Ex racer bolts on hacks

Flowersblossom123

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P.S you will never see a race professional leaning back and hauling on the mouth of a racehorse, there is a certain technique to use all your body wight to counter-balance the forward impetus of the horse, but I doubt if your avearge rider is suddenly going to learn how to do it when she thinks the horse is "bolting"

Why so harsh? The OP came on here looking for advice, not to be scrutinised and pulled apart! Even if the horse didn't bolt, the OP couldn't stop when she wanted and that is still dangerous.
 

Miss L Toe

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Its not harsh,
The poster thought the horse was bolting, but it is very unlikely, a horse which is bolting will run in to a brick wall. It is not likely she would be here to tell this story.
I have never been on a bolting horse [and I have ridden over 2000 horses] one or two gave me concern cos I was unable to control their speed, but it did not last.

The first time I rode a TB , the trainer said to me "he will take a hold", so when he took the bit in his mouth [it was hollow type snaffle], it was me who panicked, and the horse just stopped when I pulled it up in my panic.
 

FelineGroovy

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I am reading your response here with interest. Is that true - or at least in your opinion - do you think "once a panic bolter, always a bolter"? Is it flight instinct? Am just really interested as I had a fright (and I actually think I am fairly unflappable) on a horse which (panic) bolted with me not long ago, and i am struggling to regain my nerve, as (to an extent) I worry now that every horse I sit on will bolt..any thoughts..?
 

Tnavas

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Its not harsh,
The poster thought the horse was bolting, but it is very unlikely, a horse which is bolting will run in to a brick wall. It is not likely she would be here to tell this story.
I have never been on a bolting horse [and I have ridden over 2000 horses] one or two gave me concern cos I was unable to control their speed, but it did not last.

The first time I rode a TB , the trainer said to me "he will take a hold", so when he took the bit in his mouth [it was hollow type snaffle], it was me who panicked, and the horse just stopped when I pulled it up in my panic.

Don't be so condescending! - Bolting is not restricted to TB racehorses - I was bolted with on an Anglo Arab and it was a horrible experience - no amount of trying to pull it up worked, the bit pulled right through its mouth in my attempt to circle it. In the end I let it go and steered it towards a very high hedge as I knew it didn't jump. It didn't but veered away and I flew through the top of the hedge, much to the amusement of the milk tanker driver. He slewed his truck across the driveway the moment he saw the horse bolt out of the gateway, caught the horse and then came to see if I were OK.

I can assure you too the horse was not bolting in blind panic but had its own agenda and was off non the less, heading for home.

I was lucky I only had a thousand blackthorns to remove from the top of my legs.
 

khalswitz

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Don't be so condescending! - Bolting is not restricted to TB racehorses - I was bolted with on an Anglo Arab and it was a horrible experience - no amount of trying to pull it up worked, the bit pulled right through its mouth in my attempt to circle it. In the end I let it go and steered it towards a very high hedge as I knew it didn't jump. It didn't but veered away and I flew through the top of the hedge, much to the amusement of the milk tanker driver. He slewed his truck across the driveway the moment he saw the horse bolt out of the gateway, caught the horse and then came to see if I were OK.

I can assure you too the horse was not bolting in blind panic but had its own agenda and was off non the less, heading for home.

I was lucky I only had a thousand blackthorns to remove from the top of my legs.

I have also been bolted with - one of my old horses was a panic bolter, and one particular occasion ended with me in hospital having brain scans. He was an IDxWelsh Cob.

When they really bolt, nothing on earth will stop them - no one rein stop would stop that horse, when he went if I didn't catch him in the first split second, I knew I was coming off, it just a case of where...
 

khalswitz

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I am reading your response here with interest. Is that true - or at least in your opinion - do you think "once a panic bolter, always a bolter"? Is it flight instinct? Am just really interested as I had a fright (and I actually think I am fairly unflappable) on a horse which (panic) bolted with me not long ago, and i am struggling to regain my nerve, as (to an extent) I worry now that every horse I sit on will bolt..any thoughts..?

I don't know about anyone else, but once that was my horse's panic response, I couldn't train it out of him. He did me a lot of damage, and I wouldn't touch a panic bolter again.
 
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