what is distracting him, not him wanting to be with them. He doesn't get along with any of the horses out there, except for 1, and he isn't a problem he stays away when Wes is being ridden. Turning him out alone is a problem, purely because we do not have the space :/

I know it wasn't the best idea, but he really is a good boy, and his previous situation makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about it. I'm going to start him in a surcingle, with some serious ground driving, for 30 days, and if we have no improvement, (my trainer guarantees he will be like a different horse if I do this) I'm going to discuss the possibility of having him sent to off to a trainer.

I, once again, appreciate your input, you really seem to know what you're talking about :]

[Comanchegurl14]

Actually, I'm not riding him away from the herd. The round pen I ride him in is right next to the field where all of the horses are. They can literally stick their head over the rail of it. I was going to ride him in our other round pen, away from everyone else, but my trainer started helping me, and kept me in the one I was already in. I don't know if he's herdbound. I think it's the fact that they're annoying him is what is distracting him, not him wanting to be with them. He doesn't get along with any of the horses out there, except for 1, and he isn't a problem he stays away when Wes is being ridden. Turning him out alone is a problem, purely because we do not have the space :/

I know it wasn't the best idea, but he really is a good boy, and his previous situation makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about it. I'm going to start him in a surcingle, with some serious ground driving, for 30 days, and if we have no improvement, (my trainer guarantees he will be like a different horse if I do this) I'm going to discuss the possibility of having him sent to off to a trainer.

I, once again, appreciate your input, you really seem to know what you're talking about :]

If you do send him off to a trainer...just a piece of advice...but go and watch the trainer ride him sometime. If you watch the trainer work on him and it seems like the trainer is doing good with him, then ask questions, what does he do, how does he do that. That will help a lot. At the barn where I ride, whenever my "trainer," (she's more of a good friend and my riding instructor) is around, she gives me tips and teaches me how to do things and just the other day, I asked her to get on my pony because he wasn't doing very well and she did and he did better with her, and she's so nice, that she spent half an hour with me showing me how to do something till I got it. That's another thing, find a trainer that would be willing to show you some of the stuff and teach you a little bit. Some trainers they deal with the horse and if you ask questions they kinda ignore you. Try to find a trainer that will answer questions and show you what they do when the horse does certain things. And this may seem a little weird, but it might help to take some notes if it seems like something they're doing is really working. Just a few suggestions.

[DarkChylde]

Blessings!
Very good advice, I would like to put a few ingredients into the stew.
I would be wary of 'punishing' your horse. Just becuase you don't find hot spots doesn't mean your saddle is a good fit, and I am such a convert when it somes to saddle fit. PLEASE check this out first!! I have a freind from England who does mine and she is great and has helped with 'issues' BIG TIME. PLease, please get the saddle checked for proper fit by someone who knows what they are doing.
That aside, if your trainer says 'don't ride yet' I would LISTEN. It takes one session to mess up the training of a young horse, and can take you months to undo the 'mistake'. TRUST ME ON THIS ONE!! Personal experience speaking!! My mare is 3 going on 4 and I haven't graced her back yet. My husband doesn't understand what is 'taking me so long', but to avoid just such problems is why. I know it is hard to be patient, and perhaps if you are just getting back into horses you should have gotten one already well trained until your skills improve. Horses who do not have a very clear understanding of what is expected will react that way, and it is not their 'fault.' That is why it lies on us to discover how to get them to do what we want.
You said your horse doesn't seem to be happy in the work. It is up to YOU to get him to want to be with you. I believe you are expecting too much too soon, and you are getting a sour horse as a result.
Two parts of adivice I would give. Number one, study Parelli (or Monty Roberts, or Gawani Pony Boy is a fave of mine) and learn what to teach your horse. I have recently purchased a book which has become my training bible called the Basic Understanding and Training of the Young HOrse by Ingrid Klimke (love her, love her, love her!!) and that can help as well. But it sounds as tho an attitude adjustment needs to be made, which must be accomplished by you, and such things may fall into place with that.
You see, your horse didn't come into your living room and run you off the couch and start trotting you around your living room, but we do that to them, so we must approach it with that understanding. Just because you pay the bucks to feed and take care of your horse, do not expect him to be grateful.
My second part is LISTEN TO YOUR TRAINER. I too would not have recommened you get a young green horse when you still have confidence issues, and she may be right. Should you chose to work it out, and I hope you do, for your sake and for Wes's, then LISTEN NOW! If she knows her stuff, and it sounds like she does, she may be able to help, but not if you don't listen.
Not meant to scold, but sometimes we have to hear what we don't want to listen to, to address a situation.
Good luck, and brightest blessings!!

