I was always a beginner or advanced beginner. The difference is the automatic response that requires no thinking that an experienced rider has. It takes many hours in the saddle. It is so much more complicated than people think to become experienced rider and every horse is different. We are retired. Pasture pet and me. She has her horse too. My hot twh taught me soooo much. Having started at 50 i stayed advanced beginner. I hope my soul gets another life and finds her soul to continue.
I rode race horses for a living. What we would do when the horse would start bucking was to get them to go forward fast and pick their head up making it hard to effectively buck. We would also do what's called putting your feet in the dashboard. Put your feet forward so that you're not thrown off. Hope this helps.
When i was trained in the military as a pilot, one of the first things you learn to remind yourself at the beginning of an emergency is to 'Fly the plane!' Always remember to keep flying. Applied to the horse would be, "Ride the horse!" concentrate on NOT falling off and eventually, regaining control. My pony ran off with me when I was a relatively new rider. Alone, quite a ways from the corral, in the mountains in Mexico, across a gopher-hole strewn field with gulleys, two of which he jumped. I'm 55 years old. I do NOT want to fall off a galloping horse. So, I grabbed the horn with one hand, the reins with the other, and reminded myself, "Ride the horse!" When the jumps came, I did my best to mimic youtube videos of jumpers, and we cleared them both nicely. I knew the ride was going to come to come to a fairly quick end (as soon as we caught up to the rest of the run away herd, who had now slowed to a walk 1/4 mile ahead) so i was not concerned about getting him to eventually stop. I knew I had made mistakes to get myself into this situation, and now I just had to ride that horse. After the fact I will admit it was exhilarating, as I had never been in a full-out gallop before. I vowed to do some practice cantering and galloping on the beach so I would be comfortable at that speed, and also, to never get myself into that position again on a horse.
+sbdreamin I too was a military pilot, US Navy, and I retired as an airline captain. When I started riding lessons, I saw the parallel with learning to fly and learning to ride. Both require control, both use controls that require fineness, and both react to input. Also, leaning a skill requires time and effort. And as you stated, both require that we keep our minds engaged and not panic. I am quite impressed with 'calm under stress' approach to your situation. I am sure I would have ended up in the dirt. I have yet to ride at a gallop, but I hope to do this sometime this month.
+Robert Metheney Riding at a gallop, or even a canter, is actually a pretty intense workout. I rode on the beach one day with a very experienced rider who galloped alongside me and gave me pointers while we went, which was nice. Much easier than trying to listen to a teacher across an arena holler at you. Basically, i needed to relax my body into it; I was too tense.
+sbdreamin every article I read, and every video I watch says to 'relax.' not so easy with a 1200 lb ( or more) animal under you with a mind of his own.
+Robert Metheney that's why I ride a pony... not so far to fall and he's not strong enough to get me out of the saddle. I highly recommend for us older folks as safe (read: experienced) a horse as you can get your hands on. When they have some years on them doing all sorts of jobs, like riding kids, teaching, chasing cows, etc. they tend to be more level-headed and less likely to freak out if a plastic bag blows under their feet. 8-20 years old is perfect, or older if the horse is in good shape. My first horse was 20. She had been there, done that, and took very good care of me. She still may have been afraid a few times, but she knew better than to bolt or do something silly. Young horses tend to do sillier things than older ones. Good luck! Stay as safe as you can, and just remember to ride that thing if it gets whacky under you.
I love your videos so much! I’m a blind boy who loves horses more than anything. I used to take riding lessons at a therapeutic riding center. One Saturday in 2007, I was on my favorite horse at the time, Huey. I had asked him to trot, and he was trotting, then started going faster and faster until he was at a canter. And to be honest, I didn’t know what a canter was at that time so I grab the horse’s main and yanked, which made him more flustered and then turn violently to the left. I managed to stay on, but I think it was by the grace of God that I didn’t fall off. These days I ride Jinx, my friend Hannah’s horse, and I don’t go above a trot, I’m deathly afraid of cantering.
One thing to remember is that their back tension usually tells you they are going to blow up before they actually do and many accidents can be prevented just by learning to feel their cues and ride accordingly
@@bobbyc.1111 Sit tight.... Its very easy to feel a horse about to explode with a saddle on. And knowing what's coming doesn't necessarily make it any easier to stay on. Lol
Very helpful. I knew all this 20 years ago when I had horses and was riding all the time. Then memory failed me: 25 years later have my new young wonderful mare, and the reminders bring it all back to me. Thank you!
That is a very patient horse, every time you showed pulling it's head to the side it was telling you ok stop now and you did it several more times and it did the same tail and head flick to tell you but it seems to be a very gentle horse.
I.Am.Emma you know when I had my first pony it was actually eadyer to control my horse with just a halter and lead I tied it like rains but it was easier than a bite
I am a fairly new rider at 48 years old, still finding my seat and balance in a trot, last week my horse got spooked twice, the first time I grabbed onto his neck with both arms and my instructor yelled that I must let go and sit back, and I did manage that, I also lost my stirrups but boy I stayed on, and the second time I immediately just sat back and relaxed and just rode the wave and although I lost my balance to the right I managed to regain it without stirrups and I stayed on, I was super proud as a novice rider, having fallen off my fair share of times already!
I'm only a humble beginner. But I get the feeling that we need to gentley/ quietly confidently let them know that we are in the driving seat. Never install fear in any animal . I am a dog lady by nature and if I am to learn that horses have any similar trates it is they need love, to know we can be trusted, boundarys, direction (with a confident loving hand) and fun ...sounds like my children. But I do hope and pray I become a good horsewoman for them and myself. I'm 53 and loving my learning.
