Experiences with horse bucking on top of rider after thr

[quiacato]

My husbands green, but “broke” horse was fresh Friday night and went to bucking. Hubby lasted a few and went to bail off before getting into stumps. His spur hung up on his stirrup and he ended up under our horse. Horse did not try to not step on him and continued in place striking him multiple times. Got him in the head, on his ribs, leg and arm. When my husband managed to get out from under him horse went back to being completely relaxed.

We have both been bucked off / came off many horses over the rears and never had one behave like that. My husband used to ride bucking horses and never got hurt as bad as Friday night. This horse loves attention and enjoys to work. Anyone experience this or have any insight into what might have been going on in his mind.?

Needless to say we will never be able to trust this horse fully again. I don’t think the horse would intentionally hurt someone but he could have easily killed my husband. Our trainer who put 60 days on was shocked by the behavior.

[Scribbler]

I don’t know what option a panicked horse has if you are under him.

I got trampled trying to lead two horses through a gate a few years back. My very broke mare pushed me into and under the other horse and bolted. Other horse stepped on my foot, broke it, I fell down, horse lept over me and landed one pergrct hoofprint on my butt.

Both good horses. Of course I don’t trust them 100%, never did. But I know the mistakes I made that day that led to that outcome. I don’t 100% trust horses.

[quiacato]

There is a difference I think between a horse stepping on you because you are in the way, has happened to me several times, and one that keeps on stomping on a person. The first step was inevitable the next several were. He looked like a horse on a snake.

[ThreeWishes]

Was his spur still striking the horses side ?

[lenapesadie]

@quiacato

on his stirrup and he ended up under our horse. Horse did not try to not step on him and continued in place striking him multiple times.

While we all hope and pray our horses won’t accidentally kill us if we get dragged or hung up underneath them, the truth is that we don’t typically train horses to accept and be calm about such events. Many horses will have a similar reaction if the saddle slips under their belly.

It is very unfortunate that your husband got hung up when he went to bail. That is a bad type of accident to be in and I hope he will recover quickly.

[quiacato]

No…the horse is so slab sided it is hard to even get the spur on when you try. The bucking we think was just freshness, but the stomping on him after ???

[ThreeWishes]

I meant after he got hung. Could his hung foot have pressed the spur in his side when he was on the ground ? Hope your husband feels better soon.

[quiacato]

I don’t think so , he kind of twisted and it was hung to the backside (away) from the horse…his boot came off quickly. He took four bucks on top of him once he was on the ground. I was watching in horror as it all happened. I have seen plenty of wrecks but that’s one of the worst for sure.

[Simkie]

Having a rider come off and be under can be SCARY for a horse–particularly a green one.

They’re prey animals, in the end. Something really unexpected happened with this horse, who sounds like he doesn’t have a whole lot of experience with much. I’d extend him a little grace and understanding. If you can’t, which is understandably tough when you’re badly scared and injured yourself, another home might be best. I hope your husband heals quickly!

[quiacato]

I agree…I think the horse kind of panicked. I noticed he had a crusty bug bite under his belly last night and I saw a horse fly drilling into one of my other horses so I think that might be what caused the bucking. We do not get many horse fly’s here but I know last year when one was biting him he went nuts bucking - my husband will never get the incident out of his mind - not sure I will either so the horse will be getting sold - with full disclosure of course. We are wise enough to know once you lose trust in a horse both you and the horse will always struggle. He will make a great ranch horse for someone and is better suited to that then trails and hunting so in the end it will probably work out best for the horse and us.

[Abbie.S]

I was actually coming here to say just that. My “good 'ol” broke-as-heck gelding has done what you’ve described once - blind bucking with what appeared to an outsider to be zero provocation - and it was because he got stung by a yellow jacket right behind the girth. I was on the ground in front of him at the time talking to another boarder when he went to broncing and did so for just under 10 seconds before he stopped and it was like it never happened. Found the swelling where he got stung when I untacked him.

I hope your husband recovered okay - it honestly sounds like those never-happen-until-they-happen sorts of deals and not anything intention or malicious on the part of the horse.

[quiacato]

I told myself after this happened that with any youngsters we get going forward I am going to spend time on the ground around them (while they are small of course ) so they do not freak if it happens. I am 99% sure this horse never had someone come off of him and never end up underneath. He is a sensitive horse and one that is more of a fight then flight when he does not like something.

[beau159]

@quiacato

My husbands green, but “broke” horse was fresh Friday night and went to bucking.

