If you have ever been bucked off a horse, chances are that is something you would rather avoid repeating.  So why do horses buck and how do we minimize the chances of coming off a bucking horse?

Bucking is usually the result of fear, pain or defiance.  If our horse has bucked us off it is important that we understand the root cause of the bucking in order to prevent it happening again.  While it may not always be easy to determine the cause of bucking, we can look at the event and hopefully by process of elimination and considering some possibilities, begin to understand the cause.

As a general rule when the cause of bucking is acute pain or fear, the buck will be lightning fast and violent and you will feel like you’ve been an unwilling participant in a rodeo.  Whereas when the buck is due to defiance or frustration, it is slower, more deliberate and will feel almost lazy by comparison.

So let’s look at some causes of bucking and some options for dealing with these:

1. PAIN

Pain can either be introduced (e.g. ill-fitting gear) or already present (e.g. illness or injury).  So we need to closely examine our horse and the gear to determine whether anything is causing pain.  If the saddle does not fit well it can cause pain to the back which is exacerbated once the horse is carrying a rider and can result in bucking.  Or the pain could be due to the girth pinching, or due to the bridle or the bit.  It is worth closely examining each aspect of the gear and how it impacts your horse – if you are new to riding it may pay to get a more experienced rider to check this for you.

In order to determine if pain is as a result of illness or injury, we need to closely examine our horse.  With your horse unsaddled, press gently but firmly over the areas where the saddle sits and watch closely for any response that may indicate pain.  Check where the bridles sits, and consider how your horse seems overall, and whether there is anything different that might indicate illness or injury.  Again if you lack confidence in determining this ask a more experienced person or consider a vet check.

2.  FEED

Changes in your horses feed can have a significant impact upon their behavior.  Exposure to lush grass can cause your horse to become hyped up and over exuberant.  Changes in feed can also occasionally result in gut cramps, which cause pain and can be a cause of bucking.  So consider whether there have been any recent changes in your horse’s diet that may be having an impact on them.

3.  FEAR

When a horse gets a fright and panics, this can lead to bucking.  This is a ‘flight’ response designed to get them away from whatever caused the fear.  If you are aware of things that your horse is afraid of, consider carefully how you approach them and how you can kindly desensitize your horse to scary objects.  Unfortunately it can be difficult to predict what may cause a fear related buck the first time, but it is easier to avoid repeating the same situation.

4.  EXUBERANCE

Sometimes a buck is simply just a ‘yeehaa’ because your horse is excited.  There are at least a couple of different ways you can approach this.  One may be to lunge your horse before riding so that they can hopefully get this out of their system.  Another can be to immediately follow the buck by asking them to do something they would rather not do such as asking them for some small circles or figure of eights.  Whatever you choose to ask for as a response to them bucking, make sure it is consistent (i.e. you ask for the same thing each time they buck) and that you remain calm and reasoned in your approach as this will be far more effective.

5.  MISBEHAVIOUR

Horses that remove their riders with a buck and are rewarded with their work coming to an end for that day as a result, can end up bucking when they have had enough.  This is where we need to consider carefully what the result of them bucking will be.  If it is possible to continue riding (or have another rider do so) and only finish their work when we can do so on a positive note, with the horse doing well, then this is far better than having the day’s lesson or ride ending badly.  Having said that, once we recognize that this is happening with our horse (i.e. they are bucking to remove the rider and end the lesson), then we need to learn the signs that our horse is getting annoyed and is reaching the point where they will buck.  We then need to make sure that we end the lesson when things are going well and before the horse gets to the point of bucking.  This needs to happen consistently so the horse realizes that the lesson is a good thing and there is no need to buck.

The same is so with a horse that is getting frustrated and bucks as a result.  Sometimes how we are asking for something can be making no sense to our horse and we can be causing them great frustration.  If this is the case we need to look at how we are asking and change our behavior to work better with our horse.  Recognize if they are becoming frustrated, remove the pressure and allow them space to think.

So what about a rider that has been bucked off and is now scared?

This can be a difficult thing as riding a horse when you are scared is a recipe for failure.  Sometimes rebuilding your confidence can be as simple as taking things back a step or two and then quietly building back to the point in your riding that you were at previously.  Sometimes it can mean taking some time re-building your trust in your horse with groundwork.  But occasionally it can mean recognizing that the horse you have is not the right match for you.   A choice to re-home and replace your horse can be a difficult one, but riding your horse needs to be an enjoyable experience for both horse and rider.