Why do horses buck? >From 100 Ways to Improve Your Horse's Behavior:
Horses usually buck because they are: [] In pain, usually in the back but maybe elsewhere [] Afraid the rider is going to cause them pain or distress [] Not confirmed in going forwards reliably [] Over-fed and under-exercised [] Have too little liberty and turnout, particularly play in company [] Are just feeling well and happy The bucks a horse makes because he is feeling good are not normally hard, vicious bucks, although they should not be allowed to get out of hand. The remedies for bucking for the other reasons are obvious. >From Provet: Occasional bucking can be a transient problem in many young, inexperienced, frightened or excessively frisky horses and ponies. At this stage it is nothing to be too concerned about but it is important that training to take a saddle, and later a rider is done under the supervision of an experienced trainer. Lively horses and ponies need a strong handler who can discipline them and train them to react normally and to behave for the rider. Bucking becomes a serious problem in older horses which refuse to accept a saddle or rider and there are several reasons why this may occur: [] Poor training to accept a saddle (and other tack eg headgear) [] Poor training to accept a rider [] Behavioural problems - despite training the horse simply continues to refuse to accept human attempts to ride it [] The horse is experiencing discomfort through poorly fitting tack - eg saddle, bit, headgear. [] The horse has a medical problem making pressure on the back painful - this could be due to back problems, or problems in the limbs Poor training to accept a saddle (and other tack eg headgear) All horses *can* buck, but stock horses buck more than gaited horses which is due to the conformational differences that make it easier for stock horses (not as easy for gaited horses) to buck. Gaited horses might tend to run or bolt instead of buck. Judy http://icehorses.net http://clickryder.com
