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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1062
 
Location: Probably On the Road to the Next Barrel Race! | I have a 4 year old I bought "trained and patterned", about 5 months ago...they told me she was a little "cold-backed", and needed a few minutes warm-up in round pen. Okay-y-y-...we get her home and she proceeds to buck nearly every time my husband got on her. Checked all health issues, including chiro, and she DOES have a sweet little handle, but...she bucks. Now here is kicker. I've only ridden her 4-5 times, but she has never bucked with ME...could it be a man/woman thing??? (my husband is the trainer in the family, not me, he is very kind and gentle, so it's not like he has been mean to her...) HELP!! Opinions, please... |
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 Tried and True
Posts: 21185
 
Location: Where I am happiest | How often is she getting rode and does your saddle actually fit her? |
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 Coyote Country Queen
Posts: 5666
| I would also wonder about saddle fit. But I do believe there are some horses that just won't tolerate a man/woman. My SIL had a horse that was broke by a man who apparently got a little rough with him. This gelding was perfect when women rode him, but as soon as a man got on him he'd turn into a booger and do things like try to rake them off on the fence. My husband's old rope horse would buck with my husband, but he never took a wrong step with me and I put him in some situations where he should have dumped me! And I used to ride a mare that was spoiled before I got her. She never bucked with me, but people who owned her before and after me have told me that she bucked with them.
With that being said, I'd still wonder why she bucks and why she needs to be warmed up in the round pen before being ridden. If it's not saddle fit, how does your husband respond when she bucks? Can he prevent her from doing it? For example, we used to have a gelding that bucked every time he was lunged in the round pen, and I really think it was a habit. He never bucked anywhere else, even if we just stepped on him without lunging. Some people would rather kick them into the buck and "get it over with" but I personally would rather do whatever it takes to keep them from bucking in the first place. And sometimes with mares you can't go into it with kind and gentle attitude. I'm not saying you have to be mean, but rather firm. All of the spoiled horses I've taken in to ride have been mares (not saying your mare is spoiled, just that she's a mare!) and all that it took was a firm hand and letting them know I wasn't going to put up with their nonsense and we were done with it.
Not sure that any of this applies to your situation, but some thoughts that popped into my head when I read your post. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1062
Location: Probably On the Road to the Next Barrel Race! | Thank you so much for your input...you have given me a lot to think about. We have at different times a)laid her down b)hopped off immediately and made her work her a** off on the ground (ala Clinton Anderson)...at which point, I may add, she doesn't buck again during entire ride. It's just tomorrow is always a whole new ball game...she may or may not, but with him, it's about a 75% buck rate. I am going to have him ride my saddle, just in case that might be it, though. Is there any other way you can advise that she should be "gotten on to" for bucking? |
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 Sock eating dog owner
Posts: 4553
Location: Where the pavement ends and the West begins Utah | I would have her palpated /ovaries,treated for ulcers and chiroed and search for rib being out and shoulder out. This horse is trying to tell you she is hurting, if she truly has a clean bill of health try cinching up slowly and use a wide cinch, if it is string switch it out for a felt one. Use a navajo under a saddle pad. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | I didnt read all the other post's, but wondering do you and hubby have his and her saddles? And does he weight more then you? If so on each question, I wonder if your saddle could be fitting better and maybe weight difference could be making a difference. Just a thought  |
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Location: Big Blue Skies | I would also check for ulcers. And horses that are touchy sometimes are deficient in magnesium. Made a big difference in my horse. |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| I was going to say ulcers, some of those magnesium suppliments work. Or you could put her on a week of,previcox and see if that helps.
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 Dog Resuce Agent
Posts: 3459
Location: southeast Texas | The ulcers, and I would get this horse off all sugars. keep the Sugar starch content at 10%. Corn, Oats, molasses, all are high sugars. |
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Coyote Country Queen
Posts: 5666
| So are you saying that when she bucks you get off immediately? I certainly wouldn't do that, because that teaches her that when she bucks you get off. We have laid a couple of horses down, but not multiple times with each horse, just once and if it's going to solve the problem it does. If this were my horse, I'd quit with the lunging before every ride, because I'm simply not going to spend the rest of my life lunging a horse before I can get on it! Get on and go. If she bucks, ride her through it and continue on. If you're handy enough (which I'm not!) you can use a split rein and give her a butt spanking when she bucks. If you can't ride her through it, send her to someone who can.
