How to stay on during bucking

[Kea]

I rode for years in my youth in both english and western styles, although I never had any formal training. I got rid of my horses during college and never expected to have the opportunity to have another horse. Surprise! I was recently asked to adopt a 4 yr old TB off the track. (long story)

He is a sweet gelding. I have had great success with him in ground training, he is well behaved, and he is fit and sound. (not a health or saddle fitting issue)

I've had a professional ride him a few times a week to get him used to being ridden - not racing. I recently started riding him myself and have been getting bucked off, to my dismay, regularly.

He used to buck the professional guy but they have managed to move past it since he never was able to dislodge this pro. I on the other hand become dislodge much easier than I ever expected.

I have been able to ride through the bucking a few times. I understand about turning him so that he cannot buck, and getting his head up so he cannot buck. I have a grab strap on my saddle and this has helped (when I have gotten ahold of it).

My problem is that I lose my stirrups/irons, once my feet are out I go flying. When I am able to keep my boots in the irons I can work through the bucking but the majority of the time I lose my footing and get thrown.

I am taking lessons and riding a friends horse, but I want to ride my boy! The more time I stay off him the less confidence I have in being able to get back on him.

Any advice?

[Drummers mum]

I'm sorry, I don't have any advice but just wanted to say stick with it and I feel for you, it must be really hard work!

[Kea]

Aww, thanks so much. He is a dream come true and I love him so much. I know we will work it out. I just get impatient - in my head, you know - to fix this. And I have lost a little confidence, I seemed to recall being invincible! Don't worry, I won't give up though.

[TWH Addict]

When I was bucked off Gypsy a couple of times, I did some searching on the internet to see what the best method of handling this was, this may not be a lot of help, but it made me laugh at the time.. Keep smiling and good luck to you:

There is a definite "classical" method one should strictly follow while one's horse is bucking.

1. Ensure that you have an audience. There is absolutely no point in being decked by your horse unless there are, oh, say a hundred people around to watch. This way, you will have made them feel better about their own inadequacies, and you won't have to go into tedious detail explaining to everyone you know exactly how it happened. It is considered good form if at least one of the audience members is either:

a. Someone you admire and want to impress; or
b. Someone you despise and don't want to give any ammo to; or
c. Someone you have the hots for and want to impress; or
d. Your best friend, who will have no compunction in falling over, laughing and pointing.

2. Try to be spectacular. I mean, anyone can just get bucked off and land on their backside, can't they? You want to try to make this "the decking to end all deckings." The Titanic of bucks. You get the picture. Now, for this you will need the following: An extremely acrobatic horse - you want one of those twisty-turny jobbies last seen at the National Rodeo Championships; a supple back - you should practice somersaults, pirouettes and handstands at home; a hat- see, I can be sensible!!!

3. It is best if this buck comes at a time when everyone is watching you, but no-one is prepared for what is to come. During a dressage test is good. Your horse should be working nicely, giving no indication that you are about to become "the person who learned to fly." Of course, experts at this will point to the tail swishing, the ears twitching back, and the tension around the nostrils, but they are show-offs and should be ignored. To the uninitiated, this will look like a dramatic performance which you and your horse have practiced at home.

4. When the horse leaves the ground, and launches you into the air like a cannon ball, it is far more gratifying for the crowd if you can let out a blood-curdling yell. Kind of like William Wallace when they cut his, um, thingies off. Practice this at home. When the local rangers knock on your door, asking if you are keeping a wild cougar in your back yard, you will know you have it right.

5. You should try to stay elevated as long as possible. The longer the better. If your arms and legs fly in impossible directions, as if you were a rag doll, you will achieve additional marks for artistic impression.

6. When you land, try to do so with a thud! The kind of dull kind that you hear when you drop a melon from a great height. Try not to go "splat" - it puts the audience off their hamburgers.

7. Lie immobile for a while, as your horse runs off into the distance. After a suitable time, raise your head and groan : "you b****d".

[kelsmells]

Oh i do like the advice you have given TWH Addict!;)

[kedwards]

:D :D :D TWH Addict, that was great!

Kea, try to sit back. If the horse is bucking, forget about looking pretty. Get your feet forward and shoulders WAY back. If you are leaning forward, you're in perfect position to be launched over the head. Plus, a deeper seat with the weight further back gives you more control.

[MI Horsey]

LOL:D :D :D

[Esther.D]

Just nearly spat my drink all over the keyboard :o TWH addict you should warn people when you are going to post something like that :D It is so, so true......

My worst fall fell into that kind of category but for a different reason but on the if you are going to do it, do it as embarrasingly as possible - I fell off AT WALK when the young horse I was riding appeared to turn herself practically inside out instantaneously at the sight of a paper tissue :rolleyes: then to make things worse I landed smack on my bum on the road and broke my coccyx :eek: which of course is one of the wosrt injuries..because it hurts like hell but no-one can take it seriously :rolleyes:

Kea - no advice, sorry, just stick with it you will get there in the end!

