Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

The title of this post kind of reminds me of my single days many, many eons 
ago.  The horse may dump one physically, but, never spiritually (the kind of 
dumping where they go home to Momma and contact an attorney).

I'd find a brave male rider who has some upper body strength.  Even though 
you've probably taught your horse to put his head down while riding and, 
with that head down,  he's learned to buck while transitioning into the 
canter, you kind of want to reverse that posture for awhile.  Get and keep 
his head up.  A horse can't buck with an elevated head.  Nip it in the bud 
and, usually, all it takes is a good bit, strong pair of reins, and some 
upper body strength.

Find an egotistical male whom you do not like for this job.  Pay him, tease 
him, dare him, or double dare him.  Whatever works to get the job done.  I'd 
nominate myself but I have a feeling you don't live anywhere near me.  I 
kind of like horses like this. They have an attitude that keeps life 
interesting.  My guess is it's a game to him and he's actually enjoying it.  
You need to remove the game from the table.

Don't give up on this guy.  There are worst habits in a horse (rearing, 
biting) and, this one (bucking) can usually be fixed.

cya,
Howard


> From: "Barbara Goldthorpe" <bgoldtho@xxxxxxx>
> To: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [RC]   DUMPED!
> Date: Fri, 2 Apr 2004 12:22:23 -0500
>
> So I've recently started riding again after a two year sabbatical, and 
> thankfully haven't really forgotten anything.  The problem is the Quarter 
> Horse I'm riding, Sunny is a little S.O.B.  Before me today, he had already 
> dumped two other girls, both strong riders like myself, when asked to 
> canter.  He prefers to buck.  Getting his head up does no good because he 
> just gathers himself underneath and unleashes, whether you have his head or 
> not.  After his first volley, I stayed on, albeit around his neck.  Second 
> time, I was gone.  After that we decided to forgo cantering, but when I 
> asked him for a trot, he pulled the same stunt.
> My riding instructor, Bonnie, is at her wits end.  She doesn't know what to 
> try next.  He's wearing the same tack he's always worn, and does not appear 
> to be in any discomfort with regards to his back.  The fact that he tried 
> to buck me off at a trot leads me to believe this is a behavioral issue 
> rather than physiological.
> The only suggestions I had were to: a.  lunge it out of him (probably won't 
> work because he knows the difference between a rider on his back 
> obviously).  b.  a different saddle, such as dressage or western, where 
> it's harder to remove the rider.  Not really a practical option either.  c. 
>  A rider who can stick to Sunny like glue.  (Obviously not me ;-P).
> Any advice is very much appreciated because I don't feel like eating dirt 
> again.  I hurt a lot.  But hey, they say it takes 7 falls to make a 
> horsewoman.  In the meantime, the whiplash does not seem to be part of that 
> course.
>
> Barbara Goldthorpe
> bgoldtho@xxxxxxx
>
> The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse`s ears.
> ~  Arabian Proverb

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