taking off issues, and bucking+kicking, plz help :(

[James]

Shady has always been head strong with pulling and usually while trotting a line or a smaller fence he canters maybe 2 strides early, but latley he's been bucking A LOT during w/t/c, and then when we go to start popping oversome warm up trot fences, he takes off and pulls and fights with me 8, 9 strides early. if i circle he thinks we're never going to jump then gets impacient and starts to canter and pull me A LOT so i try to come into the fence blindly, so he has no time to take off.

Bucking is not so much the issue anymore, he mainly did it to get the lead and when i asked him to continue cantering. coming out of fences, and doing the changes during a course, he bucks to get the change.


yesterday was a plesant change, he was tired from another girl riding him, so he didnt have enough energy to take off/buck/go fast and uneven and an un even tempo.


i need advice with slowing him down going up to/out of fences plz help!


ps. pictures below are first, of me asking him to canter, and 2nd trying to get him to keep his pace at the trot.

[Melissa]

hmm... nice pictures! good job staying in the saddle.
Have you checked his saddle and back to make sure he isn't sore?
Also, maybe you could try a different bit? or maybe he is bored with the ring? have you tried any trails / field work?
I used to ride a morgan mare that used to do things like this. I would circle and she would speed it so I would have to use my seat and lots of half halts... if you got your leg on her she kick out or take off. I rode her in a hackamore sometimes in a very mild snaffle other times. For me i just kept a very solid and easy seat and hands. I'd say prepare for his bucking and keep his head up and move him on. As far as jumping goes... I would wait untill he gets out of these bad habits or set up a lot of trot poles before the jumps or do some gymnastics. Hope that helped :) good luck!

[Morgan]

My TB gets REALLY strong towards fences, and so does my trainer's horse. However honestly I think that my trainer's horse lunges at the fence because he is scared. Have you checked your saddle to see if it pinches? Or any kind of sore spots? Also try to work on something else for a while, like maybe do a little bit of trail riding and not so much arena work, that might help to make him not so ansy.

[Stephanie Tyler]

I have a mare who also has some of the same problems...she gets super excited when we jump she will rush towards the fencesand buck when we trot/canter partly becuase she is young and it is new to her...but you just need to be patient and use your seat first to tell him to stay back with you and do lots and lots of transitions and some ground pole before the jump to make him trot...try halting a few strides before the fence and then trot to it from a short distance and then halt in a straight line after the jump also try heading toward the jump then circle left then head toward the jump and circle right until he has calmed down some what and then take the fence....hope this may help you in some way and good luck with him....!!!!!!!

[Steph]

you should go to parelli.com and look into buying the impulsion dvd from the success series. it teaches some ways to mentally and emotionally slow your horse down =]

[Nancy]

Question to anyone who has already responded to this: Is the problem of bucking when transitioning the same as if a horse kicks out before a transition, or are there completely different problems? Because this is what the horse I have been riding has been doing, and we're pretty sure it's just attitude and nothing physical...

[Nancy]

That's true. I don't think he's being malicious or trying to get me off, it's just weird.I rode him yesterday and he was doing it again, but only when I asked for the right lead. When I asked more gently, he was more willing to pick up the trot and the left lead. I'm wondering if he's sore or something and that's causing him to kick out. I don't know. I hope it gets better, though.

[Hillary]

You are wise to first rule out any physical/saddle fit issues. If there aren't any, then it sounds like he's testing the next rider - you - also, perhaps a bit lazy. Have you considered riding with a crop as an additional aid? Sometimes a 'girthy' horse responds more to a tap on the shoulder than excessive kicking from the rider. Knowing what he responds to is key - observe his behavior to better undersatand him and what works - don't always subscribe to conventional rules - find out what works.

Asking for work can be difficult, especially when testing the leader. Stay calm and let him know that you are directing the work.

Regarding slowing him down before the jump: soften your seat to the pace you want. Also, correctly applied, the half-halt can do wonders. One more thing: if necessary to keep him in line, practice blocking him - although strong rein aids aren't desireable, it could be warranted here - depending on your position: hold the inside or outside rein straight and guide with the opposite rein - block him from moving where you don't want to go. BUT, you must reinforce this with the appropriate leg - a strong leg for balance and control. Keep him balanced so that he knows that you have his safety in mind and that you will keep him secure over the fences. If he is not confident that you will keep him safe, he will shy.

Also, because I ride a horse with a similar issue, I suggest sitting the trot a few beats before the canter - this can give you a strong leg position when asking - make sure that you are asking correctly so that he is not confused. One final note: go back to trot and canter under standing balance to make sure your leg is good - and go back to some basic longe line to concentrate on your seat :)

[Stephanie]

may i suggest lunging him? and whenever he bucks at the canter literally turn his nose to ur foot and make him spin and continue until he stops. make sure its not a neurological thing, like get ur vet to help. or do a lot of groundwork too bcuz by gaining respect u eventually get a healthy and happy horse!

[Hannah]

All I can say is that your horse has a BUNCH of holes in his basic training. I'd start completely over from the beginning, teaching him to walk/trot on a lead line on the ground, then progressing to lunging, etc. Ponying him from another horse seems like it might help him too. It also seems like your horse might be totally bored with arena work. I'd do a lot of leg yeilding, walking/trotting/cantering over poles, and some trail rides to help keep his mind fresh. Once you've gotten to the point in his training where he can start jumping again, put 3-10 trot poles in front of the jump and trot him into it. They're spaced so he has to keep the same rythm and speed, or else he falls flat on his face (not literally). Just let him go through those a few times until he gets the hang of it. Also, don't school him for hours and hours, to start just ride for about 30-45 minutes, then get off and reward him if he's been fairly good. Also, most horses rush jumps because they're scared and just abosulely want to get it over with as fast as they possibly can. Again, going back to the basics and some pole work will do wonders :) Also get your vet out to make sure there's nothing wrong with your horse that's making him buck and rush. Then check to make sure if your tack fits. If nothing's wrong with your tack and horse, just restart his training. Good luck!