Can a horse bolt from different riding style??

[Olliepoppy]

She pulled up after 250 - 300 yards. That's not a bolt. So I think that should put your mind at rest, she didn't bolt, she bogged off with a rider who rode her in a manner that she wasn't used to and objected to. The environment was not conducive to a successful schooling session anyway.

That's good to hear! It's difficult when you trust someone to do the right thing for you and your horse but your not 100% sure it was the right thing. All your comments have helped me decide to give the mare a chance and just take things easy. Her previous owners said her only negative was she was difficult to catch so they left a headcollar on when riding her regularly and took it off when not. I have spent time working on that and I can now catch her no problem (in less than 2 weeks) so maybe she's not so trusting of certain people?!

 

[paddi22]

Mares can be funny like that. I have a friend's little rescue mare here, and she is the sweetest thing ever but she went through a lot of share homes because she would buck anyone off she doesn't like. At the moment I have a really sweet 11 year old kid riding here and the two of them adore eachother and there has never been an issue. My own mare is a total one person horse too. I don't think it's a trust thing with mares, they either seem to like and respect a person, or they don't.

I know if someone got up on my little mare with an 'i'l show you attitude', she'd be disgusted and would have no problem saying 'em, actually I'l show YOU'!

 

[Olliepoppy]

By letting me catch her hopefully she's showing signs of liking me then!! ��

 

[planete]

"I would also get a different instructor and I would be tempted to put her back in the pelham to see if she's happier in that, they aren't the work of the devil and they do suit some horses very well. I had a pony on loan years ago who went sweetly in a kimblewick, he was much, much happier in that than a jointed snaffle."

This. Some horses are not suited to a jointed bit. My lipi/arab was in a small port mullen mouth all his life, either snaffle or pelham. You just could not convince him to take a jointed bit without trying to spit it out. One of my pure bred arabs on the other hand would only have jointed bits.

 

[Apercrumbie]

A couple of thoughts to add to all of the above:

a) schooling in a stubble field. Many horses are galloped in stubble fields, if she has been before it is only natural that she would be wanting a blast and frustrated at being made to go round in circles.

b) amount of work. From your post (and do correct me if I'm wrong) it doesn't sound as if she is being worked very much. A hack here and there, walk, bits of trot. This sounds like a recipe for an over-energised horse! She may need to be in harder work to keep her calm - this is perfectly normal and doesn't mean she isn't safe.

c) is her feed the same as with her previous home? If so, is the level of work? Be honest about this - walk isn't work for a horse, extended periods of trot and canter are so if she was being worked harder in her previous home, not only will she be fit and full of energy, she will now be getting too much feed for her current workload.

d) bit. Put her back in a Pelham, provided your hands are good enough for such a strong bit. If they're not, sort that pronto.

So for now, I wouldn't school in a stubble feed, I would make sure she is getting good long hacks with lots of trot work plus schooling sessions where she works hard, and I would make sure I wasn't over-feeding her. That should be a good start for you both.

 

[Alec Swan]

…….. , and why had they sold her after only 6 months?

The reason for sale was rider moving away to college. …….. .

So the vendor having bought the horse 6 months earlier didn't know that they'd be going to college in 6 months time? …….. well I suppose that they may be telling the truth, possibly.

I haven't read further than the two quotes above, but I'd take two certain routes here; I'd seek out all the local vets around the owner and ask if the horse was registered with them and were they aware of any issues, health-wise or other-wise, and then I'd seek out someone who's local to you who comes very well recommended and pay their time to have them come over and ride the horse.

From your description of the mare's behaviour, I suspect that what ever is wrong has been wrong for some while, sorry.

Alec.

 

[GTRJazz]

My horse bolted in the arena it was his saddle he had filled out and got really fit but the saddle pinched him. I had a saddler round to check it but she made the problem worse buy over flocking. I purchased a new wide saddle and he stopped doing it almost straight away.

 

[ycbm]

I'd seek out all the local vets around the owner and ask if the horse was registered with them and were they aware of any issues, health-wise or other-wise,.

