RE:13.2 Buckaroo

Question
Hi Solange, Thanks for your reply.  Only just realised you had.  Anyway, I've been lungeing and also trying to desensatise my 11 year old 1/4 Arab.  Last weekend I sat on him again and a couple of my friends lead me around on him.  Prior to that I walked him out with a couple of my friends on horses on a hack (I wasn't on him/just walking beside him) We didn't go really far but he did quite well I thought passing cars,haybales, etc.  After my friends had lead me around on him then we walked him up a track which required going on to the road for a few feet. He was ok and then we walked him back (with me on him and a friend holding each side of him) This maybe all irrelevant but I thought I'd mention it anyway.  Today before I had received your reply, I went and lunged him with full tack, walk,trot and canter.  Sent him over a jump a couple of times on the lunge and he was fine.  Decided he seemed calm and I had plucked up enough courage to ride him.  A few other people where comming into the arena to ride at the same time.  I got on him. sat there for a bit then asked him to walk on which he did ok with.  He didn't seem to mind the other horses.  I walked him for a while then trotted him and then walked then trotted etc.  Went both ways around the arena and he was ok.  Not perfect but not too spooky.  I didn't want to canter him incase he bucked again but I thought I'd take him over the small cross pole that was setup.  As he approched the jump he started to canter, fine then he jumped it, fine.  Just after he jumped it he bucked and I came off again! :-/ I took him over to the fence then got back on him but then he wouldn't walk on and I felt unsafe so I got off.  I didn't want to kick him hard to make him walk on (as a friend suggested) because I could invision that making him act worse.  I basically have done lots towards thinking that he's green, and I feel like where at the riding part now ( I don't want to be lungeing him forever lol) I have longlined him before and he'll respond to the bit although he does carry his head quite high and is in no way 'on the bit'.  Do you still think I need to keep on treating him like a green pony and keep lungeing him and if so how will I know he's ready to progress to me riding him again? I am going to have his back checked next week just incase it's that what is making him buck.  I'd hate to correct him if he's doing out of pain. But if that's not it which I personally don't think it really is then it's just him.  He does seem to buck mostly only in canter.  Any more advice would be greatly appreciated.  And yeah I am the crazy person, lol I always seem to buy 'projects' although I didn't buy him knowing he bucked.  :) C.

Answer
Hi Charlotte!

So, thus far we have diagnosed that the pony is mostly bucking at the canter.

Yes, I would continue treating him as a green horse.

The biggest problem I see here is that up to this point you are unable to stay on and ride though his outbursts.

Understandably,this has made you slightly nervous but, that is also not helping.

It is possible that he will only behave in this manner under saddle.
No amount of positive ground work will really "fix" it.

Now, I'm not saying that you should continue riding him.

In fact I am going to recommend against it for these reasons....

If you continue to be unable to anticipate the bucking, unable to prevent the bucking and continue to come off, well that is only reinforcing the behavior further.

Not what we want.

More importantly, you need to make sure no one gets hurt.

I feel that at this juncture you are going to have to seek the help of a professional trainer. You need to make sure that the trainer you find
though is of the correct physical frame that they are able to ride such a small pony.
BUT!!!
Under no circumstances!!!!!
Should you allow a young child or person under the age of 18 to ride this horse simply because he is small.

He needs someone aggressive enough to safely ride though and then  correct the behavior.

Good Luck and always remember to wear an ASTM/SEI approved helmet!