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  Discussion on Scariest moment ever on a horse in 35 years
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Member:
stuart05

Posted on Friday, Apr 22, 2011 - 9:12 am:

Hi,
I am an experienced rider,not necessarily the best rider, but I have had horses and been riding for 35 years.

This week I had the scariest experience I have ever had on a horse. About five weeks ago I bought a 4 year old just gelded, gelding. I test rode him several times. He is responsive and tries hard to get along and do what you ask of him. He gives to rein pressure but has a long neck and is not super flexible. He does occasionally pull at the bit and open his mouth. I ride in a three piece ring snaffle. I also had his mouth looked at when I bought him. I had been riding him about 4-5 times a week and even took him to his first show where he acted excellent and we even placed in our first class.

Now the drama...this past week I was riding him down our dirt road about a mile from the house. We turned back toward home at a flat walk. He sped up and I sat back in the saddle and pulled back on the reins. He went faster. I sat deeper, said easy and pulled a little more. He exploded into a canter and then gallop. I sat there trying to figure out what to do. I tried a one rein stop but he did not slow as he turned his head. I figured if I pulled one rein more we would wreck. He ran until we got to the corner to turn back to the house. I got him in some deep sand and up into the trees, Yes the trees. He stopped. I have never had an experience like it and I am very disturbed. This horse has been excellent, respectful on the ground and easy to get a long with. I never would have suspected this horse would lose it like this. After it happened I worked him on the road for another 40 minutes and did some hill work for another 10 minutes and took him home. I did not ask him for any speed and we did not have another incident.

I rode him the next day with a neighbor and until I figure this out, I will not ride alone again. He did shy a bit at a passing car and he felt like he may be tensing up for another bolt but I did a one rein stop and it worked. I had worked him flexing and circling in the round pen disengaging his hips.

Has anyone cured a horse that bolted and any suggestions for me would be appreciated. I wonder if it is something I did but that doesn't matter to me, He didn't stop, that is what matters. If he does it again, I may have to find him another home. I'm at the age where I don't bounce back like I used to and this incident could have been very, very bad for the both of us.
Member:
ajudson1

Posted on Friday, Apr 22, 2011 - 9:59 am:

It sounds to me like you put the horse in pain and he was running away from it. You pulled back on a 3 part bit, pinching his mouth and tongue. You sat back and braced to pull harder it sounds like from your description. I am going off of your description above.

Spend time riding in an enclosed area. Or any small area with obvious boundaries. Ask him to calm down by lowering his head. I use the following: I hold one rein steady, not TIGHT, and lift up on the other until his nose lowers. Then IMMEDIATELY DrOp both reins to reward. Exaggerate it at first. If you are circling, the inside rein is the one lifted up. Do this over & over until he lowers his head and relaxes with the slighest touch of one rein being lifted up a tad. Be sure you are sitting neutral, breathing normal. Many people associate sitting deep with sitting back in the saddle, leaning back, which braces the feet, and causes tension and the horse responds to that..not in a good way.

Another thing if a horse does bolt, instead of the one rein stop with disengaging the hindquarters/circling, you can put one rein/hand on his neck, pull straight UP with the other hand, keeping his neck straight. An emergency stop not my first choice, but if I knew I was heading to a cliff or highway, I'd do that.

I have a crazy horse that loves to spook and bolt. I am just starting to finally feel like I can ride him and he will be 9 next month!! But he's a special character and I don't think you have anything like him. You have a young horse who will benefit from lots of arena/round pen work, from the ground and saddle, working on relaxation. I'd say use the trail rides as a reward AFTER you do tons of review in the round pen.

I know; he's young, you're not. Same way I feel, lol! So we need to take more time be more cautious. Give the horse the benefit of the doubt, he probably got more scared on that ride than you did!

Good luck, stay safe, enjoy your new horse.
Member:
lilo

Posted on Friday, Apr 22, 2011 - 10:09 am:

Hi Kim,

How very scary. However, a good outcome in the end. It has been a long time since I have sat on a horse that bolted (when I just started riding, my legs were not very quiet and I think I caused a bolt or two, inadvertently). I was taught to put the horse on a circle and gradually decrease the size of the circle - in our style of riding (German) we were not taught the one-rein stop. However, the circle thing only works if you have room - a road is not typically wide enough.

I now have a gelding that likes to rush home when my riding partner leaves to ride to her home and he hears his stablemate calling. I have to work through this occasionally.

"He sped up and I sat back in the saddle and pulled back on the reins." This statement caught my eye - pulling back on both reins is not very effective when a horse wants to go faster. Right at the beginning, he might have responded to a one-rein stop, but you did not realize that he was building up a head of steam.

