My horse has a MAJOR problem!!?

Question

Anytime I ask my TWH to canter he will for bit then he wants to speed up and I won't let him so he bucks. And when I slow him down to a trot he bucks. What should I do?? My entire riding life is resting on this horse!! Please help me!!

Answer 1

in case you didnt know, tennessee walkers are gaited. so the canter and trot are not natural to them. what you think is a canter on him is probably some disunited form of the running walk. you're trying to keep him in this unnatural and nonexistant gait, and he's trying to get into his natural running walk, and you arent letting him. hence the buck. get a trainer who has experience with gaited horses to help you.

Answer 2

Check his teeth and hooves. My horse would not stop and when I pulled he bucked. Later I saw there was a bottle cap in his hoof and the bit wasn't in right (so the bit rubbed on his gums). If you go trail riding always bring a hoof pick on your trail bag. It came in handy for me.

Answer 3

well first you shouldn't canter a twh because it messes up their gait. when he trys to take off turn him in a circle and take a crop with you.

Answer 4

get a professional trainer to retrain your horse.  i think that would be good. hope i helped. Sabrina

Answer 5

Well check the saddle to make sure there are no saddle isuess or back issues. If he has no problem with his saddle heres an idea to avoid that problem. Dont canter for a long time. Break it up. If you know hes gonna get speedy in the canter, I would suggest canter for a few minutes then break down to a trot or a walk. If this doesnt work I would get professional help.

Answer 6

I would first have someone professional evaluate his saddle fitting and pain issues.

Then after that, deal with training issues and take lessons with a professional on this horse.

Answer 7

I had this same problem with my pleasure POA a couple years ago, we didnt show her for a while so she never wanted to canter for us but when she did she'd go fast.  We took her to a trainer and after she rode her for a couple weeks we went back to get her.  She said she didnt need any more training we just have to change our workouts a little bit.

When you go to canter him, assuming he's in an arena or round pen, just let him go fast at his pace for awhile, until he gets tired and slows down (it may take awhile), if he doesnt, get him on a lounge line and lounge the bucks out of him, then get back on.  He should be better, if he's not, try draw reins.  They should help too by keeping his head down making it harder for him to buck.

This worked with our mare and in about a month we had her showing and getting high point pleasure horse in a local circuit against horses that show at APHA and other world shows.

i hope this works and good luck!

Answer 8

First what bit do you have?  I would probably not go with a lighter bit, you may loose all semblance of control.  First find out if his saddle if fitting properly.  You may discover that it causes discomfort in the canter.  Because he is a TWH he should not be trotted.  If he is trotting he needs to be retrianed not to.  A few TWH's pace and that is pretty rough but they should not trot.  Tell me the bit you use or take a picture and I will give further advice.

Answer 9

smack him on the head with the reins...yeah i know its sorta harsh but i know a farm that uses whiffle ball bats to do that

Answer 10

Sounds like he's off balance. Lounge him.

If you ride english and he maintains any sort of contact with the bridle. Or if you ride western and he maintains any cotnact with the bridle, tack him up with some side reins (they're even a good idea to build up back balance if you DON'T ride english). The sidereins should allow the horse to stretch down and out through the neck, they should be placed low on the girth of your saddle and should be tight enoughthat your horse cannot put his head way up in the air, instead they should be positioned so the horse wants to come down onto the bit. Lounge the horse with sidereins in a SNAFFLE, never with a curb/shank.

Lounge the horse walk, trot, canter and make sure he has the balance to 1) canter when you ask for it 2) canter for a longer period of time [should be as long as you want to canter him for] at first don't expect him to be able to canter long. 3) be able to be balanced going back to the trot, not just running around frantically.

Make sure then when you're riding that you rock with the horse and if the bucking is becoming a training issue, he needs popped on his bottom!

If you're new at riding - get a trainer. Even if you aren't, if lounging doesn't improve this, get a trainer. Even if lounging DOES improve it, I'd get a trainer. I'mnot saying get a trainer for the horse, I'm saying get a trainer for YOU to learn how to train the horse. Sending hima way to get trained means that you'll never learn how to teach a horse how to be ridden properly, it'll only mean you'll be able to ride trained horses, not train anything.

Good luck.

Answer 11

here girl I found this for you, hope it helps! I hate when they buck!!

Steps

   1. If you know you are on a horse that has a tendancy to buck, watch closely to the signs he gives you before he bucks, usually you can "talk" him out of it by keeping his mind busy. Avoiding the "buck" altogether is the safest way.

   2. Figure out why your horse is bucking. Check all tack and equipment. Check your horse for signs of discomfort such as a hollow back, pinned ears, or a sallow expression. Also be sure to check a horse's teeth. Do not hesitate to call out your veterinarian or farrier. Horses buck for a reason.

   3. Make sure that your tack fits correctly and is on properly. Pick out the horse's feet.

   4. When a horse bucks, immediately disengage the horse's hindquarters. This is done by pulling your reins sharply to either the left or right, and make your horse touch its nose to your leg. A horse cannot buck when it is in this position, it can only move in an incredibly tight circle. It also reinforces you as being the herd leader and loosens the horses muscles up so that it is easier for the horse to move. Do not release the horse until it completely stops moving, and then hold for three seconds. Repeat on other side, just to reinforce your point to the horse. Every time the horse is about to buck, or starts bucking, repeat. If a horse is prone to bucking, do this everytime you get on the horse - both standing beside the horse and once you mount.

