Dominance and bucking

Question
On two occasions my dominate fellow has decided to buck at my less dominant guy.  Probably is, he's thrown two people now.  At first I thought he was stung by a bee, but after the second episode, I'm thinking it's a dominance issue.  This fellow (Magic) just turned 4 in April, and my less dominant guy (Ari) is 11. Magic just fine if Ari isn't on the trail with him.  But that's not a remedy, because Ari goes where I go.  How do I prevent the bucking and striking with the back side?

Answer
Hi Debbie!

Your horse is getting a little lost and doesn't know who is leading the dance.  The ONLY dominant one in your little herd should be YOU!  Your horses are taking over and their solutions to problems is creating some real hardship for you humans.  Time to change this pattern of behavior and become the leader your horses are looking for.

Don't allow your horses to kick at each other.  Be as aware of them as they are of each other and their world.  Your horses are like the little kids in the grocery store fighting with each other and opening the packages of cookies and having a real hay-day while Mom is looking at ingredient labels!  Your focus has to be 100% on your horse.  Do not give him the opportunity to even shape up to kick at anyone!  Look at all the preparation your horse has to do to kick at his herdmate!  He has to turn around, he has to look at where he wants to kick and who he wants to kick, he has to back up to get close to his target, he has to shift his weight...do you see what I mean.  As the rider and leader you have to be awake and aware of what your horse is thinking and feeling.  You have to operate in the moment.  I would roll my horse over his hindquarters, I would get control of the feet and his mind and have a plan that did not include kicking!  In other words RIDE your horse!  Don't leave him alone to come up with his own plan, ride him, put him to work, give him something meaningful to do with his feet.  Anyone riding with you needs to understand their responsibility as well.  They cannot be asleep at the switch!  "Riding" is a verb.  It is an action word.  Riding is not like sitting in a swing on the front porch!  YOU, Debbie must become a leader your horses can trust.  You have to have a plan.  If you don't, your horses will feel it and they will continue to take over and fend for them selves.  

The answer here is so simple it is complicated.  Get control of every footfall.  You control the life and energy in your horse by getting to the feet, you get to the feet by bending your horse and making sure the feet follow through, by getting to the feet you are getting to the mind of the horse and making a connection that is meaningful to the horse.  You are becoming the leader.  Horses know when you know and they know when you don't know.  Take control, be awake and aware and never allow the bad behavior to shape up into bad actions.

Keep me posted!  If you need more specific help on getting to the feet, let me know.

Smiles!  Denise