I try: breathing deeply (maybe humming a song) - a breathing halt - then lengthening the reins to see if he will walk - small serpentines sometimes help. I try to avoid using both reins together as much as possible.

On another note - riding with a partner is always a good idea! Especially, since the horse is fairly new to you. As I stated above, my troubles start after the other horse goes its own way - it is a form of being herd sour.

I wish you the best of luck!
Be careful. A lot of people recommend getting off the horse and leading him - in my case that is not the solution. I am actually safer on top of the horse than on the ground. You have to spend a lot of time on groundwork before a horse responds to you in all situations when you are on the ground.

I am sure you will get other recommendations - a lot of savvy horse people on HA!

Lilo
Member:
stuart05

Posted on Friday, Apr 22, 2011 - 10:53 am:

Just want to clarify, I pulled back on the reins slightly, not with a heavy hand, I did not brace and I sat deeply in the seat not leaning back. When the rein contact resulted in no change, I loosened the reins while I tried to think of what to do. I thought he might relax on the looser rein. I then tried the one rein stop gradually because I was concerned pulling to the side would result in throwing him off balance and a big wreck, when that didn't seem to work I basically let him run since I knew I wasn't stopping him. I actually started looking for a place to get off when he started to turn for home and I got him up into the sand and trees.

I will try a regular ringed snaffle with him and not the 3-piece. I don't ride with heavy hands so maybe I gave the wrong impression on pulling back and from now on I will ride him like a horse that might bolt and not pull back on both reins and work on the one rein stop before things escalate but I really didn't see this one coming.

I have been under the impression that the three piece snaffle pinches less than the single joint snaffle. Am I wrong?
Member:
kathleen

Posted on Friday, Apr 22, 2011 - 11:18 am:

Kim, I had a mare that we bred and as a youngster she bolted like yours. I went to a clinic and was taught exactly what Angie described. Annie bolted during the clinic in the large arena when a train came blasting by right next to the covered arena. I did as I was told.....hold one rein fairly low and lift one up high. She stopped running after about 5-6 strides after I applied the technique. The way it was explained to me was that you are lifting the head in an uncomfortable position and they cannot raise or lower the head. You can also easily move the head side to side, thus turning if necessary. The instructor said that she had to learn to do this with her Arabian stallion and that it seems to actually calm them. It worked immediately on Annie. It does not cure the problem, is just a way to survive it....hmmm actually I only had to use the technique a few times and she quit bolting. The one rein stop and circling just made her mad. She was a 'unique' personality.
Member:
ajudson1

Posted on Friday, Apr 22, 2011 - 4:34 pm:

O.k., thanks for clarifying that Kim. It's hard to communicate with mere words sometimes, huh?
;-).

IMO, a 3 part snaffle is more gentle IF it's the one with the more fat/heavy/rounded center part. I think I have the KP brand, which also have a curved mouth piece. I don't know for sure but I think it's the french link that is more painful?

It don't matter so much about the bit as hands, seat, breathing, training, etc all matter. If you are really concerned, you could introduce him to a kimberwicke. You have a bit of curb action then. BTW, I never think "English or Western" when it comes to bits.

As hard as it is, and trust me, I know it's hard after that experience, try to forget he ever bolted and treat every ride as a new ride, new day, and assume it will go great. I've rode for almost 40 years now and it's amazing how often I don't think I am doing something to cause so & so horse to do whatever, but I am! Or getting in the horses way which is preventing some movement. If you are expecting he may bolt again, he probably won't disappoint you.

I love ground work and don't mind mindless patient arena/round pen work. I would do that with this young horse; you have lots of years to go out and ride on trails and so much you can work on in a safe environment.

But that's just what is right for me.
Member:
sdms

Posted on Friday, Apr 22, 2011 - 11:35 pm:

Kim, I'm glad everything turned out okay. It sounds like you've got a youngster that just doesn't quite have the whole program figured out yet. The stop that Angie and Kathleen describe sounds like the cavalry stop and it's a very effective emergency brake. I have a very good article by Curt Pate that describes how to use it. Just remember that like the one rein stop, the cavalry stop should be taught and practiced before it's needed.

Good luck!
Member:
lhenning

Posted on Saturday, Apr 23, 2011 - 6:22 pm:

Hi Kim,

I think if you have been riding for 35 years and this is the first bolting experience you've had, that you are either lucky or a very good rider.

I had that experience when I had been riding for only a few years, and it is scary. My horse was young too, and through careful training I have never had that happen with him again. He is now 10.

Hopefully you can work through this too. Sounds like you have a good start already and the advice given will help you further. Run some searches on bolting and you will find numerous threads on the subject.

Good luck!
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