Good tips! I was taught that if my horse spooked at something pull his head around and keep your hand right on the seam of your pants. Also use this if he bucks or refuses to stand still. The only place the horse can go is in a super tight circle, and they become annoyed and usually quite tired and usually stop pretty quickly.
Great reminders, THANKS. I'm returning to riding after taking the last 9+ years off and, while I used to be really good at sticking to the horse during a "spaz session", I know I've forgotten a lot. Also, I'm not so young anymore and I'm now disabled too, so it's become super important that I not have any "unscheduled dismounts"! As a result, I've become a bit fearful and so, more inclined towards leaning slightly forward when I start to feel unsafe (forgive the pun). Your reminders have already made me feel safer - I have a riding lesson/Hippotherapy session in the morning. Please keep up the excellent work and keep the videos coming!! With your the help of friends and family and instructors (you included), I hope to one day ride and compete in a novice-level 3-day Event! Thank you!
I recently bought a new OTTB and was practicing my posting when he saw something out of the corner of his eye that made him spook. He rarely spooks and has a very good mind, he usually just snorts and plants his feet, but this time he jumped quite a ways to the left and thanks to a balanced seat and relaxed body I stayed in the saddle with no problem at all. He had jumped, but then again planted his feet. It came as a surprise to me and he's a big boy at 16 hh, but we did okay! It just goes to show you that any horse can spook at any time. He didn't bolt, so I didn't have to use the emergency stop, but yes, a relaxed and balanced seat is always to your advantage!
same exact thing happened to me and luckily I was relaxed so my body just moved with him. I think it went better because I had no warning because my body was relaxed
As a new and older rider I got dumped off 4 x and stuck with 3 more and it's just bizarre how the body can accommodate a blowout surprise. I just remember the good feeling of being able to go with the flow but can't directly identify how I stayed on as opposed to hitting the ground other than hitting the ground wasn't all that bad and of course jumped back into the saddle after. I never had good seat and probably would have done better if I could have been able to do a long distance lope without any turns. I never was able to develop a muscle memory and therefore a comfort so no seat for me. But it was still a great experience at the ripe old age of 60. I'll always love and respect this beautiful beast.
Thanks for the tip. Something I already kind of knew as a horse trainer, but definitely needed the refresher of staying calm and sitting back. I am training a green mustang and she has bucked 3 times with me in the past 3 weeks (2x in one session in arena) and unfortunately came off each time. Training IS going really well with her and was doing great in arena, walking out nicely there for a good 10-15min. It was when we stopped in a corner and asked her to back when she lost it. Did start to turn her head for control, but she stiffened her neck and knew I was done for, but didn't get hurt too badly. Just bruised and sore. Helmet and vest definitely helped :)
I had a horse take off at a full gallop yesterday when they had moved the herd from one pasture to another. The horse I was riding could no longer see them. My first feeling was fear but I was able to get control of that and sat back and rode it out to the top of the pasture. I know I tightened my legs to help hold on. I will try to overcome this in the future. Adrenaline was pumping. Thank you for these tips so I can practice them in order to be prepared if something like this happens again.
A while ago, I was riding a friend's horse and she wanted attention and thought it would be a good idea to start bucking. Nothing spooked her, she just bolted and started bucking. Luckily before that, my uncle taught me the emergency stop the summer before on my mule. I grabbed onto the horn of the saddle by instinct, since we all ride western. After I realized the situation and that I was about to fall off because I was leaning forward against her shoulders, I leaned back and pulled her head to my foot. She tried to pull away, but luckily I was able to calm her down. Thank you so much for this video!
I remember when I was a beginner (maybe my 2nd time riding a horse) the horse I was riding got into a fight with another horse over water and I remember the other girl and I just looking at each other terrified
My friends OTTB screamed at the Arabian I was on and turned him into the picture of a 'bucking bronco' 😂 I was way way way too tall for him and he jumped into knee deep mud so I didnt have any trouble staying on him, but it was hilarious all the same!
I like to "slide my bending rein hand" down the rein (about halfway down it to shorten that rein) as a "pre-cue" so the horse knows what's coming before you bring that hand to your thigh or hip. I love this technique and am so glad you are showing and explaining its use.Also, remember to make sure the rein on the opposite side is slack, or the horse won't be able to bend toward your toe. Another point is to not use this technique when you're on a hillside or uneven/bumpy ground which might cause the horse to lose his balance and fall. As one other reader commented, I, too, wondered if your bitless hackamore (sidepull?) is a little low on the horse's nose.
Callie, that was VERY helpful to me. After having fallen off the horse and broken my ribs, I am terrified to get back on, but what you are saying about pulling the horses head around and down makes a lot of sense - assuming we catch this in time and do not get bucked off first.
