Horse Bucks During Rider's Longe Line Riding Lesson

First of all, let me HIGHLY commend you for having lessons on the longe line. So many horse folks consider such things childish and demeaning. I can think of little that will help you as a rider more than lessons on the longe, no matter what your experience is.

Yes, there is a saying, "Green horse plus a green human equals black and blue rider." But you already have your horse and you are already there. Now we have to do the best we can with what we've got, I suggest you ignore it.

Just this morning I was asked for an opinion by a restaurant server who wanted to know what to look for in a horse for her 6 year old daughter. I told her the first condition should be nothing younger than 12. By that time the horse has been there, done that. I told her if she can find an old retired show horse, great!

I would pretty much bet your horse has saddle fit issues and here's what gives me an indication...

The horse bucks on a down grade when ridden...

Saddles are like horses, they want to find their place. Where you want the saddle to be and where the saddle wants to be are two different things. To determine which is which set the uncinched sdaale where you think it should be. Mark the horse with chalk at the front and back of the saddle. Then lead the horse around stopping, starting, turning in both directions, varying the tightness of the turns, and backing up for five whole minutes as if you were out on a leisurely ride. It would be gold if you can find some of the terrain changes you describe. You may be quite surprised at the result. The saddle may come forward and pinches or interferes with her scapula or withers on the down slope. She reacts. Going up slope, the saddle slides back, frees up the withers.

Kinetic energy may also be a cause even if the saddle is a perfect fit. Kinetic energy is the force generated by objects moving up and moving down. Understanding and mastering kinetics is crucial to fluid riding. Most riding instructors teach riding to the saddle and the saddle becomes a divider instead of a joint.

Ill fitting saddles usually make grumpy horses. It is not the only reason for a horse to be grumpy but it is definitely one of them. We find saddle fit is the cause of so many problems that it is usually the first thing we look at in these situations.

Saddle fitting is one of the most overlooked areas of horsemanship. The difference between the almost right saddle and the right saddle is like the difference between a lightning bug and a lightning bolt. Ill-fitting saddles (which often appear to fit) can restrict a horse's shoulder action (even if they aren't causing any actual pain), compromise the withers and cause muscle atrophy (and often permanent damage) from excessive pressure.

Contrary to common belief, ill-fitting saddles cannot be padded to fit. If the saddle is too tight, padding will make the saddle tighter. If it is too loose, padding will make the saddle ride higher and affect the stability of the saddle and rider.

If you can, find a saddle evaluator who will examine your horse's physical structure and make back templates referenced from specific points of your horse's conformation. These templates will show you how your saddle is fitting. If you find your saddle is not a good fit for your horse you can take your templates to the tack shop to assist you in finding a saddle suited for your horse.

If the saddle evaluator does not take actual measurements from the horse or provide male and female back templates of the horse they cannot give you definitive results you can use.

Now then, where do you find a skilled saddle evaluator?

They are incredibly rare percentage wise but you may be able to Google one or at least get some helpful information.