A$$ over ears. Saw a confirmed bucking polo pony hit it with a helluva back twist once. Got asked if I was interested in the ride. How bout no. I was a minor at the time.
Some coaches are crazy.
2 Likes
I’m another in the “it depends” field. My older mare, who rarely even bucks in the paddock, has been known to throw in a hump or two in a canter transition…usually the more engaged her trotwork, the more likely the buck, and it always results in a lovely canter…go figure. In her case, super easy to sit, and not a worry at all. So another horse like that wouldn’t bother me at all.
A horse who goes full rodeo, likes to twist through it etc etc…much much less likely. I can sit a couple straight hump type bucks but the second they throw twisties in, I’m probably on the ground. I’ve never been seriously injured (worst was a broken finger) but I’m not dreadfully fond of hitting dirt. A buck while spooking…would really depend on the way the horse does both the spook and buck.
Can you do some trial rides before making the decision on whether to lease?
2 Likes
Personally? No. I know I hate bucking, it scares me, which makes riding not fun. I’m an adult ammy, and I do this to have fun. It wouldn’t be worth it to me to pay to lease something that bucks.
3 Likes
Lots of good advice already. I’m in camp “it depends”. One of my favorite barn horses, when he was younger, was a known bucker and rearer. He’s a barely 14 HH Arab gelding amd had what barn staff call typical Arab temper tantrums. He was a fun ride- fast and zippy- but it was 50 50 on him bucking and rearing, but he never went full rodeo. Since he was so small and narrow I could sit his fits out and he never scared me. There’s another known bucker at the barn- but he’s a lot bigger and powerful than the little Arab. I don’t ride him because I know he could lawn dart me. He’s done it to riders much better than me. My lease mare rarely bucks- she’s a chronic bolter but after a few strides she’s easy to bring back down. But I knew that before I was ever offered her lease. The only reason I got offered to lease her was because I’d ridden her so much.
If you’re hesitant or unsure it might be wise to play it safe and not take the mare. How bad is the buck? What type of buck? A little butt toss or full on rodeo? Comfort level is different fir everyone. I don’t mind hunching up amd some butt tossing. Even one or two heels up to heaven I cam deal with. Some people don’t even like or can sit out a butt toss. So if you’re leery maybe talk about your concerns with your trainer? Weigh the risk vs reward of that particular horse? What’s your experience level? Is the buck something you’ve never sat out before and so you’re nervous? Or does the thought of dealing with a buck very unsettling deep down fear? (No shame in any of that by the way! Horses are an expensive pasttime etc and one should enjoy it not be scared and we all have different abilities skills and comfort levels. A horse that would be too much for me would be just perfect for someone else). And I’m rambling. 
TLDR: maybe talk about yoyr concerns with your trainer but if deep down you don’t feel safe enough or confident enough or plain ol just don’t want to, don’t do it. There’s plenty of horses out there.
1 Like
There are some nice horses that buck, even hard bucking, when things startle them.
The saving grace, they are nice about trying to keep you still up there and even pick you up if you start to fall, by getting back under you.
You practically have to want to fall off them when they buck.
Had one such young filly, well bred, came cowboy started in a feedlot.
Seems like she bucked him off every day and if not one, twice next day, was sold as a broodmare only.
I was not told that, just had her in our herd and being young, assumed she was one more to start/train.
First saddling, she seemed well broke, I had her tied to a barn post by the tack room, she started bucking when I tightened the back cinch, but let me talk her out of it, so I didn’t think much but that she was fresh.
She went on to make a really nice horse, I was using her for my main horse, had not bucked yet with me, no one had told me her story yet.
We were branding one morning when, driving the herd by the house, she took off bucking, surprising me.
One cowboy already in the pens said she was bucking so high, he could see daylight under her belly over the 5’ board pen fences.
She took a handful of big bucks, head between her legs, then I could get her forward again and no more bucking.
The bucks looked wild, but they rode surprisingly very smooth.
No way she wanted to dump me, I thought.
After we were thru working the calves, we were one short, one cow was still looking for her calf and bawling towards the house?
We went looking and he, big fat bull calf, had walked on the storm cellar wooden door and fell in there, board keeping him from walking up the steps.
We freed him and everyone was happy then.
We assumed as he fell in it made a big noise and that surprised and set the filly off bucking, bucking I found out, was her default mechanism when things were not right.
One other time, we were in a deep draw, in heavy cane, following a cow trail and in a turn met a doe head on.
Doe switched ends and took off, so did my horse, also took a buck or two, careful again to keep me up there and took off the way we came, until I could stop her.
In the years I rode her, only two times she bucked and that was a known bucker.
Yes, some horses buck, to find why and how they buck you have to try them out.
Is the OP willing to put herself out there to find out?
