Does anyone else occasionally turn their horse out in the arena to buck and gallop around to get the stupids out? I find that I sometimes need to do this with my thoroughbred (about once every couple of months). For my mare, I believe that it is more of a mental thing rather than just a build up of excess energy. I ride her about 5-6 days a week, schooling 3rd/ 4th level dressage. Every couple of months she will start to feel antsy and tense under saddle, and will feel like she wants to bolt or buck, but knows better than to actually do it. Whenever she feels like this, I just turn her out in the arena and she will typically charge around, throwing in a few good bucks. Even though she gets turnout every day (in a dry-lot and in a field), she seldom gallops or plays.
Does anyone else have a horse that they need to do this with? Is it wrong that I do it? When I have tried ignoring her “I want to be stupid but know better” under saddle, then it just escalates until she is basically doing little jumps up and down on the spot (it looks like a little temper tantrum). After I let her blow off steam in the arena, she immediately goes back to being sweet, willing, and obedient for a couple of months, and then I have to let her charge around again.
Is this weird? Something I should try to work through, or just continue on as I am?
Mine are turned out daily, so any excess energy is “supposed” to get used up then. They get a proper warmup before asking them to work, so being silly is corrected while they are getting used. Certainly they may have an off day, not at their best. However ours really don’t have the build up of energy you describe.
I used to do this when my horses were boarded with limited turn out. Since they have been home in my own care, I have seldom see the need to even lunge or round pen them, as they are out 24/7.
I don’t see anything wrong with it if there are certain conditions that are met and/or expected. You have to make sure it is something your barn owner is okay with, and you are not taking ring time from other boarders. You have to make sure the area the horse is blowing off steam in is safe for the horse. I saw a horse do this once where the footing was not good, and ended up breaking a leg. Your horse also needs to know that blowing off steam is one thing, but when you are lunging, leading, etc., you are in charge and to be respected.
i’m afraid to do this because I knew of a horse who had a career ending injury doing it. If my horses have a hump in their back feeling over a couple of days, I’ll throw them on the lunge line in a halter so they can buck. mine are out either all day or all depending on the weather. I still think they like to buck on the lunge line from time to time, and it is more controlled from a safety point of view.
Why is a horse running around in a manicured arena more dangerous than a horse running around in small paddock or field?
Even with the older horses, I try for an honest gallop once in a while. We have 24/7 turnout so arena free time isn’t easy
Lots if variables- footing, barriers, the horse getting out of control in a confined area. Accidents happen everywhere, including areas we think should be “safe” because they are confined.
Sure. Sometimes you can’t do turnout because it is too muddy or icy outside. Nothing wrong with monitored indoor turnout! The guy I lease isn’t so much of a run and buck horse… but MAN does he love a good roll in the arena dirt. If nobody else is trying to use the arena, I indulge him. Yes, he rolls in the grass outside, but I’m sure the dirt feels a little different.
I do this in the winter. It sounds so much more professional when I say “free lunge” lol. Anything can happen anytime, anywhere with horses, but overall mine are not hot and enjoy a good roll and buck with the blanket off.
Sometimes, my big mare (who is outside 8-10 hours a day) just has ya-yas and trying to correct them as “bad behavior” will start a war. When this happens, I just let her run around in the ring for a few minutes to get rid of them, then tack her back up and go back to work. Happier horse. Happier me. No battles.
It’s not always a case of pent up energy/lack of exercise with her. Sometimes, she just wants to play and resents it when I tell her not to.
I prefer to do it loose in the ring–as opposed to on a longe line-- because I think the confinement of the circle is actually more dangerous than letting her run and balance the way she wants/needs to. But that’s just me.
The last horse I leased was turned out at least 12 hours a day (24 when it was nice) in a 15 acre field, and I still took him out for a rollicking gallop once a week. He was a firecracker, that one.
Not so much when the weather is nice, but my At Home All Day Turnout herd does get turned out in my indoor when it’s nasty or it’s Winter & the ground is covered with snow, frozen or otherwise not conducive to them running/farting/bucking outdoors.
They do plenty playing outdoors & in the snow, but sometimes I just let them have at it.
