Curious if anyone had any insight on telling the difference (specifically on the lunge line but in general too) of running and bucking because they are full of energy/playing around vs running and bucking due to pain. What signs to look for or any help identifying when romping around might start to venture into potential pain behaviors?
Their facial expressions, and if the bucking is symmetrical versus one-sided. That’s what I look for.
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I think you have to know your horse. I have a mare who only ever bucks when playing in the field once in a blue moon or while free lunging and only ever kicks out behind while cantering. She would never buck under tack and I’ve never seen her stand and buck or buck hard. if she ever bucked under tack I’d know she was hurting.
otoh my gelding spends at least 10% of every day bucking and hopping around. He stands at the gate and bucks to come in, he bucks at feeding time, he bucks hard while galloping in the pasture with his buddies and bucks for a while after the herd stops. He kicks up, not out and he twists his back. He’ll do it while tacked if he’s fresh or gets the zoomies for any reason, if he hits a rail jumping, if the neighbors dog runs the fence line etc. We joke and say mountain lions aren’t getting him for dinner! I’d know he was in pain if his behavior changed I guess. His resistance move is to refuse to go forward and spin, so if he does that for no reason I’d assume something hurt. If he does it because they painted new lines on the road and they are too shiny or the neighbors goats are loose again, I’d assume it was just him being himself.
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My mare has only bucked a couple of times under saddle. But she can have some turnout days where she is not just galloping but basically airborne at almost every stride. If I have a horse bucking like that on a longe line, they go down to turnout and I chase them a bit to get the wiggles out. I don’t think it’s useful for training or safe for their legs to have a horse blowing up on the longe.
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I agree. Line on = no screwing around. For young ones or ones really lit I agree with taking the line off and letting them get a little of it out. Of course the ultimate goal is they learn how to hold it in and contain themselves, but some days that’s just not gunna happen.
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Hmm. Good question. I would look at his face while he’s bucking to see if he looks relaxed and bright or has tightly clamped mouth and a sour expression. Bucking for play should be accompanied by a more relaxed playful face.
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Except when two mares are playing tag and making evil faces at each other!
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For the last few weeks everyday when I come to the barn another boarder makes a remark about my horse running like a maniac in the morning in his pasture. Lol. He’s not a big bucker though. I think it’s mostly running with the odd buck thrown in occasionally.
The weather is turning colder and he did just get his SI injected a little over a month ago. So I think and hope that’s just him feeling really good.
I’m keeping an eye on things though. He has been a bit spookier too but again I think that’s just extra energy coming out. Like he wants to use the “spook” as an excuse to do something more energetic and playful.
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My mare had several years of getting fall pasture vacation with a small stable herd that included several OTTB mares who organized big sprint workout sessions several times a day. At home we have small runouts and a big attended turnout ring. All my observations of horses tell me that happy, healthy horses that are in light to moderate work love going for a blast and need it too. The amount of bucking, spinning, sliding stops and aerial manoeuvres is very breed dependent. Two Quarabs in turnout play different from two Iberians who move different from my Paint but they all cavort. It’s like letting your dog loose at the dog park.
They don’t all do it every day especially as they age, but they all need it periodically and they are happy and relaxed afterwards. It’s a natural expression of energy and shouldn’t be turned into a battle by trying to manage it on a longe.
Our horses that get regular buck and run turnout even in iffy footing never seen to get soft tissue injury because they are savvy about what they will do on what footing.
The more bubble wrapped horses here that are “too valuable” to risk turnout and get buck and bolt longe time instead all seem to break down in hocks or tendons.
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