Bolting?

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Sandylou

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I have a 5 year oldirish cob x gelding who in the year I have owned him has 'bolted' twice. Once was the fault of the rider (not me that day) but the most recent occurrance was a short burst of running before stopping which I believe was out of panic.
I have spoken to Susi Peace who has suggested that Louie needs educating to deal with things that may spook him and make him a more confident horse which makes perfect sense but I'm unsure how to go about it.
Susi also suggested that Michael Peace (Think Equs) come to visit us but it is expensive so will take a while to raise the money.
Anyone have any suggestions as to what to do while I find the dosh?
And has anyone else had the same problem?
I don't believe that he is a bolter - he didn't go far and as soon as we were walking again he was fine - what are your opinions?
Thanks :)
 
The first time was a result of my friend riding on the buckle end whilst texting and Louie decided he would take a scooby snack so she booted him hard with both legs and he ran the length of the yards drive.
On Sunday it happened on a verge along a busy road which he tends to get joggy along anyway. The other girl I was with said that she thought a low branch had spooked him. He took off as a car was passing at speed. I also think that I might have been a little tense as, like i say, he tends to get joggy along that particular verge.
Thanks
 
was the road wet when the car shot past you? sometimes the cars make alot of noise when going down a wet road and it can scare the most docile of horses.
 
Yes it was wet.
I didn't think it was a massive deal tbh but the other liveries at my yard have now labelled him a bolter and have many opinions and suggestions as to what I should be doing but haven't offered me any real support.
I just feel a bit lost with and need a definite plan of action to help us. I like Michael Peace's ideas but I'm unsure how to put them into practice.
 
Well you don't need to spend any money on this problem at all. And he's obviously not bolting.

Ride him positively and with a view to the fact that he is a young and inexperienced horse, and his confidence will grow by the bucket load.

Wet roads will upset even the most steady horse - and you always need to take the conditions in to account when riding young horses.

Don't let anyone else ride him. Just quietly get on with his education yourself and he'll turn out to be a smasher (which I'm sure he allready is).

And don't listen to the yard 'experts' who clearly don't know one end of a horse from another!

It's all about common sense........
 
Thanks Amymay. It's nice to hear positive comments about him. He's such a genuine, honest little horse and as you say I'm sure with a little reassurance and education he will be a real superstar.
It's so hard when other people are so quick to pick out the faults and put pressure onto you to fix the problem quickly. It's a shame they're not so quick to praise his good work and congratulate how far we've come already!
I had to defend him to the hilt on Monday night but still went home doubting myself (after having a good old blub into Louie's mane!!!).
The bigger picture is that he's actually truly bolted once in a whole year and that was at the fault of his rider. Considering he was only 4 when I bought him I would say that's good going?! He was good as gold at the local shows we've been to!
 
Thanks jemima_too!
Forgot to mention, Lou does have a habbit of shooting forwards in fields too but he doesn't far at all and it's only when we're in company. My theory is that he's quite low in the pecking order (I've watched the herd) and he shoots forwards incase he gets bitten or kicked cos once he's in front he's fine. In addition to this theory, we did spend some time hacking out with the riding school rides and so I think he may anticipate where we canter and where we stop! I've stopeed riding with them now!
Do you agree with my theories?
 
As Amymay said!

You know your horse and from what you have said here, it doesn't sound like he is a "bolter" - my boy would have done exactly the same thing on both occaisions!

Work on building up your bond/trust with him, be that riding, grooming, hanging out with him and I'm sure you will be fine. As for the other's offering their advice, smile nicely, ignore the advice and take great pleasure and all the credit for having a fab horse!

best of luck :)
 
Totally agree with Amymay - doesnt sound like a bolter to me, sounds pretty honest, someone booted him - he ran - only doing what she told him to do (badly) and ok so he spooked a bit when he was excited, it happens! Just definately only ride him yourself so you know how he is being ridden and try and keep him calm in his tense figgety bits, talk to him, breathe deeply into your stomach to keep yourself and him calm and loose and maybe if the path is nice and wide move him about (leg yieldish) give him a job to do to take his mind off just wanting to jog. Sounds quite normal to me!

