Even though my warmbloods have grown old still in snaffles, I also always rode my quarter horses in a curb, but started them in a snaffle. I recall going down a sloping hill with my last quarter mare still in a snaffle, not running or bucking but definately not at the speed I preferred. That was the day she went to the curb. That mare never bucked, reared, or bolted. A saint. She died at age 29. Her daughter was the same, but early on got too strong for a snaffle, so into the curb for her too.
So what did I do next? Started riding much larger warmbloods in a snaffle, but mainly in the arena, as I practiced for dressage. A very strong well balanced rider could maybe continue with a snaffle on these strong necked haflingers, but why? Dressage does require something besides a curb, but they do allow a pelham, I believe, but maybe not at the lower levels. I am no longer competing, so have not checked on allowed bits, which all seem to be some type of snaffle. When your horse seems to be thinking of mischief, that is the time for more stops, starts, turns, etc. Think Stop! not go. How to correct a bucking horse? Do not let it happen again! Not with a rider. He thinks buck, you think stop!.
Good luck, Geri
--- In haflingerfriends@yahoogroups.com, "Sue" <sholland91@...> wrote:
>
> I'm starting to feel a little better after my accident on Christmas Day, and I'm going to start riding again, or at least get on, today. As most of you know, Calvin bucked me off out on trail on Christmas Day. He was happy and energetic and threw a big buck while getting ready to canter up a hill. I'm wondering what your suggestions are for correcting a bucking horse. I know about saddle fit and all of that, believe me. I've had 14 saddles for Calvin in the 5 years I've owned him. I do believe that the saddle I use most of the time, which is a County Eventer (all purpose) fits him very well. He also gets monthly chiropractic treatments and of course, recently got 2 shots of Legend over the course of 3 weeks, and is feeling a little too good for my taste these days. But he does buck in the arena when I ask for a canter, or rather, he bucks when I ask for a canter and he doesn't listen and then I smack him with the crop, then he bucks, but then I smack him again (not hard, actually, not hard enough according to my trainer), then he bucks, but eventually he does it. But I am always afraid to hit him because I know he's going to buck. We have been having these fights since I got him, and I know it's me and my energy and fear, too, that's causing him to not go directly into a canter when I ask in the arena. If my trainer or someone else gets on him and asks for a canter, he does it without a problem. He also goes into a canter on trail w/o a problem, except for the other day of course when he got too happy and bucked, but that has never happened before. It could be a balance issue, I don't know. I think it's behavioural as he can be a real brat sometimes, although most of the time he's lovely.
> Thanks for your help!
>
> Sue Holland
> Shadow Hills, CA
> But what do you do? Do you ignore it and just work him through it? Do you get agressive/assertive? YES
>
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