What to Do When a Horse Tries to Buck

Anyone who has seen a rodeo is familiar with a bucking horse. Bucking is when the horse lowers his head and raises his hindquarters into the air. Horses generally also kick with their hind legs, and will often spin around as they buck. Bucking is a survival technique dating back to when most horses were wild. These movements helped the horse get away from predators that would jump on its back in an effort to get to its exposed neck.

  1. The Fundamentals of Bucking

    • Because the bucking is a natural defense mechanism, horses must be trained to allow a person to ride them. Even after training, a horse may buck because it is nervous or confused. But the first step is to desensitize the horse to the presence of something on its back. Assuming that the bucking horse is one that has previously allowed humans to ride it, bucking can be handled in several different ways.

    Bucking Caused by Fear or Excitement

    • Any type of bucking needs to be handled immediately. The least serious type is when a horse bucks because it gets scared or overly stimulated. In these cases, the bucking will probably stop once the outside stimulus has ceased. If the bucking occurs while the horse is being ridden, the simplest solution is to use one direct rein to pull the horse's head sideways and up. That moves the horse in a circle and can distract it from the stimulus that is causing the bucking behavior.

    Bucking Caused by Poor or Inadiquate Training

    • A horse will also buck if it has a poor-fitting tack that is causing the horse pain. Sometimes a horse will also buck because it is not being turned out frequently enough to burn off its excess energy. If you suspect this might be the case, consulting with an outside trainer might help identify the problem.

    When Bucking Becomes Chronic

    • Some horses develop a problem with chronic bucking that is serious enough that it cannot be solved by refresher training. In these cases, the next step would be to send the horse to a specialist for retraining. The best rider and/or the best horse can have this problem, and it is not unheard for world-class horse owners to send troublesome horses to a training specialist.

    When Bucking Cannot be Controlled

    • There are times when a horse cannot be trained or begins chronic bucking at a level that makes it unsafe for riders. In some cases, these animals are sold to a rodeo stock contractor, who uses them as a training tool for rodeo riders.