Another Bucking Question

Question
Blue is an 8 yr old QH gelding, I've owned him for almost 2 years.  I bought him for trails, pleasure, and possibly some local barrel competitions.  He had some previous basic training and moves off leg well, neck reins, etc. He's VERY sensitive.  The first week that I owned him, I took him on a short trail ride through the field, and ended up talking with my sister in the yard.  Blue was spooked by someone coming out of the barn.  He bolted, and I got him under control.  I went back and continued talking to my sister.  He bolted again and I lost my balance.  He bucked me off.

After I got to know him better I found that he has no confidence in humans.  He rides fine with other horses, however.  When on a ride with other horses, he does exactly as the other horse does and doesn't trust his riders requests. I also found out that he had bucked his past, past owner off and that is why she sold him to the girl I bought him from.

I've ridden him out alone, but it is not really fun for either of us.  I'm nervous because I expect a bolt and buck, and he is nervous because he's not in his safe environment.

I moved 1500 miles west a year ago, and brought Blue with me.  He has been my lone horse out here.  We have accomplished a lot with ground work, but only in his "safe zone" (his corral).  He's a wonderful horse when he feels safe, but that limits areas that I can ride him.  In his pen I ride bareback with a halter.  He backs up when I shift my weight and wiggle the reins.  He flexes his head, and we're getting decent at moving his different body parts.

He bucked me off a 2nd time last September, and I haven't ridden him out of the corral since.  This time I know I pushed him too far out of his comfort zone.  I had him climb a hill that was pretty steep.  On the way down, he jumped to the bottom of the hill and bucked me off.  I was hurt pretty bad this time.  He was terrified and I couldn't catch him for 2 days.  

The problem is that I don't know where to go from here.  I've been doing a lot of ground work and riding in the corral, but neither of us has the confidence to go out into the world.  I take him out to graze, but he is really jumpy.  I always wear gloves because he has spooked and bolted in hand as well.  He is not spooked by plastic bags, cars, or obvious things.  It's certain noises, and things coming around corners or appearing out of nowhere.  Also I think he gets really afraid when his rider isn't perfectly balanced with him.

He's just such a nice, sensitive horse, I don't want to sell him although everyone tells me I'm going to get hurt with him.  I've spent so much time on the ground with him.  I just think I could have a wonderful bond if we could trust each other outside the corral.  What can I do?  Would ponying him with another horse be the answer?  How do I prove to him that I can be trusted? I'm sorry this is so long!

Answer
Hi Janice!

I feel your frustration!  Things can get much better.  You talk about ground work, and I'm not sure how much of the ground work you are really familiar with.  Start by watching the Ground work DVD by Buck Brannaman and read the little red book by Buck as well.  These are the ground work exercises I'll be talking about.  Buck has really done the best job of putting these support materials together and watching his DVD will really help us both.  We can all be on the same page.

You are not getting to your horses feet. You are not doing enough to really make a change.  If he is jumpy, do more!  YOU, Janice have to be the most important thing in his universe!  YOU have to be more important than the unexpected noises, movements and all of the outside stuff that exists in the world.  Get out your flag, tarp and slicker.  I want you using these every day.  Oops, no riding for now.  Go back to the beginning because this horse is missing too much of the basics.  You have to get to the feet.  You have to get control of every footfall.  You have to have a plan that works and builds confidence.  When your horse FEELS like he is mentally leaving you, DO SOMETHING!  CHANGE his mind!  Bend him, yield the hind quarters, send him around you in a way that is meaningful to him.  YOU have to have a plan and know what comes next.   This is also why I want you to watch Buck DVD.  This must be second nature to you.  Horses know when you know and they know when you don't know.  You lost track of your horse and left him on his own.  You were talking to your sister and you missed all of the signs that your horse was going to bolt and leave you.  Save talking with your sister until you are no longer riding your horse.  Your horse needs all of your attention right now.  You have to be as aware of him as he is of you.  If you leave him alone and you are visiting with other people, doing anything else other than focusing on your horse, don't be surprised when he leaves you.  When he leaves mentally, don't be surprised when he bucks, bolts and you can't catch him.  It is in the simple way of chatting with your sister and not paying attention to him that you prove you are not a leader he can trust.  

