Bucking with the letter B and Rearing like Roy……by Tom Goodspeed
Now if you belong to any rodeo associations, the words bucking and rearing probably don’t bother you much. If you are just one of the rest of us on horseback, buck and rear are in fact…. four letter words.
It may only be a few feet from the ground, but few of us, if any, are into being launched by our four-legged friends. We will do most anything to avoid any unintended dismounts. If you are in the 20 and under category, falling off is not such a big deal. You’re flexible and you usually pop right back up before anyone hardly notices.
If you are in your later decades (the so called golden years), falling off is just the precursor to dialing 911.
So what can we do to avoid the “dreaded ejection”?
Well…I have some bad news…it is probably going to happen. It is usually not a question of if, but rather when. I can give you some tips to avoid the problems.
1) Make sure your horse is always warmed up properly before you start swinging a mallet. A few minutes of trotting and some cantering. After a few minutes of work, add a little more leg pressure while steadying with your hands to see if they are acting a little giddy. Be conservative with leaning way out for a shot in the early minutes of a chukker, especially on those windier, colder days.
2) You can turn your horse out or lunge them before you ride, especially good in the colder months. Even older quieter horses can act like youngsters in 30-40 degree weather.
3) Always be prepared on your horse. Have your reins from the time you mount until the time you dismount. Ride defensively. Just like driving, expect the unexpected. Be aware of that door that flings open, some blowing plastic, some ice sliding off the roof above you, a loose horse storming by, an engine back-firing. and the multitude of other unexpected things that you can expect will happen.
4) Don’t give more than a handful of grain if any to horses in light work, especially in those colder environments.
5) Buy horses that are quiet and well suited for amateurs.
6) If your horse tries to pull their head down, pull them back up with one of your two hands. You have more leverage against a horse if you pull their head either right or left as opposed to straight back with both hands.
7) If your horse begins to rear, move your hands forward to the horse’s neck and squeeze and kick to encourage the horse forward. Rearing up is cool when Zorro or Roy does it, but it can be deadly if a horse rears over backwards onto you…so it is not something to try at home or anywhere else.
8) If another horse gets loose or starts to play, stop and steady your horse.
9) If there is a runaway horse coming anywhere near your vicinity, again, stop and steady your horse and prepare to circle.
10) If your horse is feeling playful, circle them at a trot for a while before you ask for a canter or gallop.
11) If you are in the throw-in or chukker, stay in the back of the throw-in or follow the play.
12) In the early part of the season or after being off for a while, let a pro/trainer play your horse some chukkers, ,maybe even the first couple of weeks. Horses will normally settle after the first couple of weeks of polo…but the early few weeks of the season are always packed with horses propping, bucking, and pulling back off the trailers.
Now if you do get tossed…try to stay loose…and try to let your joints flex….the old tuck and roll. Wear your helmet. Avoid the sudden stop thing or sticking your arms out in the locked position. Unfortunately, this is not an easy thing to practice. You can pick some soft grass and try to start with a somersault or two. Wee did that kind of thing as children….I know it sounds crazy….but there is a reason for all the exercise and stretching that accompanies sports. The reason ?……. simple, to be more pliable and to reduce injury. How much stretching have you done lately?
So if you are faced with a horse that is bucking or rearing, it is best to get professional assistance. If you are hearing that it is nothing, just get back on and quit your whining, you may be dealing with the “old school” approach to learning how to deal with difficult horses. Most of us were told that you aren’t a rider until you’ve been off at least three times. And there is some truth to that, but if you have a job and family members that need you, you may want to take a little more conservative approach then the “old school” methods may have offered. Adults come with bones that are a tad more brittle, you may want to avoid the horses that may teach you how to be a better bronc rider….if you like getting tossed off……….you may want to consider the rodeo circuit. You only have to stay on seven seconds and you may win some prize money…of course you may also get killed…but that’s……r o d e o. I myself am more fond of the seven minute rides…. In fact six or more of those seven minute rides. And I like the view from the back of the horse. So I now look for some “steady” in the horses I choose…that didn’t used to be the case…but I also used to be flexible. Happy Polo.
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