Good luck with him! PICS?? xx
 
He's not a bolter. My young horse has shot forwards in to a canter/gallop tons of times when he's been spooked but he quickly comes back to me. it's a youngster/horse thing. Natural reaction is to run but you got him back after a few moments so he's not bolting.

I would relax about it and ignore those know everything do gooders. Carry on as you are with your horse, he sounds lovely. Also running off when that girl booted him was him doing as she said and being off the leg which is what he should be. Silly girl, not your horse! A horse can feel the most tiny fly on their skin so her booting him when he wasn't expecting it probably really worried him, bless him.

I wouldn't let any of these livery people ride your horse and I would ignore their advice, you know your horse better then they do :)
 
I absolutely agree with the others - he hasn't bolted, he's just taken off for a bit (for whatever reason), but then come back to you like a good boy.

My older horse bolted the other day - there is a thread on it here somewhere (but I don't know how to insert it here to help you...), but what you describe is entirely different. Spook busting and schooling will sort out your problem, I'm sure.

And yes - don't always listen to what other people say!
 
Doesn't sound like bolting at all, to me bolting is when they run blind without a care for anyone or anything in the way. Just sounds like he's spooked and done a natural horse reaction of flight. Yours just sounds like a youngster/ green horses reaction to something they find scary . As for going forward with the other rider? He was just doing as she asked.
 
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Hope these pics work! While they're here.....anyone have any suggestions as to his breed? My guess is Appaloosa x Cob x Conny? :)
 
You’re horse sounds like he’s just behaving in a normal horse/baby horse way!! People at your yard sound really horrible and annoying!! Tell them to bugger off and mind their own!
 
Yeah, as everyone else as said, this horse doesn't sound like he's bolting, he's just acting as a young, spooky horse would. I have had my horse 15/16 years and one day when my mum was riding an ambulance, sirens on, lights flashing appeared over the hill in front of her. My horse span and cantered/galloped off away from said ambulance. My mum ended up falling off (when my horse returned to trot I may add!) and horse tootoled off home alone.

A few weeks after that he did similar with me when a tractor cam towards us with a black silage bale on its spike. I was not prepared for my horse to spin and run away as he had NEVER done it in the past but he took me by surprise and ran a few yards. It was a little unnerving as I know him so well but basically i put it down to the previous incident and him having lost his confidence a bit. My mum also does not ride very positively and doesn't ever seem to be 'prepared' (but that's another issue).

He has got over this little glich and has never doen it since. It is about riding confidently. However, if you do feel that you are a little out of control when he/if he sets off it may be worthwhile getting a stronger bit - I know people may disagree but sometimes I find that this gives you the confidence then that you can stop him and this confidence will be picked up by the horse.
 
stacey_louie said:
Louie decided he would take a scooby snack so she booted him hard with both legs and he ran the length of the yards drive.
Click to expand...

My horse would do that too if I booted him hard with both legs! Some horses are sensitive, I've always taught mine to move off very little leg so I think he'd also take off out of shock if I booted him!

If it helps, one of mine bolted 4 times in my first 6 months riding him when he was a green 5yo. He simply grew up and became less spooky, never bolted since (I've had him going on 8 years). I didnt do anything with him other than generally getting him out to events which I guess made him a bit more "wordly".
 
Agree with Amymay and others. My youngster would put me into orbit if I kicked mildly, never mind booted him. He is very sensitive and goes forward without any more than voice. Again, as others have said, he has been known to run forward when spooked. Sounds perfectly normal to me and nothing at all like bolting. Good luck with him.
 
I had an irish hunter mare once who was very sharp and very strong and tanked me about quite regularly but we always got back in control of each other comfortably and had a lot of fun together. She bolted with me once....frightened by a flock of geese followed by 2 loose setters. Bolting is a completely different feeling. You can feel the panic and can't do a thing about it, like running blind. Luckily this mare had sense and once we hit tarmac approaching a dustcart at high speed she slowed enough for me to regain control but it took about half a mile.

Your boy sounds lovely! Stay calm and confident and ignore the others on the yard, you'll soon be able to prove them wrong!
 
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