Legally they cannot give you this information, it would be in breach of the Data Protection Act. Sorry Alec.

 

[GirlFriday]

So the vendor having bought the horse 6 months earlier didn't know that they'd be going to college in 6 months time? …….. well I suppose that they may be telling the truth, possibly.

Plenty of people (a) buy to have a summer project and/or (b) need to get particular grades for a particular college so don't know until the last minute where they will be going - my second choice was right near my previous home; my first (which I didn't think I'd get into, but did) was in a different city.

 

[Olliepoppy]

She's not being fed. She was worked 5 times a week over the summer but that dropped to once or twice when owner went to college. Had her in an outdoor arena yesterday. She was very well behaved other than wanting to rush everywhere. It's like she only knows walk and turbo! Hopefully regular schooling will sort this out and long hacks but stubble fields are definitely out for now!!

 

[Apercrumbie]

Don't worry, you can work up to stubble fields!

 

[eggs]

My first pony (13.2 hh Highland cross) was a bit of a character and like another poster mentioned was actually better in a Kimblewick than a jointed snaffle.

A friend was having a lesson on him with the local well known dressage rider/trainer. She decided to get on him and said pony then refused to go forwards and started running backwards and actually went straight through the post and rail field fencing snapping the rails in the process. So yes, different riders can get different reactions.

That being said selling the horse on after only six months would ring alarm bells with me as would having an instructor who thought it was a good idea to give a new combination a lesson in a stubble field, encountered a problem (and I agree this horse did not bolt) but did nothing to try to fix it as the lesson was at an end.

 

[Olliepoppy]

Thankfully she has been fine since, in fact hasn't put a foot wrong. She's had 2 schooling sessions doing walk and trot and 2 hacks out, only in walk but has been very well behaved. So fingers crossed it was just bad timing/lack of knowledge/wrong location etc

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Fantastic. I hope that it was a blip that isn't ever repeated.

 

[Olliepoppy]

Fantastic. I hope that it was a blip that isn't ever repeated.

You and me both..!! ��

 

[SEL]

My big lad is retired now but his sweet nature vanishes in open fields! I can just see him schooling nicely right up until the minute he decided to bog off with no brakes. He was always hacked in a Pelham.

Good to hear you're getting on well. If a horse has experience of lots of fun gallops across the stubble it can make them forget their manners....

 

[Orangehorse]

Glad to hear that things are improving. I had a mare once that was an angel to handle and on the roads, but once got grass under her feet she became a raving lunatic, I guessed that every time she had been ridden in a field she had galloped.

It wasn't a mistake I made with the next 2 horses I owned!

 

[Equi]

Horse who is ridden in a pelham on a loose rein only screams a horse that doesnt like contact and will run away from it, pelham needed for when this happens.

 

[Alec Swan]

…….. I had a mare once that was an angel to handle and on the roads, but once got grass under her feet she became a raving lunatic, I guessed that every time she had been ridden in a field she had galloped.

……..

We have a pony mare here and with her previous and youthful owners, she was used as a go-cart. The brother of the owner had a little motor bike and Poppet was used to race against it! Now, should she hear a motorbike in the distance, she's still ready for the Off, and she's 23 years old! She's sort of Advanced of forward-going!

Olliepoppy, well done and it seems that stubble is out, at least for a while! Show her a ploughed field and see if she wants to tank off on that!

Alec.

 

[Olliepoppy]

Another hack out this morning in the pouring rain and again didn't put a foot wrong, we have walked across 2 stubble fields a day she has behaved impeccably, haven't gone any faster than a walk yet though! She is still in the snaffle and accepting the contact in walk. So far, so good!

 

[Olliepoppy]

Haha Alex! Love your description of Poppet 😀 we tried trot today, it was definitely turbo! She seems to only have 2 gears, walk and leg it! LOTS of schooling required before we attempt more than a walk in a stubble lol. We've done the ploughed field, she's not a fan! 😂