My mare has had 5 months under saddle,she's 6 years old. She's always had an attitude and can be lazy. We are now starting to ask for the canter more often and she always bucks the first time i ask for it ,after I've given her a tap and loud hey she'll pin her ears but no buck when i ask again. Shes been seen by a chiropractor twice and given the all clear and shes been seen by a saddle fitter as well. Any suggestions on breaking this behavior???
Mare bucks and pins ears when asked to canter..
- Thread starter Regal1985
- Start date
I would still question the saddle fit and I might even question the chiro evaluation. Believe me, I am all for chiros but I have seen some that shouldn't be allowed to practice. I had one vet/chiro tell me my horse was fine and I knew he wasn't.
One thing I would do, would be to get on her bareback and ask for a canter ---- that means NO bareback pad. If you aren't able to do that, is there someone the training barn who can ride good enough to get on her bareback?
If she doesn't offer to buck, then the clear answer would be something is wrong with the saddle pad, the saddle fit, or both.
One thing I would do, would be to get on her bareback and ask for a canter ---- that means NO bareback pad. If you aren't able to do that, is there someone the training barn who can ride good enough to get on her bareback?
If she doesn't offer to buck, then the clear answer would be something is wrong with the saddle pad, the saddle fit, or both.
When you say "often", does that mean sometimes she does not buck at the canter and sometimes she does buck at the canter?
What about the cinch? Is it always double-checked to be sure it isn't pinching her, or that she isn't galded in a spot where the cinch goes?
Other thoughts include a training issue and that could include the rider mis-cueing her.
And I could still get hung up on some sort of structural damage. After my rescued Arab became healthy enough to ride, he would always buck when asked to canter, regardless of whether I had a saddle on him or bareback.
It took a race horse physical therapist examining him, then telling me the horse had suffered a bad injury to his vertebra and likely would never be able to canter correctly. The little sweet face was with me 22 of his 29 years and those times I did see him canter in the pasture, he would always "buck up" his butt.
I'm not saying that is the case with your horse, I'm just offering suggestions based on my own experiences
In the end, it's probably going to come down to an on-site trainer watching you ride and evaluating the issue
What about the cinch? Is it always double-checked to be sure it isn't pinching her, or that she isn't galded in a spot where the cinch goes?
Other thoughts include a training issue and that could include the rider mis-cueing her.
And I could still get hung up on some sort of structural damage. After my rescued Arab became healthy enough to ride, he would always buck when asked to canter, regardless of whether I had a saddle on him or bareback.
It took a race horse physical therapist examining him, then telling me the horse had suffered a bad injury to his vertebra and likely would never be able to canter correctly. The little sweet face was with me 22 of his 29 years and those times I did see him canter in the pasture, he would always "buck up" his butt.
I'm not saying that is the case with your horse, I'm just offering suggestions based on my own experiences
In the end, it's probably going to come down to an on-site trainer watching you ride and evaluating the issue
She only bucks the first time i ask for the canter, when i ask her a second and third and so on during the same ride she wont buck. I also think it may be attitude because i was riding tonight and she must have sensed i was going to ask and slowly popped into it on "her own terms" without bucking. Maybe i need to be more subtle with asking......
What does she do if someone else rides her?
It may be the way you are asking, or maybe you are slightly unbalancing her?
My mare does this too by the way. With her it is pure grumpiness? She too is lazy. The first ask for canter, I get an angry tail swish and mini buck, after that she is fine with the transition , but get the same if I ask her to carry on when she wants to fall back into trot. If she is feeling energetic, she will happily canter of her own free will, and will break into canter to avoid doing something else she would rather not do,
It's a mare thing!
It may be the way you are asking, or maybe you are slightly unbalancing her?
My mare does this too by the way. With her it is pure grumpiness? She too is lazy. The first ask for canter, I get an angry tail swish and mini buck, after that she is fine with the transition , but get the same if I ask her to carry on when she wants to fall back into trot. If she is feeling energetic, she will happily canter of her own free will, and will break into canter to avoid doing something else she would rather not do,
It's a mare thing!
Is she the same in the school and out hacking? What about uphill? My previous cob was great to canter out on a hack but shut down in the achool and made everything hard work. At 5 he was easier to canter in the forward seat, he found it a lot harder if I sat deep. That came later.
id also be interested to know what she does with someone else riding her.
my 6 year old mare briea had no saddle or back issues but nothing came easily with her, she just didnt have a good work ethic. On asking for canter she would evade and if i tapped with the stick she would kick out and /or buck. i was basically told by my RI she was being a stroppy cow and I had to be brave enough to tell her to shut up and get on with her work.
my 6 year old mare briea had no saddle or back issues but nothing came easily with her, she just didnt have a good work ethic. On asking for canter she would evade and if i tapped with the stick she would kick out and /or buck. i was basically told by my RI she was being a stroppy cow and I had to be brave enough to tell her to shut up and get on with her work.
My coach got on her and discovered its a mix of laziness and not being able to balance herself. I have to help her more then slowly allow her to carry herself once shes balanced...in doing so she didnt even try to buck and shell build up more muscle/confidence..
I am the proud owner of a bucker. He is an absolute star but he bucks occasionally and I won't ever stop that, it's just how he is. I spent ages Googling stuff, getting people out to look at him and there's nothing wrong with him lol He bucks when he gets a bit fresh, bucks when he doesn't want to do what you ask and bucks when he's had enough. He never broncs, he always bucks on a straight and never plunges his head so despite how big the buck is, it's easy to sit to.
He is up to date with everything - teeth, feet, back (in fact the physio was out for him 2 weeks ago ish) and his saddle is fine although I am due a check which he is getting booked in for. He is semi-well schooled and he's balanced. It's just a quirk he has. Some horses just do it.
That said, I strongly advise eliminating any health/saddle issues and having her schooled. It was only after I did all this that we realised he's just a mischievous pony with a spring in his step lol :-D
He is up to date with everything - teeth, feet, back (in fact the physio was out for him 2 weeks ago ish) and his saddle is fine although I am due a check which he is getting booked in for. He is semi-well schooled and he's balanced. It's just a quirk he has. Some horses just do it.
That said, I strongly advise eliminating any health/saddle issues and having her schooled. It was only after I did all this that we realised he's just a mischievous pony with a spring in his step lol :-D
newrider.com