Can Gaited Horses Buck and Rear?
By Gaye DeRusso
Yes.
But each horse and each breed are different. I have found over the years that I have been training gaited horses, that the Tennessee Walking Horse (TWH) has the hardest time bucking. But it depends on the TWH backend. Those that tend to overreach a fair amount and are shaped lankier and may have pointier hindquarters seem to not be able to buck as much or as hard as the more normal looking gaited horse. Also, the ones that are pacey seem to not buck as well as the ones on the trotty side.
They still seem to be able to rear up just fine, but the bucking they seem more spastic at. They can still crow hop but it is usually not very high.
I have found that the Rockies, Kentucky Mountain and Fox Trotters and Icelandic's which look more like a traditional trotty horse can buck higher and harder than the TWH. Why? Because they are built like regular horses, so it is easier for them to buck, and crow hop vs the TWH.
When you are going to buy a horse, it is a good thing to watch them run loose, especially if you are older and you want to get a younger horse. Watch that horse run and see what it does. If it can leap and buck and gets way high up in the air, well that's what it can do with you on it. If it does not buck or when it does, it looks awkward and not much height, then when you ride it that is usually the worse, they can do.
Same with rearing, if it rears up when loose like the lone ranger's horse, Hi Ho Silver, that's what it can do under saddle. But if the horse just runs around and doesn't buck or rear then usually it will not try to under saddle.
Knowing what your horse can do when loose can help you prepare it for under saddle. Many calm gaited horses will come out of the pasture or stall and be very mellow or lazy, but if something sets them off, they can leap like there's no tomorrow and that's what you want to get rid of before you get on.
Some horses, if you lunge them, they will not move, you have to be very aggressive and stern to get them going. If you can't make them move, on the lunge, then best to run them loose. If they won't run alone, put another horse in there to get them going and get the bucks out of them. Some won't move for the first couple minutes; these are the fakers which fool a lot of people but then they get going and they are explosive. That is what many people miss, they give up, so the horse never gets it out until something sets them off and then they go into a bucking fit.
Young horses and more normal looking horses buck harder, higher, and faster than older horses or horses that look like they have a funny looking backend. So, if you have one, make sure to get it out before you get on.
It is normal for horses to buck, they do it when they are excited, they do it to lighten their weight if they feel threaten from a predator or feel like they are being left by the herd of horses aka your trail riding partners. Running them around and making sure all the bucks are gone can help a lot if something sets your horse off. It still may buck but at least it may not buck as hard, or as high or as many bucks.
So just know if you have a gaited horse, yes it can still buck and rear and you should know how to prevent it and what to do if you didn't get to prevent it.
Always try to run it around or lunge before you ride to make sure they are not feeling spunky.
When riding, if your horse bucks, you need to lean back like you see the rodeo riders do. Lean your upper body back as far as you can, think of leaning back onto their hindquarters, then try to get the horses head up toward the sky. They cannot buck or crow hop usually with their head up. Once you get their head up you can disengage their hindquarters by turning their head toward your knee and using your leg to push their hindquarter around. That way they cannot get the power to usually buck again. Then you can decide to jump off, or face what they were bucking from.
If the horse is trying to rear, disengage its hindquarters as above. It cannot rear if it cannot plant its feet in one spot and it cannot do that if you are spinning his hindquarters around. If you missed preventing it, then lean forward and grab mane high up the neck toward the ears or wrap your arms around its neck and keep all your weight as forward as you can, think of leaning on its neck, till it comes back down and then disengage its hindquarters to prevent it from going back up.
More people have flipped over horses by accident by throwing them off balance. When the horse rears they lose balance and pull on the rein which immediately makes the horse loose balance and flips over.
So even if your horse has not reared or bucked, does not mean they never will. The more prepared you are the safer you are. So, practice what to do and make sure you can disengage your horse's hindquarters very well, practice it daily so you and the horse both have it down.
The more you know how to prevent rearing and bucking the better, but you still need to know the right thing to do if it happens. Never practicing what to do and not preparing your horse by letting him run ahead of your ride, only puts you more at risk of it happening.
