I am having a really hard decision to make. I bought a4 1/2 year old quarter horse gelding last nov, knowing that he needed to learn neckreining and basics like commands in walk, trot, etc. He has a very good sweet disposition, and is not agressive in the pasture(just playful) or in the stall. He always comes to meet me when I go visit him, and is willing to let me lead him to the barn, brush him etc. He loves attention. My problem is that, although he is easy going, and he has walked nicely over tarps, around orange cones, backs around and on lawn timbers, etc, I am nervous(and he knows it I'm sure) about cantering him. He is difficult to get into the canter. He will swish his tail, throw his head allittle, and then he will want to and has bucked a few times. I know it is not his tack, as it has been checked, and has worked good before, he had a very good vet check also. He does act lazy sometimes, then I wonder, why would he buck-not constant-just 1 or 2 when you ask him after you get going. I do not use spurs, or slap on him, just some leg pressure, and say canter. Sometimes I think I should have bought maybe an older schooling horse, and then I think, am I giving up too soon on him. I would miss him, and at the same time, I would like a horse as great as the same age one I had 30 years ago. He was awesome-no vices. I had been away from horses a long time. I can only ride him maybe 3 times a week, as I have some distance. Any opinions? I am told he is young, but should I figure he will outgrow that, or forget about cantering, which I love. My last horse was no problem at that age. thankyou.

Is it possible he is confused about what you are asking him? It sounds like his training wasn't quite completed and maybe you are asking him to canter in a way that is different from what he knows. He could be getting frustrated and throwing in the buck because he is trying to respond to what you want and you are getting upset because he's not doing what you want. 

prairierose1:

I am told he is young, but should I figure he will outgrow that

Well....YEAH! If he stays healthy he'll definitely outgrow being young! LOL! But that doesn't mean he'll automatically learn to be ridden or outgrow transition bucking. You took on an extremely green horse here.

If you're nervous about this horse and he needs a lot more rides to mature, you may very well be better off with an older more experienced horse. It's not an easy choice to make after you've become attached to one. But if you're not prepared to follow through on giving this gelding the experience and guidance he needs, it's not "giving up" on him if you get him to someone who can. That would be sensible and probably the best thing for the horse.

I, and many others on this forum, could suggest things to do about the transition bucking. But he needs a lot more attention than just that. I think you already know you're not really keen about testing yourself with a green horse. There's no single button to push that will make the problem go away. The saddle may not fit as well as you think. He could have a non-saddle related pain issue. He could just be too fresh. His feed could be too hot. He may not fully understand his cues at the walk/trot yet and is acting out at the canter. The list could go on. But you've only had him a few months and he apparently knew next to nothing when you got him. With any of the "fixes" that get suggested you're still going to have to get on him to find out if they work. No matter what, I think at his age he needs a confident rider to help him through his issues. You may have to get some professional help to sort things out with him. But I think you'll still need to either regain your own confidence on him or consider getting a more experienced horse.

Best of luck to you. ~FH

I have had a lot of horses do this at the canter transition, and it does get better as they get into better shape.  When I first read this I was thinking you should definitely just keep working at it because he sounds like a great horse. Believe me, all those things you listed would be nearly impossible on some of the horses I ride (walk across a tarp?! Forget it).  But, after reading the above post, I'm inclined to agree that some professional help would be extremely beneficial.  Where I live, even though I am an English rider, we have sent horses to a "cowboy" to work out "kinks."  He takes them for a week or too and teaches them to deal with life.  They have to quietly go on trails, be slow and mellow at all three gaits, and tolerate a different rider.  This guy is great, he is like Cesar Milan for horses.  Just really calm and confident and comfortable and the horses just love him, and he has like 1000 acres to hack across.  Is there someone who could get on your horse for you and work on the canter?  Do you have access to a round pen?  The mare I ride has been bucking at the canter, and was even doing it on the lunge, but I kept working with it, and she will work beautifully with the circingle now, and we are making progress under saddle.  You may be just giving the signal a little strong, if hes a sensitive horse, you may just need to shift your seat a little.  Like I said before, I've had tons of horses throw a little buck at the canter transition, and they usually work through it, but if you are nervous and get stiff, it will make it worse.

prairierose1:

He will swish his tail, throw his head allittle, and then he will want to and has bucked a few times.

