Bolting - how do you stop yours??

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Natassia

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My horse has got into the habit of running off towards home if we're out hacking alone and he sees something he doesn't like the look of. He's done it and bolted twice, the first time about a month ago and today, but today wasn't nearly as bad. If I know he's going to do it I can stop him after about 4 strides of canter before he's bolted properly but today it was totally out of the blue, I think he spooked at a pile of logs. He is more likely to do it on a new route, we were somewhere new today.
I stopped him by leaning right back in the saddle, he was leaning on the bit so I couldn't pull on it that much and I worry about pulling on his mouth. I hope it was the redistribution of my weight that stopped him. Turning in a circle doesn't help usually because he leans, and we were on a narrow bridlepath so couldn't have turned in a circle anyway.
So how do you all stop your bolting horses and has anyone got any advice for me? Usually I can top him quite promptly but he catches me out sometimes.
 
Bolting in the true sense? ie blind panic, nothing would stop him? IMO nothing can help a horse who does that.

Simply clearing off for home because he knows he can get away with it is a different matter...
 
I don't believe you can stop a "bolting" horse. It sounds more like he is being nappy and running off with you.

My mare used to nap and spin with me but I got her out of it by really getting up behind her with my legs the second she felt she was hesitating and backing up with the whip if she took no notice. Now it just takes a squeeze and sometime a growl to keep her going forward.

It does sound rather like your horse is taking advantage tbh. I think the trick is spotting the signs before he breaks into canter or turns for home. You will probably have a few battles but hopefully he will learn to trust your judgement more.

Sorry that was all a bit rambling!

Jo x
 
Agree with the above - that's not bolting, it's being bl00dy rude and tanking off for home.
pulling hard then softening then pulling hard works... gives them nothing to lean on. leaning back, and giving hard quick yanks, basically. don't worry about hurting his mouth... if he's being as rude as that, so can you.
I've only had a horse bolt with me once and i was using all my strength and having no effect at all, very frightening, totally different feeling to being tanked off with, i assure you!
 
I broke my leg after falling off a bolting horse. As Kerilli says, there is rude and there is blind panic and I think there is very little that can stop a truly bolting horse.

Sounds like he is being a little sod!
 
I totally agree, when he really tanks off its the result of him being scared of something in a new place, then napping and spinning and speeding off in the opposite direction. So it is rudeness really, the first time though he went on for miles and only a group of people walking on the bridlepath stopped him - very scary. Since then he's tried to do it but I've sat right up and raised my hands slightly and that stops him from doing more than a few bouncy canter strides.
I ride him in a sweet iron french link snaffle with a copper piece in the middle, I don't want to use a stronger bit but he's so strong sometimes.
But I agree - the napping is the real issue here and I'm in the process of sorting that. His back and teeth are fine, the vets even said to me that he's pushing the boundaries and that he isn't in pain.
 
try and double reins and try and circle if you can turning head tight to one side and sit back thats what i used when i was riding in a riding school with a horse that bolted
 
I've been 'bolted' with once and you can't stop a bolting horse.

If a horse constantly bolts, then there's only one thing for it I'm afraid.
 
I think he's taking napping to the extreme rather than bolting, feels similar though and still dangerous. He's so naughty, I'm too soft on him - not a good combination. I'm getting through it though and gradually becoming firmer with him.
 
He is being naughty,stick something in his mouth that is fine for normal hacking aids but when he takes off will shock him,harsher bit to teach him a lesson!!
 
Another suggestion if he does this going towards home is to make him stop and stand for a count of five, repeat several times. Always walk towards home, not trot, so that he understands that he cannot rush home.
 
here here Annette,i would probably be dead if i hadn't of come across this by accident on you tube a month ago,it's been a life saver a few times now,if my mare threatens to do any of the tricks she's good at i put her in a one rein stop until she calms down,it gives you time to get yourself together and it gives your horse the chance to realise they can't take the piss whenever the fancy takes them,try it,it really does work!!!
 
Try a stronger bit for hacking as advised above, but also I have found it to be an advantage being left handed when a horse has tanked off with me. They usually expect a right handed rider so to feel the stronger rein on the left side has been a bonus when trying to pull them up.
My daughter always maintained that its best to kick them on faster if you have enough distance and its safe to do so, that often gets the head off the floor if its the downhill charge many horses follow, then its easier to stop them. Or kick them on 'til they are knackered, they wont be in such a hurry to do it again ( only for the very brave and competant).
I don't think much works for a blind bolt either though -possibly best to bail out rather than be bolted down a road or something. I have done that in my youth.
 
