Why does my horse buck?

Question

Okay so I love my horse, his name is Scouts Legacy, AQH Paint, excellent ride. easy to control everything. But when we ride him outside our pen on our yard or around the house he freaks out. Not like barn sour or anything, he could be jooging along then just goes into a bucking frenzy then just stops and keeps going like nothing happened? And its not a spook, because he does spook. But we can take him trail riding and he never does that. Why is it only our yard, and does anyone have any helpful ideas? Thanks!

Answer 1

Sounds like you have eliminated the environment as an issue. Have you double-checked your tack, maybe a sticker in the cinch, or maybe he's being pinched in some way. How long does the bucking last and is he calm afterwards?

Answer 2

Charles Hutton, reining trainer quote: "You have to always listen to the horse. Horses are creatures of routine, and if they act differently than they normally do, there is almost always something wrong."

So 1. he is used to being relieved of work when he bucks; he thinks he's finished and acts out expecting you to dismount and finish as perhaps his past owner did

2. he's been ridden for a while in the pen and by the time you take him out in the yard, a tack fitting issues/discomfort is more apparent to him and he's acting out to let you know it doesn't feel good

3. it's too exciting for him and he expresses it by showing a bit of his a**

4. he's associating the yard environment to something that happened to him in the past

I would eliminate pain for my own peace of mind. Pain may not become apparent until a certain amount of riding or time has passed. Rule it out. Once you have, you know it's a training issue and can proceed with a clear conscience. Keep him working in the yard until he is nice and soft and no bucking has occurred for 10 minutes before you dismount, for example. Each time make it longer. Be clear bucking is unacceptable and will gain him more work - get his feet moving as much as you can, lateral work, circles, etc. That's how I would start. Also, do you get at all even a little bit nervous by taking him in the yard???

ADD: Excellent that you don't get nervous! Really sounds to me, as you add more detail, that he has learned to express his...let's use the word loosely 'excitement' in an inappropriate way and must relearn a more positive expression, such as using that extra energy to get more under himself and collect up with greater impulsion. Since horses respond exceptionally well to structure, try to make your rides a little less gallop and a little more varied for the time being by incorporating a lot of things to keep his mind and feet busy like figure eights, spirals, transitions, turn on hanches, turn on forehand, spins...you get the idea. Especially when you are in the yard - keep him busy. No buck and you go easy. Buck and you get busy. He'll catch on quickly! Best of luck. It's so much fun to have a horse that you consider a blast to ride :)

Answer 3

if your yard is very open and roomy then maybe he feels that he can get away easier, in a round pen it is enclosed and he knows that he cant get away to easy cause he has no where to go and on a trail there is usually not much room for them to act up

but in an larger, open yard he has plenty of room to move and act up all he wants cause he knows he can get away with it

I used to have a horse like this named Captain Starbuck and he would do that too. On a trail, riding down the road, and at horse shows he would be perfect but if you got him out in the field he would just blow up and take off and buck, just trying to get you off of him.

Answer 4

my friends little arab would do this if we were running.  he would go pro rodeo.  never did figure out why.  if by himself no problem but out with others, you never knew when he would do it.

like you say he was a kid pony nearly 99.9% of the time.  it was just every so often, watch out.

Answer 5

well if he is not in pain i would say just to keep riding and maybe he will get better. just try doing ground work in the yard. feed him there sometimes, pick his hooves out in the yard, ect. he should get better.

Answer 6

is there a certain spot where he does this bucking frenzy? i suggsted walking him around the yard on foot with a halter and lead and maybe lunge him on a lunge line and just make that yard place where you can go to do some work with him.or try just walking around the yard if ur riding him there instead of jogging

and this is for appy girl!!!

soemtimes if you run horses in a group they will do that because they are competitive! and they get frustrated ...or soemtimes even just really excited.

Answer 7

he could just be frisky. Try lunging and playing with him before you go out. Plus now he's probably getting in the habit of bucking.

Answer 8

because he or she is not used to you. you got to remember when u have a horse they arent just gonna be dead trust in you. try to give it some treats when u walk her and try to just walk her some and get some trust with it. she could be a little nervous around u. proud onwer of 4 horses.

Answer 9

If he is bucking in the same place around your house or in your yard every time it could have something to do with the footing. It could be different and it makes him do that.

Or something around it that he sees and doesn't like. My horse does that around this one tree in my yard, it has a lot of holes from wood peckers and for some reason he freaks out by it. lol

Or he could just be really frisky or bored. Either one would do it. Try changing up the scenery a little bit or i agree try lunging him around (it might help to lunge him around your yard) a bit just enough for him to get the bucks out of his system.

Answer 10

maybe there is a specific object (ex. a garden hose) in your yard that he is especially afraid of?

try leading him around that area (where he bucks) with a lead rope to see if anything spooks/bothers him.

it could also just be that he is happy to be out of the pen because he knows he's going for a trail ride?

also make sure to check your saddle fit and get him overall checked out, it's worth it instead of taking the risk... good luck i hope this helped!