Bucking: Why Does a Horse Do It and How to Stop It?

Why Do Horses Buck?

The word "buck" refers to a particular kind of misbehavior in which the horse plants both feet on the ground and then throws its hind end upwards.

Bucking is how a horse gets rid of a predator، and some horses، when they buck، are intending to get rid of the rider. However، that is not always the case. Horses will also buck for many other reasons. Sometimes، a horse will leap forward and then buck.

Broncs

Rodeo broncs are specially trained to buck violently in order to test a cowboy's ability to stay on. Although some rodeos are shady، most professional rodeos treat their bucking stock (both horse and cattle) very well.

The bronc is encouraged to buck، in part، by a bucking strap that is placed around its loins. The strap does not cause pain، but it does cause some discomfort. Most broncs have short careers، and the majority are turned into riding horses—the horses used to wrangle the bronc out of the arena were often broncs themselves at some point.

Most horses، however، are not trained to buck، and، in fact، some people consider it the worst misbehavior a horse can perform due to the high risk of the rider coming off and getting hurt.

So، why does a riding horse buck?

Pain or Discomfort

A bucking strap is designed to make a horse uncomfortable. This should lead in to the fact that sometimes a horse will buck because it is experiencing pain or discomfort.

An ill-fitting saddle can cause bucking. For some uses، a western saddle is fitted with a back cinch that is designed to prevent it from slipping forward. If the back cinch is too far back or not tightened correctly (paradoxically، this is most often caused by it being too loose)، it can easily turn into a bucking strap. Most trainers recommend not using the back cinch unless you actually need it.