Sitting a Buck

RachelEvent

RachelEvent

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Apr 12, 2004
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what are all your techniques for staying on a horse that bucks, broncs, or any variation on the up and down leaping theme?

was it something that was taught to you at some point, or have you learnt through trial and error?

I have to ride a lot of horses that buck, sometimes quite aggressively, whilst I am at work - all in a racing saddle! My technique, which I have used for years with a 99.9% success rate for staying on is riding with fairly short jumping length stirrups, pushing my lower forwards and bracing slightly against the stirrup, whilst keeping my reins as taught as neccessary to prevent the horse being able to get his head down. As soon as possible I get my leg on to send the horse forwards to prevent any more bouncies. I think my way is quite a 'hunting seat' style, but I know some people who feel more secure with long stirrups (no idea why.. explain?)

I do however see a lot of people go SPLAT very quickly as soon as horse starts to leave the ground - it is a shame in my opinion that many riding schools are not able to provide horses to teach people to stay on for fear of litigation.
 
Lower leg forwards & heel down, bridge reins & stand up in stirrups slightly. Used to ride a serial bucker & that helped keep me on! He used to buck that big that once I leant back slightly to keep my balance, and the cantle hit me in the back...
 
Hmm that's an interesting one. I don't think my position changes very much at all other than stabilising myself with my lower half, trying to keep the horse's head up and leg on as soon as possible.

I think the bit that I had to be taught and found the hardest was to urge the horse forward through the buck rather than (as I tended to do instinctively) try and slow the horse down / jam on the brakes in an effort to stop the buck. My horse doesn't buck often (that would require effort on her part) but I'm fairly successful at staying on (fingers crossed!).
 
In my old RS I was put on a pony that would buck every single stride in canter, and most of trot too. It got to a stage where I couldn't tell the difference between him going normally and him bucking.
I tend to do a similar system as you, feet forward, keep their head up and kick on.
 
I don't know - it all happens so fast. I used to stay on my bucker quite happily when I was little, but they were the bigger slower bucks. I never had time to think, but I must have had time to react. The most recent bucker is incredibly slick and quick and she's gone from under me before I have time to do anything. Splat every time, I'm afraid. It's a good thing she's stopped doing it through the other work/training - without me having to be able to ride it out.
 
I've sat bucks as far back as I can remember.

My position is generally secure and so it takes quite a lot to unseat me! Unfortunately there are some instances where a horse is determined to get you off, no matter how much you try to remain in the saddle.

My position has improved now to a point where I don't 'feel' the buck as much as previously.

RE - i prefer shorter stirrups too but having longer stirrups allows your lower leg to swing in front of you (if your weight is in your heels) when they buck so automatically throwing your upper body backwards towards the hindquarters.
 
I dont think i have a method, i never really feel the buck coming :confused:
i do tend to stay on though, although i have come off twice, when i jumped very badly, landed on his neck and he went bucking broncho style up the field!!!! :p
 
I have no idea how I stay on – I just pray I stay on.

Voltans last explosion was a front end up and back end up leaping theme and consisted of me swearing and praying to any god that was willing to listen!
I think my bracing of stirrups and removal of my backside from saddle saved me from hitting the concrete for that occasion. I had not option to push him through it as was next to gate going on to a national speed limit country road.
 
I don;t really know what I do with shortish stirrups as I haven't ridden really short for ages. But i every day riding I tend to ride reasonably longish and tend to sit deep push all my weight into the saddle and keep my hands up so as pony can't get it's head down again.
 
I have ridden a million buckers and tend to just brace myself and get on with it, however, I was once being lunged by an instructor in training and she had me up there with no reins or stirrups (shouldn't do this to start with but I wasn't allowed to say anything) and she whipped the mare I was on with the lunge whip- mare went mental and broke the lunge line cue me on top of broncing lunatic loose on a 70x30m school with NO control. I help onto the pommel ;) with one hand and reached to her ears and got the reins with the other one then hauled her back to being on this planet, got my stirrups back rode over the RI. I was then screamed at and ordered out of the arena by the supervisor for holding on as I "had not been instrcuted to do so"

:rolleyes:
 
RE - i prefer shorter stirrups too but having longer stirrups allows your lower leg to swing in front of you (if your weight is in your heels) when they buck so automatically throwing your upper body backwards towards the hindquarters.
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that's interesting wildponies - but my personal take on it is that long stirrups lets the lower leg get looser and therefore harder to brace it - and although leaning back isn't as bad as falling forwards, it's still easy to lean back too far and get unbalanced that way - then come out of the side door instead of the front one!

Also staying fairly relaxed does help with the balance too (obviously that's the easier said than done bit!!)

I have had one dressage horse buck so high that it's tail flipped over and hit me on the head!! He was alright though, just fresh. Last one to remove me by bucking a few years ago was a hefty cob - was out hacking in a pair, other rider fell off and her horse ran home, cob followed and went buck buck buck buck buck until the girth snapped!! That one hurt!
 
I think most people go for the classic defensive position. I have a terrible habit of riding very short due to previously riding serial buckers. I bridge my reins, heels down, brace slightly, lean back and try to tighten my bowels! :p Also try to disengage the hind quarters and then send them forwards asap.

I won't ride ponies who buck, they're too quick for me! Horses you can feel them thinking about it about 20 minutes beforehand but ponies I'm left on the floor wondering why dearest little _____ is up the other end of the school without me?!
 
I too dont know how i stay on!
D spins first before he starts bucking so i have to be able to sit the spin or i have no chance of staying on the bucks! Luckily he doesnt twist or drop a shoulder. I swear by my balance strap - i havent come off him yet and i put it down to that! I put the reins in one hand and pull myself back into the saddle with the strap. i have now learnt to get my leg on as soon as my wits have come back. sometimes i feel like a rodeo rider and as i get more confident of sitting them i feel like spinning my arm round and shouting yee haa!!!!
 
I'm another pommel grabber :o I used to ride in a dressage saddle, and managed to sit a fair few broncs in it despite the lack of cantle and rather shallow seat - now have a GP and I do push legs forward and lean back, while using one hand on bridged reins to get head up.

TBH, when he broncs, it's usually excitement and I would be stupid to fall off - when he wants me off (it's happened twice - once due to rainscald under the saddle), it's a whole different class of buck and while I can sit one or two, if he doesn't stop at that I usually hit the ground :rolleyes:
 
I ride with longer stirrups, I find short stirrups make me feel perched (and hurts my ankles) I usually just use my thighs to keep me on, Shay does some impressive, bucks, bronks and spins, with a saddle and bareback and touch wood I haven't come off yet.
 
My last horse bucked for Scotland - if he was happy, annoyed, excited, fresh, the back legs came off the ground and sometimes went rather high. He trained me well though, because I can sit a buck like a pro now :D lol I lean back slightly and push all my weight into my heels, raising my bum off the saddle slightly and kick them on as soon as their back hooves hit the ground again.
 
Up and down leaping things:D sounds like a pony i own PHOEBE .:rolleyes:

Well, she kind of just jumps up and down on the spot, but really high when shes excited. Its like riding Bambi. I try to just sit back and tall. If all fails i end up on her neck hanging on for dear life. :o x
 
Well, I've not really ever managed to stay on - the two times I came off riding school horses they bucked going into canter and I went splat and the other month when Storm had a bucking fit (first time in 4 years!) I once again hit the deck. I hate bucking horses.....it all happened so fast, I didn't have time to think. I'm ready for her now and I've got a method I hope I won't have to use which is grip with legs, lean forward slightly and hold neck strap. Probably won't work at all........
 
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