How do you ride bucks?

[honeybee]

Riding a friends horse at the moment, she's been back in work for about a month because the girl who owns her didn't have time in Spring and the mares back was out (and sorted) in Winter 08. Her owner has been walking and trotting her since she came back into work but because she isn't 'riding fit' I've been asked to ride her. Obviously when her back was out it was hurting her when she was being worked and she started bucking through pain.

Popped her up into canter today and boing up comes her bum :lol: little growl and legs on and she cantered on nicely. She's had her back, teeth, saddle etc all done before being brought back into work, any bucks are either through excitement or anticipated pain from before.

Soo just out of nosey-ness how do you react to your horse bucking?
:evilgrin:

[sazzy925]

I tend to just ignore it and carry on, shauny's always a right ****** about bucking when he first comes back to me - and it's just a case of getting on with it and ignoring him, he settles down himself after a bit.

[CDR]

The cob I used to ride occasionally bucked when I pushed him into canter, usually if I used a whip, I just gave him another whack to tell him off and carried on!

[My Crazy Clan]

I supposed I just sit tight and squeeze.

[ness]

It's very rare that kissie does it-but if she does, i just ignore it and nudge her on! It helps if you have a light seat and most of your weight in the stirrups!

[Teej]

When Baby had her pelvis realigned, we were told that it may take her a while to realise that she's no longer in pain before she stops bucking. She's loads better now but she still likes to do the odd buck in canter sometimes out of excitement and other times if she is a ittle unbalanced.

It sounds like you're doing the right thing by pushing her through it because its often instinct to pull back to stop the bucking which often makes it worse and brings them back to trot. As well as pushing her on, you could hold the reins dramatically higher than you should (anyone watching will think your a weirdo :lol:! ) as if you are controlling a puppet on a string, by doing that, she can't get her head down to buck and you won't be pulling her back. That has worked very well on Baby.

[black crow]

Depends how they buck!

If its a simple naughty buck then ill just keep sat normally. If you lean back it usually unbalances you. Sit with it, dont react

Big bucks coupled with rears or bronks need the same sort of attitude, just dont go too far forwards or backwards as it will knock your balance and you will most likely fall

[Pirouette]

I ignore them and carry on. Tali can put in some big bucks but he is good at catching me. People at our yard who have only known him for the last couple of years and didnt know what he was like as a hooligan of a youngster often don't believe how big his bucks are until they see him. To give you an idea, Tali is 14.2hh, one day my friend was riding her 16.2hh mare and was just overtaking us (out of control!!) when Tali bucked. She saw the soles of Tali's hind hooves at her eye level, despite being sat on a horse 2hh higher :scared:

[honeybee]

Pretty much all have the same reaction to me :) If she does start throwing in serious bucks obviously her back will be checked again just in case then it will just be a case of head up & let her get on with it!

Everytime Hamish attempts to buck I normally end up having to pull him up through laughing...he's the one horse I know that cannot buck to save his life! :lol: Wait for it, I'll hack him tomorrow and he'll through in a real one to prove me wrong now I've said that!

[Cinders]

Depends, i tend to just carry on normally and sit tight lol

I generally ignore it, mol's going through a stage of feeling the need to buck into canter i know she'll grow out of it so it doesn't bother me. When she was going through a naughty phase of doing huge handstand bucks she did get told off for it and pulled straight up as that behaviour wasn't acceptable and i didn't want her to buck me off and think thats something she could do. Touch wood she hasn't done it for a few months now so hopefully she's over it lol x

[Sasca]

if its in canter then gennerally its because they feel unbalanced or are inexperienced, therfore i dont tend to tell off for that.

I send forward no matter what (when i have my serious head on and am not just messing about and they're just playing!) if it get serious then get the head up and serious growls and sending forward to get them flat. It also matches my adrenaline level at this point. For me, if this hasn't worked, its usually time to bail out as ill be off either way!

[loubylou]

I raise myself out of the saddle, without leaning forward too muchand push them on. I just find it doesnt jar me as much then!!

[Loony]

Luckily I have a good seat, I've never fell off through bucking/broncing before, only silly reasons :rolleyes: and since bucks are usually unexpected, I don't have time to think "oh i'll lean back, put my weight through my stirrups" etc.. Once it's over though I usually give them a slap on the bum and tug their head up!

I had a pony that bucked with me once because he was being lazy and didn't want to go faster when I told him to, so I gave him a tap with my crop on his backside, and he bucked again, so I told him off again, and he carried on bucking as I hit him.. and they were getting higher and higher.. so I was thinking, right I'm gonna come off in a minute!! So had no other choice but to ignore it instead :lol:

[Lorraine]

Tibbs bucks or fly bucks from time to time and can put in some real whoppers - usually if I really put my leg on, tap him with the stick or sometimes just because he feels like it. I usually laugh, put my leg on and utter the words "don't be a prat"! On the odd occasions when he's thrown an absolute whopper and landed me on his neck, he's been given a good kick as I'm trying to get my bum back in the saddle - he's learnt now that even if I am on his neck I can still use my legs!

[CityLights]

im a bit odd, as long as i feel i can sit it i love bucks, and i can sit most bucks, i tend to just ignore it or start laughing, although one got me off a while ago as it tripped its self up, stupid horse, pull them round onto a circle, the horse has to slow down to buck and cant buck as well on a circle so you either kick on or turn them to make them stop

[XenaWarriorPrincess]

When xen bucks she usually plunges her head down, so i sit up, bring her head up and kick on! She gets a smack on the shoulder if she is playing up and normally gives up then!!

[Welly]

I used to ride a little mare who had the biggest buck I've ever experienced! She was only about 14.2 and very short through her neck and back and would get very excited and OTT in winter and pull her head between her knees and go absolutely berserk, just like a rodeo horse lol! Somehow I think she only ever got me off once (goodness knows how!) but I regularly ended up with a few strands of tail attached to the button on top of my silk!! xx

[Poppy and Harmony]

I tend to stand up in my stirrups and let Harmony rock underneath me :lol: I always keep checking the reins as she tends to go a bit loopy when she bucks!

[hot.to.trot]

The cob I used to ride occasionally bucked when I pushed him into canter, usually if I used a whip, I just gave him another whack to tell him off and carried on!

im sorry, but i dont really agree with doign it this way.

[Poppy and Harmony]

I tap Harmony with the whip too paired with a growl from me, it's totally a behaviour thing and she needs to know it's wrong.

[Roan Mare]

If ponio bucks due to excitement I just stay relaxed and carry on doing whatever I was doing before, as if it didn't happen.

When I first got her however she was unabalanced in canter and if asked her to canter on the straight (usually on a hack) she used to bronc along rather than canter, if you know what I mean?

If this happened I would ask for a transition back to trot, give her a few moments to settle and balance herself again and then repeat the canter transition. This more often than not solved the problem and she'd canter off nicely :p