> 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.
I should have been more clear; this statement refers to bucking and bolting under saddle, not at liberty or in pasture. Of course they can *still* buck under saddle, but there seems to be more bolting than bucking in gaited horses than in three-gaited horses, anecdotally. Biomechanically, this could be attributed to the back of the gaited horse. If indeed it is less mature or not as strong as the back of a three-gaited horse (which is a theory), with a rider it sinks downward, ventroflexes; to buck the horse rounds up. Judy http://iceryder.net http://clickryder.com