When I was ten I was riding a pony and it stopped to poop but at ten I wasn't really thinking about what it was doing I just knew the horse stopped but I wanted it to go. I decided it would be a good idea to crop the horse a few times to get it going but that was a very bad idea because as soon as it was done doing what it needed to do, it gave a good buck and then it reared and then it bolted. When it bucked I wasn't expecting it so I got thrown out of my saddle a bit and I was sitting on its withers while it was bolting through the arena. I realized I was still on and I wanted to stay on so I basically warped myself around the horses neck while it ran a few laps around the arena. I knew the horse wasn't going to stop by me just sitting there so I realized I would have to regain control somehow. So as the horse was running, I ever so carefully scooted back into the saddle, put my feet in the stirrups and collected my rains and immediately pulled the rein to my side and stopped him
I had that happen once- I was a new rider in a jumping lesson, and my hirse was kind of an asshole. He overreached the jump, popped me up and over and bolted towards the viewing room where all the moms were. I essentially had my legs wrapped around his neck and my butt on his withers for a good 2 seconds before I slid back and grabbed the reins. It was a miracle I didnt fall off
Wow! I just finished reading many of the comments and a lot of folks are getting bucked off or parting ways with their horse from spooking, bolting, jumping, rearing, etc. I've found that doing ground work exercises that gives the horse the necessary skills such as (softness, suppleness, obedience, respect for the person, and trust, etc.) that may be lacking or have been skipped over, will definitely prevent most all of the problems that cause these falls or near falls! BUT, these ground work skills MUST be done correctly! With obedience to the rider/handler, comes "less disobedience" from the horse. Think about it: if the horse doesn't bolt, spin/run off, etc. because he's been taught to use his thinking side rather than "reactive" side" of his brain (from being taught desensitizing exercises and sensitizing exercise)....thus being taught to stay calm in scary situations & (trusts you), the worse case scenario is: he may "spook in place" (No horse can ever be taught never to spook!)...but, best case scenario is that NOW he has been taught to be a safer horse! The bending/softening exercises will help prevent bucking, rearing, etc. because the rider can keep the horse engaged and focused on her/him with (serpentines, circles, S's, etc. to give a nervous horse something else to think about ( patterns,figure 8;s changes of direction or transitions are helpful, too.) So YOU and YOUR agenda keep YOU in control, rather than his personal agenda taking you down his road! Horses with a "JOB" don't have time to "do their own thing" if they're too busy doing what you ask them to do! This is one of the best tips I can give my student riders!...THE ONE REIN STOP IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT and must be taught to you and the horse in a controlled environment until you can do it in your sleep! Hope it helps you.
The most important thing I learnt about the one rein stop or bending the horse's head round is that it doesn't work unless they also disengage their hindquarters and cross under behind - stepping their back legs together is not good enough. That is the most crucial thing to teach them to do as it both disempowers them and relaxes them as they get a bend in their bodies. I do enjoy your channel, keep up the good work.
from "Basic Training for a Safe Trail Horse": Kudos for using what appears to be Dr. Cook's Billess Bridle. This goes a long way to having a calm horse. Keeping toes up helps to prevent a rider from pitching forward as you would on a diving board. Note: teach horse to stand with a word "stand" and squeeze of thighs in saddle, so that any squeezing becomes a signal to stand. Stop using squeezes to mean forward movement. When making a turn in an emergency do it in a way to change the mental attitude of the horse from misbehaving to making a turn so as to keep the turn wide enough to prevent throwing horse off balance. Teach horse to pass by something spooky by turning toward what the spook is to go past it repeatedly until you can pass by with no reaction...persist, insist and be consistent. This last will be very boring for rider but more importantly boring for horse. Horses do not like to be bored and will keep themselves from future reactions that might result in boring repetition!
Best description of one rein stop I've seen as it includes seat not just the rein. I have an experience where I came off a horse and I do NOT know what happened as due to a head injury I did not remember the fall. that is where i lost my confidence. before that I had many incidences where a horse shied and I stayed calm and in the saddle sometimes, and someties fell. I'm not sure what went wrong in the final fall. I'm slowly re building confidence at walk and trott on an ex race horse whose also been dressage trained. He hates the bit, so I switched him over to a Dr Cooks Bitless bridle and I'm teaching him this one rien stop.
+Ebony Eclipse I fell off at a cantor a few weeks ago, so I understand how you feel. After the fall, I got back on and put him in a cantor stopped him and put him back in a cantor. He likes to go fast and when I lost my balance again I reigned him to a stop. My instructor switched me from a race horse who wanted to go fast to a warm-blooded mare. On the race horse I was always working to slow him and now on the mare I have to kick her to keep her moving. This has helped me be in control. Control and a sense of security go hand in hand, at lea`st for me. I admire you for your courage.
Robert Metheney Sadly I couldn't get back on after my fall as I was too severely injured and kept going unconscious. I also had memory loss from the concussion
this video helped me this past week bc my horse has been lame and off for three weeks and he was finally ok the be ridden again and he was a little bratty having to go back into work and we was doing little pops and rears and getting speedy and I remembered all about this video to just sit, relax, and look. and I controlled him actually pretty decent so thank you!
I've had quite a few falls but the worst was when I first got my OTTB a week after he was purchased he started bucking almost straight up and down while trying to gallop i stayed with him for a minute the instinctively leaned foward and fell off and was pretty sore after wards. but now whenever a horse freaks out I sit back and stay relaxed!!! But now thankfullly we've come a long way an have actually started showing!!!! :)
I have a few stories. I've been riding for nearly two years and I've only fallen off once. I was doing a stretch where I leaned down as far as I could to try and touch my toe and the horse spooked and turned and I fell of screaming. The next time a horse ran off with me was when I was cantering recently and she just started running off then stopped and started doing these really weird little buck hops. I stayed calm the whole time and was able to stop her. The third time was two weeks ago with the same horse, she just randomly ran off galloping. I lost both my stirrups but my strong core kept me on and I was able to stop her after one scream and her running across the entire arena, I'm probably going to ride that same horse today, (she's my favorite lesson horse), and if she runs off hopefully I'll stay calm!
My horse is name is Emma and once I almost fell off after a jump and then I saved myself! I cried a little cause I was a little scared at first but then I felt proud of myself for staying on.
My horse spooked and started galloping towards a 3ft vertical (I've never jumped) he jumped it but I stayed on some how My coach said it was the best vertical she'd ever seen 😂😂😂
Yeah, the best vertical your riding coach has ever seen was done by a girl on a galloping, spooked horse that somehow managed to stay on.......who has never jumped over 3ft before....maybe you should get a new coach?