[Wobblydeb]

LOL..... the number of times I have at least done number 7! (I used to ride a bucking bronco pony when I was a kid). Looking back I realise his was probably a pain issue, but as a kid I didn't have the experience to know it, or speak up about it.

Are you absolutely sure there isn't something causing the bucking? Is he doing it because the weather's warm and he's feeling silly, or you've asked for canter and he's finding his spring, or is he making a serious effort to get you off? If it's a serious effort, then why do you think he is doing it? Does he hate being ridden, or is he hating the type of work he is being asked to do? (i.e. Is he bucking you off, so that he can go for a gallop, or so that he can stop and graze?)

As for your question, I don't have any advice on staying on that you don't already know - but how about making it harder work for him if he gets you off, than if he doesn't? If you are hurt or nervous of getting back on, lunge him, or ask someone else to get straight on, and make him work for at least another half hour. Whatever you do, don't take him home and feed him, or put him back in the field ;)

[Kea]

Y'all are awesome!

I'm sure the bucking is not from pain or mis-fitting equipment. I think it fits into one of the following reasons:

1) Youth, energy, excitement - the rodeo bronco buck while leaping into the air. ( I lunge him before I ride, every time, to get this out of his system)
** A note on this one - I almost always make it at least 8 seconds (for you rodeo goers) and have been rated with the highest marks by many observers!

2) He's doing great at the walk and trot but when I ask for the canter he bucks while he's getting into the new gait. - this one is usually quick and painless and I have been able to ride it out on occasion. (unless it's combined with #3)

3) Something startle's him, like a trailer with squeeky shocks, or a piece of farm equipment getting cranked up. - this is the one that I can never predict and typically turns into a combo of #1 above. Never have been able to stay on for this one.

I have a friend loaning me a western saddle to ride with tonight so I'll let you know how it goes.

I know my inexperience as a rider has a lot to do with it being a continual problem. One of may main concerns is that if we dont get it worked out it might turn into a seriously bad vice. He's smart enough to know that he can use it as a way to get out of doing what I'm asking. (He has tried use shying and prancing about when startled but if I just ignore it and keep him moving forward he gives up and gets back to work):)

[Em 1]

Not much to add to everyone else's advice. Definitely keep your feet forwards - adopt your best chair seat. Use your stirrups and brace against them if necessary. Most people advise keeping the head up and stopping them bucking but I had lessons at Hayfield EC whilst on holiday this year. John is a very experienced accomplished rider and he pointed out that bucking is often due to excitement or fear and once they get it out of their system they settle down. Therefore, don't pull their head up but let them buck. Easier said than done I know but it might work. If you are not fighting the horse you may get through it within your 8 second record!!

[Kea]

Well, I think it's been about a week or so since I last updated you on the bucking problem.

We decided to try something new. I got together with another girl at the barn and have been letting her work my horse on the days that I dont have the time. We worked him together twice, on the lunge, and riding walk trot, he was a hellion on the lunge but was good with each of us in the arena riding. (no bucking) But she mentioned that she he seems to be working himself into a frenzy in the lunge ring and believes it makes him behave worse when he is ridden. (since we were riding right after lunging him) So we have been working him on the lunge early in the day, then letting him go out in his paddock, and then riding him later in the afternoon for about 30 minutes or so - without lunging him before hand.

So far he hasnt bucked either one of us!! And he seems to be enjoying our rides.

With both of us working him, he is also now getting ridden 6 days a week.

We also decided that having different riders and doing different things seems to be something he likes. I've been able to let my boyfriend ride him a few times too. So he gets ridden in the western saddle and gets to stroll about the grounds, the dressage saddle and has to work a little bit in the arena, and the jumping saddle getting to trot around the jumping yard. We have been careful to be using the reins, bit, and our leg aids as much the same in any saddle as we can (being 3 different people it's not perfect but we try) so he doesnt get confused.

So far so good.

We are also working on getting him to canter from a walk, with the hopes that this might curb the bucking during the begining of the canter. - Will keep you posted :)

[Wobblydeb]

Wow, that's really good!!!

I am so impressed with the progress you have made! :)

You would not have got me near a horse that had bucked through a solid 8 seconds, never mind ride it again... and you've just proved that it can be done.

Wow

:cool:

[Kea]

Well THANKS!!!! All 3 of us are pretty proud of the progress.

My boyfriend actually had a few pretty good bucks from him last night but managed to quiet him down. I had ridden for about 35-40 minutes in the dressage arena and decided to ride another horse for a little while, my boyfriend got on to walk him down and I got on the other horse in the arena next door - there are two dressage riding areas/arenas side by side. Well apparently my horse did not like it that I traded him in :), my boyfriend said that he bucked several times when he was heading toward the area where I was riding and could see me on the other horse. But, we are still happy with the progress, these bucks were very small - only his two back legs lifting off the ground and then a little hop forward - once he was turned in a tight circle each time, he discontinued the buck and trotted forward, then calmed down and walked on.

