Bucking isn’t a normal or expected part of teaching your horse a new skill.

Sometimes stuff happens that we can’t control. A previously unknown injury causing pain, a wasp sting, an equipment failure, that might result in your horse having a big dramatic reaction.

But if your horse is bucking, rearing, running away, or otherwise aggressively protesting what you’re doing with them, especially if it’s happening regularly, then you need to stop and re-evaluate what you’re doing.

If your horse is having a big, dangerous reaction to your training, then you need to make a change. It’s not your horse’s fault – you are the one who is responsible for making sure they’re comfortable and confident with what you’re doing together. If they tell you they are nervous or uncomfortable, and you don’t listen to them and they feel like they need to buck, or rear, or run away, that is your fault.

We all make mistakes, and we are lucky that horses are very forgiving, and give us lots of chances.

But don’t make the same mistake twice.

We have to learn, listen to our horses, and do better next time.