I thankfully on the positive side have a very quick mind. My biggest issue that I am working on is trying to teach my brain to stop thinking about all possible worst case scenarios. When the horse rolled with me (beginner) I started to plan my way out of it the second she bent her front knees. I remember screaming when the back end went down, then I just waited to see which side she was going down on, lifted that leg out of the way and when I went thud into the ground I just rolled away out of her way. I am glad my quick thinking kept my head clear even if I was scared senseless. I have learned quite a lot since then, but my fear of hights is still a problem that I am working on outside of the horse until I am more confident. This was a good video, thanks. :)
Hi Ambi, Glad you kept a level head! If you are interested, I interviewed a friend of mine who is a therapist and she shared several great tips for handling fear and anxiety. The video is on youtube here: Relieving Anxiety - Interview with Tina O'Connor
+HayforHorses Definitely- but there are things you can practice doing on a horse that's in control, so it's second nature when you have to do it on a horse that's out of control.
Well there isn't much else you can do other than fly off. It's just something you have to experience a few times to realise you don't have to tense, and just sit back and enjoy the ride for the most part :)
Also something I find really useful is bracing the lower leg, so jamming the heels right down and allowing the lower leg to move forward a few inches, you can really secure yourself on a spook or buck if you have enough time to react. Although it only works best if you stay relaxed at the same time. Keeps me in the saddle at work!
The best piece of advice I was ever given about what to do when a horse spooks is to ALWAYS LOOK UP. This has virtually saved me from falling off - and saved my life - many, many times !
I grew up on my Grandparents Quarter Horse ranch in California. My brother's 3 yr old gelding bolted down a large hill we were riding after he saw hay being fed to other horses in the barnyard. I was about 8 yrs old, and too small to rein him in. This left me with a fear of riding, but I still loved horses. Fast forward to my 20's, I had the desire to get back around horses, so I took English-saddle riding lessons. During one lesson, the day was overcast and windy. My Swedish Warmblood mare was spooky from the start. At one point while I was practicing my ungraceful posting, she bolted in a full gallop down the corral. I did just what you are training; slouch back in the saddle and reined her to a stop. I didn't know the circle-stop technique, but I did know to sit back and rein down to my legs. It worked, and I was able to stop her quickly. I later realized that this incident cured me of my fear of riding.
Very nice. After 50+ years in the saddle I know that sooner or later you're going to wreck. It's only a question of when and how bad. It also matter how old you are, I'm not as strong as I was 20-30 years ago. My wreck was very bad and I was around 58, I'm 64 now. I was helping a fella with a young horse, just putting on miles when something behind us spooked him. He took the bit and bolted also doing the barnyard buck, farting and all. I hand no control then I was flying. I hit the packed dirt of the staging area which felt like hitting concrete. I didn't know it, but I was seriously injured. I thought I'd broken my hip, but I hadn't. When I hit the ground I broke 3 ribs, one of which punctured and collapsed my left lung along with internal bleeding. I spent a week in critical care in hospital, fun times! ;-p I still ride, but I'm happy with older mares or geldings! lol
Excellent advice. No creature, including ourselves, wants to be "rode." We call it riding. It's really more like being taken for a ride. The horse should really be riding us.
I bought a TWH mare 2 weeks and hadnt ridden her since the day i bought her. I'd been working on groundwork just to establish a better bond with her. We went for a ride around a vineyard on monday and she did great until we went down a gravel road and the wind blew a tire swing. She bucked a few times, and i was able to ride it out. However, as i regained control of her, her bum got tickled with a grapevine and sent her into a frenzy. I held on for several bucks, but she wasn't giving up or giving in to my commands so I took my feet out of the stirrups and let go of the reins when i knew i'd end up in the grass. Even after I was off of her, she continued freaking out, so I'm glad I bailed.
I seem to have no problem staying on in every freak out but one. They can be spinning, prowling backwards into a ditch and rearing full up and it's no problem staying on. But I have real trouble staying on a bucking horse. I'm ok with one pop. But two or three and I'm on my arse on the floor. Last time was on one of my horses I had started and it was the first canter I asked her to do out of the sand school. She was bucking really high (she had never done it before, I think something spooked her) and I came off and was knocked out cold haha! I came round laughing. But I had a head aches for about a week after. I'm sure it was quite funny watching me trying to get back on the horse when my legs weren't working and the world was spinning. I tend to grab a piece of mane and end up leaning forwards instinctively. I wish I had the balls to lean back. I probably wouldn't have come off then.
+grace x you might try watching some professional bronc rides, or looking for videos on bronc training so you can understand the correct position. Then practice it. In an emergency, it's best if you have some muscle memory or at least repetition of what you are going to do. When I was going to learn to surf, I knew getting up was going to be hard, so I practiced with my board on my bedroom floor. Sit on a barrel or something, and say 'Bucking!', then do whatever it is that they do...lean back, I believe, loose at the hips.. not sure, i'm gonna go watch right now! Good luck!
+grace x I've been riding for 30 years- and I find bucking to be harder to sit... I usually do, I won't lie- there have been the occasions here and there when I can still be tossed of course- that said- even if I'm sitting a buck just fine- and stay relaxed, and not outwardly freak out, any big bucks makes me very uncomfortable. I can still think and do what I have to do- but of all the ways a horse can freak out- I dislike having to deal with a bucking horse the most. I mean, fact is if you keep a horse moving forward, you can usually prevent a lot if you know it's an issue- and can usually smooth out a bucking horse... But bleh. LoL- I can have fun on a horse that's acting out in other ways, but a bucker always makes me cringe on a soul level until we sort it out.