   5. If your horse does buck, sit deep in the saddle; keep your heels down and your shoulders back, and give strong pulls on the reins to discourage the horse from putting his head down. Remember- a horse with their head up cannot buck. Also, make sure to keep your leg on. Many times a rider will try and correct bucking by stopping the horse. It is much more correct to reinforce forward motion. Do not let the horse stop. Many times, horses will learn that bucking can get them out of work.

   6. Turn your horse in tight circles.

   7. Do not overlook the possibility that your horse was deliberately trained to buck. Perhaps the horse was used as a rodeo bucking horse, or perhaps a person with a grudge against a former owner taught the horse to buck as cruel revenge. You may find that much retraining is needed, or that for safety you should give up your bucking horse and get another.

[edit] Tips

    * A horse that is known to buck should not be ridden by a timid rider or a beginner. Green + Green = Black and Blue!

    * Horses can sense a rider's nervousness. Stay calm and do not tense up.

    * Make sure the saddle is on extra tight if you know your horse tends to buck. While a horse is bucking you might fall off. While riding Western there is a horn on the saddle. Don't be afraid to hold onto it. But be sure to keep a good grip on the reins too.

    * Preforming a one rein stop will also help to stop a bucking horse. Grab one rein closer to the bit and draw it back to your thigh. Make sure you do not also pull on the other rein. Keep your hand on your thigh untill the horse has come to a complete halt and you again have control.

    * Consult a veterinarian if nothing else works.

[edit] Warnings

    * If you fall off, stay out of the way of the horse's legs. While horses will try to avoid anything on the ground, there are no promises. Accidents do happen.

    * When and if you start falling, try to roll. It will lessen the impact of the fall and get you away from the horse.

Good Luck

Answer 12

Squeeze gently with your legs to ease him into a canter, try to use a lighter hand on the reins (it could be the bit is pulling too much, if that's the case, try a different bit).  In general, use a lighter approach and reward him when he does well.  It won't happen overnight, but with a little patience and encouragement, he'll respond better.

Answer 13

You may want someone to help you out, a professional. Don't take any risks, you don't want the horse to end up worse then before!

1.) Get the horse checked out by the vet! There is a disease that causes the back to tighten at the canter. It is extremely painful for the horse, and usually causes bucking. Make sure the vet checks his teeth, and the whole body. Too many people blame tack fit, or behavior before thinking the horse could be in serious pain. It will cost money, but if you're going to keep the horse you need to be committed!

2.) Check tack fit. Make sure the girth isn't too tight and the saddle fits well. Also make sure the saddle pad is clean, sometimes dirt will rub a horse and make it uncomfortable. Make sure the bit looks good, and that it isn't pinching anywhere.

3.) Check your own position before blaming the horse. Are you sitting back? Pulling on his mouth too much? To slow him down try stepping firmly in your stirrups rather than pulling on the reins.

4.) Still bucking? Why not save up some money and get a massage for a little present. I always thought it was a stupid idea, but it's work wonders on some of my friends horses! Have a nice chat with the therapists, they also give good advice. Ask them about a simple massage you can give your horse yourself before you ride.

5.) Time to go back a few steps. You probably won't have to retrain your horse, but doing some in-hand work won't hurt. Find a trainer who can help you out, but make sure (s)he will let you train the horse yourself. Ask about trust exercises (especially joining up!) and building up his back muscles.

6.) The speeding up at the canter may be a balance or confidence related thing. The next time you ride, try cantering for only a few strides, then coming back down to a trot before he has a chance to speed up. PRAISE HIM! Make a huge deal out of his success. Do this until he gets it exactly right. Then each time you ride double the length of your canter.

7.) Maybe buy a supplement that is good for his bones and muscles. They are expensive, but if you want to keep the horse, it's time to save some money! It's worth it, and once you succeed you won't regret it! Good Luck!! :]

Also remember that you never need to harm a horse to get them to listen. A whip is used for correcting, not beating. You'll find that patience will get you farther than aggressiveness.

Answer 14

You are doing good things, by not letting him get his way.

Have you tried getting the canter from a walk?

My Pony does really good canters from a walk, but she rushes into it from the trot, but now she is fine, 'cause we have been doing them mostly from the walk, and doing just 1-2 canters from the trot a day has really helped us!

Good luck!

Answer 15

Your horse needs to be trained, so I suggest you take your horse to a horse trainer.

Answer 16

Some tips when he does decide to buck or you feel him tensing and preparing to buck:

Keep your heels down and your seat steady. This will prepare you.

And keeping your hands on the reins, make sure his head stays up. If he cannot put his head down, he will have a very hard time bucking.

Now, as for the fact that he IS bucking, I used to have a horse that did this. It made me so frustrated! The only thing I know to tell you to do if you cannot train a horse yourself is to send him to a professional trainer. However, my advice is to ask the trainer if once he has made some progress with him, that you can take lessons with him. Make sure he won't take advantage of you. The trainer might be able to keep the horse from bucking when he is riding him, but if you get on, it may be a totally different story. Also make sure the trainer is a good, respectable person with non-harmful training methods. Ask around with some horsey-friends and see if they know anything about his reputation.

I really hope you can make some progress with your horse, it's apparent you really love him! :)