Bucking

Question
Hi,
I recently bought a new horse he is around 11yr old 15.1 cob. First few weeks I was riding him he was perfect but wasn't in top condition. Recently since he is fitter, two different people have got on him and he has bucked them off. I got up on him right after and he was perfect for me. I have noticed lately that as soon as I get on him he seems very tightened like he would buck if I gave him his head but I work him a bit and he loosens up and rides perfect.. I'd just like to no do you think I should maybe have his back checked or is it just he is old fashioned and picked up this bad habit some time??
Thank you
Triona

Answer
    Hi Triona,
  I am afraid that the information you have given me, does not point definitively in any one direction, so I am going to have to feel my way along.
  You say that initially he was perfect, but you comment that he wasn't in the best of condition. You then say, that in more recent times "since he is fitter", he bucked 2 people off, but when you got on him he was fine. It would appear to me, that you yourself suspect, that the improvement in his condition might be a factor (which could be the case), but the fact that he was fine for you subsequently, might also raise questions about the other riders.
  You say that lately, when you mount, he appears to be tense, and you feel that he would buck if given his head. I would point out that the very first thing you need to do after mounting, is exactly that ie. "give him his head"
  Getting his back checked is not a bad idea, but again there are questions. Do you know somebody who does this work, and would you have 100% confidence in them? I would suggest that the evidence for "back pain" is pretty light at the moment.
  The overwhelming sense I got from your question, is that you need to develop a "critical" eye. By that I mean, observe closely, do not jump to conclusions, but rather build up a file slowly, like an investigator would if building up a file for a criminal prosecution. Our horses are constantly telling us how they feel, but they only give us "skeletal" information. It is up to us to try to put flesh on those bones. Your horse is telling you that he is uncomfortable. Whether this is because he is in pain, or he didn't like the "feel" of those other riders, or because he needs to work off excess energy when he is "fresh", or some other reason entirely is a matter for conjecture, but you should be able to narrow the field down over time.
  Now, a few practical suggestions; have you tried lunging, or loose schooling him before riding, to get him relaxed. Check that his energy intake is not hugely disproportionate to his expenditure. I would also suggest that you don't allow others to ride him, until you have got to the bottom of this problem.
  I don't know if anything I have said helps, but if you have any questions, or any other observations that might shed light on his behaviour, then please get back to me.
  Meanwhile I will wish you luck.
             Slan,
                Brendan