head down and bucking in canter

[Mark]

I chalked up a new experience in my very short riding career this morning. I went on a hack from a school on a horse I haven't ridden before. When I asked for canter he got his head right down and bucked and then felt as though he was going to take off. The first couple of times this happened I thought I was going to come off but managed to regain control. On subsequent occasions I managed to keep his head up and he was fine.

I like to learn from these expereiences so I've looked on the internet for various explanations. These range from the horse simply feeling that he his being held back and wanting to get ahead to the rider 'thumping down' too heavily in the saddle while pulling too hard on the bit. What does anyone else think? I'd like to work out what error I was making.

Drat! - I meant to put this in 'training of the rider' - sorry.

[Katie_85]

I'll move it for ya'! :)

[liberty911]

It could be tack, it could be the bit, it could be that you "thumped" him but from personal experience most of the horses that I have seen or felt buck at the canter were just feeling a little fiesty. We have a warmblood mare were I ride at and she usually get's into work easily in general she is a great little american girl. However if she hasn't had a nice amount of turn out in a couple days when you ask for the canter you can expect some playing up especially when she knows her normal rider is not riding her. The best thing you can do if a horse is bucking or in general playing up is keep them moving foward. (doesn't have to be pretty just very forward riding) and do exactly as you did by holding that horses head up. I have found sometimes that holding a horses head up especially on some of very large horses we have is impossible for me. They are just plain too strong.

[floppy]

the haflinger i ride use to and still does sometimes do this when asking for canter in a common place. To solve it you have to be ready and hold her head up a little when asking for canter. Also you have to ride as many differnet routes as possible so she doesnt get use to cantering in the same place or even expecting to canter.

another way i solved this probelm is that as soon as she has bucked i bring her back to walk and make her walk backwards saying back quite harshly and ask for canter again. This also helps alot and she learns from it and i rarely have a reoccuring problem from her. She accepts punishment from the tone of your voice not from being beaten with a whip like someone i know does to her :( But of course this doesnt work when you are out with a group of horses and can stress the horse out if one friend is galloping away and you want to stop your horse and ask again.

[larri]

My Saddlebred/Tb filly used to do this every time she cantered and it was sheer high spirits just to kick up her heels - a little yeehaa!
I would just bring my shoulders back and lift my hands and she'd settle into a better position. I backed her myself and she did it loose, on the lunge wherever!
Very scary feeling tho when the whole front of your horse disappears and the back end comes up! Well done for handling it so calmly!

[FreedomStar]

There is a TB horse at my stables named Tutor. He has that same problem too, but it's always because he's feeling fresh, or he just is plain ticked off at the world. If the horse is doing this just to annoy you, you need to let the horse know that it's not acting correctly. What I normally do is bring the horse back down to a trot or walk, and take them around once, calming the horse down. Then I'll try again.

[Wally]

It might have been tha the horse was simply enjoying himself too!

You can sometimes tell whether the bucking session is one of "GET OFF", or "WEEEE!" in either situation it is best to sit as quietly as you can and ride it out. If it is "WEEE!" hauling and pulling will only make the horse sore and he will become sour and if it is "GET OFF" it will only re-inforce the ides in the horses' mind that he want you off if you are hauling pulling and beigng coarse.

[Mark]

Thanks for your comments. I've had another ride on the same horse. I asked about the bucking this time and they confirmed that it is something he is prone to do when he's enjoying himself too much. We bucked along merrily in the first canter despite my efforts to keep his head up. Then I tried to ride him through it more as well and this worked quite well. When he settles his canter is quite collected and not alarming at all. He can certainly give you some scary moments but overall he's a good ride. I do prefer to see some horse in front of me though I have to admit!

[3 day eventer]

ask if you can have grass reins put on him next time this will keep him from putting his head down without you struggling.

[floppy]

grass reins are called daisy reins arent they in england? i got a daisy rein delivered from enlgand today for a little boy whos horse keeps pulling forwards and putting her head down

[3 day eventer]

Originally posted by floppy
grass reins are called daisy reins arent they in england? i got a daisy rein delivered from enlgand today for a little boy whos horse keeps pulling forwards and putting her head down
ive never heard them called daisy reins?

[floppy]

can you descirde to me what grass reins are then?

[mikka]

Grass reins run from bit to saddle's D rings and keep horse from lowering head to eat... not really reins as you'd think of them.

[floppy]

wires crossed. i was talking about the strap that runs from the d-rings up across the neck and attaches inbetween the ears onto the head piece of the bridle. :D
daisy reins also help prevent bucking and horses lowering their heads to munch on grass without effecting the natural carriage of the hrose or making them independant on other sorts of reins

[maverick927]

my pony bolts when he's excited (like at a show or XC) or when he's had to many oats. It doesn't bother me when he bolts but it does bother me when he puts he head down and puts his bum up. I loose my nerve very quickly for him to do that, esp. on XC. For him there's no other explanation. It's just part of his nature.

[unicorndanca]

My 3yo will buck when excited in canter or if he doesnt want to canter and is made to, mostly only when excited though. For that reason I havent 100% trust in him and cant 100% relax as the times I have been thrown have been when I wasnt expecting it. Apart from that he is the most docile animal and persons that have never seen him do this could never believe 'he'd have it in him':D Do you think he will grow out of this or will it just be 'his thing'? Even though only 3yo he is practically bomproof ( well as much as a horse can be. I know this is hard to believe but its true) and would make a wonderful bigger pony for the kids if not for this one glitch:eek: