I think there are horses that buck, but that a lot of horses that DON'T buck, will sometimes for some unknown horse reason, buck when transitioning to the canter. It is fairly common when starting a green horse for instance, first time at the canter is a scarey moment cause sometimes they will do a little flip up. Maybe a balance adjustment for a horse unaccustomed to balancing a rider.
And also sometimes a little halfhearted buck is a protest from a lazy horse, I have seen that. But transitioning to canter does some innate herd thing in their brain, I know this. because my jaspar, best horse on the planet, will sometimes when all horses take off faster and he breeaks into canter, will head snake. He does this at liberty too. Watch them at liberty, canter, or transitioning faster like this is a herd thing for bucking and farting and head snaking. I have seen horses buck starting down a hill or too fast up a hill too and i think also this is a balance adjustment. Or maybe they get excited and they get too happy in the rear end :) but most times i would say it is "I gotta get you OFF me NOW" cause of pain, fear, rage. Rage is something we dont talk about much as a behavior issue. People think you should dominate and punish rage out of a horse, but like in people, it festers with them. and I have seen some hard cases. Janice Janice -- yipie tie yie yo
