Mimi I think we can sense this when we are with our horses or riding them. If they come trotting up to us with ears pricked they are pleased to see us or if they neigh to us they are asking for our company. When riding if they feel responsive to our request and again if their ears are pricked or one ear moved towards us listening to commands while been ridden I believe they are happy. Ears back tail swishing, bucking are all signs that our horses are not happy with us on their backs and the something is wrong.

MMMmmm hard - I thought my Uggs was having fun to-day but then he bucked me off!

That's not nice at all!!
Are you okay now? Have an idea why he bucked you off?
Stay safe

Thanks Mimi - I was lucky this time just stiff in the shoulders and neck to-day as I rolled well but I am getting too old for busters. He has always been able to buck me off when he chooses to which is only relatively rarely - thank goodness! When he was young I was told to sell him as a buck jumper but I have kept him as he is my favourite and most of the time is well behaved. Mostly I have come off when he has just given a big buck after a jump so I stopped jumping him thinking his back was sore but nothing has been found and his saddle fits nicely. He developed lameness in his front hooves 12 months or so ago so I couldn't ride him. The vets said he his hooves were undershot at the back so I had natural balance shoes put on him but he was no better. He got better by himself in about November last year when it got hot and the ground really dried out so I think it must have had something to do with the unusually wet seasons we had. He seems fine now and was fine yesterday just naughty and excited as he wanted to join the other horses in our riding area but as I had my kelpie with us I kept him away. We had almost finished our ride when I took him down towards where the other horses were so my kelpie could have a swim and he started prancing and being very unresponsive. I decided to do some more trotting work on him and he immediately started bucking - swung him into a circle and pulled his head up and thought I was gaining some control till he threw in a really big buck and off I went. So much for horses not being able to buck in a tight circle with their heads up. When I first had him he had done a similar thing - it seems that the longer I stay on him the more determined he becomes to buck me off - for the past 10 years I have gone off quicker than I did yesterday so his bucking hasn't seemed so bad. Now I am seriously thinking of getting a buck stopper so will check that out. Could give up riding him but I do love taking him out and he is so happy to be out with my kelpie. Good for my kelpie too and it reminds us all of our happy days on my parents property when he was a young horse purchased to help with the cattle. He just loved the cattle work and never bucked then so perhaps I should have sold him as a stock horse. Melbourne life and dressage just haven't suited him but too late now as he is already 15 years old. Now I need to re-think how I handle him in the future!

Hi Maggie - how frustrating, and uncomfortable!! I have posted a comment re: buckstopper so won't add to it, but I agree, it seems your Uggs would benefit from it! Good luck, keep us posted

Thanks Viccihh for your help and support.