any advice for bucking T-rex

[raidgirl]

i have just got a new horse named t-rex, he's a 16 hand, 15 year old pallamino, quarterhorse. i got him of a man who owns a lot of horses and because he was'nt using him he has been in a paddock for about 12 months.
i have had t-rex for about four weeks now, so far i have been on several trail rides with other riders and done some work on him in the round yard, and on walks on my own.
t-rex is quiet to catch and saddle and fairly good in general, except he likes to pull off when Im with the other horses, and when i try to hold him back he bucks till i let him catch up.
also when i am in the round yard and commence to trot him round, after several circles he starts his bucking again, this goes on for a good 5-6 circles until he settles down.

when i take him out on his own he dawdles and stops to look at things, and on his last walk he was shying at all sorts of silly things.
he acts totally different on his own compared to when he is with the other horses, than nothing bothers him except being the MAN in front

As I am a rider who hasnt riden for about ten years, the bucking is really off- putting and a bit freaky as he is a big horse. I am trying to be firm and not to let him dominate, but it is proving to be a real battle.

has anyone got any ideas to help me settle him down,or to stop his bucking,
thanks

[Edited by raidgirl on 25th Aug 2000 at 02:37 PM]

[Maci]

Sorry to see you're having a problem!
I also have to win some battles over with my quarter horse!
Try getting a crop (if you already do not have one) and giving him a smack everytime he bucks. Try putting your horse to a halt after you smack him, and telling him in a very strict and firm voice 'Quit'. I find that helps because when you stop them, they have nothing else their doing to distract them, and their paying attention to you.
Hope This Helps!
Maci :)

[dbthrash]

It sounds like we are having the same problem. I was going to post a very simular question today until I read yours.

My young gelding is starting to do the same thing while working in the round pen. It's almost as if he's bored and knows it scares me, so he starts kicking and somewhat bucking around. I've been just trying to ride it through, but today he did it more than ever and it really scared me. I'm afraid he'll go into an all out buck and I won't be able to stay on.

Any advice out there?? Thanks:):):)

[staci]

Hello Raidgirl&Dbthrash,
My advice would to have the horse taken for more training,to correct this problem before it becomes a habit for them.I do know that anytime a horse offers to buck you should not bring him to stop ,because pretty soon he will buck to get to stop,and you have another problem instead of solving the first one.

[claireh]

hi!
i was going to post a simmilar question until i read yours, so hope you dont mind me "pinching" the advice youve been given & asking for more!

my new horse is only 4, therefore understandably green, but he is great on the road and in the arena at a walk. however, the minute i ask him to trot he launches into a full pelt bucking bronco display which lasts until i land on the ground! he also did this when ridden by a far more experienced rider who is well known to my friends and i as being able to sit anything!

Ive had his saddle , back and teeth checked by the relevant people, and there are no problems in any of these areas.

any one got any ideas?

[dbthrash]

Thanks for the replies so far.

Since last week my horse has stayed at my trainers where he is being riden daily and being taught some more advanced manuvers. My trainer thinks since he's young (4yrs.) that he's become bored and ready for something different to challange him. He tells me that in the situation where his tantrums (slight bucking, and kicking) occur that I need to just drive him out of it and straight forward so he'll be required to collect himself, get his feet under him, and change his direction of thinking. This also means stepping him up into a trot or lope and wearing him out a bit if needed.

Hopefully after a few weeks with the trainer, his attitude will have changed and I'll be able to follow through with the advice and not let him sense my fear in that situation. It is almost like we are playing a mental game back and forth, and right now he has my number.

As for the other young 4yr.old who will walk well but refuses to step up with out bucking........... if it's not an equipment problem is it more an attitude problem?? That's what my case seems to be. Maybe you could teach him some new cues to occupy his mind and meanwhile keep asking him to step up a little at a time for a short period of a time. If you get him up with success, stop after a short period to reward him and let him know that's all you wanted and it really wasn't so bad. Maybe start in small circles. Good Luck!!

Let me know how it goes!!:):)

[claireh]

Hi all!

Thanks for your advice dbthrash, I combined it with other advice i've been given, took him right back to basics but tried to keep it interesting & and asked my boy to trot on the lunge- it seems that he hadn't been lunged before I had him, or if he had he'd forgotten it all, as it obviously was proving to be a challenge for him!

Anyway, after a fairly short session with lots of "good boy's" and fuss for the correct behaviour, not to mention a couple of half-hearted and one very serious attemt to bolt & buck like crazy,(foiled buy a good pair of gloves & grim determination on my part!) he finally managed to make the transition from walk to trot back to walk and to halt without messing about in any way! I immediatley praised him, gave him a treat & turned him out with his friends, thus , I hope, reinforcing his good behaviour! He proceeded to be very pleased with himself & seemed to get the point that what I was asking of him was infact very simple.

Since then the weather & the petrol crisis have been somewhat against us & we havn't repeated the exercise as soon as I would have liked, but I have noticed that he is less reluctant to do basic things like pick his feet up etc, so Im hoping he has got the message that doing what I ask him to is easier that doing what he thinks will get him back to his friends more quickly!

Hope things continue to progress well with you & yours, let us know how it's going!

Finally, how are things going for you, raidgirl? Good luck to everyone else who is having simmilar problems!

[raidgirl]

thanks everyone for your suggestions.
since i posted my problem i have just kept working t-rex in the round yard. i know now that his bucking is an attitude problem, and he only does it when he dosent want to work.
i brought him of a 15 stone cowboy, who use to use his manly srength and voice to drive t-rex, and keep his respect.
t-rex will test me all the time in different ways, its in his attitude and the way he has been trained.
i did do the bonder on him, and it worked for about 2 days, i think i dont come across strong enough, and thats why he tests me.
now i have him i love him, so i will keep trying.