[Comanchegurl14]

Manda,
Really what I think is happening is he is losing respect for you because you are not pushing him and making him work. He doesn't like to work, but if when he buck you just get off of him, your making the habit worse. If you're scared he'll buck you off, don't ride him yet. Work on getting respect on the ground first. My input is to borrow some groundwork videos from Chris Cox, Parelli, or Clinton Anderson. That really helped me with my horses to watch the Clinton Anderson videos. If you do get on him, when he does act up, DON'T BAIL! It sounds like you have a pretty serious problem here, and if it doesn't get helped soon, then I suggest that you do have someone else ride him. I have a young horse too, and I know they can be a handful sometimes but they are worth it. Mine bucked me off one time. I just got right back on and pushed that horse forward with everything I had, from that day on she never did anything except try and when she did try to buck, I made her work all the harder. If you do have confidence issues like I've seen some people say on here, than you should have bought an older horse, not neccasarily a boring one, but an more experienced and not so green one. Since that didn't happen it's better to try to train the horse you have and if you have to take him to a trainer. And, like DarkChyld said, if you would listen to your trainer, it might help. Every time my trainer says something I listen because I know it'll help and it does! You gotta listen to her and not ride him, because like I said, young horses can be fun and worth it, but you can also mess them up BADLY!! So, listen to her and don't ride without her or a more experienced horse person around. Again, like DarkChyld said, not here to lecture, but sometimes you need to hear things that you don't want to. And you asked our opinions on this stuff, we're gonna give it to you! lol....hope this helps! :)

[Casper2002]

I have a mare that just loves to buck, because she can and she knows she is good at it. you can try lunging him over small crossovers before you ride him and that might help. it did with my mare. she jumped and got all her bucks out then. the best buckers always make the best jumpers.

[ToujoursLesBelles]

i dont really have any advice to add except:
people have said to keep their head up when they're going to buck,
this is true, but be careful not to let their head get TOO high.
this can start a new habit of rearing.

[fowlerk]

Also, and any trainer will tell you this, a good way to discourage your horse from bad behavior, and pain free, is to back them up when they are about to do the action, or after it. If you know he's about to buck or rear, stop him and back him up. If he does buck or rear, once again, stop him and back him up.

But have your trainer get out there. Fast. The longer it takes for him to learn he's not the boss, the worse he will be under saddle. Good luck!


It is better to bend them stargirl because all of my 5 instructors said and 6 including both of our trainers say backing makes it eacier for a horse to buck.

[fowlerk]

I've tried the turning on the forehand, it works, until I try to go straight :/ Then he just continues to buck/rear. Thanks for the suggestion though.




Thinking about that, it sounds like a good idea, but I know that he will go completely ballistic if I bring a crop into the picture. Before I bought him, the woman that rode him, to show me how he acted and moved, was just carrying a crop, and he was crowhopping and just terrified. The second she put it down, he was fine. If all else fails, I may try it. Thanks.




I've done the bending, but I'm not sure what a rollaway is, care to tell me?



Trust me, I felt like I was going to do both, but I had to concentrate on him. I agree with you though. He's 4 years old, the guy who owned him before me only rode him once every few months, and only at the walk. He was supposed to be put on the track, and that never happened, so he's never really been worked. I can lunge him with a saddle on, and he's fine, he'll even go over little jumps, but the second I get on his back, he's a disaster. He was fine the first few times I rode, but then I think the realisation of "work" hit him, and he decided to get a bit ornery.

I understand what you mean about the weight (I know you weren't calling me heavy :]), it makes sense. I think I may have to put him in a training surcingle until he understands that he has to work.

Having my trainer ride Wes is going to be an issue. She won't ride him. For that matter, she barely ever rides. That's one thing I really dislike about her. I love her to death, but there are some things that bother me about her, and for that reason I was thinking of moving Wes to another barn, and probably another trainer. Either that or convince my parents to let me send him away for 30 days of some professional training, and I don't want to do that.

