Get a Horse to Not Buck
Some horses can hurt you if you don't know how to stop them from bucking, and if you fall off, they find out it works. Learn to quickly manage a bucking horse, as well as identifying the possible causes behind such behavior.
Contents
Steps
Preparing for and Preventing Bucking
- Learn what to do when a horse starts bucking. Start by reading the part below on managing a bucking horse, and also learn from experienced riders or guides.
- Ride safely, and make a habit of it. Wear a helmet, sit deep in the saddle, and keep your heels down.
- Scan your tack before tacking up to make sure there's nothing that would irritate your horse. Even a burr could bring a horse to bucking, so don't take this task lightly.
- Groom your horse and check for any irritating things that don't belong (like burrs). Pay special attention to where the saddle and girth will be.
- Check the girth once it's secure to make sure it isn't pinching the horse. The horse will usually let you know if it is.
Managing a Bucking Horse
Whether a horse starts bucking or merely threatens to, there need to be results from the rider that the horse dislikes and will learn from. Read this now, and keep the steps in mind for when you're riding a bronco.
- Sit deep and make sure your heels are down. You do not want to take a chance at being dragged.
- Tighten the reins if they aren't in contact with the horse's mouth, and pull the horse's head to the side (near your knee). When the horse's neck is turned, the horse doesn't have the balance it needs to buck.
- Circle the horse at a walk three times, the circle expanding each time, then straighten the horse out at a walk.
- If the horse continues trying to buck, repeat the above steps of this section. Make sure you don't end the riding session until the horse behaves and stops trying to buck.
- Take advantage of experience. If you cannot get the horse to stop bucking, have a more experienced rider ride the horse and give you suggestions. This may be the only choice if you are a novice, as your attempts may have taught the horse that he can get away with bucking. An experienced rider will be ready to deal with such shenanigans firmly and swiftly.
Discerning Why the Bucking Happens
- Be observant. All horses buck for one reason or another.
- Check to make sure that your horse does not have a burr under the saddle pad, bug bites, or anything else that could trigger bucking.
- Find out what training your horse had. It's possible that he may not be trained properly. Some horses that are not trained properly will find riding tasks confusing and hard. You may be putting too much pressure on him, so he wants the pressure to lessen. And what's a better way to achieve that than to buck?
Tips
- Do not let a horse you know is prone to bucking lower his or her head below his or her knees.
- Panicking will excite your horse even more. Just keep your heels down, sit deep, and you will be absolutely fine.
- Sometimes, when a horse is in a bucking mood, trotting them out works the horse hard, leaving them with not as much energy. It is harder for the horse to buck at the trot than it is at the canter.
- Try going Western for awhile: Riding in a Western saddle offers more security while you are treating a horse's bucking problem.
- Let the horse buck itself out, if you are good enough.
Warnings
- Remember, if a horse wants to buck, he will buck no matter how tired he is. Don't let your guard down just because you believe he is too tired to buck.
- Keeping your horses spine curved or twisted (turning them) makes it difficult for their back end to lift.
