How to Stop Bucking

Riding a bucking horse can be a frightful experience if you're a novice rider. Even if you're not new to horseback riding and can handle the bumpy ride adeptly, the very fact that your horse is constantly bucking is a sign that she needs some more training. It isn't always simple to train a horse out of such a habit and depending on your horse's personality and disposition, it might not be a quick or easy process either. Any number of things -- anxiety, fear, pain or discomfort -- could be causing your horse to react in this fashion, so you must go through a process of elimination of sorts to treat the problem accordingly. (See Reference 1.)

Instructions

    • 1

      Try placing your horse in a round pen to allow her to expend much of her energy before attempting to ride. One primary cause of bucking comes from your horse just having too much energy and not knowing how to channel it. If you let your horse get out some of her anxiety by running around and going wild without a rider, your horse will be less inclined to buck when you do begin riding her and will take to riders with more ease. (See Reference 1.)

    • 2

      Be sure nothing -- noises, commotion, traffic, other animals, etc. -- is spooking your horse. If your surroundings make your horse uncomfortable, then she will more than likely buck out of fear. If your horse is new to taking riders, be sure to eliminate as many distractions as you possibly can.

    • 3

      Try changing the horse's bit. If it's a bit problem, your horse very well could be bucking because of pain or discomfort. Look into buying a "snaffle" bit, as it is easier on the horse's mouth and causes the horse less discomfort during riding. The snaffle is a "non-leverage" bit and as such, works to keep the pressure applied to the horse's mouth via the reins balanced. With a snaffle, one ounce of pressure applied by the reins to the mouthpiece will apply one ounce of pressure to the horse's mouth. "Curb" bits, on the other hand, work to apply a lot more than the pressure applied by the reins and can cause horses a lot of pain. (See References 2 and 3.)

    • 4

      Relax while you ride. Horses commonly buck in response to the way they're being ridden. Inexperienced riders often accidentally jerk the bit in the horse's mouth too hard or else they send the horse conflicting messages while riding. For instance, you might nudge the horse forward with your boot, while unintentionally pulling on the reins to slow the horse down. A horse will react defensively to riders who don't know the finer nuances of how to control them properly. If you believe your horse is reacting to the way you ride specifically, it may be necessary to seek out riding lessons to change your approach. (See Reference 2.)

    • 5

      Have patience and ride through the bucking when it occurs. When your horse bucks, it is important that you don't stop her. Horses are creatures of habit, so if you stop your horse every time she bucks, you teach her that she need only buck every time she wants to stop. The trick is to persist and to keep on driving her forward. The idea behind this is that the horse has difficulty bucking while being driven forward and will be less inclined to do so if you continue the drive forward until she stops bucking. This is a primary training method that gets the horse used to taking riders and ultimately stops bucking over time. (See References 1 and 2.)