I ended up coming of a horse, and breaking my arm, 3 months ago. We were going beautifully until a willy-willy (one of those miniature twister things) sprung up full of leave really close to his head. He took off and I had control of him for a while (tried to the emergency stop - failed) but as soon as he realised he wasn't going anywhere he started bucking (a complete shock from such a calm boy). I knew my seat was bad, was leaning forward as friends were calling out for my sit back, so I ended up jumping off, just as his bum flew up. Hit the ground with a lot more force than I may have if I had timed it a little better. Really looking forward to getting back on and working on technique. Thanks for the video :)
My horse is prone to buck whilst transitioning into/out of a canter (hence why I haven't gotten to the canter yet even tho my instructor says I'm ready) so I'm glad this video is up! Thank you guys! *smashes the subscribe button*
I believe I did this move without realizing it today at lessons for Western pleasure. 6 months in now and tried the cantor off the lunge line for the first time. The horse I was riding is a retired roping horse and very responsive to his rider. I think I may have made some mistakes with not relaxing and he crow hoped several times when I asked for the cantor. We headed for the wall of he coral and I instinctually pulled to the left to steer away from the wall. He turned abruptly and halted. After watching your video I believe I was sitting too far forward because as he turned and stopped I went forward for a close encounter with his neck and a beautiful bruise on my abdomen from the saddle horn. However I was fortunate and stayed on. Thanks for your tips. I will practice relaxing and sitting back at the trot some more.
First and foremost I love your videos! But you forgot to mention that when doing your one reined stop, or your spiral stop that the most important aspect about this is the dis-engaging of the hindquarters. Dis-engaging that hindquarter will help in using more of the horses energy like riding a large circle to a very small circle until the horse stops. Don't forget a horse running away can still run somewhat straight and move forward with their head cranked to your knee. It is only until the hindquarter is dis-engaged when a run away horse can be taken back into control, and your schooling continue. Again, love your videos, def. helps spruce my riding. : ~ )
I recently (Saturday the 17th) Managed to stay on a bolting Arab. I was learning to canter, only the second time I had attempted it, when suddenly i realized he was not going to stop, he was going to take me on a full flat tack gallop. There was a moment of shear panic, then i realized i was already in the correct slouch back position, so i held that focused on keeping calm and kept tugging the reins gently commanding him to stand. it looked like we were going to stop for a moment then he decided he was having none of it at kept going galloping around a corner. going around the corner i felt my balancing going off side so i righted that just in time to notice we were heading for a fence. having never jumped at all i knew i had to turn him away and managed to successfully do so. At this point the owner of the horse had come over and was also commanding him to stand. Once hearing her, his demeanor changed completely and he slowed to a stop. The owner of the horse said she was extremely proud. She said my tone of voice when i was telling him to stand was commanding and didn't sound terrified, she said my seat was nicely slouched back, elbows in, legs relaxed and not kicking him. the only thing i didn't have right was i had brought my hands up too high. I rode him at a boring walk for around half an hour afterwards doing circles any time he disobeyed me to remind him who the boss was and by the time we were finishing up he was walking quietly head down again. The rest of the herd who witnessed his bolting also spent the rest of the day and night beating him up. All the horses know that bolting is a big NO. He's going to be drilled a bit over the week to work some manners back into him and i'll ride him again next Saturday, just to prove to myself I can control him and to remind him i am most definitely the boss.
Its literally the same with me. I was going to LEARN how to canter last week but the Arabian that I was riding wasn’t having that & wanted to gallop in full pace lol. I was genuinely confused when we stopped in front of the fence door, like, what just happened or HOW?! My instructor was laughing & he said I was good anyways lol
There’s no such thing as stubborn! Freezing up is another fear reaction for these prey animals. Learn to read the horse’s emotional state, and respond compassionately to their fears, and they will feel supported, become confident and trust you. These animals are individuals and are at our mercy. Fear is a horrible feeling. “Brat” and “stubborn” are two of the worst words to use when speaking about horses, and people do it all the time unfortunately. It’s a lack of understanding.
it was nice to learn it! i am used to act completely diferent, and would enjoy to listen opinions about.. i seat more to front and grab the mane, but in the middle of the neck line. it makes me feel sticked to the horse, and to me works when i am seated almost in teh horse shoulders, looks that that place, far from be comfortable for the horse, moves lass than if i stay on back. i act like that aftar watching my people at rodeos, "gaucho style".
Last summer, 2013, i worked at a summer camp in a horse barn, and again this summer. I hadn't had much experience with horses before so they gave me a horse that was very calm the summer before but hadn't been ridden much since then. The assistant manager was going to have me practice in an outdoor arena. I hopped on the horse and as soon as i got my other leg over the saddle, he started to buck. Of course i flew off onto my butt. Then we tried it again and the same thing happened. The assistant manager hopped on and she got him to stop. I went the rest of the summer without it happening again, but i looked this video up in case it does. Thanks for the helpful tips :)
My mom hadn't ridden for 25 years and so being a little rusty and not totally accustomed to a different system this horse bucked and spooked and she stayed on. I was impressed haha.
I was on a retired race horse with my friend who was training to be a jockey and was on a race horse in training. I think it was only my second time on a horse. We arrive at the top of a hill overlooking the San Francisco Bay. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, my horse reared. I have no idea what I did, but I managed to stay on. Kind of surprised I continued riding after that.
