[ilywamhp]

The thoroughbread horse at the barn I ride at every day has lately been trotting really fast and refusing to cantar when I do get him to cantar it is very short choppy strides. Also when I get him to cantar he bucks and goes crazy. What should I do about this and what is it caused from??

[JudyKayTee]

Who owns the horse? Are you paying to ride or is this a friend's horse?

[ilywamhp]

It is a friends horse but I am taking lessons on him. Why?

[JudyKayTee]

Because the horse is attempting to buck you off which is dangerous for both you and the horse and the owner has enormous liability if you get hurt. Also, the person giving the lessons, being familiar with the horse, is the one to ask this question.

[Wondergirl]

Horses don't like to canter. When horses canter naturally, it's done for only a short time. "In the canter, one of the horse's rear legs – the right rear leg, for example – propels the horse forward. During this beat, the horse is supported only on that single leg while the remaining three legs are moving forward." (Wikipedia)

For some reason, this horse is quite unhappy when he canters. His rear legs may be the problem (maybe a shoe isn't feeling right) or maybe he feels like his rider isn't sitting right -- you do have to sit a certain way to move your horse into a canter. You may be the real problem for how you are sitting on him.

Don't try to force him into this gait. Above all, DO NOT whip him or slap him on the head or sides or kick him with your heels or yell at him to force him into a canter. Discuss this with your riding instructor.

[ilywamhp]

Oh I don't use a crop with him and do u think this may relate to a rear leg injury that he had years ago?

[Wondergirl]

If he bucks when you shift your body correctly to canter him, he definitely has a problem with that gait. Since all his weight is on one rear leg when he canters, he must be favoring that leg, so yes, it probably has to do with his old injury. Plus, his legs are thin and fragile due to the breed he is, so that's another reason to not force him into a canter. You'll reinjure his leg.

Are there quarterhorses or sturdier horses to ride?

[JudyKayTee]

Again, the owner/teacher doesn't know?

[ilywamhp]

(wondergirl)oh yeah there are and thanks for the help I'm learning from it! (judy kay tee) if you don't want to help me you don't have t so I prefer you don't be rude

[Wondergirl]

(wondergirl)oh yeah there are and thanks for the help im learning from it!

I'm glad I could help. I've learned that any animal has good reasons for acting the way it does. We humans have to learn how to think like they do so we can figure out what might be wrong. If you're interested, read Thinking in Pictures by Temple Grandin, a farm animal activist with a Ph.D. in animal science and who has Asperger's (autism). In that book, she has a very cool chapter on horses.

[JudyKayTee]

(wondergirl)oh yeah there are and thanks for the help im learning from it! (judy kay tee) if you dont want to help me you dont have t so i prefer you dont be rude

Where do you see that I was rude? The owner is standing there, presumably giving you lessons, and the horse is attempting to buck you off and you're on a public board asking for advice.

See anything wrong or strange about this picture?

[Wondergirl]

Ily, Judy wasn't being rude. I had asked you pretty much the same question. We both wonder why your instructor (or the owner) didn't warn you away from pushing this particular horse into a canter.

Do you take lessons once a week or somesuch, and are able to go to the stable and ride any other time to try out what you've learned? Is this thoroughbred your assigned horse?

[ilywamhp]

I haven't exactly figured out yet what caused the horse to suddenly get better but he is now back to his normal self again. :)
Thanks again , ilywamhp