Ah, that is what I do but never knew it had a name. get his chin on your knee the can't do one like that without falling over!
 
My mare is prone to spooking at things and spinning badly and running - have got her in a kimblewick now and yesterday she got 2 strides and i stopped her - so much better than when she had her snaffle she would just stop when she fancied
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Leaning back is the least effecive thing you can do.

You need to adopt forward seat with your hands firm at the base of the neck and a secure lower leg. From there you use quiet voice aids and you can pull and release repeatedly with with one hand whilst the other remains at the neck (switch hands occaisionally!)
Sometimes a rub on the neck can de-fuse the situation somewhat and help bring the horse back to normality
 
My ponio can be really strong sometimes, and can tank off (usually towards home when he's tired/had enough/feels like trying his luck). He sets his neck and I can't turn him, but the one thing that stops him is doing exactly what bossanova said - pulling and releasing repeatedly with ONE hand. (I only realised I should do this a few weeks ago and am absolutely kicking myself for being such a numpty and not realising it before!!)
 
I always used to cross my hands over their neck to stop them so they are effectively pulling against themselves. This was a long time ago though, in the days when we only ever rode in a snaffle and cavesson - stopped the naughty ponies pretty quickly though!
 

Echo Kerilli - Do NOT be worried about pulling him in the mouth - he is being damn rude and so you can have every right to be rude back. When he is quiet, or stops, then you can reward him.

Agree also with the one rein stop, however I would say that your safety is the most important thing - put a stronger bit in so he respects you a bit more - don't haul on his mouth but remind him that you are there and you are in charge.


Alternatively (and I did this once with one of mine) if your horse canters/gallops off - keep him going fast until he wants to stop. Then keep him going for a bit longer - after I did this the horse in question never ran off again!

Risky strategy though - I would go with the first options!
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If it's safe, i used to kick harder and make them bloody work, as in, you want to canter, you can f'in well canter. But when it's getting dangerous, pull, then pull a bit harder, then yank it's back teeth out if you have to! That's a bit of an exaggeration. But i find blocking one hand on a horses neck and pulling with the other one soon stops them. None of the above is at all politically correct *waits to be shot down in flames* but a horse that is being rude needs telling. I agree - bail out of a blind bolt if you absolutely have to.
 
Just a word of warning - if you use the one hand rein too sharply you can bring a horse down, I did! I was riding in a bad mood (had a tiff with OH), horse went to spin to the left, I really dug my right leg in and turned his head sharply to the right, he slipped in the mud and we both fell (he is a HW, 16hh IDx, I am 5 foot nothing and weigh 47kilos, so it was quite an achievement!).

I would just sit up, strengthen my back and half-halt, quite strongly if necessary, but always relaxing afterwards.
 
Sounds as though hes just tanking off to get his own way in which case i just wouldnt let him stop. When he tries to slow down because hes tired i would push him harder and make him carry on going until hes so exhausted that he will think twice about it again.
 
Sometimes it feels like he never gets tired though, and he's only 1/2 fit god knows what he's going to be like when he's fit! I understand about making him carry on faster but he's mildly arthritic in his pastern and the ground's so hard at the moment I've only been walking him with the odd trot when we find a softer patch, I have no school which is annoying but I do some schooling exercises out hacking and hire a school when I can. So I worry about making him do fast work on hard ground - when he runs off I worry more about his pastern than whether I'm going to stay on and how fast we're going!
The one rein stop sounds good but I'll only do that if he's not going that fast otherwise he'll fall over and that would be horrible. I think what I'll do if he gets fast is what Bossanova said and give and take with the reins. I always praise him when he stops and talk to him so that he calms down and that works.
Re stronger bits, I'm thinking of trying him in a happy mouth 3-ring gag, how does that sound? He doesn't lean regularly only when he tanks off with me but as he gets fitter he's getting stronger, he's fine in the school but its when we go hacking, especially somewhere new.
 
Echo cruiseonamiro in the 'jawbreaker', jamming one hand on the neck and pulling with the other. I have had to use it on Racehorses a few times and even Murphy out hunting and he is usually very good. Dressage Diva taught me what is being called the 'one rein stop' last week to deal with Tarquin rooting himself to the spot and it is a very good technique. Also, and I may get shot down for this, a VERY tight standing martingale does work in those that stick the heads in the air and p*ss off, as it prevents the nose getting too high and passifies most horses. Not acceptable in the long term but I have used it on T and with the mad Arab racehorses at work.
 
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