New horse, major bucker?

Question

I just got this cute little Quarter Horse mare from out of state, She is really sweet, and I eventually want to sell her for the equatation divisions. She is a good horse and everything, but when we land a jump, she bucks and bolts. It's not just being excited after the fence, this horse is uncontrollable, and alomst threw off my 12 year old sister, I' don't know what to do, since I wanted to have her ready to sell in 2 months... And I'm afraid no one is going ot want a 12 year old horse who is unprdictable...nothing we have done so far has worked. ANY help would be awesome!!!

Answer 1

Hello there, congradulations on your horse! Okay so heres the bad news than the good news,

Bad news is, I think your mare has a back or hock problem, possibley both. When a horse willingly goes to a jump but lands and then reacts, this is usually do to a pain or discomfort, sometimes they can have sore backs either under the saddle area or even in the lower lumbar region. This can be detected by a good lameness vetrinarian and can be resolved with chiropractic work, re-fitting the saddle and perscription Robaxin as well as magnetic and ultra sound thearpy, but this may not even be the issue.

Another issue could be her hocks, many horses with sore hocks will jump because they like to do it but the pain from retracting their hind legs up to their belly upon jumping creates pain and they will kick out at the pain. Some large jumpers do this because their hocks actually lock up because they are so sore which creates a "pogo" like action, but I don't think your mare jumps in the higher levels correct? So it may just be simple arthritis in her hocks, even if shes only 12.

Now heres the sorta good news, if may just be (and don't take this badly) your riding. It is VERY possible you are catching her in the mouth or your lower leg is swinging back, these are fairly common jumping faults that can be resolved with time, practice and a good trainer. If your catching her in her mouth she is simply bucking because she is trying to pull down away from your hand, if your catching her with your lower leg in her flanks and belly she is bucking because that is very uncomfortable, especially for a mare.

Another thing could be you are landing to soon, and/or to hard on her back.

Consider all these things before pointing to the hroses temperment. But if all is well above, lets look at her temperment and training. What was she trained for and as before? What are you riding her in? What are your skills? A skillfull rider can put this mare thru a series of gymnastics and halt her after the fence to get her back on her rear end and her head elevated so she may not buck. But at 12 years old you sister should not do this and I would inlist a trainer or good catch rider to do so.

Good luck!! :)

Answer 2

May I suggest lunging over a few jumps. With and without a saddle. You will find out if it is the tack, you or simply her. I had a mare that used to do that (well elsewhere besides) I found repetition got her bored as well. Just a simple jump over and over. She might get bored and then go onto something more interesting so she doesn't stop jumping.

Answer 3

To stop a horse from bucking...after she is all tacked up(has the saddle,blanket,bridle,bit,ect..on) keep a halter on under the bridle and snap a lead rope on the bottom ring of the halter and the loose end to your saddle horn(must be a western saddle).Make sure you tie the lead rope kinda short so that your horses head cant reach the ground but to where you can still ride her with no problems.

Then when you are riding and she tries to buck...she cant get her head low enough to the ground to buck really hard.If you do this everytime you ride,she will soon stop the bucking.

Answer 4

Horses look at jumping, trail riding, cutting, roping, dressage, ETC. as work. This little mare does not like the job you have given her. Your little mare isn't going to be pleasurable, unless you give her a job she enjoys doing. Horses are pleasure animals. They want to please, but they can only take so much. It is your job as her owner to help her find her job. Just because she is good at jumping doesn't mean she likes it, and she is only going to get worse. People don't like to hear it, but you need to find a different job for this little mare. Maybe roping or even cutting. Otherwise your not going to get anywhere.

This is the truth, and you can choose to do your part in the horse-owner relationship, or you can continue to have a bucking bolting horse. It's up to you. I also suggest not to put your sister on her, until you find what she is good at, and is happy with! That's when you know a horse is safe!

I really hope you take my advice. I have given this advice many times, and in the end, I always get a thank you, because it is fate. You might find a new type of riding you have never tried before, and want to end up keeping her because she is good at her new job!

Good luck!

Answer 5

i think getting someone to look at her back and shoulders would be wise.

i know a horse who did the same thing.

turned out she had a knotted muscle in the wrong place behind her shoulder.

it is unlikely a 12 y/o horse would just start doing this out of the blue. so there for its very likely this is a medical problem that should be seen to asap. and you proberly should quit riding her until the problem has been assesed by a professional!

goodluck!

Answer 6

I agree with some of the other posters, it sounds like she is having some pain issue.  If she is normally sweet and appears to be willing to do what you ask then I would investigate: your saddle, your riding, and her body.  Either a chiropractor or an equine body worker will give you the best evaluation as to her pain, if any.  The fact that you bought her from out of state could mean that this was pre-existing. That would be unfortunate.  She may make someone a nice, laid back trail horse.  She just may not be a big time performance horse. That isn't the end of the world. I have people all the time looking for nice quiet trail horses. You would have to be sure she doesn't have any back, hock, neck issues, etc.  good luck

Answer 7

she may be out of adjustment, chiropracticly, you can google for equine chiropracters in your area, and your saddle my fit wrong it is probably pushing on her back, like her 7 vertabrae in her back, or her wither, you can also open a coke, it cannot be diet, and let it go flat, and then dump it over her grain, this will clean out her kindneys this is what i do weekly for all of our horses.

Answer 8

is she in pain?

does she only do it after a certain height?

have you tried her on cross rails?

does it happen when you do single fences? or only during courses?

i would start at ground poles and work your way back up to whatever height your at.. if it doesn't  happen over cross rails consult a vet because the landing of a higher jump could hurt her..

good luck

Answer 9

I would question the saddle coming down on the landing and pinching her shoulders...

If her only bucking is on the landing, then its a pain issue..  

For a fix... attaching a crouper and training her to one.

Answer 10

Hmmm...

Did you try her before you bought her, and did she do this then?  

Did you have her vetted, and were there any issues noted during the soundness exam?  Have you contacted the previous owners to discuss the problem with them?

Try lounging her over jumps without the saddle or a rider.

No buck + No bolt = saddle fit or physiological problem = replace/refit saddle and try again, if problem continues call vet

Buck + Bolt = physiological problem = call vet

Also, if she has not settled in to her new environment, she could be having some fear issues and not be able to "settle down" to work.  Remember, she just left all her "family" and got sent to a strange place with lots of new stuff/people/horses/animals/routines/etc... to get used to.

She may just need some time to settle in.  The last gelding I bought was a basket case for 3 months and showed signs of clinical depression.  But wuth time, he made new friends, I finally earned his trust and now he is sweet as pie.

Good luck!