Our trainer who put 60 days on was shocked by the behavior.

So this horse has only had 60 days of riding? In my opinion, that is green as grass.
And if he was fresh when you got on, that’s code to be on alert and keep him busy.
So giving the horse the benefit of the doubt in the situation, green horse gets jabs into his side by a spur as husband is falling off, horse is panicking, has no situational awareness, thinks he’s still being jabbed, until he realizes he’s not, then stops. And has no idea your husband was even under him.
Might be far fetched as I wasn’t there, but it’s pretty rare for a horse to intentionally want to hurt you … alhough they are out there.

I have a good friend that just got bucked off her very good 9 year old barrel racing mare when they were headed to the 3rd barrel. Horse has NEVER bucked before. Much less bucked her off like that. Hopefully she never does it again (as friend broke collarbone) but freak things happen.

One time, my Red tried to buck me off. Seriously buck me off. Fortunately he was not successful (although I am not sure how I stayed on). He was 8 years old at the time? He’s 15 this year. That’s the only time he has done it. Very random.

[Simkie]

@beau159

Not sure what you are trying to say here.
You mean the horse is DULL sided?

A slab sided horse is one without much spring to their ribs. They can be hard to put your leg on, because they’re not much there–the barrel kind of falls away from the rider’s pelvis instead of taking up the leg. It can feel like you’re riding a 2x4 or a saw horse.

Here’s a visual.

[endlessclimb]

My late mare was like this. I always said it felt like riding a fence. Made it very hard to get a good leg position over fences because there was nothing there to “hug”.

[beau159]

@Simkie

A slab sided horse is one without much spring to their ribs. They can be hard to put your leg on, because they’re not much there–the barrel kind of falls away from the rider’s pelvis instead of taking up the leg. It can feel like you’re riding a 2x4 or a saw horse.

Huh. I have NEVER heard that term before. I’ve used the term “well sprung rib cage” but not the inverse.

Good to know.

(Will edit my reply accordingly above! Assumed the OP made a typo.)

[Bluey]

@Simkie

A slab sided horse is one without much spring to their ribs. They can be hard to put your leg on, because they’re not much there–the barrel kind of falls away from the rider’s pelvis instead of taking up the leg. It can feel like you’re riding a 2x4 or a saw horse.

Here’s a visual.

Also depends on the size and conformation of the rider.
At 4’ 11" at my tallest, a slab sided larger horse fit me better than the wide elephant backs of well sprung horses.

[candyappy]

@beau159

So this horse has only had 60 days of riding? In my opinion, that is green as grass.
And if he was fresh when you got on, that’s code to be on alert and keep him busy.
So giving the horse the benefit of the doubt in the situation, green horse gets jabs into his side by a spur as husband is falling off, horse is panicking, has no situational awareness, thinks he’s still being jabbed, until he realizes he’s not, then stops. And has no idea your husband was even under him.
Might be far fetched as I wasn’t there, but it’s pretty rare for a horse to intentionally want to hurt you … alhough they are out there.

I am in 100% agreement with this answer. No way will I ever back a known " fresh" " green" horse without either a good lunge session or round penning first.

This was just a series of bad choices that led up to a bad accident and I hope your husband will be alright. I don’t think this is one of those horses you can’t ever trust again. If your trainer ( after 2 months of riding) was shocked I think your good minded horse was just acting on fear/ instinct not out to stomp your husband intentionally.

[Bluey]

@candyappy

I am in 100% agreement with this answer. No way will I ever back a known " fresh" " green" horse without either a good lunge session or round penning first.

This was just a series of bad choices that led up to a bad accident and I hope your husband will be alright. I don’t think this is one of those horses you can’t ever trust again. If your trainer ( after 2 months of riding) was shocked I think your good minded horse was just acting on fear/ instinct not out to stomp your husband intentionally.

Consider the other side of this, now they know what the horse will do when things go wrong, he is explosive in a to them scary way.
Another horse with same provocation and feeling fresh may not do that.

We always said, is not how nice a horse handles and rides when all is ok that counts as much if one fits or not, but how they act when it is not.

I would not blame them by being wary of him now, until they know more anyway.

[candyappy]

@Bluey

We always said, is not how nice a horse handles and rides when all is ok that counts as much if one fits or not, but how they act when it is not.

I think most of us have been on a horse that reacts very badly when the circumstances are just right. I just try and eliminate that possibility as much as I can and a fresh, green youngster is just waiting for that circumstance.