Stop Bucking, Rearing, Horse Training

Question
Rick -
I just bought a horse. He had not been ridden for almost 18 months. I watched his owner round-pen, and he worked great until, for no apparent reason, he began bucking, then he stopped. I was impressed by his overall look and and personality, so I took a chance and bought him. He's about 5 years old and like a big dog - comes easily, stands for the farrier and saddling, and seems to have no other bad habits. I got him home and rode him in our corral, then down through the pasture, all with no problem. Then I nudged him into lope - the bucking started and I ended up on the ground.
   Now, with all that background, can a horse be trained out of bucking, and if so how. I am not a horse trainer, but am an experienced rider. I'm just getting too old to hit the ground very often!
   Thanks for any help you can give.
Mike

Answer
Rick Gore:  Bucking is usually related to fear, disrespect and sometimes freshness.  

Hey Mike, not sure how old is too old to hit the ground.  I am 47 and I am too old to hit the ground much. :)  If you go to my site, I have a section on Horsemanship Tips and I explain what a bucking strap is also called a nightlatch.  Check it out, it has saved me more times than I can count.  

Ok the little guy is honest since he told you he was going to buck in the round pen.  The old saying:  The more times you hit the ground, the better your ground work will get.  If he is bucking in  the pen, then you need to correct it in pen and show him what happens when he bucks.  You can not show him as well in the saddle and it is less forgiving if you make an error, not to mention, every time he gets you off, it teaches him that is the right response since he got release when he was bucking.  

I think you went a little fast to canter too soon, after seeing he would buck.  I would not canter for the next few rides.  I think this can be fixed, unless you were lied to and this horse has always been a confirmed bucker and as bucked several riders off before you.  

Round pen him, if he bucks, put more pressure and make him run and change directions fast and a few times.  So when he kicks up, move in close and fast and force canter, if he continues to buck, cut him off and change his direction, aggressively and get mad.  You can use a whip (don't hit him) or a stick with a plastic bag on it, or a coiled rope to throw at his feet to force movement.  I use the word Quit for any bad behavior, so my guys know if I say Quit, if they don't stop, something is coming fast from me and you won't like it.  Once you let him know you are not happy for his bucking and you put more pressure and make him more uncomfortable, he will understand and connect bucking with your increase pressure.

After you can canter him in both directions without bucks, then get on him in round pen.  If you have a buddy or your wife,  hehe, you have them sit on him while you round pen him.  Then if he bucks you can stop if fast from the ground, since you should have done it a few times already.  The person riding has only one job, stay balanced and in the saddle.  No reins, no steering, no nothing, just hang on and stay in the saddle.  If you don't have anyone willing to do this, you ride him in the round pen.  Before you canter, do lots of stops, turns/change in directions, some backing and a few flexes.  Really let him know that you are in control him in the saddle.

Then canter him a little.  If he does not buck, stop after a couple of loops, do some more walking turns and stops. Then canter again.  If no issues, stop and call it a day.  Now if he bucks, remember:  One rein you live, two reins you die.  Always pull on only one rein when a horse bucks.  You have to give the horse an option to turn his head, if you are pulling on two, you help him buck by bracing his neck and head, and you give him no release and may cause him to flip over backwards.  If he stops and gives you his head, its over, let him go and walk off, change directions and try again, if he bucks again put lots of leg pressure and forward movement, and make him run.  The nice thing about the round pen is you can drop the reins (make sure you use loop or tied reins) and just hand on and squeeze and make him canter.  I have a 3 yr old that still likes to feel his oaks once in a while.  I yank on one rein (no bit, I use bosal) and hang on with my other hand and yell Quit, and then I put pressure to run and he runs out of it.  His are more bucks of freshness, it may be some disrespect issue, but I am not a big super respect guy.  As long as the horse dose what I say and does not try and kick or bite me, I am pretty easy on my guys and we are almost equals, with me just ahead of them.  I am comfortable with this since I know I can get control if I have to, some less experienced riders need that super control all the time to feel safer.  

I think the key to stopping bucking is forward movement.  A horse cant buck well at a good run.  They have to slow down and drop their head, they cant do that at a good run.  So I make a bucker run, if I can.  But I always try and deal with this in the pen first so I can set the horse up for success.  You can do more from the ground to teach and keep pressure on the horse to teach him.  Once in the saddle, if you lose your seat, the horse get release during the bad behavior, which teaches him bad.  In the pen you keep pressure on until the bad behavior stops.

On my site I have a page call horsemanship, I have a section on bucking and kicking horses with some suggestions.  You can take a look at them as well.

Feel free to shoot me a follow up if I lost you or did not explain this well.

Good luck, Rick