Rearing/bucking-young dressage horse

[luvmydutch]

If you were beginning saddle training with a young, recently gelded dressage horse...would you react if said horse habitually reared or bucked? Or would the best course of action be to simply push him forward without reacting to his freshness?

[punky]

In my unpro opinion your first reaction is always not to react to their antics and continue on with what you are asking him to do, but will said horse go forward out of this misbehavior if you simply push him forward? Is he looking for a fight and to get out of work or is he trying to exspress how good/excited he feels? Do you have a since of what his motive is?

[TKR]

Is he responding to wearing tack or to the rider? Have you ascertained that everything fits correctly? Can you tack him up and turn him out in a round pen and let him work some of it out? Sometimes they react from the weight of the rider being new and different or the girth pulling or moving which can feel constricting. You might let him wear the tack and settle down and then use some of those big, canvas shopping bags tied on the saddle so they will slap around and move when he moves to desensitize. You could also lunge and ground drive until he has a good understanding of the aids/commands and being more amenable to them. Have you check the teeth? I think each one is pretty individual and I like to observe them and allow them to take in wearing the tack, lunging, ground driving and wearing "shopping bags" so they are ready to go forward. Most young ones are reluctant to go forward and some react. The ground training can help a lot with that. You might also mount in the stall after some ground work and just lay over his back, then swing a leg over and touch him, let him turn his head both ways and see you and give him a treat.I do that without a saddle at first, which is usually more quickly accepted. Have a ground person walk a single step so he can feel the weight and get used to it in baby steps until you can go a few steps at a time and then just walk around the stall both ways nicely. Working with what they can deal with will help with the relaxation, but you also want to be firm about what you are asking, just be sure you are prepared to get it done without violence on your part. Good luck!
PennyG

[vtwmbld]

Just one little caution about the stall mounting idea. I know this is probably a freak thing, but watched a friend do that once with a horse that was clearly reacting to the weight (meaning would lunge, etc with tack and water jugs) and she decided to get on in the stall to increase the horse's comfort level. The result was a horrible accident with the horse throwing himself down against the stall wall and crushing her hip and leg. Just PLEASE be careful, as a stall is a pretty small place if you get pinned. By the way, he wasn't a mean horse, just overly reactive to any rider. It took a long time, but he's now a well trained dressage horse.

[subk]

A habitual rearer is out of my barn and sent somewhere to be fixed by someone else. It is a seriously dangerous habit.

Bucking is entirely different in my mind. Generally after ruling out physical issues it's a "I don't want to go forward/work" resistance. I'm currently working with a 3 year that bucks, and at first I just make the horse go forward. If/when it continues then the I respond with something hard for the horse to do. Usually going forward on a small circle then proceeding forward with whatever it was we we doing. I'm not ignoring it, just the opposite, I'm specifically responding with a result he doesn't like so he'll think twice before he does it next time!

[Tasker]

I can't remember precisely who it was who said this originally but...

"Some horses rear. Some horses buck. Some do both."

:)

I'm with subk though on rearing - of the 2 bad habits that is a serious problem for me and anything that goes up and over, well, I would prefer to not be riding!

My best advice is to have an experienced young horse starter give you their assistance with this youngster. He sounds challenging and athletic!

[NJRider]

If you were beginning saddle training with a young, recently gelded dressage horse...would you react if said horse habitually reared or bucked? Or would the best course of action be to simply push him forward without reacting to his freshness?

Sounds likes you need to get an OLD western saddle and let him wear it... and wear it. He is not accepting pressure so until he does , no point in going to the next step. Make sure he can put his head down and put him in a small area.

[classicsporthorses]

There's not quite enough information here to give a good accurate answer but let's assume the following, he's had sufficient ground work done. He is in good health-from the teeth right on down, and he's got good fitting tack. Incidentially the recent gelding has probably nothing to do with it.

OP did not say at what point the horse rears and/or bucks.

Young horses at times can really test your patience. Trust me this I know, I have started enough of them.

Depending on all of this, I tend to push them forward with a good strong leg and tell them to "CUT THE CRAP OUT". My nearly 9 year old, who still will throw a few bucks as I first ask for the canter, has always been a horse-I have had him since he was born, who has wanted to state his opinion. He's not trying to get anyone off, he's just being a jerk. I ride him right through it and make him work. Some youngsters will test you at every turn, others will never even try-just like kids.

I would go back and see what holes there may be in this horse's training/tack or health. If not get the assistance of someone who has dealt with this and knows how to work a youngster through these temper tantrums.

More than happy to help.

[ticofuzzy]

I agree with VTWMBLD - I would NEVER get on a horse in a stall - I don't even care if it was a trained horse. You could get crushed and/or trampled - I shudder to think of the possibilities. I know people who do it, but there's no way I would. I break young horses for a living - I know what they sometimes do. If I'm going to get thrown off, let me do it in an open space and not get smashed into walls or get stuck under their feet with no way out.

[luvmydutch]

Hey guys, thanks for all the responses. I have concluded my trainer (as always) had exactly the appropriate response, executed perfectly, and was just seeking other's opinions. The horse in question isn't mine and I'm not going to ride him ever, just sort of thinking hypothetically if my own young horse did the same thing, what the appropriate reaction would be. I appreciate all of your thoughtful responses :)

[Fairview Horse Center]

Rearing and bucking is a resistance to going forward. Make sure the "front door" is open, so you are not giving mixed signals, and send him forward. They need to be "in front of the leg". Some young horse starters in Europe have a ground person with a whip to assist the rider in sending the horse forward. Spend very little time at the walk. Trot needs to be quick - almost running.

[LilyandBaron]

Normally both rearing and bucking are about not wanting to go forward, but the problem with rearing is that if you just kick, front door open and everything, they can get pissed (or scared) and go straight up, not forward. Sounds like your trainer dealt with it - but on rearing, I don't always just step on the gas - I make sure and have a big opening rein so that the front end comes down and over, and THEN go forward on a circle or something. Bucking is just less scary, period, so they need to go, but rearing - have to be careful in what corrective aid is applied to avoid disaster.

[Movin Artfully]

If your horse is rearing and/or bucking and it is not a medical issue...he has been started very poorly. Send him to a professional. Or a different professional. Rearing is created.

[Signature]

I agree with the above - is he sweet/good on the ground and then only bad under saddle? Or is it a theme throughout his personality? Almost all of the horses we've worked with that have issues only under saddle have definitley been people created problems.

Don't know where you are but we know a wonderful guy in MD that has started several for us that are lovely, as well as fixed problems in horses we've purchased with them, and he is very affordable.