| First of all, what is bucking? Typically, your horse has | | | | go freely forward using the Katey McCann method, |
| started to behave like you've donned a cowboy hat | | | | Robbie was working happily in the school with no |
| and he's trying out for the rodeo. In some cases your | | | | bucking or headshaking. He was also hacking out |
| horse will just buck by kicking out with one or both of | | | | happily with no problems, to the great relief of his |
| his back legs. More extreme cases will involve your | | | | owner who had taken the advice about her reign hold |
| horse bouncing upwards on all four feet with his back | | | | to heart and was delighted with the combined results |
| arched upwards and his head and neck very low, this | | | | of their retraining. It's been a few years now but |
| is called broncing. If this is the case then your horse is | | | | Robbie has never once bucked or reared and has |
| really serious about getting you off his back. So what | | | | also stopped headshaking. He and his owner are still |
| causes a horse to buck? | | | | working happily together and have a great relationship. |
| Wild horses use bucking as a natural defensive | | | | There are many other reasons for bucking problems. |
| maneuver to dislodge predators from their back and | | | | In my decades of dealing with problem horses most of |
| the instinct is still carried by domestic horses. Usually | | | | the bucking behavior I've seen has been due to simple |
| this type of defensive bucking manifests as the more | | | | exuberance, your horse is just happy to be alive. If this |
| extreme broncing form and can be a sign that your | | | | is the case there are a number of actions you can |
| horse is in pain, has a cold sensitive back or is in some | | | | take to use up his excess energy. I would start by |
| other discomfort. So your first stop should be the vet. | | | | reviewing your horse's feeding and exercise program |
| Of course it is not always pain that causes bucking. | | | | and consider some lunging work to settle your horse |
| Robbie's owner came to me after a full vet check had | | | | down before riding. |
| revealed no physical pain. It quickly became clear that | | | | Other causes of bucking include: horses with sensitive |
| Robbie was uncomfortable when being ridden but not | | | | backs, mouth pain or learnt bad behaviour (Whilst on |
| due to injury or illness, it was because of the restricting | | | | some level you might sympathise with or admire your |
| and inconsistent rein contact from her rider. This was | | | | prodigy's brains in working out how to manipulate you |
| leading to problems with bucking, rearing and head | | | | to avoid work, you've still got to get him under safe |
| shaking behviours, all of which were inclining her rider to | | | | control). |
| pull those reigns even tighter making the problem | | | | Whatever you do don't give up because, as with most |
| worse. | | | | problem horse behavior, with time and patience |
| After only one week of re-schooling involving lunging, | | | | bucking can be resolved. |
| rewarding the correct behaviour and teaching him to | | | | |