Mad bucking/stamping TB

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nirikina

New Member
Jan 19, 2002
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Scotland
I'm trying to exercise a 17hh TB for a friend, and we're having a rough time at the moment and I need some help, please. Here's the background.

She bought him as a colt, broke him herself, he was hacking out in company and alone, forward going, was doing dressage lessons and clinics and a bit of jumping. He then had a "nervous breakdown" after spooky horses backed into him while out hacking, 3 times in a row. He was nervous out hacking after that, and preferred schooling, but was still hacked ocasionally. He then suffered a fractured pelvis, out playing in the field. After almost 2 years of rest, living out, he was wanting to be working again.

His owner has health problems and can't ride very much so I said I'd help out. I got on him for the first time last Autumn. I schooled him 2-3 times a week and he was coming on great. I hacked him out, at first with company and then alone, and although spooky he was coming along nicely. Then I was ill and couldn't ride, then he had a foot abscess.

We got together again in the Spring and started working back up to where we had got to. Then he started putting in bucks in the school, but was fine out hacking. Then his bucking in the school got worse, and he wouldn't hack out alone. Then he got a sore back so we gave him a couple of weeks off. When I tried to ride him in the school again he'd be fine for 10 minutes then buck constantly. He wouldn't hack out alone, would follow another horse but buck if you asked him to go in front, and bucked going into canter while still being forward going.

Oops, I need to go sort out the dinner before it burns. I'll finish this off later.
 
First, make sure the saddle fits, get teeth checked, make sure he's in no pain, etc. Also make sure that the weight you are asking him to carry is not too heavy for him. Even though he is taller, if he's a spindly TB, he's not going to be a weight carrier.

He could possibly be suffering some pain from his pelvic fracture. Some develop arthritis after a break or fracture. You do a lot more circles and harder work while schooling, and it could aggravate it, whereas while hacking you generally take it easier and just amble along(well, at least I do :p )

He could also just be testing you, or have too much energy. Check his feed, and perhaps free lunge him for a few minutes before riding. I know some do not agree with lunging, but free lunging for about 10 minutes before riding when my horses are being really excitable does make them better under saddle.

Good luck, and I hope you find out the answer :)
 
Thanks for your comments - all valid.

Since then he has had a different saddle - wider because yes he put on weight out in the field. A few people on the yard have checked it and watched him ridden in it and it seems to fit and doesn't move, although hasn't been checked by a qualified saddle fitter. He also had his teeth done recently. I knew his back was sore before because when I was grooming him he flinched when I touched a particular spot (near the withers, not near his pelvis) but a week later his back was fine, and he was trotting up straight and trotting evenly on the lunge.

As I say he is happy to follow another horse off the yard but throws tantrums when you ask him to go ut on his own. I tried last week and ended up with him bucking/jumping on the spot and stamping his feet, and running backwards when I asked him to go forwards. His owner came and grabbed his reins and he was practically dragging her around too, even though he's usually well-mannered on the ground. It used to be the case that if we came across something scary out hacking (rock, pile of manure etc) I'd jump off and lead him past it, because he trusted me on the ground.

I find it hard to believe he's in discomfort because he's a real wimp and is quick to tell you if something hurts. He doesn't object to being groomed, tacked up or mounted. And he'll lunge with no problems.

I think he may have decided retirement was better after all, and just doesn't want to work anymore. In which case, when I'm sitting on a 17hh bucking bouncing monster, I'm not really in a position to argue!
 
I really don't know, I would have said that it was pain related as horses aren't that naughty for no reason. They can play up a certain amount for no real reason but he sounds like he is turning himself inside out.
The fact that he has no objection to be tacked up is a good sign that he isn't in any pain, but then that could mean that he just doesn't have any saddle related pain. A friend of mine has a mare who has no objection to being saddled up yet she has had a twisted pelvis in the past and would buck consistantly and now has just been diagnosed with arthritus in her hock.
Yet my mare has real issues with being tacked up as she has had an ill fitting saddle, sore muscles where her girth does up and muscle atrophy but she rides pretty well once your on.
Sorry not much help...
 
Yes it's hard to say, I know. I'm going to see him tomorrow so will check him all over and pay special attention for any pain reaction. If it was any other horse I'd try bareback but that's a definite nono. Not for £1 million. Well maybe for £1 million. :D

Oh I forgot to say, I'm 8st (8.5 st with my hat/boots on) so I don't think I'm too heavy for him.
 
my tb was out of work for nearly 3yrs and in that time he became cold backed.
which is to say he dips his back when you mount but once the muscles warm and stretch, it rises. so i always lunge 10mins each way before mounting and use only a full sheepskin numnah. he does still occasionally bunny hop or buck in the school. not sure about hacking yet as we havent tried that one again yet!! x

lungeing is extremly good for helping them rework their muscles in the right way as they havent used alot of them for along time! :D

and agree with above too about teeth,saddle,bit,girth checks.

maybe with the girth a softer cloth one might be better if not already using one. cottage craft do them. i found Ros prefers and behaves slightly better when using cloth. but plays up with a leather one ive got.

good luck!! :) x x x
 
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I would be wary of the fractured pelvic injury in the past. Have you had an Equine Osteopath have a look or had up to date Xrays

How old is the horse? ...some just decree they don't want to work after along layoff or injury.
 
I would get a physio and chiropractor to have a look, if he's had a fractured pelvis in the past then been in and out of work since he may be suffering from some discomfort as a result of muscle being built up then dying down.

It could also be psychological, he may prefer the easy life and is not too keen on being worked or it could be some sort of pent up nervousness - you say he had been v uneasy out hacking for a time, if he's never 100% faced it then there could be other little quirks that have just built up and over time have become more embedded in his mind?

The other thing you could try is to gradually introduce riding, so start off lunging for 15mins then just sit on and walk round for 5 mins then increase the amount of riding for a time. It would be interesting for you to note after how much riding the bucking starts, at least if you lunge first you also know that his muscles are a bit warmer once you're on which might help?
 
My initial thought was saddle issue, if the saddle is now wider I would check its not sitting low down on his back behind the withers, my youngster become very unsettled recently and her saddle had dropped low on her back where she has changed shape, I stopped using it straight away and got my saddler out who added some flocking and it rectified our problem immediately.
 
also dont forget the psychological side of things

you know how for us as humans, if we dont' do soemthing for a while, it gets scarier?

he has had two years off -- in a field, in a school -- and now on being asked to go out again -- perhaps he is actually insecure? which is why getting off and walking with him helps

re bucking int he school -- it is quite possible that he doe snot have the musculature yet to sustain work for longer than ten to twenty minutes -- after two years off you are really starting from scratch with the muscles for real work....

just some thoughts

good luck

Cathy
 
nirikina said:
I find it hard to believe he's in discomfort because he's a real wimp and is quick to tell you if something hurts. He doesn't object to being groomed, tacked up or mounted. And he'll lunge with no problems
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But surely the fact that he is bucking so much is his way of telling you that something hurts. Taking into consideration the history of the fracture, the fact that a qualified saddle fitter has not looked at his saddle and that a couple of weeks ago he flinched when you touched his back, I would get a vet to come out and check him. He may not be in pain on the ground, but the added weight of you on his back and the saddle may be causing the pain. I personally wouldn't ride him until you are 100% sure that nothing is wrong.
 
This is a 3 year old thread, is this person even around anymore? :confused:

It makes interesting reading though, I also noticed he bucked, had a bad back, got time off, then started bucking again, I would also suspect previous pelvic injury playing up. It is easy to pull in the field from day to day, giving intermittent bucking problems like this.
 
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