# How do I sit a buck?



## ponies are forever (4 January 2015)

My old pony used to buck and I never sat any of them, hence how I broke my wrist. Recently my new pony bucked out of excitement and I fell off. I'm really worried why I can't sit bucks!! &#128561;&#128561;


----------



## JillA (4 January 2015)

Watch the cowboys at the competitions or on the bucking bronco machines - sit up, look up (at least to the horizon or even higher) and throw your shoulders back. If you are even slightly forward or looking down at his head you will go over his shoulder


----------



## Jnhuk (4 January 2015)

Are you meaning a series of bucks or a single one? 

Do you have an independent seat? Do you grip with your knees? Are you unbalanced?

Answering these questions truthfully may give you an idea to the reason but it is impossible to say on a thread like this. Ask your instructor for their input.


----------



## SpringArising (4 January 2015)

Adopting two-point works better for me than sitting back and staying in the saddle - if I'm not in the saddle they've got nothing to ping off.

Also, I find it's easier to keep my heels right down because literally all my weight is in them.

Look up, bridge your reins so he can't get his head between his legs and keep your leg on so he can't stop.


----------



## only_me (4 January 2015)

Bucks that go up and down are much harder to sit than a traveling buck - does your pony go up on the spot or during canter etc.?

I tend to cling, you do get better sitting bucks with experience lol. Keeping head up and legs on helps, as does turning the head and making them go forwards. If you can, stay behind the shoulder but I would tend to stand slightly so can absorb the buck. You definitely get better with practice!


----------



## meesha (4 January 2015)

I agree 2 point so no bum in saddle to get catapulted off.  Has worked for me but I do have a jumping saddle with big knee rolls which help.  You need to make sure you are secure if you are going to do this.  Or..... Pre-empt buck with a growl at horse, keep its head up and kick on - get cross not scared.


----------



## russianhorse (4 January 2015)

I always wrap legs tight,  lean back and keep their head up whilst pushing them forwards.  Makes them work harder as heavier on back end and with head up can't get the momentum to give a good 'un

That's been in my experience anyway


----------



## Mahoganybay (4 January 2015)

Don't try to sit it, hands up, stand up in saddle (practice this when schooling, really helps with balance) and pony club kick on to encourage forward movement.


----------



## Exploding Chestnuts (4 January 2015)

Ride more horses, do more jumping lessons on your horse.


----------



## ILuvCowparsely (4 January 2015)

ponies are forever said:



			My old pony used to buck and I never sat any of them, hence how I broke my wrist. Recently my new pony bucked out of excitement and I fell off. I'm really worried why I can't sit bucks!! &#55357;&#56881;&#55357;&#56881;
		
Click to expand...

Depends on how they buck / bronc I can sit a buck but my boys bronc is different  damaged back then the last time broke my humerus


----------



## tallyho! (4 January 2015)

It's easy to buck off a weight when they are unbalanced. I think the best advice given here is to focus on developing an independent seat and improving your balance. If your horse is not suitable, try finding one that is quiet and can be worked on a lunge so that you can do some work with no stirrups and no reins to develop your seat. Oh and as MahoganyBay says, practice standing in stirrups with no reins in all paces 

Think "riding through it" rather than "sitting" it... if you try and sit into one, you will most certainly be off in no time.


----------



## WindyStacks (4 January 2015)

I find having a fat arse wedges me in place.  On a more sensible note, as someone else mentioned, shoulders back, reins bridged - or if I've not got time and we're going for a row of broncy stuff, one rein and a handfull of mane. The one tight rein will limit some movement. And kick on. And growl. 

I'm normally so quiet around him, the only time I shout is when I feel he's going to buck and I must shock him on!


----------



## ponies are forever (4 January 2015)

Thank you


----------



## ponies are forever (4 January 2015)

only_me said:



			Bucks that go up and down are much harder to sit than a traveling buck - does your pony go up on the spot or during canter etc.?

I tend to cling, you do get better sitting bucks with experience lol. Keeping head up and legs on helps, as does turning the head and making them go forwards. If you can, stay behind the shoulder but I would tend to stand slightly so can absorb the buck. You definitely get better with practice! 

Click to expand...


Well he suddenly goes fast then does a series of bucks


----------



## showaddy1 (4 January 2015)

Your not alone, I cannot sit to a buck either.... 
I have realised it was because i was leaning forward, and as previously said, its easier to offload something that isnt balanced!  I have had lessons to improve my seat/ balance... but luckily havent had a 'bucking' horse since! 
My horse was bucking out of frustration, it was when I was holding her back... I had become a nervous rider, and rather than letting her go and bringing her back, I was attempting to stop her in the first place.  I had her back/ teeth/ saddle checked...


----------



## ponies are forever (4 January 2015)

I would just like to say thank you to everyone who has helped!!


