Bucks in young horses: tips

There is not a single horse that does not buck, everyone has done that at some point. Young horses buck more than older horses. This is because they are still young and then they buck in the meadow in an enthusiastic mood, for example. There is a good chance that they will also do this if you are breaking your horse or having just been saddled. Do not punish them as this is acceptable with young horses as they have not yet learned how to dose their energy and enthusiasm.

But why do horses buck now?

• Horses often buck because they are in pain somewhere or because the saddle chafes against wounds or does not fit properly. If something is wrong with your horse and he bucks, don’t punish him. This is the only way to tell they are in pain.
• Horses also buck out of fear or when startled.
• Of course, you have horses that buck to throw you off. Often these are horses that are placed in the ‘difficult category’. But every rider can feel the difference between bucks to throw you off and bucks out of enthusiasm, pain, fear, etc…

Tips; Bucks in young horses

• If you are going to train with your young horse, make sure that he does not have too much concentration. This food gives him even more energy, which makes training more difficult.
• It is important that the training schedule offers variety. It is recommended that you buy a toy, especially for horses, for example. After you have worked with your horse for half an hour, you can leave him alone in the paddock with the ball for 10 minutes.
• Never punish your horse with whipping. A young horse that is in training and being whipped every time he does something wrong will most likely cause you a lot of trouble later on. Even if he sees a whip later in life, there is a possibility that he will start to prance or buck with fear. It also marks your horse for life.
• If your horse does something he shouldn’t, you can definitely say an angry “no” to him. It is important that young horses realize when they are doing something wrong that is not tolerable. Because of this hard and angry ‘no’, your horse will realize after a while that you do not accept his behavior.
• If your horse bucks, you can pull the reins up so that he becomes unbalanced and is thus forced to stop bucking. Because you pull the reins up, he no longer has support on his bit. But watch out!!!! Never pull the reins up when a horse is rearing! Here you have to pull the reins down. If you pull the reins up when he rears there is a high chance that he will lose his balance, he may fall backward and you run the risk of getting the full weight of a horse on you. This is life-threatening!
• Make sure that the harness (saddle, bridle, girth, …) fits properly. A horse will quickly protest if it hurts or feels uncomfortable.