I've only cantered Wes twice since we've started. The first time he was a bit out of control, but the second time (which was right before this whole problem started) he was perfect.

I try telling the other horses to STFU, but they don't :[

Thank you for your opinion and insight, I appreciate it.



That's something else we've been working on, but I'll try it. Thanks.


I agree with dixie girl because we have the same trainer.

[Manda]

Thanks for all the replies guys, but let me point something out, I don't have a confidence problem, I built my confidence back up on my old school horse, and now I'm perfectly fine.

I do listen to my trainer, I'm letting her help me, but recently, she has been getting on my nerves, purely because she treats me like I'm one of her own kids, and it's gotten to the point where I just cannot stand being around her. Once Wes is on the right track, I'm switching barns.

My saddle does fit, he's very weedy, and once he fills out, I will need to buy the gullet system to adjust my saddle to him, but right now, it fits.

Wes is not stupid, he knows what I want him to do, he just has no respect for me at all, so he plays with me. He's very bold, which will be good when we start over fences, but right now, I have to learn how to control his boldness undersaddle, and my trainer is going to help me. I do listen to her, I always have. I don't know why everyone thinks I don't. It was her in the end that said I could handle Wes, and he would make me an amazing horse, and she still stand by that. I do not regret buying him at all.

Really what I think is happening is he is losing respect for you because you are not pushing him and making him work.

I agree with you 100%, thank you for seeing my point.

[DarkChylde]

Blessings!
I truly apologize if I seemed harsh or came across as judgemental. It was never meant to be. It is my only desire to help you BEFORE you amke all the mistakes I did, and took months to rectify. But I am sorry if it hurt your feelings in any way. :(
It sounds like you may need to switch trainers already, as personal problems will find their way into the ring, too. You should be working with someone you have complete confidence in, and your instincts may be telling you that you may need another trainer. A maternal relationship wouldn't be a healthy student/teacher interaction, I would think. But that is just my opinion. Perhaps trading up trainers would get you and Wes 'on the right track' all the quicker? Just a suggestion. I learned a long time ago, just because someone gets paid for doing something, doesn't mean they are doing it right.
It was much harder for me when I was young to take criticism than it is for me now. I always temper my reactions to criticism now with 'perhaps this person has a point, ' which hardly seems as strong as the hurt feelings which tends to acompany criticism. But when I am paying a person, like a trainer or a coach, to criticise me, it takes on a whole different light. There are times people can hurt our feelings with 'advice' or criticism, but if taken in the light that they really are trying to help, then the realization comes that this person isn't telling me this to make me look bad, or because they think badly of me, but rather because they have stood right where I am standing, and can tell me what lies around the corner, perhaps it would take the sting out of it.
I wish you and Wes all the best, and I think you have a good start. I would seriously research training methods and work on the ground rules at all times. And don't take it all too seriously!! Takes all the fun out of it.
Be Blessed!! ;)

[Manda]

I took no offense, I just think everyone interpreted what I said the wrong way. :]

I wish I could leave my barn now. I wish I could have left 3 weeks ago, but I am still trying to find a suitable barn. I found one, a hunter/jumper show barn, but before I even attempt to move Wes, I want to get him to a point where he is rideable, and managable. The woman that owns the barn that I'm looking at takes a lot of pride in her barn and horses, and I don't want to be the owner of the psycho-freak horse. I do think my trainer knows what she is doing. I have ridden her school horses, and they are very well trained (she did train them herself) but like you said, our relationship goes too far beyond student and teacher. It just feels like a stab in the heart everytime she tells me something I don't want to hear. It's like everytime I go out to the barn, I nearly burst into tears, and I don't know why.

I appreciate everyone's concern, and comments, I wasn't expecting this much of a reply.

I go see Wes today, and he's getting ground driven for the first time, I hope things go well.

[Skip_n_Hide]

Ground driven, eh? That'll be fun... good luck... have fun! Wes is a great horse and he will mature more in time... :p

[littlefilly]

:rolleyes: I like what Stargirl said. I was always told to stop and back them up. Think about it!!! You are putting them on there hind quarters not just turning them because after awhile they will get wise to that folks! Stop and back them. You can't work there brakes enough. The rearing is a PROBLEM which needs a trainer. Please don't hesitate to involve him/her!!!!