[bdrcol22]

Hi all. Looking for additional ideas. The horse that I am going to be leasing is home, and I went and rode him again for the first time since he has been back last night.
--just to let you know some my experience- I am 30, and rode hunter/jumpers at A circuit level from ages 8 to 18. I rode about 6 horses a day for about 6 of those years. And typically they were the bad ones because I couldn't afford my own and would ride anything. I took about an 8 year break from riding due to life and have been trying to ride as often as a can for the past 2 years.
So here's my problem. Jack is a 6 year old QH gelding, that I would call pretty green. I have a training plan in mind that involves lots of trotting and transitions to teach him how to use himself and move from the rear. The probelm is when asked to canter he starts to buck-a lot. In the past when he would do this his rider would get off and therefore he would get his way and not have to work. Not going to be the case with me. I am not going to do a ton of canter work yet as he is not in shape for it. Last night I just worked transitions and did small sections of cantering and reward him if he did not buck.
His back has been checked by a chrio, and I am riding him in a full cheek double jointed copper roller that he really seemed to like. Got lots of spit last night. I am not rushing him as he needs lots of muscling and conditioning, just looking for ideas. Last night was also my first time on since Feb or March, so I think I need muscling and conditioning too!
Thanks in advance, and just ask if you have any questions on my riding abilities!

[Reitpferde]

Have you lunged him? What is his response to cantering without a rider on him? What about saddle fit? My TB began bucking at the canter (he is an OTTB, and I am still getting to know him). Turns out, he has a very sensitive back.

[JBandRio]

It sounds like you're on the right track This may indeed be a situation where something initially was a valid (to him) reason to buck, and he learned very quickly (high reward for him) that it got him out of work, and now it's a learned behavior.

I would still want to rule out saddle fit issues (which can hide at the walk and trot since the horse can keep his back very still if he wants to), and hock/stifle/hip soreness. You said the chiro checked his back out, but the back is often not the cause of issue like this.

Beyond that, I think your plan of transitions is a very good one. Teach him to be supple laterally and longitudinally, and canter only for the sake of the trot-canter transition for now.

Keep us posted - your details of resolving this could help a lot of folks here

[ILubHorsies]

try really getting his attention before you ask for the canter and doing a lot of transitions, circles, legyielding/turn on the forehand/haunches (if he knows that yet) figure eight, just really get him listening to you so he needs to pay attention to know what's coming next. That's what i do with a horse that bucks at the canter, she just has a short attention span and i need to work with that.

[bdrcol22]

I will check on the saddle fit more, but I did have a nice even sweat mark on his back when we were done last night. I am riding again tomorrow, so I will take a real close look. He is pretty out of shape, so that could be some of it. I am sore today, so it would not shock me if a few of his unused muscles are going to take some time to get used to being used again as well!
Thanks for the ideas! Keep them coming!

[Reitpferde]

Originally Posted by bdrcol22

I will check on the saddle fit more, but I did have a nice even sweat mark on his back when we were done last night. I am riding again tomorrow, so I will take a real close look. He is pretty out of shape, so that could be some of it. I am sore today, so it would not shock me if a few of his unused muscles are going to take some time to get used to being used again as well!
Thanks for the ideas! Keep them coming!

What about the panels? Are they wide and nicely padded?

[JBandRio]

Originally Posted by bdrcol22

I will check on the saddle fit more, but I did have a nice even sweat mark on his back when we were done last night.

Nice and even can still mean it's too wide or too narrow Too narrow is by far the more common problem IME.

[ridergirlx0x0]

o yea we have these 2 OTTB's at my barn..... tex and dragon. Tex has a pretty sensative back, and if it is sore enough *ie, VERY sore* he will start to buck at the canter to try and get you off his sore back and mindyou this is the nicest, sweetest, biggest puppy dog horse ever. Dragon, on the other hand, he will buck at the canter to, *he bucks more than the other horses at the barn* and im not exactly sure why, it might be his personality, but he might have a sensative back also. so try to get a saddle fitted for him because maybe that is it? i hope you find the solution soon =[

[CatandMinot]

Cat used to do that and I would always manage to somehow ride through her "bronc like" bucks. It all started when she was 5. It would get worse in the winter and virtually disappear in the summer. This all lasted until she was about 8 or 9, when I finally realized that one of my saddles was not wide enough, and my farrier suggestion that she was probably sore in her hocks. So I changed my saddle, had the vet out who confirmed that she had arthritis in her hocks, started her on weekly, vet prescribed Glucosamine injections, and had the chiropractor out as well, who found that her poll and hips were out as well. She is now on a glucosamine-based joint supplement with added flax seed, is now a COMPLETELY different horse just because she is finally not hurting.

I would HIGHLY advise checking your saddle fit-- even better to have an extra knowledgeable friend check it for a second or even a third opinion. In your case, that sounds like it could be the problem. If you want to be extra sure, I would get the vet out and make sure that your horse isn't hurting anywhere.

Only when you completely rule out any potential health issues, I would then look at it as a training problem.

If he is just bucking because he is out of shape and does not have enough muscle to canter comfortably, just don't canter. Start him slowly by briskly walking or doing a nice, working trot in the ring and on hills. If you go slowly and take the time for him (and you! ) to get back in shape, a lot of your problems will most likely go away.

[2spotslast]

With a young or green horse I will usually let them have their tantrum and immediately put them back to work. It doesn't take long for them to figure out that pitching a fit doesn't do any good. With an older experienced horse having a "Whee, I feel good" moment, I'll ride them through it, but if it's anger, I will give them a nudge with the spurs everytime they buck or kick. The latter can take a little time, since they are angry and have their stubborn on.

For your circumstances, it sounds like you did the right thing. He learned somewhere in the past bucking=barn. Now he has to learn bucking is an over-exertion of energy that gets him nowhere near the barn.