JenniLynn wrote:
He knows how to yield his hindquarters. His brain disappears though when this nonsense starts. And PDJ I'm watching (or was) as I type

Oh good well if he is an expert on yielding his hindquarters then he doesn't really have a problem. Do you remember to ask him to yield his hindquarters so that he doesn't ever point his hindquarters in your direction?
I still don't understand all these suggestions from people to go in close and thump on the horse, if you KNOW a horse is inclined to kick then how does it make any logical sense to put yourself directly in the line of fire??
If you enjoy getting kicked and living in conflict with your horse, by all means go thump and see if he thumps back, or decides to get evasive, then where does your relationship with that horse go next? Or you could invest in a good coach and have a willing partner, a friend in the horse who will fill in for you when the crap hits the fan, getting some help is probably cheaper than a hospital bill. Take it from someone who has been hurt enough to learn how to appreciate the difference.

If throwing a bucket at the horse is really meaningful to him, what is going to happen when a bucket rolls under his feet on a windy day? I remember riding a green haffie filly 10 years ago, a friend was messing with me and threw a bucket full of rocks right up under her flank to try to get her to dump me. She just gave a little jump and trot and my friend was disappointed that she didn't come unglued. That obviously isn't the norm, but you never know what you might encounter while riding or what a horse may remember about past (bad) experiences.
I worked with a sensitive horse who had been choked to the ground and dragged into a trailer to be weaned all on the same day, for years he would run through a fence at the sight of a lariat and it was extremely difficult to get him over that phobia. So just use caution what foundation you lay into this horse, again the less baggage you add the easier it will be for a trainer to straighten him out.

"It's really quite amazing what a horse will do for you, if he only understands what you want. 
And it it's also quite amazing what a horse will do to you if he doesn't." ~ Bill Dorrance