At 18:52:33 on 01.03.10, flashboy wrote:
ok i have a welsh cob hes 5 years old he was broken in when he was 3 years old. everyting was going well unlit about 5 months ago he will walk, trot but not canter each time i try he buckes like mad he is not behind my leg or anything. i know alots of you will say get a whip and hit him but hes scared of whips so it makes him even madder (a girl on my farm yoused to hit him with a whip to get him back over him stable door when she brought her horse inn) plz help

At 19:20:36 on 01.03.10, plodalong wrote:
a silly question but it needs to be asked, Have you checked that his saddle isnt pinching or his girth too tight, and i think you are right not to smack him, he could be in pain or a bit fizzy because of what he is eating.worth doing all the usual checks first.hope you get it sorted.

At 20:53:32 on 04.03.10, j_leopold wrote:
i was going to suggest het hios back teeth and tack checked...does he do this only when ridden or does he do the same on the lunge or loose schooling...if everything is fine maybe go back to basicis for a while...

At 14:50:38 on 12.03.10, Flicka wrote:
No, I wouldn't chastise him until you've done what everyone else has suggested for starters and ruled out discomfort. It's easier for a horse to buck at the canter which is why it often does so. You're sure it's not just a bit of exuberance, in which case I would just learn to sit to it, ignore it and keep him moving forward. Also sometimes we give conflicting signals when we ask for canter and ask with the legs and then keep holding on the mouth. Then a horse can get uptight especially if the bit is severe or he has problems with his teeth. I've always been told that you should sit back and ride them forward through a bucking spell because you are giving them a cue to go (pressure) which they are objecting to and so if you stop then that's re-enforcing the behaviour. This is when some people may suggest you give him a sharp smack with the whip to back up your leg aid. Never use it as punishment. But it has to be immediate otherwise you're better off not to bother at all. So unless you're sure you can get the timing spot on I would forget the whip. To be honest I would stick to using your legs for go first. But I know of other people who ask for stop and back up. Be interesting to find out what methods other people use.

At 23:22:41 on 12.03.10, JessAndGrenville123 wrote:
Get x-rays done, my horse did this and he had (has) kissing spine but don't let them sedate him for the x-rays as this causes the back to sag even more. Hope this isn't the problem. If not try extending trot and shortening strides first within trot so canter looks like a easier better option, practice this striding for about 15 minutes with some trotting poles and sepentines (make it challenging and not at all boring) then ask for canter when he is totally relaxed, concentrating and when he is expecting the unexpected.

At 16:34:50 on 13.03.10, farasi wrote:
I don't quite understand your answer, you need to extend the trot yet shorten the stride to make it difficult for the horse so it chooses the easier option of canter? I can't work out what you mean with the trot and how to do it could you explain it a little clearer for me. Many thanks

At 19:24:50 on 13.03.10, JessAndGrenville123 wrote:
To farasi i meant one then the other, for example lengthen striding down a long side of school then collect on the shorter sides. Or do some exercises in extended trot then some in a collected trot. It will get the horse listening and then they realize that actually trot is harder or just as hard as canter and then the horse will be more willing to pick up canter. Sorry if i don't make sense i tend to get carried away typing quick and forget to read back what i wrote.

At 18:58:39 on 14.03.10, flashboy wrote:
hi thanks for all your answers there is nothing wrong with his teeth also nothing with his back as iam not getting x-rays done....

At 20:19:52 on 14.03.10, Dusty03 wrote:
My gelding went through a phase where he refused to canter. I found that each time I asked him to canter he would get stiff, hollow his back and just trot, if I kept asking him to canter out of this fast hollow trot he would buck or just trot faster. I found that if instead of continuing to ask for the canter, I would bring him back to a working trot, and start doing bending exercises. Bend his head in for a few strides then bend his head out for a few strides. I made him bring his head into at least a 45 degree angle. If your horse knows shoulder in, haunches in, leg yield you can do those too. Once my horse was very flexible and light, I would again ask for the canter. If he didn't pick it right up we would go back to bending and flexing. I could have forced him all along to canter with a whip, but I didn't want to fight. I use the bending exercises on my mare as well. I also learned while training her that if a horse likes to trot into the canter it helps them pick it up better if you ask them to push their haunches out a few strides. Sort of a forehand turn at the trot, then ask for the canter. This worked amazingly well on her. Of course she was willing to canter just not coordinated enough to pick it up right away. If I pushed her haunches out she could pick it up, and it was much more collected and not runaway like normal.

At 09:32:32 on 16.03.10, Gabrielle wrote:
So, what's wrong with a horse bucking!! Can show good spirit! could be ill/fitting saddle, etc. but come on guys, it takes a lot of energy! The Horse is trying to tell you something!! Not too hard to work out!!