I’ve always wondered about that too. Think i just figured it had something to do with our programming with that old adage: “If you fall off a horse, get right back on.”
We all have grown up with that phrase… so, that’s what we do.
Until we get old enough to know better!
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I’m so sorry this happened. It is disappointing, you had thought you found the perfect trail partner and were probably making plans on where to ride this summer. I’ve been there too, although I didn’t get seriously injured but I’ve been bucked off plenty on horses that were supposedly quiet and cooperative. Jingles for a quick recovery.
My horse was heading for a melt down in a lesson, refusing to go forward and I felt an impending rear or buck fest coming. Luckily it was a group lesson so no one minded when I went to the round pen and worked him until he saw god. He just needed to blow off steam and I didn’t have to keep him going, he was barreling around on his own. He was very cooperative afterwards–and tired.
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I absolutely have changed my calculus and how I deal with a horse that might be headed toward reactive territory. I tend to be a “ride through it” person, but I’ve really backed off that in recent years. Sometimes just getting off and having a longe break, then revisiting is enough. And my willingness to climb on a horse that’s already up has really gone down. Honestly, I think it’s working better for my horses. Last year I took my young horse with 60 days under saddle to a dressage show. Old me would have climbed on and “got miles” in the ring every day. New me longed the first day and took a long, long graze. Horse was high as a kite at first! Day 2 I did the same, with several long hand walks and just standing around the rings looking at things. Day 3 I rode him in the warmup. Day 4 we did a class and it was a terrific experience, scored in the mid-70s%.
If I had climbed on right away, the whole week could have looked very different and he could have had a much worse introduction to horse showing. Keeping everything fun and quiet meant the experience was as good as it can be.
In short, I’ve begun listening to my horse a lot more as I’ve aged. I think it’s because I’m riding smarter now…and that’s a good thing for my horses too.
Back to OP – so sorry you went through this. You didn’t do anything wrong, but that seller sure did. Just awful. I hope you heal soon and find a nice horse to enjoy.
I don’t think it has to do with private sellers v. sales programs – honestly there are a TON of “professional horse sellers” I wouldn’t buy from, no matter how nice the horse looks. Buying a horse is so stressful.
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There are three sides to every story:
- Your side
- Their side
- And the truth
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Well, do tell! What exactly are you saying here?
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One thing I will tell you is that as I age, I fight like hell to stay on and not come off.
The last time I came off resulted in a $60K 13 minute helicopter ride, a concussion, brain bleed and sternum fractured in 2 places.
I remember the horse taking off bucking. I remember taking my left had to my left hip to try to pull his head around. I remember going straight up with my right hand to pull him off balance. I remember saying his name and WHOA to try to get his attention.
I wasn’t sure I could trust what I remembered, but my husband witnessed the wreck and said I remember it correctly.
Had I not fought as hard as I did, I would have landed on rocks. I can only imagine the damage they would have caused. As it was, my helmet was cracked through in 3 separate places, but it did save my life.
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I am sorry, stanza, but were you there? You’re not my friend, so if you were there then you’re the seller.
This horse was represented as a “no bite, no buck, no rear” ride. We were fully honest about what we wanted and what we needed and why. The seller kept telling us he was perfect for us. I still have the e-mails and texts and the ad is still up for him where he is listed as a “no bite, no buck and no rear” horse who is young but is safe with a good mind. Although it is listed that his x-rays have been updated, no mention that his last rider was put in the hospital.
Sheilah
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Well that would be an interesting wrinkle!
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Couple of Old Vaquero saying out on the west coast translate to “Never buy a horse trained by a brave man, buy one trained by a coward”. And “It takes a coward to train a reliable horse”.
Within these sayings lies much truth.
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Ha I came to say the same things. Pro or not, private barn or not, showing up an hour early is rude as hell. I don’t mind 30 min, but a whole hour? When I was doing the low-level pro thing, chances are I was teaching a lesson, riding a horse, or mucking. Strangers, which is what a buyer is, was welcomed to get back in their car and wait - I don’t know you, you don’t know me, and the liability of you walking yourselves around on a pony-petting tour is not my idea of a good time. Now? Chances are I’m still in friggin sweat pants 
As for private sellers being sketchy? Ouch. How do you think the majority of horses are sold? Private sellers, my friend, private sellers. I think a pro is way more likely to slide some Ace just based on access alone. If a BUYER has doubts, ride on the same day as the PPE and have the vet pull blood. Makes everyone honest.
