The Beautiful Bucking Horse

I am absolutely enthralled with bucking horses and have been ever since I was first bucked off a horse. She was a green broke three year old Arabian filly. I barely knew what hit me, was on the ground and unable to breath. I believe that is when I realized the power of a horse.

Ever since that experience, I have set out to not have it happen again! As riding, gravity, life and learning goes, I’ve had it happen many times since. And if I keep at it, I’m sure I’ll find myself there again.

Then, in 2002 I went to Wyoming with a girlfriend on a road trip. We ended up stopping into a Tuesday night rodeo in a town called Buffalo. That is where I saw a saddle bronc jump his own height in the air, the cowboy lasted about 1 second. The horse preceded to evade the pickup horses by changing leads, doing rollbacks and ducking under them. The horse was a beautiful bay, I will never forget him.

To watch an animal take flight in that way, with such violent beauty is truly breathtaking to me. Especially when I am watching talent. I think often times people do not realize the athleticism, perseverance and strength it takes for a horse to buck. I mean REALLY buck. Not hippity hop around.

For horses used in rodeo, they are performers. They don’t just do it one time, they do it many many times. They are smart, they know their jobs and have the heart to keep at it.

I have a theory that any good bucking horse would also be a very good riding horse, had the horse been started well as a riding horse. I’m not saying we go buy bucking horses and try to ride them! That would be suicide, an interesting way to die. But I’ve seen many bucking horses I would have liked to ride.

I think a good horse has heart, athleticism and intelligence. A good horse can do anything. Yes, different seats get more specialized and there are definite conformational traits that go with them. However, a good horse is a good horse and can do all of it.

This is just my opinion.
So, in a few days I get to go sit on the arena fence and watch bucking horses only meters away from me. Not just 5 or 10 horses that you see at a rodeo, but 150. Yes I get to visit with good friends I haven’t seen in two years and I am very much looking forward to that. But, I also get to watch my number one favorite sport up close and personal.

I’ll try to take pictures.
For anyone curious about the animal welfare side of things…there is good and bad in every animal related event. There are good horse trainers and bad horse trainers. Good horse breeders and bad horse breeders. I have seen my share of bad rodeo staff but for every 1 bad person, I’ve seen at least 100 good.

I have sat behind the chutes and watched 100’s of horses buck out.

Good bucking horses have the flank cinch as the “on” button. That is why it is loose in the chute and pulled as the chute opens and removed when the cowboy is done with the ride. That’s the “off” button.

All done, no more work, find the gate.

To work for only 8 seconds at a time is a pretty easy job in the grand scheme of jobs. Everybody has to have a job.