Or better pass this one over and keep looking for one that doesn’t require exposing yourself in a way you may not want to, just to find out if a horse with a bucking habit is suitable for you
That is the question.
4 Likes
Only you know what is going to make a ride enjoyable for you.
If any and all types of bucks - even the smooth porpoise bucks - make you anxious, then this is probably not the horse for you. If the bucking is predictable (e.g. temp swings make her spookier) and that makes you feel more in control - it may be worth entertaining. If you feel ok handling some less-intense bucks and that’s the type she throws - it may be worth entertaining.
What you should not do is blindly accept your coach’s word that you can make it work. I would recommend you have a dedicated conversation (i.e. not a hallway chat - set time aside explicitly to have the conversation on the topic) to understand why your trainer thinks it’s a good match, despite you stating your fears. It could be she has very logical reasons (e…g “horse is only known to buck a couple times a year and her bucks aren’t hard”) or it could be that you and her have mis-aligned standards / understanding of your comfort levels.
I wouldn’t walk away from the horse unless I’ve fully explored the situation, if it truly is a wonderful fit in every other way.
As for me personally - i’ll take a bucker over a rearer / bolter any day as long as they aren’t backcracking twisty bucks. My current mare’s prefer method of telling me she’s not OK is to buck (pain, work that is beyond her strength level). She’s athletic and her bucks can look very big, but honestly - riding them feels like just a very big canter stride where I get a bit thrown forward. As another PP said, there are horses who buck to get you off and there are horses who buck but want you to stay in the saddle.
My horse bucked me off once as a 3 year old - we were walking on a loose rein bareback and a crash behind her spooked her. I just rolled right down her shoulder. Ever since then I can feel her check-in on my balance before she bucks and the one time she threw a few bucks in a row, I felt her pause for a few strides while I righted myself before she threw a last one. She bucks to communicate.
If you really like this horse, understand the bucking and then make a decision on whether it’s a behavior you’re comfortable taking on.
2 Likes
Fun topic. Lots of good annecdotes 
A little shy doesn’t seem like a deal-breaker. I think every rider needs to have experience dealing with a bit of a buck and spin. All horses will do it eventually.
But a committed bucking event, with the purpose of dislodging the rider is a horse with issues. I have three of these on my farm, adopted as pasture ornaments. I do not ride them, and have no will to even try.
If i were paying money to ride a horse, i would get a horse that likes being ridden. That has been brought up well, trained well, and had no physical issues that made her too uncomfortable to be ridden.
For me, it would be all about the severity of those bucking episodes, and discerning the reason why.
2 Likes
Not anymore. I’ve come off a few in the last 20 years that has shown me I’m over it. I can sit a buck generally, but I no longer want to.
2 Likes
Asking us if we would ride a horse that bucks will not help you answer the question for yourself. Questions you can ask yourself…
- Have you ridden though this horse’s buck and how did it make you feel? Did you continue with the ride or did you continue to worry about it? (Riding should be more fun than not)
- Do you have options like lunging before you get on, riding when others are around, etc that will give you confidence if that’s really the issue (eg, you’ve ridden her bucks and haven’t fallen off but you weren’t happy about it)?
- Will your trainer give you the time you need to get used to the horse before pushing you? It may be that you just need to feel more confident riding her in general.
- Is this lease something you can try out and if it doesn’t work out, just walk away? If you can, try leasing for a month (less than that may not be enough time to get to know her).
Good luck and let us know how it goes!
2 Likes
I know what I can ride. I can ride a spook, I can ride one that gets light in the front, I can ride an anxious/tense mess. I don’t ride a buck well. So for me that answer would be No. I think you need to know what type of ride plays to your strengths, what plays to your weaknesses, and make a decision that sets you up for success.
For some people (me included), knowing what other people would do in the same situation helps me make up my mind about what I am doing.
It is hard when you are scared of something to know that you are not wrong for being scared of it.
3 Likes
If you think you’re going to feel anxious every ride in anticipation of a possible spook and buck then no, it’s not worth it.
That being said, I think many types of spooks are hard to sit but you get better as you ride more often and get to know the horse you’re riding. I haven’t had to sit a buck in a while - my mare either darts sideways or very occasionally will rear up a little when she’s spooked. I think I could sit a buck more easily than I could stay on when she suddenly runs out from underneath me. The fortunate thing for you is that you know about this horse ahead of time and you don’t own it so you have options.
Here is a thought - if you and your trainer think this horse is a good fit for other reasons why not suggest the option for a short term lease trial? Try the horse for a month to see if you can enjoy riding this horse. See if you truly are a good fit and if this buck is something that causes you more stress than it is worth or if it is a no big deal.
1 Like
I say no way. Someone else mentioned their back bothering them and I have a bad disk. My mare would kick out to the left only and every.single.time my back would let me know a price was being paid.
You may be able to ride a buck but all it takes in that one time when you’re distracted and you get hurt.