When the horse bucks you basically want to let him rotate forward staying in the middle, which is easier if you sit back a little. If he rears you let him roll backwards with you in the middle. Like when you are sitting in a see-saw going up and down. The pole rotates forwards and backwards and you stay in the middle as it moves. The pole goes from being uphill,to being downhill, yet you are still sitting straight. Great video, thanks.
The horse I was riding bolted at my last lesson. It has never happened to me and I was scared to say the least. We were loping ( I rife western) and because it has been so muddy lately he was excited to get somewhere dry to run and he really ran. I grabbed the horn with my free hand and tried to collect the reins with my other hand. I got him to stop relatively quickly. It was a great teaching experience but one I wouldn't mind avoiding in the future! I think for being a new rider and for never having been in the situation before, I did pretty good. I reminded myself to sit back and try not to yank on the mouth too much.
I always ride the same horse, and she has a tendency to bolt, buck, rear, hop(jump four legs at the same time) or a combination of all four in some way. She damn near broke my friend's back one time, and my friend rarely rides her now, only when she absolutely has too. I've noticed that she warns me beforehand, so now I can stop her before she starts most of the time. With bolting, she dances or tenses for half a second or so before doing a runner. When she bucks, she lifts her hind a moment in advance. With rearing, she places her hind legs more toward her front legs, and before she hops she draws her neck towards me a fraction. I've simply learned to really feel and see the way she moves, so most of the time I have a warning of maybe a split-second, but it's saved me a lot of bruises and more serious injuries because I can or stop her when she starts or I manage to stay on her back (If not always in the saddle, but in front of it on her neck).
I learned to ride by myself with my horse, so i have picked up a lot of bad habits, one of them being leaning forward, when my horse spooks and bucks i get scared and lean forward to grab mane then fall off. It's hard to break a habit you've been doing for years! Getting better but still lean forward when my horse spooks, used to ride leaning forward.
Something else that I do is to be sure to dig down with my heels. I have better balance if my heels are where they are supposed to be. Thanks for the great tips!
Was once riding a schoolhouse, she is a draft cross and I am only 5 ft so I was already at a disadvantage in the balance department. I handle it fine and we work nicely together but this one day she freaked, still don't know what happened we think maybe a bee got her, and she tore off as fast as she could, went from walking to galloping in one bound... Managed to slouch down to stay centered and then got her head turned as quickly as I could and managed to stay on. This was years ago and my trainer and I still talk about it today. I have also been riding some younger horses that occasionally spook as well, although they prefer the "jump and spin" as opposed to taking off which is a little easier to stay on. I think my saving grace these past few years is that I have gotten to know these horses well so I can tell a spook is coming half a second before it does and set myself up to stay on.
I rode a bucking and rearing horse for years, starting when I was about 12. When he reared, and he reared BIG, I griped his mane only if I had to and pushed forward with my pelvis and core, and it usually pushed him off balance and back to the ground. Then we would turn spirals for a bit. When he bucked, I pulled on one rein up and around as far as I could so he would spiral rather than buck. I hope this helped someone :) Also, I'm happy to say that the horse I rode, I now own, and after a lot of ground work, he's the sweetest thing and hasn't bucked of reared for two years.
Hi - thanks for the video! I've had two things happen to me lately - the first was when I was cooling off my horse...we were walking and he spooked - he moved sideways and then immediately spun 180 degrees. I stayed on & was not hurt at all because I was completely relaxed and with the horse at the time it happened, even though I had no warning. The second time I was not so lucky. I was on a different horse and we were in a show. We went from trot to canter then back to trot and was about to transition back into canter when she did two quick bucks and next thing i knew I was on the ground! I had no warning and I think I was out for just a second because I don't remember being bucked. All I knew was that I was on the ground and I had trouble breathing. Turned out I'd broken 6 ribs. This happened on June 4th and according to Dr's it will take 6 weeks to heal. I was wondering if you have any tips about how to sit - you mentioned being low in your seat and I will practice that when I can ride again
I was on a trail ride with a class of totally and partially blind kids. One girl's horse spooked and began to run. She had NO idea what to do but to grab the pommel and hang on. In her inexperience, she dropped the reins entirely. Fortunately, a counselor and I took off after her, got her horse between ours and sort of squeezed him to a stop. The girl stayed on and kept her head enough to grab hold and NOT scream or thrash around. Later, on that same trail ride, my own horse decided to have a brain fart and take off with me! I did what this video says to do and reined my horse into a circle until she gave up and stopped. Needless to say, we began working on desensitizing the critters to get them safer around blind kids!
A horse I used to ride had a lot of fun with bucking but I stayed on somehow. I was really panicking in my head because that was a while ago and I didn't have a lot of experience with bucking horses. So there I was kind of doing what I was supposed to do except I still did the anxious clenching whilst sitting back and slouching. Well it worked out fine in the end because we just walked across the arena and continued riding normally behind the rest of our group. It did that a few more times and in the end I was just thinking "Man, not again" and I was pretty calm then. But now I know how to properly react next time, thank you.
Awesome tips and great explanation! When my 15 yr old gelding gets silly, in my head I hear an instructor yelling "sit back, heels down ! " Helps every time :)
I was riding a young horse and she took off bucking and running in the arena. She was extremely flexible and could run full out with her head pulled around almost touching her side! I kept her pulled around and she eventually stopped. They people on the outside of the arena gave me a standing ovation lol! After my legs quit shaking I went back to working her in the round pen and kept that up til she was more responsive to the rider.
When my horse spooks you have to have confidence that you are not going to fall off. and i think to myself "i am not going to fall off i am not going to fall of" over and over again. It really helps.