As far as grain, I'd also consider looking into PSSM horses to see if this is a potential problem since you mentioned her being cold-backed. No personal experience with this, but I've heard people say that PSSM horses will often be cold-backed until warmed up, and they need consistent exercise. This would mean she'd need a high fat, low starch diet. We have a horse that will tie up, so we feed him like a PSSM horse, but he's never been cold-backed. |
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 Namesless in BHW
Posts: 10368
Location: At the race track with Ah Dee Ohs | Jenbabe - 2014-03-08 8:43 AM So are you saying that when she bucks you get off immediately? I certainly wouldn't do that, because that teaches her that when she bucks you get off. We have laid a couple of horses down, but not multiple times with each horse, just once and if it's going to solve the problem it does. If this were my horse, I'd quit with the lunging before every ride, because I'm simply not going to spend the rest of my life lunging a horse before I can get on it! Get on and go. If she bucks, ride her through it and continue on. If you're handy enough (which I'm not!) you can use a split rein and give her a butt spanking when she bucks. If you can't ride her through it, send her to someone who can. As far as grain, I'd also consider looking into PSSM horses to see if this is a potential problem since you mentioned her being cold-backed. No personal experience with this, but I've heard people say that PSSM horses will often be cold-backed until warmed up, and they need consistent exercise. This would mean she'd need a high fat, low starch diet. We have a horse that will tie up, so we feed him like a PSSM horse, but he's never been cold-backed.
This! When she bucks, gather her head up and spank her fanny. Most times a spanking or two is all it takes. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1062
Location: Probably On the Road to the Next Barrel Race! | jenBabe, you are right...think we are going to try a few things your way...try to ride her through it, possible with a spanking. And no more lunging before riding because I'm not going to do that forever. Thanks everybody for advice on ulcers, saddle and cinches! Any more ideas from anybody are welcome. Thank you SO much! |
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 Texas Lone Star
Posts: 5318
Location: where ever my L/Q trl is parked | you know there are horses out there that perfer a female rider or a male. I know from experience --my husband had a mare that would do anything for him, be it trail riding, playdays, team penning/sorting etc, but wouldn't for me. I perfer and seem to get along better with mares than geldings, but not saying one is better than the other it's just my perference.
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Expert
Posts: 2121
Location: The Great Northwest | If you want to do the training, I would look at Clinton Anderson's DVD's. They are super easy to understand. You will completely understand how to ask in small steps and the horse will soon become easier and easier to get along with. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1062
Location: Probably On the Road to the Next Barrel Race! | Dear Skye...my husband is a "trainer" of about 12 years now. He started with John Lyons and progressed to Clinton....anything we know about foundations on barrel horses we learned from them. The idea we had of jumping off and making her hustle her feet came straight from Clinton. Hasn't worked, so far LOL...I can't wait till tomorrow, I think husband and horse are set for a butt-spankin', come to Jesus meeting! I will post again in a few days and see if that works...something in my gut says YUP!! it will! |
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Location: Texas | Ulcers. Check for them you can
Palpate your horse at home for them by touching certain acupuncture points.
My gelding use to buck when he was younger, found out he had ulcers! Now he doesn't buck. |
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Coyote Country Queen
Posts: 5666
| Keep us updated, I'm curious to see how you get along with her and what method ends up working for you. I think the hardest part about training colts, and horses in general, is that what works for one doesn't work for another. And what works today might not work tomorrow. (This is also my theory on raising children!) The most important thing is being consistent in whatever you do. Think about the outcome you're working towards and try to not stray to far from the path to that. I think it's easy to over-think training a horse. They aren't necessarily simple minded, but they learn from a give and take where you reward the correct behavior with a release of the pressure. And sometimes they are going to interpret that release different from another horse. I don't follow Clinton Anderson and don't know about the technique or reasoning behind getting off of one that is bucking and making them work, but in my mind you are rewarding the bucking by getting off of the horse, and the groundwork is a separate event from the bucking. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1062
Location: Probably On the Road to the Next Barrel Race! | we shall see... |
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 Ditch the Stirrups
Posts: 5369
Location: Sorrow Not! Defending against workplace bullies | I have always regretted NOT doing more round pen work with a horse I had that bucked. Now that I know the reason for the round pen (getting control of their feet and earning respect) I think it would have helped. I am not an advocate of too much round penning but for a young horse like yours I would do it before every ride and after any bucking episode, and then get back on. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 685
Location: Arkansas | You may need to video this so we can see!! Sounds like it may be and interesting day for you two!! I agree with the butt spanking; I've had some moody ones that a few good butt whoopin's and hard riding fixed pretty dang quick... We did have a little buckskin that was cold backed but only if he wasn't ridden consistantly... if it had been a few weeks since he was rode, i would lunge him and have no problms... eventually I just gave up and rode through his little bucking spells (more like crow hops!) It was easier to do that then to take the time to lunge.... Good luck! I hope you find a solution!!!!! |
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