BLIND PANIC BOLTER

M

mongy46

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 August 2009
Messages
220
Visit site
i bought my horse in August. He is 6yrs old, very sweet and quiet to handle on the ground.
However when you ride him he is quiet nervous. He's v good on the road and in traffic, at home not bad in the school.
When you take him to a show or trot in a field his head goes up, and bolts off and doesn't even know you are on his back.
He has done it recently at a show where he was very tense in his back end, then when put into trot, shot his head up ( white's of eye's showing) galloped flat out into the indoor school. He calmed down once we came off his back and waited for him to calm down.he thenwent onto do a dressage test, although very tense.
His walk is also short when a rider is on his back.
He is great to lunge and his walk is better when he doesn't have a rider on. He also runs off after jumping a fence, when the rider tips forward.
His teeth do need doing, but surely this isn't causing it?
I'm trying to eliminate if it's pain related or a behavioural issue.
Has anyone had a similar situation? can recommend someone to asses him? could it be kissin spine?
 
If he's a blind panic bolter then he would be running though fencing, it just sounds like he's taking you where he wants to go when he feels a bit nervous, does he give you any warning?
Perhaps if it only happends in stressful situations and it really is in a blind panic you should keep him out of these situations.
 
I would have a look at his teeth, they could well be causing or contributing to the problem. I would also get a vet out to give him the once over, paying particular attention to his back, and then get his saddle re-checked.

If all this comes out OK and it is a behavioural issue you need to consider whether he is indeed blindly bolting or taking off with you. If he is taking off, this is very scary, but can usually be improved upon with more training (what does your instructor say? Maybe he needs a more experienced rider to ride him for a little while and teach him that taking off is not acceptable). If he is really bolting in blind panic (i.e. flat out, going through anything in his way like people, fences, etc. and can't be stopped by experienced rider) and there is no physiological reason then he is seriously unsafe and you may need to consider not riding him anymore.

I don't want to sound too negative, there are many issues that could be causing this that can be addressed, so think positive and start with a vet visit and getting his teeth sorted.
 
There is a difference between bolting and running off.

Bolting is a blind panic, they will run through anything and you will not stop - they just go and there is nothing you can do about it. They loose all self preservation, they will crash through anthing, try to jump things they cant jump etc. It is dangerous and often cannot be fixed. In this instance, personally I think horses like this are a danger to people, themselves and other horses and should be PTS.

Running off is when they stop, either by a sock in the gob or likewise. It can be fixed with schooling and lots of consistent work. Personally I find in this instance the best thing to do is kick the horse forward rather than try to make it stop, then when he is tired keep going, then when you are tired and he is tired keep going, then stop when you are ready.


Your horse sounds fresh and like its running off, you need to get into open fields and kick him forward as above (safe place) and get him used to travelling fast, forward at your request not his. How often do you ride him?
 
What bit / martingale / aids are you riding him in?
I would definitely get his saddle and back checked, especially if you are noticing shortness in walk under saddle.
How is he going into canter when he's got a rider on?
 
Process of elimination
1) Check for pain. Get a good equine vet to check all over, including under saddle (eta- i mean ridden). Get teeth done asap.
2) Get saddle checked
3) Get help with a patient, kind, understanding instructor. Go back to basics and see if he is frightened, untrained, confused, etc.
4) Consider the rider too

You could also consider a veterinary physiotherapist after the vet has been.
 
get back checked for KS and get hocks checked. For a horse to be so nice on the ground and then totally lose it under saddle you are probably looking at pain somewhere.

The tense hind end and head shooting up suggests back problems to me.

Spend the money now on serious vet checks before you end up having an accident.
 
Get his back thoroughly check out. My oh so sweet at home horse then turns into a spin spook and bolt monster when out and about, turns out to have KS mildly thankfully.
It's because he gets tense it hurts and then you're off.
 
Sounds like a pain issue to be honest (quite likely the back if reacting in that way) - certainly if it does the same after jumping aswell. Defintely get this checked and his teeth.
 
[ QUOTE ]
There is a difference between bolting and running off.

Bolting is a blind panic, they will run through anything and you will not stop t your request not his.

[/ QUOTE ]

I had a horse who truly bolted with me once and I did what I always swore I would never do which was to throw myself off a galloping horse.

Does sound like your boy is running off. Definitely worth getting vet to check to rule out pain related issues.
 
Please listern very carefully, your own safety is paramount to the situation do not ride this horse again until you have checked everything out for any pain it may be in, when you have done this if you are not an expert rider get someone on it that is to asses the situation, my husband was nearly killed by a horse that used to blind bolt we had everything checked out as well as a proffesional rider's opion and it was decided in the end it couldn't be sorted out so was put down, hopefully your outcome will be better but you must put your own safety first good luck
 
Hi demelsa,

Had to reply although at the moment it may not be very helpful! We've got a mare whose on working livery at University and what you have described is EXACTLY what she's doing!!!

