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Hi and thanks for the question about your pony. Being over weight and then loosing weight can make him feel better and have more energy. He is a different pony then the overweight one you purchased. I question the word "project" you used. Project to me implies the horse has some things that need to be worked on. You also say you mostly walk and trot and jump. Why don't you do any canter work? My first thought with the bucking is the saddle is not fitting correctly. But you say it happens when you ride bareback. My second thought is the bit you are using. A slow twist is not an easy bit. If he has a very sensitive mouth and you are putting what he feels is to much pressure on his mouth this could make him buck. Since you say the bucking happens 30 to 45 minutes into riding my gut feeling is some kind of discomfort or it could be learned behavior. If when he was with his previous owner he learned he could buck and they would return to the barn or put him away he may have learned to buck as a way of getting put up. There are so many factors to take into consideration with this situation. I think I would start with changing the bit and see what happens. I would put a nice sweet iron snaffle on him that is nicely made and see if he continues the behavior. Do you do any of the "Natural Horsemanship Groundwork" prior to riding? Do you have a ground person who could watch your riding and see if you are slightly pulling on his mouth which could make him buck? Do you have anyone in your area who has worked with Buck Brannaman or Ray Hunt who could help you figure out the problem? I believe horses come into our lives for a reason and they help us grow and learn about life. He has come into your life for a reason, for you to help figure out what he needs or for you to grow and learn to a new level of horsemanship skills. Either way you can both help each other with this situation. I suggest getting some help, another set of eyes can be invaluable. Attending one of Buck's Clinics is a wonderful idea too. I hope I have helped in some way. I think there is more going on here then just he bucking and you need to look deeper and find some quality help.
I just bought my 13 year old 15.1 hand Fjord Pony 3 months ago. He did dressage and 2'6″ jumpers. When I got him he was very overweight and out of shape, and was bought as a project for my mom to ride eventually and maybe do hunters. He was very quiet when we brought him home. After he lost his weight, I began riding him more often. He is very forward moving for a draft pony. Lately he has started bucking after about a half hour of riding. I ride him bareback, and in a slow twisted full cheek snaffle. And he has no back issues. I normally just do walk trot and jumping work with him. Today i took him on a trail ride and he started bucking with out warning and no apparent reason when I was just walking him after 45 minutes of riding. I stayed on and pulled his head up to stop him, but he started up again. This happened three times in a row. I have very quiet hands and dont pull on his mouth, and I dont give him muddled signals to confuse him. I am confused about his behavior. He is just as sweet as can be and has great ground manners. I want to figure out why he is doing this and how to stop it.
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