By Gaye DeRusso
Yes.
But each horse and each breed are different. I have found over the years that I have been training gaited horses, that the Tennessee Walking Horse (TWH) has the hardest time bucking. But it depends on the TWH backend. Those that tend to overreach a fair amount and are shaped lankier and may have pointier hindquarters seem to not be able to buck as much or as hard as the more normal looking gaited horse. Also, the ones that are pacey seem to not buck as well as the ones on the trotty side.
They still seem to be able to rear up just fine, but the bucking they seem more spastic at. They can still crow hop but it is usually not very high.
I have found that the Rockies, Kentucky Mountain and Fox Trotters and Icelandic's which look more like a traditional trotty horse can buck higher and harder than the TWH. Why? Because they are built like regular horses, so it is easier for them to buck, and crow hop vs the TWH.
When you are going to buy a horse, it is a good thing to watch them run loose, especially if you are older and you want to get a younger horse. Watch that horse run and see what it does. If it can leap and buck and gets way high up in the air, well that's what it can do with you on it. If it does not buck or when it does, it looks awkward and not much height, then when you ride it that is usually the worse, they can do.
Same with rearing, if it rears up when loose like the lone ranger's horse, Hi Ho Silver, that's what it can do under saddle. But if the horse just runs around and doesn't buck or rear then usually it will not try to under saddle.
Knowing what your horse can do when loose can help you prepare it for under saddle. Many calm gaited horses will come out of the pasture or stall and be very mellow or lazy, but if something sets them off, they can leap like there's no tomorrow and that's what you want to get rid of before you get on.
Some horses, if you lunge them, they will not move, you have to be very aggressive and stern to get them going. If you can't make them move, on the lunge, then best to run them loose. If they won't run alone, put another horse in there to get them going and get the bucks out of them. Some won't move for the first couple minutes; these are the fakers which fool a lot of people but then they get going and they are explosive. That is what many people miss, they give up, so the horse never gets it out until something sets them off and then they go into a bucking fit.
Young horses and more normal looking horses buck harder, higher, and faster than older horses or horses that look like they have a funny looking backend. So, if you have one, make sure to get it out before you get on.
It is normal for horses to buck, they do it when they are excited, they do it to lighten their weight if they feel threaten from a predator or feel like they are being left by the herd of horses aka your trail riding partners. Running them around and making sure all the bucks are gone can help a lot if something sets your horse off. It still may buck but at least it may not buck as hard, or as high or as many bucks.
So just know if you have a gaited horse, yes it can still buck and rear and you should know how to prevent it and what to do if you didn't get to prevent it.
Always try to run it around or lunge before you ride to make sure they are not feeling spunky.
When riding, if your horse bucks, you need to lean back like you see the rodeo riders do. Lean your upper body back as far as you can, think of leaning back onto their hindquarters, then try to get the horses head up toward the sky. They cannot buck or crow hop usually with their head up. Once you get their head up you can disengage their hindquarters by turning their head toward your knee and using your leg to push their hindquarter around. That way they cannot get the power to usually buck again. Then you can decide to jump off, or face what they were bucking from.
If the horse is trying to rear, disengage its hindquarters as above. It cannot rear if it cannot plant its feet in one spot and it cannot do that if you are spinning his hindquarters around. If you missed preventing it, then lean forward and grab mane high up the neck toward the ears or wrap your arms around its neck and keep all your weight as forward as you can, think of leaning on its neck, till it comes back down and then disengage its hindquarters to prevent it from going back up.
More people have flipped over horses by accident by throwing them off balance. When the horse rears they lose balance and pull on the rein which immediately makes the horse loose balance and flips over.
So even if your horse has not reared or bucked, does not mean they never will. The more prepared you are the safer you are. So, practice what to do and make sure you can disengage your horse's hindquarters very well, practice it daily so you and the horse both have it down.
The more you know how to prevent rearing and bucking the better, but you still need to know the right thing to do if it happens. Never practicing what to do and not preparing your horse by letting him run ahead of your ride, only puts you more at risk of it happening.