Why Horses Pigroot

By April Reeves

First lets explain ‘pigrooting’. It’s a term used to describe a horse that executes a series of small, stiff-legged bucks that primarily start from the shoulder, usually standing still. If you have ever watched a pig dig in the ground for roots, they drop their head down and use both front legs and bring their shoulders up and down, moving the dirt out.

Horses that pigroot are not violent or aggressive, but the cause must be found or pigrooting can get worse. The bucking is not difficult to ride out, but does tend to unsettle a rider.

You see it a great deal from barrel and games horses that do not have a solid foundation or training program for running barrels or games. Like all equine sports, barrels and games are a function of proper training, not just a matter of owning a hot horse. Riders who run barrels and games professionally go out looking for very specific breeds and conformation for these equine athletes. The attitudes of the horses they look for are not necessarily ‘hot’, but more of a willing attitude in this partnership.

The cause of pigrooting can be from several things:
Lack of training: It is very simple. Bad habits begin when the horse is asked to perform beyond his abilities, both physically and mentally. It comes back to foundation training, to get the horse confident and strong enough to handle the next lesson. When horses lack confidence, they show it by doing things that are not in the ‘training program’, like spooking, bucking, rearing and fighting. You cannot jump from kindergarten to grade 12 overnight.

Saddle fit: when a horse is uncomfortable he will let you know it. Always make sure you have the appropriate equipment on your horse that fits him.

Bits: may barrel and games riders ‘overbit’ their horses in order to gain control. Coming back to Pro riders, they take the time to create a responsive horse first. There are some pro riders in barrels who use simple snaffles. It’s all a matter of training and how far you want to work at it. It also starts with a willing mind, more so than a hot mind.

Where to start?
Check for saddle fit and if that’s okay, it’s time to retrain. I have some very good articles, again on the blog, that will help you out immensely. They are easy to follow and very effective when done with consistency and repetition. They are very long, so I do not post the details within single question & answers. I do suggest that you spend some time there and read through. The best one to start would be under ‘General Riding Answers’ – “Basic Groundwork and Saddle work for the herd bound horse”. This article applies for any horse that needs to revisit or get the foundation work established. The other article would be “What should I expect from Pro training of 2 year old QH?” This article will explain the foundation a horse needs to begin any other work from.

You will need to go back to gentle basic work and get your horse’s feet and mind back on the ground. You will have to spend the time to rebuild his confidence, and that is done with slow, consistent work. Training too quickly will only take more time, as eventually you have to go back and address the foundation work.

I will do a great deal of walking and calming work, as you cannot get a horse’s mind if he is not calm. Sometimes, just walking, lots of it, around the arena, barrels, everywhere the horse gets ‘hot’ will help to calm him down. When I say ‘lots of walking’, it means you may have to walk for one or two hours a day, for many days in a row, to get the horse calm. Again, refer back to the article on basic saddle work for more advanced training on acquiring calm and settled minds.

I hope this helps you to begin the process, and the tips and methods will keep you safe and your horse happy. It’s no fun being on a horse that causes you anxiety and stress. Luckily, the solutions are not tough or take a pro to do.