Horse bucks at the lope
Today’s horse training question comes from Leanne. She writes:
I have an 11 year old gelding that is very smart and gentle. He is great for just walking and trotting. Once you ask for him to canter, he starts bucking. He will also buck when lunging. What can I do to stop the bucking?
I recommend that you teach your horse to disengage the hindquarters. This will give you a tool toimmediately stop him when he bucks or spooks. Begin teaching this exercise from the ground with either a halter and lead rope or your bridle. Stand to one side of him, and ask him to move his hips over by walking towards him, swinging your rope, etc. You are looking for his inside hind foot to step across in front of his outside hind foot. It is very important that the inside hind foot actually crosses in front of the outside hind. His front feet should stop all forward motion when he crosses over with his hind end. By asking your horse to step under himself in this way, you are taking away his ability to brace against you. Once your horse will disengage the hindquarters on both sides on the ground, teach it from the saddle. Once you are on his back, take your rein on one side, walk him forward, and pick up on the rein, bending his head to the side and asking him to step under with the inside hind foot. If he bends his neck but keeps walking a straight line, bump him with your inside leg until he steps over with his hindquarters. If you are in a situation where you think your horse is going to buck, you can bend his nose right around to your knee in the saddle and kick with the inside leg to get him to disengage the hindquarters. Once he will do this exercise easily and consistently at the walk, teach it at a slow trot. As you are comfortable, increase the speed of your trot till the horse is almost going in to a lope. Just when he is about to lope, disengage the hindquarters. When you can get him to disengage his hindquarters at a fast trot and you are ready, ask him to lope. If he bucks, immediately disengage the hindquarters, kick him in a tight circle 2 or 3 times around, and ask for the lope again. Repeat this until he will lope off without bucking.
Thank you for your horse training question, and please let us know how you are doing.
