Julie Goodnight Q&A

Q: Is This Horse Right For My Daughter?

Dear Julie,

My daughter is leasing a 20 yr old registered Thoroughbred school horse that we would like to buy. We have noticed that once in a while he will buck; once when she used her crop he shot his leg out and lowered his head and she fell. The second time was just recently when he bucked with both hind legs and she stayed on and the third time this week when all she was doing was kicking him to canter and he bucked with one leg, lowered his head and stopped and she fell off. Is there something we can do to stop this behavior? The trainer blames my daughter, who is only 10, by saying she has the reins too tight or maybe she is kicking when the reins are too tight...thank you,

Kim

Kim,

Your trainer may be right; it could be that your daughter is causing the horse to buck by giving conflicting signals or simply because he's learned a handy trick to get out of work or one of many other reasons that may cause a horse to buck. But who is to blame for the bucking is not the concern.

What's at issue here is that you should not consider purchasing a horse that bucks at all, let alone one that has bucked your daughter off twice. Those are major red flags and more justification than you need to not buy a horse. There could be any number of causes for the horse's resistant behavior from physical issues to obstinacy to trickery, but it is an obvious indication that this is not a suitable horse for your young daughter. At best she may become discouraged and fearful from this horse; at worst, your daughter could get hurt or worse. Considering her age, I think it is best to keep looking and find something safe, reliable and more appropriate for a 10 year old to learn on.

I like to look at size appropriate horses for kids this young, so look at small horses or ponies. You'll want a mature well-trained and well- handled horse/pony, at least in its teens. There's an old saying called the 'rule of 20' as it pertains to buying horses for kids. It says that the age of the horse, plus the age of the rider, must equal at least 20. So for your 10 y/o daughter, you should be looking at nothing younger than a 10 year old horse. While this TB you are considering meets the age criteria, he does not meet the safe and reliable criteria, so keep looking.

There are several articles on my website that may be helpful and one in particular about horses that buck at the canter. It will help you to become more educated about horses and riding as you guide your daughter through this process and make important decisions such as what horse to buy and what trainer to hire for your daughter.

I'd keep looking for the right horse- one that you can be confident of your daughter's safety and well-being and make sure she gains confidence as she masters new skills. Hang onto your wallet because this can be a pricey path you are headed down. For comperhensive advice on getting started in horses, finding an instructor and buying a horse, order the booklet Ready to Ride? published by the Certified Horsemanship Association and written by me, Julie Goodnight.

Good luck in finding the right horse; it probably won't be easy but always let your daughter's safety be your guide.

Julie Goodnight

www.juliegoodnight.com