So, focus on your horse first and totally.  Your ground work needs more work.  If you can't change your horses mind and gain his confidence, you are missing something big in the quality of your ground work.  Stay longer at hind quarters, really get those feet reaching, keep your horse focused on YOU!  If he starts to look away, bring him back, if he moves his feet and you didn't ask him to,  set them back.  YOU are the teacher, keep your student focused and in class.  Go for long working walks and trots in hand.  Take your flag/tarp/slicker with you and use them.  Keep exposing your horse to these tools but don't do so much that you scare him.  Stay on the EDGE of trouble with him.  Do enough to get a change and then support him.  Janice a lot of this you will have to FEEL your way through.  This is why it is so helpful to be able to watch Ray Hunt, Buck Brannaman or Ricky Quinn in person.  If you can, do it.  Again, just really watch Bucks DVD, I'll bet you will see where things are going wrong for you.  Let me know some of the specifics and we will talk about them.

I want you to do your ground work first in the corral with your horse, then the same ground work with lots of half circles yielding hind quarters on your in-hand "rides" (this after all is RIDING your horse).  Then when you come back to your round pen, SADDLE your horse.  NO MORE bareback riding.  It may be fun, but you need to support your horse, so think of him.  When you come off, it really troubles your horse.  A bucking horse is a troubled, scared horse, don't do it to him.  I don't want you to have any more shakes in your conficence either!  You have to be feeling great in order to do a good job building confidence in your horse.  If you are scared, you can't lie to your horse.  He will KNOW how you are feeling and that just creates fear in him.   So, SADDLE.  I then want you riding in one rein only.  Start by riding your horse like a colt in your rope halter in your round pen.  The round pen has no corners to get stuck in and you can be smooth.  Riding in your halter, you only have one rein to pull on and you can't brace on two reins.  I only want you riding after your ground work and your in-hand ride.  I want your horse mentally propared and ready to work.  Then and only then do I want you to hop on.  Work both ways of the pen walk and trot only.  I want you really riding the rythum of the horse and not pulling on the reins to balance.  Grab onto your horn, make a night latch for your saddle by  putting a good wide dog collar through the gullet of your saddle so you have something to hang on to, and then just ride your horse.   I want you to rub him to a stop by reaching up and petting him on the neck until he relaxes, slows down and comes to a stop.  When you want him to move, bring up the energy in your body and send it forward until he moves off.  It may take as little as just sitting up and slilghtly forward to bumping him with your legs.  Once you have him walking and stopping by listening to your body, then ask him to trot by walking him faster than he can walk.  Don't just whack him and jam him into the trot, just walk him faster than what he can walk and he will melt into the trot.  If he canters, that is okay, just rub him down to the trot.  I want you to stay balanced and working at the trot and the walk is the best way to achieve the balance.  I have a feeling he is dropping his shoulder and not very balanced anyway so cantering at this point will be very counter productive.  

Janice, his comfort zone should be your confort zone.  You need to bring the comfort to him and KNOW in your gut and your heart that you have the answers and he has no choice but to listen to you.  I would like it if you could get him out for your in-hand rides 6 days a week.  When you are out, he should be so busy listnening and keeping up with what you are asking him to do, he has no time to look at or think of anything else but you!  Ground work with real quality every day.  Even if it is just for 5 minutes!  Riding in your round pen 3 day a week with all of the prep work prior to getting on.  If you can hang with this schedule for a month, and you have watched the DVD's and are working with real quality, you will see a huge change in your horse.

Keep me posted.  Let me know if there is something you don't quite understand.  It will be better!

Smiles!  Denise