Why is he bucking?

Question
i was recently thrown off a horse. hes a dark cleaveland bay a nice natured horse. he scares very easily also. after a little walk and i took him off our normal route down a grass track off the road and as i brought him back up to the road because the person i was with, her horse was playing up so i turned him around and he was fine till we got near the road. there where no cars it was more like a quiet road. he stopped and reared. i was holding on tightly to the saddle but it was no use the next second he bucked 2wice and i was off. i don't know why he bucked me off. he might of been scared i did see that he was missing a shoe also. my mum said to me if a horse rears you press down with both hands firmly on there neck and if they back sit back in the saddle. is this right? if not, how do i control a horse if its bucking and rearing, what is the real reason it is doing these things?

Answer
HI Jamie!

Well, first you need to stop riding this horse outside because he will really hurt you next time and possibly himself.

Secondly, even though you really gave me no usable information about your horse I can say with all confidence you cannot fix this yourself.  If you do not know why it is happening, how can you train him?

So, my advice is two-fold.  Find a reputable trainer or knowledgable person in your area and have them work with your horse and give you riding lessons.  Preferably, not on this Bay but, on a good natured lesson horse that will allow you to ride to your best abilities and not have to worry about getting dumped!

After some progress with your horse and you having some time to work on yourself, then the trainer can bring you and this Bay together in a controlled enviroment (an indoor arena) and see if you two are suited for each other.

Do not feel bad if this is not the right horse for you.  Just find one that is and let this horse go on to someone who will properly ride it and give it the best chance it can have in a partnership with someone who will understand it.

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

Solange