----------



## california dreaming (4 January 2015)

Well IMO having been bucked off from lots of different positions that the horse does, I think it all depends on how the horse bucks.  They are so many and varied. Eg a stand still full on bronc where the horse just bucks higher and higher from a stand still is very very hard to sit, i found anyway.  A buck when in canter is easy to sit only depending how high and how fast the horse is going. A buck while in a very fast canter/gallop is extremely dangerous and sudden. There are so many scenarios that can happen.  All of them hard to sit to, cause they happen so  suddenly and unfortunately, the horse never gives you written  warning so you can have time to stand up in the saddle, cross your reins, hold its head up,adjust your shoulders etc etc.  My advise. ride horses that don't buck, especially if your a beginner/novice. But if you have to ride one that might, wear a body protector and an air jacket. Also, as well as having lots and lots of lessons.


----------



## Chirmapops (7 January 2015)

DuckFatRoasties said:



			It's easy to buck off a weight when they are unbalanced. I think the best advice given here is to focus on developing an independent seat and improving your balance. If your horse is not suitable, try finding one that is quiet and can be worked on a lunge so that you can do some work with no stirrups and no reins to develop your seat. Oh and as MahoganyBay says, practice standing in stirrups with no reins in all paces 

Think "riding through it" rather than "sitting" it... if you try and sit into one, you will most certainly be off in no time.
		
Click to expand...

Practice  But also this, above. The more you can do with no stirrups and reins, including jumping (like we did when we were kids!) the more chance you'll have of staying in the plate. Also, you say your horse takes off and then bucks - make sure you don't tense up and sit forward as he goes forward as this makes it more likely you'll come off when the buck comes. Work on your core stability as well with something like pilates, then if the bucks are fairly straight you can "go with them". If they're droppy shoulder bucks then just accept that you're going to hit the deck and learn to tuck and roll :-(


----------



## soulfull (8 January 2015)

california dreaming said:



			Well IMO having been bucked off from lots of different positions that the horse does, I think it all depends on how the horse bucks.  They are so many and varied. Eg a stand still full on bronc where the horse just bucks higher and higher from a stand still is very very hard to sit, i found anyway.  A buck when in canter is easy to sit only depending how high and how fast the horse is going. A buck while in a very fast canter/gallop is extremely dangerous and sudden. There are so many scenarios that can happen.  All of them hard to sit to, cause they happen so  suddenly and unfortunately, the horse never gives you written  warning so you can have time to stand up in the saddle, cross your reins, hold its head up,adjust your shoulders etc etc.  My advise. ride horses that don't buck, especially if your a beginner/novice. But if you have to ride one that might, wear a body protector and an air jacket. Also, as well as having lots and lots of lessons.
		
Click to expand...

This ^^^

For me the killer ones are when they stop dead while hand standing at the same time or when they bog off and throw one huge one after another (both very dangerous)

A strap attached to the saddle to tuck a thumb under has saved me more times than I can count!!  for the sudden hand stand a fist in the base of then neck can help.  But after being driven head first into the arena by a sudden hand stand buck before my feet were in the stirrups I gave up on him

 I no longer ride horses that buck like the above.  current mare does the occasional tiny one in excitement but that's the worst


----------



## NeverSayNever (8 January 2015)

as others have said it depends on the way they buck. A normal &#8216; heels up&#8217; buck Im fine with but its the ones that come from nowhere when they hump in the middle with all 4 feet off the ground - more of a bronc or fly buck? Anyway, those ping me off straight away lol. Have you thought about getting a RS-tor? Neck straps are good however I always worry about getting fingers caught in them. Good luck!


----------



## LeannePip (8 January 2015)

anything i think might buck or twist, wears a neck strap for this very reason!  if its a handstand bucker/ something that shoves its head down or we are going xc i use a spur strap to link it to the d's on the saddle so i dont loose it!

Other than that practise/ experience/ core and being able to pre-empt the buck all help


----------



## GinaGeo (8 January 2015)

The easiest way to sit a buck is to find out what's causing it... Is the horse sore anywhere. Are you over feeding it and not giving it enough turnout... Etc etc? 

Of course if everything else is fine, kick it forward, keep it's head up and if possible pull it's head round to one side.

Although, In my experience, unless it's a happy, full of the joys of spring sort of buck. There's a cause of it. Horses aren't innately bad. And once the horse learns that this behaviour sucessfully removes the rider it will be repeated.


----------



## FfionWinnie (8 January 2015)

russianhorse said:



			I always wrap legs tight,  lean back and keep their head up whilst pushing them forwards.  Makes them work harder as heavier on back end and with head up can't get the momentum to give a good 'un

That's been in my experience anyway 

Click to expand...

Agree, if you can kick them on through it the chances are they will desist in future.

My new mare has bucked a couple of times when she thought my applying more leg was unnecessary. So I did it again and she realised she has to accept the leg.


----------



## asmp (8 January 2015)

When my horse used to pogo (as I called it), I found a strap similar to this:

http://www.robinsonsequestrian.com/libbys-clip-balancing-handle-black-one-size.html

Helped me sit up tall and lean back.  A neck strap would have made me lean forward.


----------