Gets them out of my way as I clean stalls too.
Generally it’s the pony who goes apesh*t, but the TWH has been seen to perform Airs too.
Late addition mini does his share of running.
I think they’re just glad to be able to stretch their legs & roll & see no harm in it.
That has been my practice with every horse I have owned. Turnout , even 24/7 is no guarantee they will blow off steam. Mine just put their head down and eat immediately.
I keep my horse at a large selfboard facility with an acceptably well groomed turn out arena. Horse has stall with small run-out.
I think run and buck turn out at least once a week is central to keeping my horse healthy and fit. She moves in turnout in ways I will never ride her unless we someday go out for barrel racing or cutting cattle. She sometimes gets to do this with one or two friends ( all barefoot, wouldn’t with shod horses) and while it can be hairy to watch the horses have a great time. She has a really impressive buck at liberty and I think bucking like that is doing a bit of body work.
Now the folks at this barn with high value horses never do this. They think their horses will get hurt. The irony is that those horses very often get chronic stress tendon injuries from.how they are drilled exclusively in the indoor arena. And our horses are very sound.
So my only comment for OP would be, you aren’t doing it enough. Give her run n buck turnout at least once a week, more if she’ll use it. Sometimes if they only get turned out once in a blue moon they don’t know the footing or space and do slip. If they are out there more often they get used to it. Last winter we had a bad muddy spot and my mare knew it was there and avoided it.
I know many boarding barns will not allow this but I would not now move by choice to one. A round pen isn’t quite right. I want the horse to build up speed on the straight not be forced into a 20 metre circle.
If that makes her happy and works for you, then do it. I see nothing wrong with it.
I kind of relate that to the first rides in the spring on my horses after a winter off – especially Red. He is so full of himself in the spring as we are getting back into regular riding. It seems like when I finally allow him to breeze for the first time (aka run full blast on a straightaway), then he’s much better (We primarily barrel race, so hence the running. :yes: ) I do incorporate breezing one to two times a week for his normal conditioning routine, but there’s just something about the first one of the year.
I think it depends a lot on the horse. Mine go out every day, but we will have lengths of time where they can’t really run about outside, so I USED to turn them in the arena, but their habit was to go to the far end, and then bolt to the out-gate. This was bad for two reasons: 1) hard on the joints and 2) they developed the habit of thinking the far end was something to bolt from. So I stopped doing it, and instead ride them in a way that keeps them focused and calm.
So for horses with a strong bolt/fear response, I think the arena should be a place of work ONLY, and not a place for shenanigans/bolting.
Now, my Shetland pony I might put loose in the arena…because she will just roll and look for arena weeds.
I would ask you BO before you let your horse loose and crack the whip. I go to great lengths to groom my ring, and would be pretty pissed to go ride my own horse and find giant potholes from sliding stops and wild galloping.
My barn doesn’t allow turnout in the arenas. If they did and I let my guy out I’m pretty sure he would just go sniff the manure bucket (gross I know, but one of his favorite activities) or investigate whatever jumps/props are in there. He is turned out during the day, I’ve only seen him gallop/buck if he’s been on stall rest.
My firecracker little Arab every few months has so much energy that she just needs to let it out or she’ll explode. Letting her run in the round pen for five minutes (of her own accord with no pressure from me) with some good bucks and farts lets the wiggles out and a few minutes of groundwork gets her brain back.
She is outside 24/7 with plenty of space, but it’s worse since she got a round bale in her field for winter—she spends a lot more time standing still and eating (plus calories=more energy!) instead of playing like she usually does.
At the barns where I rode it was always explicitly written out in the rules that free lunging was not tolerated. I also saw an unbelievably talented young horse experience an acute career-ending injury free lunging. Case study of one does not mean that others do not do it with success but it was very scaring to witness. I guess I’ve lucked out that mine never seemed to have a need to blow off steam like that. We have mild winters and 12+ hour turnout, which I know is not feasible in many areas and likely plays a big part.
Isn’t it nerve-wracking to watch your horse slide to a stop, gallop wildly around turns, etc.? It sounds like my worst nightmare. Do you lunge them to warm them up first or let them out and trust them to self-moderate?