Very Exciting.

** and a little note on the very humorous post with the "correct" seat for bucking... I've been through pretty much 1 - 7 on the list ... last night there was a lady out with her horse, she is ALWAYS there when I get bucked off!!! she's really nice, but it was SO GREAT to have her there when I made it through almost 40 minutes of riding without a single buck!!! and for my boyfriend to have managed to handle the bucking he got and keep riding. (I know she was watching:D )

[carrimclaren]

Well i've never been bucked off but i've done plenty of number 7's when i've fallen off :D

Glad you're making progress with him Kea, sounds like he's coming on well. He sounds a right character. Always think it makes a nicer horse, one with a bit of character :) Well when they realise they can't always get away with trying to fling you into solid objects anyway.

I used to ride a horse at the stables who was notorious for bucking his way across the UK ;) The time you had to watch him was the first grass field you came to. As long as you kept him going forward and kept his head up he was okay but god help you if you forgot :D <--- guess which dimwit forgot on a rather long hack out. We did 20 mins of roadwork and went through a ford (he was a star) but then we started up the hills. He was an angel in the first field but then we came to a small post that we could jump and he just got over excited bucked, trumped and whacked the horse next to him :rolleyes: How guilty did i feel. But oh no not content with that he spent the next field bucking and farting his way across. Luckily my balance usually stays okay when bucking commences so i stayed on. My language however was turning the air blue :p

The stable hand tried telling me he did it playfully and he was just excited to be out. I reckon he did more out of being a grumpy, miserable old bast*** :) It was a top hunting horse though, once you'd got past the second field.

[Kea]

Well, I'm a little disappointed today. Lost my nerve with my horse last night while in the dressage saddle. ( I have been doing great with the western saddle, but I take lessons in dressage on another horse on Saturdays and like to work him in the dressage saddle at least once a week, hoping I will feel comfortable enough with him to switch to the dressage saddle full time..eventually :cool: )

I didnt lunge him first, which seems to be going well, my friend had lunged him in the morning and he had all afternoon to graze, and had dinner about 2hrs before our ride. He was being very "antsy" swating flys, stomping and kicking a leg out every so often. ( Very ADD, he is a real multi-tasker!! ;) )We were walking doing a square pattern and he was fine, then trotting the square, up to the corner - half halt and turn then trotting to the next corner. He gave a few small bucks and I was okay, but I think he could feel me tensing or loosing my nerve. I was happy with his responses on the square so we switched to a serpetine. He kept up the little tiny bucks every few minutes or so, then actually gave me a few full bucks.

He was really good in the aspect that every time I tapped him on the shoulder and reprimanded him he went back to a nice forward trot, but it finally got the point where I was so nervous that he would just break out into a bucking fit and send me flying that I just stopped trotting and walked for the rest of our time.. it was getting dark so I had to quit soon.

We rode for about 30 minutes but the last 15 was just walking. I know it wasnt a bad ride, but I hate it that I was so fearful that I gave up working at the trot. I tried to make sure that he didnt realise that my fear was why we switched to a walk, but he might know and just be taking advantage of me.

Tonight I ride the horse I take lessons on, and Thursday I will be back on my horse in the western saddle. :(

Hmmmm....... does anyone think I should ride for 1/2 hour with the western saddle, and then switch saddles to the dressage saddle for the last 1/2 hour?:cool:

[carrimclaren]

Hmm not sure about the different saddles as i as i've never ridden western style and no naff all about it.

But don't put yourself down about the losing face thing. I know how it feels as it's taken me a while to get my nerve back with my mare in the school. For a while i'd just concentrate on trot poles or walking/bending schooling as i just lost my bottle everytime i tried to have a session in trot without some sort of aid (poles etc.). But the way i saw it was at least i was doing something with her when i could have lost my nerve and plonked her back in the stable. Always try and end on a good note and then just put it down as a sh*t night :) If you don't feel confident riding him in the dressage saddle, just stick with the western one. There's no harm done in admitting the time might not be right for the dressage one. At the end of the day it's your horse, your leisure time and it's up to you :)

[Kea]

Thanks.

The western saddle is much larger, has big stirrups to brace myself with, and a "horn" at the pommel that I can hang on to. With the western saddle I am able to sit back, dig in with my feet, hook my reins around the horn and hold onto the horn. This helps alot if he really goes at it, and I can turn him with the inside rein while I'm hanging on with my outside arm/hand. :)

The western saddle doesnt offer me the leg and seat contact that the dressage saddle does though. (Which is quite possibly why my horse is much better behaved in the western....1st he knows he can't get me off and 2nd he doesnt have to feel my seat and leg aids much....)

Yes, I will keep at it with the western saddle, and practice on the other horse with the dressage saddle ;) for now.