an older friend of mine and I went to a horse sail and found him a short quarter horse that a 12 year old gal was riding with a halter and on saddle and he spent a great deal on this horse but we had a hard time getting him to load and i noticed he was very head shy.When we got him back gave him 2 week be for I did join up played with the tarps and bags then saddled him and tried a bit in his mouth but he fought it so i tried a different bit but same thing so i went out with just a halter thinking he was never ridden with a bit be for we never made it to the gate be for he blue up and started bucking i stuck it out and after a little bit he calmed down but would not move even when you tried pulling him around he just flexes his neck and bits you give a little nudge and he take off bucking again... the next day same thing 3 days in a row the only thin i can get is buck... tried to dubble line lunge and just buck tried all my saddles even surcingle .
Please help i don't know what to try but what i'm doing is not working...
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Horse Behavior and Training
need help stopping the buck!!!!
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The very first thing you need to do is get the vet out!!!!!
He sounds like he has been very abused and, or is in a lot of pain & very frightened.
How old is the horse?
How much groundwork did you do before trying to ride him?
What is he like with you generally, is he friendly or does he not want to be with you if he has the choice?
So sorry for you. Sounds as if he must have been drugged at the sale. Definitely get his back checked out and the saddle fitted by a professional then. Lots and lots of ground work with the saddle on and long lines in an enclosed area. Watch Monty's videos where he is dealing with bucking horses such as " it is all in a name". Notice that he sends horses into join up under saddle so try that. Then try to make a dummy rider for him to get used to first before you re mount him yourself. Take care - do hope you work it out.
Hi. I agree. Horses cannot be checked at sales & I have seen cases where incredible prices were paid for horses who a few days later turned out to be irrevocably lame. PLEASE - do not blame the horse: he did not do anything wrong. He is frightened & possibly in great pain. Get a vet ASAP. Confirm his age & get him pain relief, if needed. I used to own a horse with a bad back. We were together for 24 years & had more fun than you'd believe possible. We had the help of an equine chiropractor. If I put my thumb against the side of his spine, my index finger on his spine & my second finger on the other side of his spine, pressed gently & moved towards his rump/tail he would dramatically dip when we reached areas of pain. We did show jumping & cross country. He would only do what he knew was safe & we won more than 150 rosettes. He was 38 when I had to put him down. Sorry, I digress. Your friends horse has had a most unfortunate start. Do not give up on him! I bet the gal at the sales was very light. Study the Uni - the videos are very helpful & you will find there is a tread running through them. Once you master the basics, it applies in all instances. Even if you take this horse back to the very start & begin again your friend will have an incredible partner in a matter of a year or so. But also, he will have the most valuable time to build the most wonderful trust between himself & this horse. He can become this creatures salvation. In a horrible way this may be just the experience to bond everyone, including this horse, into a wonderful relationship. Please keep us updated on your progress. We will offer our help & support. Cheers, Jo.
Hi jkula
How long have you had this horse? The horse has been mis sold to you and you are entitled to return him. If you have not had him that long I suggest you do that; there are thousands of horses out there looking for a home. I am guessing your friend was not looking for 'a project'. If however, you decide to keep him work through everything as others have said right from the very beginning, and above all, do not ride him until he is safe.
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Let us know how you get on.
Hi. Vicci makes a valid point but if you liked this horse PLEASE do not return him. Look where he has come from. Take this opportunity! Do something fabulous. Commit to this horse - who is desperate for a friend! Cheers, Jo.
Patience first then assessment, call a vet and rule out any health issues. I rescued a Paso when I knew diddley squat about horses. She did not buck but ran like a bat out of hell in the round pen, under saddle, I mean scary stuff. Don't know what the intent was here if you or your friend are looking for a project or a ready to go horse. All I can say is three years later we have made incredible progress to the degree we are totally in love with this once scared mare who was abused, starved and abandoned. We started with just no agenda/confidence/trust building time. Just her and us, touching, loving, grooming, even a treat here and there. We would just hang out with her in the stall for hours and leave. Then on some bad advise we saddled her up (a trainer) took on her on a trail ride that was so disastrous all the other horses fled back to the barn riders and all. So we went back to what we thought best, ground work, round pen. She would bolt but we kept at it. She finally relaxed, got it, perfect join up but more importantly she began calming down. Then we brought in an experienced rider who was very gentle and soft spoken like us; she took to him. We experimented with bits, a Myler Correction bit MB27, a Paso Bit, a Snaffle (bad choice for her) and finally a copper life saver. My point is, it's going to take patience, trial and error and going through all the steps patiently and consistently. If you're in for the long haul, awesome, believe in the horse, get him to trust you and it will work out.
Do hope this is not the same horse you are trying join up with now!