Totally agree with the notion that keeping a clear head, sinking into the saddle, and turning as required is the key to regaining control. I've been paired with bolters, buckers and spookers in the past few weeks at my riding school without much drama. I had one horse a couple of days ago that continually bucked on canter transition and continued to intermittently buck while cantering;. While I rode through most, one buck got me out of the saddle onto his neck and I took hold of the straps on each side of his bridle until he came to a halt, when I was able to get a toe into a stirrup and haul myself back on the saddle. Clearly I was unbalanced to have been tossed out in the first place, but I was very focused and balanced while on his neck, poor fellow. He resumed bucking just as soon as I pushed him to canter so I just trotted him for the rest of the group lesson to avoid him kicking any other horses. I don't usually ride this horse and the instructor said he was being stubborn. While probably better to keep pushing such a horse, I felt it potentially dangerous for others in the group and I'm not really interested in training a school horse that isn't mine and I that I rarely ride.
Thanks for that, I definitely have to practice this because my mare is an ex-racehorse and sometimes bolts when out with others and it is extremely difficult to regain control of her.
today I had my first riding lesson. I hadn't even taken the reigns yet because I was still nervous. One of my trainers friends had shown up to muck out the stables and since it was cold out he had a hoodie on. Well, my horse Dallas didn't see him right away and spooked and took off on a canter and a slight jump. The whole episode probably lasted 20-30 seconds and I was actually able to keep my seat. But, I was mad at myself because my initial instinct was to try and hug her neck. It's funny though because I didn't fall off then but when I dismounted for the first time I hit my head and shoulder really hard and now I have a golf ball sized hematoma (goose egg) on my left temple :/ lol well I look forward to my second lesson tomorrow nonetheless!
Riding my gelding out in the Aussie bush when a young boy who was up a tree (WTF) suddenly jumped down on to the track about 10 metres ahead. My horse is quick on his feet and reared and spun 180 degrees so fast I was out into the air before I registered it but kept hold of the reins and he was like, " What are you doing down there Mum, we've got to get out of here." It was such a fast unexpected spin that for the next 2 nights when falling asleep I experienced the same sensation of being flung like a theme park ride. I can't blame the horse for spooking at that, and yes I was probably too relaxed and did not have my seat deep enough. But had no time to tense up. He did that for both of us. lol. Luckily fell flat on my back so only bruising. I have since changed saddles to one where I do have a deeper seat and save my all purpose saddle for the arena.
I fell of the horse today!! I started horse riding lessons about 2 weeks ago. I have a "communication problem" with the horses when I ride.. That' s why I do the lessons! The horses don' t listen to me because I am not so sure about my self or the feel that they can do whatever they want. So the teachers gave me to use this stick to hit him (it is called horsewhip? i don' t like to use it, I would prefer to learn first use my legs). So all this time I' m trying to find my confidence and today and the previous day I thought I was in the right way!! One of the teachers told me in the beginning of the lessons to kick constantly the horse to walk and while trotting (this is extremely difficult for me and I' m working hard to this).. So i did all the times with both horses (i ride two), and today I must overdid it!! I was kicking him constantly together I hit his neck with the horsewhip in case not to stop while we were passing from the spot he usually stops.. And (he probably thought that I gave him the sign of gallop), he started to gallop, I was completely unbalanced in the saddle non knowing what to do, my legs didn' t hold him tight, around him, he understood that I was in a bad position to fall and he stops suddenly moved his head forward to the ground and I fell!! Was pretty painful I have to admit and I was scared a lot!! The teacher told me to get back in the saddle and so I did after he promise me that he would hold him also with his halter (line, cord or whatever..) and we did a little trot and we finish... It' s a bad experience I think but I suppose this things can happen when riding a horse.. Now I have 3 lessons left and I hope I will not be terrified when I will be in the saddle!! Before this incident I was thinking to do another month the lessons but now I' m thinking maybe not... Maybe it' s not for me the horse riding!
you should be able to feel when your horse is about to buck. so if your teacher is telling you to constantly kick, stop when they get at a speed you like. when you get to a speed you like you can relax with your horse and the horse should keep at that speed x
If you've only started riding lessons a couple of weeks ago, don't feel too badly that you're having problems! Listen to your instructor, and don't push to advance too quickly. It's better to learn slowly and thoroughly. Don't be afraid to use the stick, either. Try it on yourself, and you'll see: it doesn't hurt them unless you REALLY hit them with it hard. And until your legs are stronger and more in control, it's better for the horse and for you to squeeze with your legs, then tap with the whip if you need more forward motion, than it is to keep kicking them forward. It's less annoying and it's less confusing. Eventually you'll probably need it less.
gogokara27011985 yeah gallop is more fast. Iv galloped. But not on an English horse. They don't gallop as fast as the western horses. Western is faster than English. So, it shouldn't have been so bad
My horse spooked something three times when I was cantering and the first two times I managed to stay on by leaning a little back, holding my weight mostly on the stirrups (he was having huge jumps so I wasn't able to sit down deeply in the saddle) and pulling nicely from the reins. Third time I wasn't expecting it because the two first times happend and the same spot but the third at the opposite place, plus I wasn't cantering yet. Horse bucked me on the fence and I fell over it, hitting it first. I got back on but this video was very helpful tho I think I wasn't relaxed (I have only been riding for about six months and haven't galloped a lot). Thanks!
