Paul wrote in: "First off I love your site and the education and advice you provide. My horse often gives me a hard time when I go to ride him. He's 17. He starts with crow hopping and sometimes light bucking and so far the only thing that works is for me to get off him and lunge him for 30 minutes or more and then he gets quiet. Any suggestions as it is becoming so time consuming when I want to ride and lose way too much time in the process. Thanks."Thanks for writing Paul. Assuming no problems with the bit or saddle fit, you already have one part of your answer - when you lunge him he gets quiet. That's because you are making him work, directing him to move his feet. And I think this only works when the horse is engaged with you. If he is moving around and distracted, like with his head looking outside, then I would change directions, and change directions often.
So when I have a horse that wants to throw a little fit, I make him work. When we make them work it forces the horse to focus on us. You have heard the saying "making the wrong thing work and the right thing a release", so when you give them a break from work, it's noticeable to them. I think some people approach this from the other end, thinking the work is punishment and they want to horse to understand when they act up, they get punished with work, when it's actually wanting the horse to seek the release.
An example is when a person tries to mount and the horse moves off. Sometimes the rider will jerk on the lead line or reins and try to make the horse stand still which usually doesn't work, then tries to mount again. If that rider would move that horse around, moving his feet with energy, then allow the horse to stand, the horse feels that release and will most often now stand for mounting. The rider didn't get to this point by punishing the horse,...they got to it by moving the horse's feet then allowing the horse to feel the release.
The other thing is to get him to agree that you are in control. Again, we do this by making them move their feet. This can be lunging him or it can be backing him,...or, moving his hind end or his front end over. Practically anything where you direct him and he complies, accepting you as the leader. When I take a young horse or an older horse with an attitude, in hand (under halter), I stop him, back him, get him to come to me, move his front end over, and move his back end over. It is sort of like a pre-ride ground check.
And when you think about it, working and moving the feet are the same thing, or working is the idea and moving the feet is how to get there.
Having said all that, no amount of lunging will take the buck out of a horse, so when I lunge a horse before I ride it is to warm him up and let me check for any problems, and to reaffirm to him that I'm in charge by moving his feet under my direction.
But sometimes you just got to get to work and don't time to lunge a horse, so as I lead a horse from the corral to the tie rail, I'll stop him, back him, have him step out on a light lead past me, and roll his back end away and bring his front end over. I may throw the lead line over the side away from me and have him disengage his back end then bring his front end over. All this takes just a few minutes and serves notice that we're getting ready to go to work, kind of like a reminder that you are in charge.
One of my horses, who is coming 13, is really good as crow hopping early in the ride if I asked for a lope, or sometimes when I hold him back and he wants to run. I don't get down then lunge him, but I may do several different thing. I just may double him, rides circles, or stop and back him 30 feet or so then trot out,.....if I'm asking for a lope and he crow hops, sometimes I'll push him into a gallop and when he wants to slow I won't let him.
Your question is a common issue, and while I certainly don't have all the answers and I hope this helps. If it doesn't then keep seeking the answer. Safe journey.
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