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

A horse who bucks may also be "out" and need a chiropractor or experiencing hind end lameness. I have also known horses to buck because they are tired physically or mentally.

Excite.ment

Some horses will buck out of excitement or joie de vivre. If you see a bunch of horses running across a field bucking، they're likely burning off excess energy.

Needless to say، it is not a good thing when your riding horse gets excited and starts bucking under you. Some horses will do a small buck when striking off into the canter. The famous showjumper Ryan's Son was notorious for popping two or three bucks at the end of a round.

A horse bucking out of enthusiasm usually still has its ears forward، although that may not be easy to tell when you're trying to stay on.

Enthusiastic bucking generally means that the horse needs to burn off that excess energy. Lunging for a few minutes before riding can help get the buck out of the system. Going for a good long trail ride is often a good idea. So is doing more complicated exercises، so the horse is thinking about something other than bucking.

Evasive Bucking

This is when the horse is bucking to get out of work. In this case، the horse is likely trying to intimidate the rider into getting off. It can often be identified because it is associated with other unpleasant behaviors such as balking، dropping the shoulder on corners، trying to bang the rider's knee on a tree or wall، etc.

In some cases، this can graduate to a deliberate attempt to throw the rider. There is a big difference between a horse that is deliberately trying to throw you and one that is either expressing pain or thoughtlessly throwing a buck in because it feels that good. The horse that intends to get you off by bucking will spin or twist to the side (watch how the broncs do it—those horses are experts at putting a highly skilled rider in the dirt—it's their job).

If a horse really wants to get you off by bucking، he will. Trust me. Such horses need to be retrained by somebody who has good fall training، a good seat، and knows how to handle the behavior. This often means a trainer used to dealing with soured or dominant horses.

What to Do if Your Horse Bucks?

When a horse bucks، they stop. They are not moving forward at the time of the buck. Therefore، if a horse tries to buck with you، the best thing to do is boot it in the ribs and really try to drive it forward. They can't do a high buck and move forward at the same time.