Super helpful. Beautifully communicated, and most importantly, your recommendations work. I first learned these exact techniques in 2009, and they do work. I think in the earlier days, I pulled the head a little harder than needed, and though it worked, dropped that shoulder as well, increasing the risk of coming off because I was pulling him off balance, despite deep seat on my part. Found out last fall, that staying on while bareback, when executing the emergency stop, especially with showsheen on the horse - bad combo. All better now
THX Thx for the information. I was ridding a new horse i had not ridden before and i was in an outside oreana and it was very windy. There were barrels in the oreana and one blew over my horse turned as quick as he could and bolted in a gallop and i couldnt stop him. He done one lap of the oreana before he slowed to a halt. It scared me alot but now i know how to stop him quickly ☺🐴
I was training an 18 year old morgan in an indoor hall. He spooked because of a snow plow/sander. I was in the middle of a no stirrup lesson; he took off at a full gallop and I stayed on. I stayed very relaxed and had nothing going through my head. Since he was learning and there was people next to me I couldn't do the spiral stop, so I used the wall and walked back into my circle and continued on. There was also another time with another snow plow, I was just having a good ride walk/trot so far. He spooked again at another snow plow, he bolted, bucked and then reared. By that time I had lost both of my stirrups and I was halfway off the saddle. Then, he did it again and I just couldn't hang on so I ended up hitting the wooden wall off a horse that was on a full gallop and landed on my back, whiplashed and almost did a back flip. He galloped off and made another rider fall off down the wall a little bit, he would've gone out of the indoor on the snow and ice if someone wasn't riding my other horse I train was at the doorway. I could've stayed on if I didn't panic. I got back on and he tried it again, but this time I was at a walk I had myself together. I did still fall off half the saddle but I managed to get myself in balance with him even hanging off his side, then he started to wheel around and I still stayed on! I told him he was being a little jerk and my trainer was proud of me because he was there for both times! It takes me one time to fall off to learn how to stay on for the next time they do it!!! :)
My horse spooked when we were riding passed a house with a dog, We were traveling on a dirt road about 2 miles from home, The horse took off running open in a full gallop , for approximately 1/2 miles, I remained calm continued to sit straight, slightly milking the ropes I call it, pulling in on the left reign slightly , then pulling the right reign slightly, non stop until the horse finally and safely came to a stop. I knew better to pull back with alot of force, IT literally saved my life. I will never for get it, and sharing the information , will hopefully prevent someone else from getting hurt.
im working with a greener horse and she tends to go faster and faster and gets out of control. so to counter it i startet to make her walk circles until she slows downloaden and the praise. so far ist been working perfectly, even in canter!
I can assure you I did not stay on. That was my first major spook. My pon broke into a dead bolt. We were cantering and a neighbor revved a tractor across the fence. He was already excited that day, so he was pretty sensitive. I actually managed pretty well on a straight run, but he made a sudden turn and I went flying off at a gallop. Happened really quick, so luckily it wasn't his full speed, but I did get a pretty severe bone bruise for a few weeks.
My husband and I were riding our horses. 5 minutes into the ride with no warning my horse went alittle fast to the left and then turned to the left. Yep You guessed it I went off the front, fell on my soulder and hit my leg. I still had the rein in my hand. I looked to make sure we was not gonna step on me. He was standing still so I let go. I was hurting so bad but I got back on. He started acting the same way again. This time I had a chance to respond. I pulled the lead line, stopped him and walked him to the horse pen. Nothing is broken, but I was in alot of pain, still recovering two weeks later.
I fell off when the reins broke at a local horse riding place, the horse reared and I think I squeezed my thighs... he wanted to return to the barn and he won. Lol good tip to lean back and stay relaxed. Thanks. I walked back saying thank God the ground was soft lol.
you should be alert to if your going on a horse back ride. and when your horse is bucking the best thing to do is pull the reins back because when a horse is bucking the rear end is bouncing up and down. while u pull the reins back it screws the horse up he can't buck anymore because all he ends up doing is jumping up and down. but don't pull the reins to far back or he'll end up on his rear legs
A horse is less likely to spook if he trusts in his rider I have been on a horse when spooked and he has learned to twist not run because he knows not to fear noises because of good ground work and handling .
I have a very spooky thoroughbred. The only time I have ever fallen off of him is the only time I really sat back into the saddle. What usually helps us is when I stay kinda out of the saddle and try to keep doing what we were doing. It helps him work things out in his mind and he gets over it pretty quickly. Another thing that helps him and my other horse who gets really excited easily is doing something that's very fast paced and doesn't give them any time to focus on anything and they do good with that.
I had a friend who was riding a pony one night in our lesson, a sweet little mare named Daisy who's only vice was her spookiness. She took off when the wind blew on the door in the end of the arena, and started full out galloping, and bucked a bit. She managed to stay on through all of that, but when she got Daisy to stop, she stopped like she hit a wall, and my friend went over neck. No one was badly hurt (just a few bruises) but I think we all learned to sit back when a horse takes off!
I completly agree with this video except for one thing... When your horse desides to buck and bucks a lot, I get that you would want to calm the horse down by staying loose and not tensing up or tightening your legs but that doesn't nessisarly help you stay on, if you squeez your legs around the horses sides then you can stay on a bit better.
My horse just started spooking - I've had her for 10 years and she's always been the "fearless leader." But recently she's been spooking and bolting home, but if I prevent the bolt, she bucks until I fall and then bolts home. It's very rattling - I am getting her eyes checked - she IS 23 - but it's not so much the increased spooking that is a problem, as the behavioral reaction that's happening. It's frustrating because she is still totally sacked out and only reacts like that under saddle - I have been putting her through her paces on the ground, on walks, in the roundpen. I think she just learned a way to not have to tolerate an uncomfortable situation - hopefully this video will help break the cycle. Thanks!
I'm only a beginner and I have already had a horse spook on me, all I was thinking was I wanted to impress the person teaching me and didn't want him thinking I am incapable of those situations and I managed to stay on :)
