Bolting Horse

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Abby&Apollo

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Looking for advice on what to do next, sorry for the length!!
So I have a 9year old thoroughbred, in the school he’s perfect, he used to be perfect hacking.
A while a go on a hack he flat out blind bolted the whole way home (his first time doing this), leaving me at the side of the road with a torn ligament.
We still have no idea what caused it, but since this day he took off a couple more times. So we have had lessons in the school, gone right back to basics, transitions ect. He’s perfect in the school and hacking out in walk and trot (he now has a Waterford in), but the second we ask for a canter whilst out he bolts, and it’s becoming down right dangerous.
He’s not in pain, he isn’t fresh as he is worked everyday, we’ve tried working him down to the ground and THEN going out for a canter but he still goes. I have no idea what to do now and it just seems we go one step forward and 2 steps back.
It just seems like he can’t handle it, he canters in the school perfect.

we do manage to go a couple of times cantering out and he’s amazing, but then from no where off he goes again. I’m at a loss.
 
It's too hot, and ground too hard to be cantering out on hacks anyway! So maybe leave cantering unless you are on a school surface. He has limited ways to tell you something, but as he is ok on a surface and not on outside ground, I would listen to him!
 
Seville is absolutely right you care not likely to be cantering on hacks right now anyway - but it would be worth ruling out pain which arises only on the irregular ground not in a surfaced school. Its not clear from your description if he is really bolting - running in uncontrollable fear - or tanking off - running out of basic lack of manners / misunderstanding.

If he is really bolting you need to know what has frightened or hurt him so badly. You'll need to start with tack / back / teeth etc. I would wonder about hocks or SI causing a sudden jolt of pain on uneven ground. Horses that really bolt will hurt themselves - and you. If he is "just" tanking off - again you need to know why but the approach would be different. Has he raced? Is he responding to a jockey cue (tight hands mean go faster in racing).
 
I'd be inclined to firstly rule out pain: so I'd get a physio/back check and get the vet to run his/her hands over and see if there's anything obvious, plus teeth. Then I'd get a saddle-fitter in and check the fit of the saddle.

How long has the horse been out of racing? As poster above has said, the fact that you've asked him to canter just might mean, in his head, that whay hay off we go this is a race! That's what he's been doing in his life up till now, and that's all he knows. He might be mistaking your "signals", i.e. bum out of saddle, shortened reins, weight forward, for his "jockey" telling him to go go go! Thousands of years and numerous bloodlines have gone into breeding the Thoroughbred racehorse, and as you've found, it ain't so darned easy to suddenly flick the switch to "happy hacker"!! You may have to face the fact that this horse isn't going to suit you basically.......... forgive me, am making an assumption here which could be well wrong, but if you are unused to TB's and/or wanting something to hack out on and very little else, then a highly bred horse like this might not be an ideal mount! Like I say, I'm probably picking up the wrong vibes from your thread........ but something you said was somewhat enlightening, namely you say you are "at a loss" in trying to understand just why he hoons off as soon as you ask for canter, which (to me) might indicate that you really aren't used to ex-racers, as anyone who's ever ridden one would be able to tell you that for something straight out of racing, this is a perfectly normal reaction!! I get the feeling you perhaps are a bit of a "happy hacker"?? Yes?? Nowt to be ashamed of, but I have to say in all honesty that possibly an ex-racer might not be the best possible (or safe) mount for your purposes right now. Sorry sorry sorry, I'm making assumptions, probably incorrect ones...... if I have assumed wrongly, or come across as critical, I crave forgiveness!

But anyway. After you've done the pain checks, you would be well advised to get an expert in to help you with this horse, someone who is used to dealing with thoroughbreds/Ex-racers and can get inside their heads and work alongside you both to get some basic schooling under way in a safe environment rather than an open space. Yes TBs can make jolly useful horses if taken away from racing - a lot of damn good competition horses are ex-racers - but a lot of problems can and do develop when people take them on who don't realise exactly what sort of "signals" they've had, one example being mounting - its notoriously difficult to get ex-racers to stand-up at the mounting block, its something they're just not used to as in Stables everyone jumps up instead of mounting from a block!

For now, I'd try to eliminate any pain from the situation, and then consult an expert, and see how things go from there. It might be that some groundwork/schoolwork is very necessary in order to lay down some groundrules before you even consider cantering with this horse in an open space, for your safety if nothing else.
 
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Abby&Apollo said:
He’s not in pain, he isn’t fresh
/QUOTE]

Have you had the vet assess him? How do you know he is not in pain?. Some horses are very stoic, but then the pain will build and build until they can't take anymore and then they will react. He is using a different muscle group in canter, than in trot and walk. He is also on a different surface out hacking to what he is working on in the school.

