This has been mentioned before, but bears mentioning again. The situation you describe is not to be expected, and frankly I would question someone that thinks it is normal. Starting under saddle should be a non event with no bucking or nonsense. It’s possible (and IMO necessary) to do it in a way where there is zero drama.
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Agree 
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This^^^^ bolded part especially.
And in my humble opinion it all starts on the ground with the expectation that a horse will be a polite equine citizen. If the horse is not “polite” when on the ground or being handled, there is little chance it will be “polite” under saddle.
And in my humble opinion, some women do not seem to be assertive enough to set “rules, boundaries and limitations” without anger or emotion…thus why the horses end up with a cowboy.
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This mare actually has fantastic ground manners and the first 1-2 rides were non issues, and generally, she’s fine. But, sometimes when you introduce a new concept she takes more dramatic ways to figure out what you’re asking. She must have been introduced to the bridle in a really pleasant way because she’s one that will actively seek out the bit once reins are over her head, zero head shyness or reluctance. She’s not one that one - horse or human - could bully into doing anything [which is why she recovering from a broken splint, another horse tried to push her around and she wouldn’t move so the other (unshod) horse kicked her.]
99% of photos I’ve seen from this colt starter are pleasant horses without visible tension. This was also over a decade ago that my mare has her little tantrum.
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Sounds like your horse was started well. Please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying…I am not saying horses will never buck or rear. After all, they are flight animals with an independent brain, not a motorcycle.
I told a friend who had 2 total knees and worried about riding (her saint of a horse) that if was that worried about her horse, she should sell the horse and take up crochet. Horses will be horses…one only hopes that you have put in a good enough foundation that the brain will come back to you once they get startled with whatever new horse-eating rock they encounter on a trail ride…that was there yesterday.
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I don’t think anyone here said that bucking is “normal”. As most of us know, it happens with young horses sometimes (thankfully never with mine.)
If I sent a young horse out for backing I would really do my homework and choose someone who could ride it out if it did happen.
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If I was going to send my horse out I’d really do my homework and choose someone that wouldn’t get on my horse if it was going to buck.
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Unfortunately not all horses give a warning. As I mentioned before, if the horse does buck, it’s important to have someone on board who can stick it.
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They most certainly do, you just have to know what to listen for.
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I know very well how to back a youngster, but thanks.
The fact that you believe that you can tell from the ground if a young horse is going to buck if spooked or stung by a wasp seems a bit naive. Horses are complicated beasts, some more than others.
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Ugh can we not derail yet another thread everyone. I think the topic at hand is way more interesting that whether a horse starter a decade ago misread the body language of an unknown horse resulting in a buck.
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We’re talking about starting young horses and bucking because someone is on their back for the first or third time. Not reasons any horse would buck at any moment. Don’t try to change the subject to make yourself right.
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Sorry. 
I agree. One of mine could teleport sideways when spooked, but he never completely lost his mind.
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If you read carefully and quote the entire post you would understand what I was saying and that I wasn’t changing the subject “to make myself right”.
No horse that I have owned has bucked as a result as a spook or an insect sting. They’ve flinched, or kicked out, or spooked, because they were startled.
Bucking isn’t the go to reaction for most horses. In my experience, a spook or an insect bite isn’t a situation where “any horse would buck at any moment.”
Bucking is more likely to be a response from a youngster, due to the newness of having a rider on its back (even after the obvious groundwork in preparation for being ridden.) When combined with an outside stressor, a youngster will be more inclined to buck than a horse that has had some mileage.
Mine spooked, but didn’t buck, ever. That was their nature. Other horses may react differently and a trainer of young stock who charges people to back their horses needs to be capable of dealing with that behavior.
Back to the subject of the thread. Quoting @blue_heron “She tries to come off as grounded but instead just seems out of touch. I don’t think she realizes how her blogs sound, based on her response to some reasonable critique she’s gotten on Facebook. She’s had so many opportunities and a LOT of financial support. I’m sure there’s a lot of things she doesn’t share but she seems to have struggled a lot less than many many other trainers out there who aren’t writing “woe is me” blogs about how US breeders are the future and then buying horses from Europe when the US breeders aren’t gifting her horses.”
Sprieser’s blog reminds me of another COTH blog that didn’t sit well upon reflection. Catherine Haddad’s was worse for the ego and tone deafness, but both show some sort of disconnect.
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Not sure whether I agree… horses are less complicated than people…. With horses you can almost ever tell how they will react…. With people you cannot….
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Well, compared to people, I agree completely. 
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ETA The blog and post that I referenced were from many years ago. However, some of us who were around then, hope that reading the history of the COTH forums will be helpful to new members.
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Unless they’re in Carl Hester’s barn.
But that, for me, is where one finds the enjoyment of the process. Time alone (or with my coach) with my horses and experiencing their improvements and “ah hah” moments. The 3-4 shows a year were just a double check from objective eyes on where our training was going. But then, I never lived for competition. I guess competition is the fun part for some people, which would make the current situation pretty miserable.
