How Can You Brake a Horse From Crow Hopping?

Crow hopping is at best an annoying, and at worst a very dangerous, habit for a horse to develop. If your own horse has started crow hopping when asked to work, you need to break that habit as quickly as possible. If left go, a simple crow hopping habit can quickly escalate into full-fledged bucking, making a potentially dangerous situation that much worse. When a horse crow hops, he lifts all four feet off the ground at once. It is not a long stretch from there to bucking, in which he plants his front feet and lifts his back legs off the ground in an attempt to dislodge the rider.

Things You'll Need

  • Saddle
  • Bridle
  • Halter
  • Longe line
  • Longe whip
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Instructions

    • 1

      Swap saddles to make sure the saddle is not causing back soreness that in turn causes the horse to crow hop. Crow hoping can be a reaction to pain and discomfort caused by an ill-fitting saddle.

    • 2

      Place a halter on your horse and attach a longe line. Saddle your horse and longe him at a walk, trot and canter. Watch for any signs of crow hopping--if the horse begins to buck or crow hop, immediately stop him and make him change directions. Continue to engage the horse's attention and alter the size of the circles to help the horse balance his body properly.

    • 3

      Tighten the back cinch on the saddle if the horse continues to crow hop or buck. This will irritate the horse just enough to make bucking more likely. Many times forcing a horse that is prone to crow hopping to buck will allow her to buck herself out and break the habit.

    • 4

      Place the bridle on your horse and mount up. Walk your horse around in a small enclosed area, changing directions often to maintain the attention of the horse. Make sure you are seated deeply in the saddle, and keep your weight on your heels in case the horse does begin to buck. Simply riding out the crow hops and bucks is one of the best ways to break this potentially dangerous habit, but you need to make sure you are able to ride out the storm. If you are uncomfortable about your abilities, ask a trainer or a more experienced rider to help you.