I'd get the vet involved, have a lameness workup - even though you don't see lameness, they may do and they will certainly be able to tell if he is moving in a particular way due to pain that a layperson may not see.

This can't be allowed to carry on, as much for the horses sake as yours. It is very dangerous, a true bolting horse will go through anything in panic.
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He has never raced, and the plan now is to not canter out but it’s a shame because he’s goon in every other way. Everything has been checked it’s 100% not pain. We have a grass school if anything it’s harder in there as on hacks we only canter on sandy grassy paths. It is just as if he can’t cope with cantering, he used to be fine
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
I'd be inclined to firstly rule out pain: so I'd get a physio/back check and get the vet to run his/her hands over and see if there's anything obvious, plus teeth. Then I'd get a saddle-fitter in and check the fit of the saddle.

How long has the horse been out of racing? As poster above has said, the fact that you've asked him to canter just might mean, in his head, that whay hay off we go this is a race! That's what he's been doing in his life up till now, and that's all he knows. He might be mistaking your "signals", i.e. bum out of saddle, shortened reins, weight forward, for his "jockey" telling him to go go go! Thousands of years and numerous bloodlines have gone into breeding the Thoroughbred racehorse, and as you've found, it ain't so darned easy to suddenly flick the switch to "happy hacker"!! You may have to face the fact that this horse isn't going to suit you basically.......... forgive me, am making an assumption here which could be well wrong, but if you are unused to TB's and/or wanting something to hack out on and very little else, then a highly bred horse like this might not be an ideal mount! Like I say, I'm probably picking up the wrong vibes from your thread........ but something you said was somewhat enlightening, namely you say you are "at a loss" in trying to understand just why he hoons off as soon as you ask for canter, which (to me) might indicate that you really aren't used to ex-racers, as anyone who's ever ridden one would be able to tell you that for something straight out of racing, this is a perfectly normal reaction!! I get the feeling you perhaps are a bit of a "happy hacker"?? Yes?? Nowt to be ashamed of, but I have to say in all honesty that possibly an ex-racer might not be the best possible (or safe) mount for your purposes right now. Sorry sorry sorry, I'm making assumptions, probably incorrect ones...... if I have assumed wrongly, or come across as critical, I crave forgiveness!

But anyway. After you've done the pain checks, you would be well advised to get an expert in to help you with this horse, someone who is used to dealing with thoroughbreds/Ex-racers and can get inside their heads and work alongside you both to get some basic schooling under way in a safe environment rather than an open space. Yes TBs can make jolly useful horses if taken away from racing - a lot of damn good competition horses are ex-racers - but a lot of problems can and do develop when people take them on who don't realise exactly what sort of "signals" they've had, one example being mounting - its notoriously difficult to get ex-racers to stand-up at the mounting block, its something they're just not used to as in Stables everyone jumps up instead of mounting from a block!

For now, I'd try to eliminate any pain from the situation, and then consult an expert, and see how things go from there. It might be that some groundwork/schoolwork is very necessary in order to lay down some groundrules before you even consider cantering with this horse in an open space, for your safety if nothing else.
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He’s never been in racing and I have rode and worked with thoroughbreds before, we compete showjumping and dressage, soon to be doing XC to so far from a happy hacker, he’s perfect in all these aspects, it’s just cantering out that seems to have messed with his head, he just thinks ‘go go go’ all the time and has no respect for the rider
 
hopscotch bandit said:
Abby&Apollo said:
He’s not in pain, he isn’t fresh
/QUOTE]

Have you had the vet assess him? How do you know he is not in pain?. Some horses are very stoic, but then the pain will build and build until they can't take anymore and then they will react. He is using a different muscle group in canter, than in trot and walk. He is also on a different surface out hacking to what he is working on in the school.

I'd get the vet involved, have a lameness workup - even though you don't see lameness, they may do and they will certainly be able to tell if he is moving in a particular way due to pain that a layperson may not see.

This can't be allowed to carry on, as much for the horses sake as yours. It is very dangerous, a true bolting horse will go through anything in panic.
Click to expand...

He has been checked completely, saddle-fitted and flocked, teeth are ok.
Click to expand...
 
EDIT: Yes everything has been properly checked it’s not a pain problem, he is fine in the GRASS school so not the change in surface. Sorry I didn’t explain properly when he bolts: I ask for a canter, he starts off steadier then from no where just speeds up and off he goes, as if he forgets about the rider and just thinks ‘GO’ .
 
