bucking horse help!!!!

H

haflingers4ever

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Jan 10, 2009
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wonderful yorkshire
hi, im looking for some advice. I am about to take on a 13.3 hh 5yr old stocky welsch pony who is been given to me as companion.

The owner has had him for a year and her 8 yr old cannot control it, when the 14 yr old gets on it bucks the same and gets worse the more she asks. vets,physio (cant spell!)and a saddle fitted. But the mother let it slip earlier that she can ride it. So im beginning to wonder if its just taken the mic or weather its done too much too soon and it just needs time.

The family it is coming from is very pro hunting, there best friend is the hunt marster and his daughter used to own the pony and take it hunting presumably at 3 yrs! which to me seems very young for a horse that would just have been broken.

I am hoping to re-train the horse, or atleast atempt to. I think part of the problem is that hes not keen on children,but the daughters like a whippet and the horse is huge!, also i think he needs to learn some manners a bit but nothing that cant be sorted.
Does anybody have any advice on what i can do or different teaching methods etc, im not fussed if it turns out it cant be ridden cause the ladys giving it to me anyway it just seems a shame that a 5 yr olds working life would end now! any advice will be gratefully received :)

thanks in advance :)

p.s sorry for the long post :D
 
If you are sure it isnt pain related then it could just be a case of taking pony back to the basics and working consistently with him.

It could be remembered pain? It could also be habit. Ie if young child got off everytime pony was norty. :)
 
if your sure its not pain then push through it, starting from the ground up may help, but ive found that sometimes if its the only behavioural problem you need to push through it and win the battle.

and maybe the horse didnt like the girl, ive known horses who will buck and rear all day long with certain riders and others will go quite happily.

also the daughter may be used to push button ponies and may be annoying this horse in someway with her riding.

work on ground manners and if you mount up and this still happens keep moving forward literally. also dont lunge on a bucker go in the school someone on the outside in case something happens and move forward whatever pace you can, the forward will soon be associated with a request and the horse will in time respect it then you can work on everything else.
 
Assuming it's not pain now, I agree with just taking him back to the basics & starting again, on a good note. Make sure when you get to the ridden stage, you or whoever is on him will be considerate, great timing, not ask for much, but is also capable of riding out some bucking, so that you can get through the problem.

He's not being 'naughty' or 'taking the mick', he's just doing what works for him. The horse may have learned to buck initially from pain, fear, whatever. That behaviour alleviated the fear/pain/annoyance, so he repeated it the next time. Don't blame him for doing what works for him, but just try to make sure it no longer works for him - by staying on:rolleyes: - and he'll eventually stop trying.
 
thanks guys, i had this problem with my haffi when she strted to take the mic when we first got her.

We've had our own vet to look at it and he cant see anything wrong. The pony neve bucked when it was 3 and out hunting it just started when this 8 yr old started riding it so i think its bad habits and that the've given in, never mind i have and industrial strength body protector! the mother can ride it so im think it is just that the child is now scared and he's learnt that if he bucks he can stop and go run in the 40 acre field! :)

what do you think i should start with first? some lungeing and then putting tack on etc whilst teaching general manners, then do you think its best my sister (11yrs 5")gets on him first or me (18yrs 5'5)?

thanks
 
I believe the biggest key is in taking things back to basics & ensuring the horse understands everything, but more importantly that you teach him to *want* to play your games. More about training his attitude, I suppose. Teach him in baby steps, using positive reinforcement, not just the usual negative that it's worth his while doing what you want.
 
wundahoss said:
I believe the biggest key is in taking things back to basics & ensuring the horse understands everything, but more importantly that you teach him to *want* to play your games. More about training his attitude, I suppose. Teach him in baby steps, using positive reinforcement, not just the usual negative that it's worth his while doing what you want.
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Totally agree :) and lots of groundwork, you need his respect before you start him again under saddle
 
jenxox said:
Totally agree :) and lots of groundwork, you need his respect before you start him again under saddle
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see i have to say that alot of buckers i have worked with can respect you out the ass when your on the ground and even starting everything else over again, even lunge with saddle on and even a dummy weight, but put a person up it starts all again, get off respect again, mount your going back and forth again.

if its the only problem, then push through otherwise you could end up with a horse who thinks its won because you decided to stop riding as bucking worked
 
rgbilyeu said:
see i have to say that alot of buckers i have worked with can respect you out the ass when your on the ground and even starting everything else over again, even lunge with saddle on and even a dummy weight, but put a person up it starts all again, get off respect again, mount your going back and forth again.

if its the only problem, then push through otherwise you could end up with a horse who thinks its won because you decided to stop riding as bucking worked
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haflingers4ever said this pony needs work on his manners, thats why i suggested starting from groundwork :)
 
thanks everyone.
He does need to learn manners but all my own horses (7 of them!) have perfect manners now. I think its because he's never been told no!!
when we went to see him the other night he was pushing the mother all over the place and had no respect for her her, but when he tried to push my dad, and my dad push him back and said no, he just stood there and didnt do it again.

I think hes going to be a success story, its such a shame if not because he's only 5. This summer, hes going to have to live in the field because i cant afford another one on the yard. Do you think just gentle work like learning manners, lungein etc, will do for this summer and then take him to a yard with an arena where he can be re-trained?

Part of the problem seems to be that he was never allowed to be a baby, he started learning at 2 as was hunting at 3 right next to the huntsmaster every weekend. Do you think he just needs to calm down and be allowed to grow up a bit. To say hes 5 hes still very baby like.

thanks
 
How bad is the bucking?

I took on a 'bucker' - similar type, Welsh pony, has thrown a few kids and no one wanted her, she was a 'project' and no one could be bothered taking the time. The first thing I did was have her teeth and back done. Teeth hadn't been done in years and back probably never. Found a few issues, sorted them, got a saddle fitted properly.

Then, accompanied by my trusty neck strap (an old stirrup leather) I just started riding her in the school - at least it's not very far down if she bucks me off. Discovered she is not forward thinking and bucking is evading work. Mountains out of molehills, nothing like the big problem she'd been made out to be so don't assume your pony is going to be the rodeo contortionist until you've either ridden him or seen him ridden and experienced his bucking.

It is amazing how quickly my mare unlearnt the bucking behaviour when she discovered I didn't come off and as she is (was) unfit and not so very flexible her bucks were honestly not that hard to sit. It's only about 2 months since I've been riding her and she still does the occasional one but she is generally a really fantastic pony to have. She lacks manners too but is fundamentally very quiet on the ground so I am sure your boy will be a success story too :)
 
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