JP :>    And, she pulled another one of her "tricks" (unruly
JP :>behavior) AGAIN last week  ...... I thought we were
JP :>doing so good together.  I took her in the round pen to
JP :>work her ..... I had her saddled up but only had her halter
JP :>on with the lunge line and I started to lunge her.
JP :>    She made it 1/4 way 'round in the pen (at a walk no
JP :>less) and all of a sudden she started to buck .... I want
JP :>to tell you she would have made a good rodeo horse look bad
JP :>the way she was bucking  ...... Meg, I have no idea
JP :>what set her off ..... and, she bucked 2 1/2 times around
JP :>in the round pen ..... she pulled so hard against me that
JP :>she pulled the lunge rope out of my hands.
Hmmm...you only had her halter on?  Would she have done this with a bridle? 
Fiddle will sometimes think it's playtime when she only is lunged with a 
halter.  But she usually behaves when she's fully tacked up.  Has she done 
this before?  If not, then maybe it was a bad spook, or a bee  or something?
Whatever it was, it doesn't sound nice!  Phew!
JP :>minute.  As it was, she did stand still and calm to my
JP :>voice cooing to her.  After she was totally calm, we
JP :>started around the pen again on the lunge line and she was
JP :>good as gold.
I have noticed with some horses that once they "get going" like that, they 
scare themselves to death.  It's almost like a chain reaction...they start 
running/bucking, get scared, run/buck some more/ get more scared/ run/buck 
more/ get paniced, etc.  Sounds like that's what happened here.  And, I don't 
have a clue as to what to do about it.  Wish I did, Jean.  Only thing I can 
suggest is short, easy trips around the pen on the lunge.  If she looks like 
she's going to get nervous, stop, pat her, then send her out at a walk again. 
 However, if she explodes on you like that with no obvious reason, then I 
don't know what you do.
JP :>    She's dangerous, Meg ...... I know it and I'm really
JP :>very careful with  her.  I don't think I'm going to ride
JP :>her.  I'll work her on the lunge line and that's it.
Somehow, I don't blame you.  However, be aware that some horses figure out 
real quick when they've scared you, and then learn that scaring you means the 
end of whatever work they were expected to do.  Don't let her get your goat!  
Shiloh has a tendency to do this...she'll spook (a little hop is all) on 
occasion, and then figures she'll be done for the day.  We're working on 
coming to an understanding about that (g).  I think her former owner was a 
real yahoo!  And I think that once they got her revved up, they got scared 
and just put her away for the day.  Now she thinks that if she does something 
to make her rider nervous, she'll be able to quit.  Aha!  No such luck, 
little Ms. Appy!  Not at my barn (g)!  The mind of a horse is a terrible 
thing.......
Meg  
 
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