So I've recently started riding again after a two
year sabbatical, and thankfully haven't really forgotten anything. The
problem is the Quarter Horse I'm riding, Sunny is a little S.O.B. Before
me today, he had already dumped two other girls, both strong riders like myself,
when asked to canter. He prefers to buck. Getting his head up does
no good because he just gathers himself underneath and unleashes, whether you
have his head or not. After his first volley, I stayed on, albeit around
his neck. Second time, I was gone. After that we decided to forgo
cantering, but when I asked him for a trot, he pulled the same
stunt.
My riding instructor, Bonnie, is at her wits
end. She doesn't know what to try next. He's wearing the same tack
he's always worn, and does not appear to be in any discomfort with regards to
his back. The fact that he tried to buck me off at a trot leads me to
believe this is a behavioral issue rather than physiological.
The only suggestions I had were to: a. lunge
it out of him (probably won't work because he knows the difference between a
rider on his back obviously). b. a different saddle, such as
dressage or western, where it's harder to remove the rider. Not really a
practical option either. c. A rider who can stick to Sunny like
glue. (Obviously not me ;-P).
Any advice is very much appreciated because I don't
feel like eating dirt again. I hurt a lot. But hey, they say it
takes 7 falls to make a horsewoman. In the meantime, the whiplash does not
seem to be part of that course.