We’re expected to ride spooks - that’s a given with horses.
But a known bucker or a rearer? No. That’s asking for bad things to happen.
1 Like
For this OP in this situation, even though much information is missing and despite the fact for me, it would depend, I’m in the firm No camp.
Why?
Its not her horse. She will pay to ride it. None of the usual have vet check, back, eyes, hocks, hind suspensories, neck etc. to find out if there is a physical reason for the behavior will apply as its expensive, not her place to authorize the tests and the owner will be unlikely to consent and certainly not pay for it. And it still will not be her horse after the exam and owner may not agree to treat whatever might turn up.
You got a 50/50 chance, at best, trainer is honestly trying to push OP to improve and has ruled out physical issues or needs to get the horse sold or at least out of her wallet. There is a conflict of interest between needing to get horses sold or on a clients dime fir a living and advising clients its best for them to take on costs of those horses.
If OP was a confident rider thinking of buying the horse and trying to fix it, then it might depend. For this OP who feels she lacks the skill to sit into a buck looking for a lease to pay to take lessons on? Better places to spend her money.
15 Likes
Well, to be honest any horse can buck. I am just fortunate that mine seem to always be the stop/ 180 spin type when a spook happens.That I can do. I have never been able to sit a buck. I am not young anymore and have no desire to part company with my horses for any reason.
My youngster can buck like a bronc as evidenced in the pasture. That did not keep me from starting him this Spring. All that to say that you are at risk of a horse bucking no matter what.
if she is a nice horse you may get her past needing to buck if she spooks and if your trainer can actually ride/ train a horse she may get her past that.
2 Likes
Oh, OP… It doesn’t matter what any of us would do - it’s going to be you in your shoes, not us. You already admitted some anxiety/reservations about a horse with this type of quirk – I’ll tell you as an internet stranger, don’t do it.
But to answer your question, I would never pay to ride a horse who spooked and bucked. YOU could pay me, and I will work with them - but not the other way around.
A horse who spooks and bucks isn’t a confident horse. They often need their rider to instill confidence in them and ride in a way that is tactful and nondefensive… if this horse is ‘spooking and bucking’ under your trainer or a rider who (we assume) is confident and skilled, what do you think it will do for you?
Dealing with a bucker is a confidence destroyer for someone who doesn’t feel 100% about riding out a buck. I have known many wonderful, competent riders who were unexpectedly thrown who then dealt with fear issues related to riding once they healed.
Just last week I put my friend on a horse who seemed like a perfect match. Friend is a solid, capable rider, and the horse in question is well trained and knows his job. He has never given me trouble, has never bucked, and has spooked once in the 8 years I owned him: when a whole tree fell 15ft behind us. My friend rode this horse a few times in the ring and it seemed like a good fit, so we went out to XC. I saw a side of this horse I have never seen before. He gave her hell: he spooked, he was tense, he kept darting laterally… If I wasn’t there to witness it I wouldn’t believe it. All of this to say, horses are very intuitive – and they react to who is on their back. My friend was not at fault in any way, but clearly I overestimated what a good match was, as this horse was absolutely uncharitable in her hands.
That is before even getting into any physical or training holes this horse has.
5 Likes
Personally, I wouldn’t lease a known bucker. But, I’m 63, and that certainly factors into my thoughts on riding a bucker.
Six years ago I bought a horse that turned out to be a chronic bucker. He was in poor health when I bought him and when his health returned so did his nasty habit. He was a big horse, and he would just explode under me. All four feet way up in the air with a twist kind of buck. Like sitting on a rocket ship. Scared the Hell out of me. I never could figure out what his trigger was, but I didn’t keep him long after he started bucking. He never got me off but he just about gave me heart failure. I sold him with full disclosure for $1.00 to a young trainer and was glad to be rid of him.
I think if you feel you have to ask then you probably already know the answer. Listen to your gut.
1 Like
I wouldn’t pay to ride a horse with a known buck unless it had enough other positive qualities to make up for it. Like a perfect angel but bucks with excitement when jumping. But a bronc buck, ain’t no way. There are enough well behaved horses to even bother.
My kids pony has a slight buck but you always know when he is going to do it and it’s super easy for even my littlest to sit. His is a joy thing and he loves to gallop and when you pull him up he gives one or two tiny bucks.
Bolding is mine.
This is not true. I’ve raised and trained a few horses from weanlings. One was a spooker but only one ever bucked under saddle and she only did so when an inexperienced friend asked her to canter.
When ridden by me or an experienced friend she never spooked or bucked, that’s why I put the inexperienced friend on her.
None of the others ever bucked under saddle.
OP, you should have fun riding and you need to be relaxed, not anxious, to learn and progress. Don’t lease a horse that is known to buck under saddle. It won’t be fun.
7 Likes
