Don’t Make Me Buck! (What To Do If Your Horse Bucks)

Ralph Moses | 618-883-2771 | parmoses@gmail.com
3-Star Instructor | ILLINOIS, USA

I once heard Ray Hunt, Master Horseman, and one of Pat Parelli’s mentors, say: “If your horse does something, it’s either because you put it there, or you didn’t take care of it when it showed up.”

That pretty much says it all when it comes to a horse that bucks.  

So let’s break it down into three parts:

• Why do horses buck?

• How to prevent it?

• What to do if you have a horse that bucks?

Why do horses buck? 

Bucking is a survival instinct in horses and, very simply, a horse bucks to get a predator, like a mountain lion, off of its back.  In many cases, it’s a panic attack (claustrophobia) for Right Brained horses.  Sometimes it is a playful, energetic maneuver.  But some Left Brained horses have learned to buck simply to get out of “work.” (Remember: It’s the release that teaches!) 

Bucking can be triggered by a poor-fitting saddle or a cinch that is fastened too quickly or too tight.  For some horses, bucking can be triggered when they feel the need to go forward, but the rider holds them back.

In rare cases, bucking might be triggered by a fold in the skin where the cinch lays. (This often occurs in certain breed lines of cutting horses.) 

Sometimes horses buck simply because they’re feeling too good to be good.   This is very common among horses that are stalled or fed too much grain.  They’re like a kid on a sugar high...just jumping out of their skin!

Whatever the reason, as a rider you need to know how to not put it there, and also how to take care of it when it shows up.

How to prevent bucking

Let’s take the first part of Ray’s statement “you put it there.”  

In all too many cases, a horse is taught to buck during the first saddling or first ride.   As Pat Parelli says: “The start isn’t anything; it’s everything!”  

Poor or rushed preparation during the first ride can set up a form of a PTSD pattern in a horse.  Once this pattern is established, it is challenging to get rid of it.  

So the best approach is to not allow it to get established.  The Parelli Colt Start Skeleton is: 1) Accept the human; 2) Accept the saddle, 3) Accept the rider and 4) Accept the guider.  By following this skeleton, a young horse can work its way through the physical, emotional and mental stresses of being ridden for the first time.  

As an example, going slow, taking small, baby steps when introducing the saddle (like using a bareback pad first) and waiting for relaxation, gives the horse time to go: “Ohh...I can handle that.” for each step.  And this helps build confidence and prevents PTSD.

What to do when a horse bucks

So, now what do you do “when it shows up.” 

We have a Parelli saying: “Warm up strong to ride softly.”  And another instructor taught me: “I consider myself bucked off when my horse [its attention] leaves me.”  These concepts stuck with me big time!

Warm up strong means getting your horse physically and emotionally ready to ride on the ground.  Stringing things together, like jumping barrels (squeeze game) and hind quarter disengage and backing cause a horse to look at you as a leader.  

Making games out of the tasks takes care of your horse’s play drive needs (which is why Pat calls them the 7 Games).   Look for your horse to relax and move with understanding.  For many horses, you can see their relaxation when the poll is at or lower than the withers while moving.

When you do feel that your horse is mentally, emotionally and physically ready to get on, first practice neutral lateral flexion/bend to a stop looking for softness and responsiveness.  I do this three times on each side almost every time I get on a horse...even my most trusted horses.  I want that reflex action practiced in both me and my horse!

When riding, feel for your horse.  Oftentimes, they will get “sticky” 2-3 seconds before they buck.  Feel for that and respond accordingly.   If you’re not a confident rider, get off!  If you have confidence, maybe give your horse a few seconds to relax and redirect his mind to something else.  If you’re paying attention, you will often feel it coming and can respond as needed.

Finally, practice your emergency dismount often enough that you can safely get off quickly on either side.  Then, follow the Parelli program and fix the problem on the ground.

Getting bucked off can not only get you hurt, it can damage your confidence tremendously, so do everything you can to prevent it from happening.  

Don’t put it there, but do take care of it if it shows up.

For more help and support, visit community.parelli.com.