Apparently on the lunge she is brilliant and works well in side reins too. Put a rider on her and when asked to go into upward transitions she throws her head and "bolts". It would appear she's running into the other horses in the lesson while doing this. She is slightly less dramatic on one rein than on the other.

The Uni haven't tried lunging her with a rider so don't know if that would make any difference. She's had a new synthetic fitted in the last couple of months, her teeth were done this last week and so now we've got the physio seeing her at the end of the month.

If it's not pain related we think it's behavioural. So not sure where we'll go then as the Uni students are compatent enough to ride a mare whose worked out how to scare them!!

It really does point to pain when being ridden though as don't understand why she'd lunge so well if it was behavioural, think she'd just prat about regardless.

I'll let you know how we get on and look out for progress with you. Sorry can't be more helpful but thought you'd like to know you're not alone! This mare's 13 by the way and hasn't displayed such issues before.
 
Like others have said, bolting is different to tanking......I've only been bolted with once and had to ride into a 10 ft brick wall to stop!

Schooling, schooling, schooling is the key - boring as it is!
 
He would run through a fence if there was one there.
Difficult to owe a horse that you have to avoid taking to a show, any suggestions?
 
I did have an experienced rider on his back when he bolted. They couldn't stop him.
I think I will get his teeth checked first then his back. Of course the vet's want to go the whole hog if his back's o.k. and nerve block his back legs as they no I'm insured.
It's very weird as he was show jumping just before I bought him, but you could tell he had been ridden in draw-reins.
It's so sad as he's got a fantastic jump and lovely on the flat.
When he does take off he tucks his bum right underneath him.
Thanks for you help
 
Came over from Germany 3 months before I had him ( I've now had him 3 months) taken show jumping.
When I tried him he was quiet as a lamb, I saw no signs of having had any medication, just very nervous when you patted him.
Quiet thin though and no muscle on his neck
 
[ QUOTE ]
There is a difference between bolting and running off.

Bolting is a blind panic, they will run through anything and you will not stop - they just go and there is nothing you can do about it. They loose all self preservation, they will crash through anthing, try to jump things they cant jump etc. It is dangerous and often cannot be fixed. In this instance, personally I think horses like this are a danger to people, themselves and other horses and should be PTS.

[/ QUOTE ]
This is something that's often said - "it's only a bolter if...". However, having had one myself, I would argue that even if you haven't gone through the arena fence, over 2 miles, etc. etc., it is still a bolter. In my limited experience, the ones who go through anything have brain tumours! Horses ALWAYS have a sense of self preservation. The bolting is coming from that sense of self preservation.

My lad was a bolter when I first had him - he did it in the arena without going through the fence, on main roads, in woods, over the edge of a steep track, and many times I stopped by turning him into a wall/massive hedge/tree/house. But this didn't stop it from being bolting. It will always remain a bit of a miracle that neither of us was killed in the early days. To my mind, bolting is suddenly taking off in utter fear - and it's bloody nasty to deal with.

If you want to PM me please do, because I sorted mine, eventually. With mine it was nerves, sounds similar to yours. Also, mine could absolutely not cope with a show situation when I first had him. He couldn't even cope with a quiet hack. We got there in the end, am happy to tell you more about how if you want! xx
 
I had an experienced rider kick him forward when he bolted, He leaped in the air to get more speed, he said he was incredibly powerful and most people would find it hard to go with him. He does stop eventually.
I fell off him at a clinic so I'm now scared to ride him. I just lunge him.
The rider I had that was schooling him at home thought he was quiet, bit lazy in walk, until she took him to a dressage competition when he bolted, she had no chance of stopping him until he calmed down, once he calmed down he was fine
 
It really sounds like a back pain issue which could stem from hock pain. I would guess though, that your saddle doesn't fit him - and is perhaps pinching or bridging.
I had a saddle fitted to my Tb girl by a Society of Master Saddlers person - and it didn't fit her at all - so be quite cynical if the saddle fitter tells you it's fine.
Good luck.
S
grin.gif
 
Sounds like this horse has never had any kind of proper socialisation work done. Probably broken in in Germany. Not up to the grade - sold on cheap.

I would go back to basics with him. Treat him as a newly broken horse that needs to learn about everything.



.
 
I'm riding him in a happy mouth gag now, he was in a normal french link.
Just a breast plate, no martingale.
I only had his saddle fitted when I bought him, he hasn't changed much since, but you know what some saddle fitters are like, so may get it checked again.
He's fine going into canter when rider is on him. He always bolts when he's in trot, but then it's easier to bolt in trot isn't it?
 
even when you haven't pulled him in the mouth?
His teeth are sharp as the vet said when he was vetted, but I've had to wait for my dentist who is coming next week. I hope your right!
Thanks
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top