 

He may have figured out that if he does this, you won't keep asking him to work harder than a trot.  You said he acts lazy sometimes, so this could be the case.  If you can, have a more confident rider work with him and work him through this issue.  

It's also possible that he's not very fit, so cantering is hard for him.  Can you lunge him at the canter?  You might consider working him on the lunge line or in a round pen to work on his fitness and cantering cues.  

He sounds like a good horse, but one that has figured out that you're a little nervous and is using that to his advantage.  Hopefully, you can get someone to help you out.

First of all, I don't have advice on your cantering problem I had a similar situation a couple years ago with a young horse.  He was four and I was 15 when we got him. Yes, I know not necessarily the best choice but it happend.  Chiko was a great horse, fairly well trained and responsive but he was young and therefore needed schooling and firmness.  I had horse experience but at that point I wanted a horse to just ride and have lots of fun.  Not one that I had to work all the time and stuff.  All went well for a while but then he bit me in the pasture.  He ran off before I could react and from then on our trust was completely broken.   He would threaten me and I got scared.  He didn't do it to anyone else, just me.  We sent him off for a couple weeks of training and he got better but I was just scared. 

People would say, "don't act scared and he won't know".  Way easier said than done.  I knew I shouldn't be scared and I should assert myself but I couldn't help it, when your scared, your scared.  Anyway, I had lost my love for being with him and so we put him up for sale.  He went to a great home where he would be used and schooled regularly.  I now have an older mare that suits me perfectly, I love riding her and we have a great relationship.

I am not saying that you should sell him for sure.  But just remember that you have options.  If you are losing your love for being with him, even if you know you would miss him, maybe its time to consider a different horse.  Some horse-people relationships don't always work out.

I knew when I bought him that he needed training with neckreining, and leg pressures. He is easy going, not any kind of a game horse. He can be lazy. Sounds like that is why he gets obnoxious when I try to canter him. He would rather trot or walk. Cantering is work! He has caught on to neckreining quite well at the walk, and catching on with the trot maybe 60% of the time. He backs up pretty good too. He likes variety, not just walking around circles. I know I need to work him more. Right now I am riding him only 2-3 times a week, as I am driving about 21 miles each way. The stable is very nice, and he is treated well there. He is catching on to leg pressures pretty well too. there are times he will test me-like wanting to go the opposite direction. Instead of fighting him over it, I will let him go that way, but, I make him go his way over, and over, and over, till he says ok, thats enough, and I say, ok, another time! Then he starts seeming to think, hey! its more work for me, when I do get my way, and he seems to cooperate more then. Yes, he will do that still a time or two, but I just repeat doing the smaller circles, usually at the trot. I had read to do that, so that he is supposed to learn "his way" can be more work! Thankyou for replying.

I was told when I bought him that he needed work neckreining, leg pressures etc. He is a layed back horse, kind of on the lazy side they said, and it is true. Making him canter is work to him. He has impressed me tho, in that I can ride him no problem over large open tarps, around medium orange construction cones(he even walked into one and just stood there!) I have backed him thru lawn timbers in a L shape, even when he stepped on one he didn't care. He had a giant green ball put around him too, and was ok. He always meets me at the gate, and there are no treats to make him come. I know I need to work on my "fear" I call it False Evidence Appearing Real (fear) It is easier said than done. I never had these fears years ago. I don't know, maybe it is my older age, and the time away from horses I had. Any advice on how to "kick out" the fear?

Seems true what you say! I did have someone ride him at the canter, He did buck, but she told him she was boss, and he did go around and around the ring at the canter, and did it. He really worked up a sweat! He sure looked beautiful cantering! He looked like a show horse!

Don't be too quick to throw in the towel.... I have a mare that has done everything you have pointed out with your gelding. The thing that jumped out to me was the mention of him being lazy. If he has learned that a stomped hoof, a subtle crow-hop or head toss will get him out of working - well, there you have it. Rattle his comfort zone a little. The next time you ask something from him, and he bucks or acts out - just keep at him. He may continue to try new 'tricks', but just stay with him. Keep asking until you get what you want. Obviously - you need to use some common sense here. If you're unable to ride out his bucking or are afraid too (as was my case, and yes - the horse knows it), find someone else to ride it out of him. A confident experienced horse rider makes a huge difference in what you will get out of a horse. Good Luck!