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My post was not “ALL private sellers are sketchy”, what an idea:
—“True, should have said beware, plenty of private sellers are sketchy, either don’t know what they have or know if they tell some the horse does, others would not want to buy, like bucking fits this horse was known to have.”—
My point was, enough of them have less going for them when it comes to being knowledgeable or follow ethical restrains by being in the business.
That at times makes private sellers not be as credible as a professional in the horse industry may be.
Of course, outright crooks can be found every place, sadly.
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I have to clarify in the interests of honesty. I had lunch with my friend yesterday and I had the chance to hear her give a blow by blow, minute by minute description of what happened.
Ride 1: it was going great. Horse was good and I was good. I said that I was going to give him more if a dressage leg ( draped along the the horse and not with your legs sticking out if the horse). I did that and he splurted forward and I got left behind and came off. He did not buck, but did tuck his butt and move.
Ride 2: got back on. I remember that. I don’t remember what my friend described next. I had a good second ride. I stopped and said I was ready to get off. Seller was holding his head and friend was in the office side, ready to push my bad leg over the cantle of my deep saddle if I got hung up. My weak leg (right) slid over his rump as I swung it to dismount. He tucked his butt again, kicked out at my friend on the off side and startedy to whirl around. My friend could not get close enough. The seller was trying to stop him at his head and he just whirled around her and I eventually got flung off.
I could have perceived his kicking out as a buck. Or feeling his back hump up when he tucked his butt.
Anyway, I wanted to share.
Sheilah
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Thank you for the update. For me, the fact that he did that while you were dismounting is almost worse. Dismounting is when you’re most vulnerable, and if you’re getting off, you tend to be figured on that action, which is tricky all by itself. And it sounds like for you, it’s even more involved if you have a bad leg.
Shame on the seller for trying to sell you a reactive horse as a steady Eddie.
I’m really glad it wasn’t worse, though it sounds like it was pretty bad.
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Dang! That’s bad! I’m glad you were not more seriously hurt. He sounds like he has been ridden with no leg or leg completely off. A horse that reactive should not be marketed as no buck, bite or rear.
Oh, wait…he could be - (insert sarcasm font) because technically none of that was bucking, biting or rearing. Just kicking and spinning like a madman. 
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That is a much different story than the first. This just sounds like reactive young horse stuff.
Sounds like you need to really focus on been-there-done-that horses on a future search. Too many variables with young/green horses to chance it when you (we!) don’t bounce anymore.
I again state I have a rock solid been there, done that, can do cartwheels off of, toted around someone’s grandma foot-perfect yesterday gelding that you are welcome to enjoy if you’re ever in the area.
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Sorry, that does not sound like “just” a reactive young horse to me and it sure does not sound like the bombproof beginners special OP was specifically shopping for.
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I agree that it is not the type of horse she wanted. But it does seem like this could be pretty normal young horse behavior for the type of training the horse has had. Some horses are trained with no leg and any leg movement is startling - so a leg sliding over their rump could be pretty alarming for a horse that’s is young and isn’t trained for or expecting that.
I have also bought a horse where at the end of the day my version of a quiet horse and the sellers version of a quiet horse were just not the same at all. The seller’s baseline was fire breathing dragon and my baseline was bombproof. So or course the horse is quiet relative to what the seller thought and in the controlled atmosphere of riding the horse at its home barn the horse seemed quiet enough. Vet even wrote “extremely quiet” on the PPE report! But take the young horse to a new environment and realize that quiet is not so quiet as I thought and it didn’t work out. Sometimes it’s just not what you thought and not a match and no one is wrong and the horse isn’t bad.
I’m sorry this didn’t work out for you.
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A horse scooting because of an unexpected movement/rump touching is absolutely “reactive young horse” stuff.
There are quiet young horses too, this one seems like he’s quiet on the ground but pretty lit/reactive under saddle.
Don’t assume any young horse has a good foundation of “you can touch me anywhere, that’s ok”. Way too many people skip that part, especially on the zippy ones.
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Eh…seller obviously knew about OPs bad leg and was holding horse’s head with friend standing close on the off side. Horse lost it and ignored them ducking out from under OP, possibly trying to kick friend and, certainly, not respecting friends space, friend could easily been knocked over. OP is lucky she came off cleanly and didn’t get hung up as happens often in dismounting accidents. As it is, OP possibly has a mild concussion since shes foggy on what happened and ribs hurt for weeks. And friend got scared away from horses,
This whole thing NEVER needed to happen had seller presented the well broke, beginner safe, non reactive,desensitized horse she promised. Not horses fault, he does not know any better because nobody bothered to teach him better.
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Agreed that the seller is a piece of doo-doo. This horse needs more miles with a better trainer, that’s for sure.
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