I think you need to work out what is really going on- blind bolting due to pain/ fear is very different to getting run away with and you need a different course of action depending on which it is.
If you're being run away with then you need to address the bitting (a waterford is not necessarily a strong bit) and educate the horse with time and patience. Does he pull down/ bring the head up/ just set the neck and tow?
If he is genuinely bolting- IE running blind then you need to consider whether it is safe to continue
 
TheMule said:
I think you need to work out what is really going on- blind bolting due to pain/ fear is very different to getting run away with and you need a different course of action depending on which it is.
If you're being run away with then you need to address the bitting (a waterford is not necessarily a strong bit) and educate the horse with time and patience. Does he pull down/ bring the head up/ just set the neck and tow?
If he is genuinely bolting- IE running blind then you need to consider whether it is safe to continue
Click to expand...

He sets his neck and goes. When you say not to continue, do you mean riding, to sell? To not hack? There’s no way I can sell, I’m not having him passed around from person to person due to the same issue.
 
Abby&Apollo said:
He sets his neck and goes. When you say not to continue, do you mean riding, to sell? To not hack? There’s no way I can sell, I’m not having him passed around from person to person due to the same issue.
Click to expand...

If he is running blind along roads etc then it's very dangerous and you should not hack. But there is generally a reason for it and it may be worth you sending him away for a couple of weeks for an honest assessment from a pro. It is hard to tell from your posts what the real issue is
 
There is a huge difference between bolting and knobbing off. If he's bolting, and riding blind, he probably needs a bullet because it's extremely dangerous - and it is most likely due to significant pain or a neurological issue. However, your later post sounds more like knobbing off - getting faster and refusing to listen, which might be due to pain, discomfort, high spirits or a lack of manners. I'd certainly want to rule out the former first. Management is a factor if it's high spirits - what's he fed? I'd cut everything beyond the basics out as a first port of call. If it's just manners, then paying a professional to take him out to re-enforce his training might help.

Seville said:
It's too hot, and ground too hard to be cantering out on hacks anyway!
Click to expand...

Very much depends where you are. I have a few places I can still canter, because the ground is irrigated, and there's good grass coverage. It's certainly not too hot either - it was 18 degrees while I was hacking late morning today, and that's in the relative South of England.
 
It sounds as though it may be that a previous rider just used to canter - fast! -whenever the chance arose so that's what he expects to do. It sounds as though some re-education is required, and I'd suggest getting a sympathetic instructor and some sensible riding companions (human and equine).
 
When the grounds softer try schooling him in a small field away from home, just as you would in the arena at home but just in walk and trot. Then add a little canter on a circle. I did this with one of ours who got a little over enthusiastic cantering on hacks. It helped.
 
Mine did that three times. Not nice! Scary and undesirable.
I went to a gallops so it was a safe environment and practiced canter to gallop and back to canter transitions. So far so good and this was a few years ago now. If I'd been tanked off with the plan was to keep galloping and when she wanted to pull up she'd have had to gallop some more on my terms so it wasn't such a clever idea!!
 
Have you tried sticking him behind a hacking companion for a canter? One that would go at a nice steady face and let you park his nose at their tail? Or would cantering in company just make it worse..you say he hasn't race but is he race trained?
 
I had a similar issue with one of mine...he was fine up until he came back to more work from a winter of little riding. He would start of steady then just take off and go, thankfully I could eventually stop him! I began by not cantering at all and working on my trot transitions in the usual cantering locations. Secondly I changed his bit - he learnt to respect my initial command and meant I didn't need to haul on his mouth in his original snaffle to stop him. I kept swapping and changing the bit and working on lots of transitions until now I can happily canter him in his snaffle and he understands what I mean!
 
As JTTD has pointed out there is a HUGE difference between a true bolter and one that just likes to tank off. I have ridden both and can honestly say you will know a difference! the only cure for a true bolter is a bullet as far too dangerous to ride!

A Horse that is just tanking off can be worked on however, which is sounds like your lad is doing. I would knock cantering on the head for a moment and just do lots of hacking and work on schooling when you do hack, make it less exciting for him. When you feel ready for canter ask him on the way out (not towards home) Preferable find a hill to use up more energy for him. Put him with a steady calm hacking Horse. Ideally I would find a small canter track so there is no time for his mind to be blown. That is of course all pain was been ruled out.

My mare started really acting up, started off just hacking and then gradually got worse in the school too, I got teeth, pysio and saddle checked and apart from being a bit tight, they all said it was behavior, after putting us in a ditch out hacking I decided to get a vet workup done, turns out she had arthritis in both hocks (VERY good at hiding it) and once she was bute she went back to being a calm sensible Horse!
 
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