Faced with two bolting, riderless horses...

[Foxhunter49]

Well done you. Again I would reassure you that a sore mouth is better than being hit by a car.

Interesting Alec's comment. Horses, having dropped their riders will often make for home. I would not call it bolting in the true sense of the word.

 

[Barney&Buzz]

Well done indeed. I hope the riders track you down to thank you properly, I would if it we're me. Alec I usually respect what you have to say, but I whole heartedly disagree with your thoughts on this.

 

[Mearas]

Horses fine, riders fine, your fine. Great result Liath.

As for the mouth I have a very classical trainer with a very gentle approach. But she says if a horse is bolting with you across a field you can't worry about your position or whether you are soft with your hands you need to do whatever it takes to keep you and your horse safe.

 

[Flame_]

I think I would have stood in the middle of the track flapping things, yelling and acting mental in the hope that the horses would fear that and stop, then try quietly to catch them if it worked. If they kept coming I wouldn't still be in their way or trying to grab them though, that's really dangerous IMO.

 

[RealityCheck]

Not a chance in hell I'm grabbing a bolting horse to try and stop it! I'd rather not break and arm, or worse. If a horse is trotting, trotting even cantering up, yes I'll try and catch it, but no way with a bolter.

I once a saw a horse I harness bolt - driver fell off the carriage, and some bright spark decided to stand in front and stop it. Both he and the driver ended up in hospital with major injuries. The carriage went over the top of the would be rescuer, flipped onto it's side and caused the horse injuries that necessitated being pts.

 

[soot]

Gosh I don't know what I'd do. Probably act on instinct depending on the situation.

However, when I was 16 years old I lost my grey gelding while hacking out alone - I was ever so grateful that a lady threw herself in his way and managed to stop him before he hit the main road. She told me the whole story in glorious detail - sounded very exciting and risky. Parents made sure to track her down (she was a dog walker and so is mum so I was able to describe the dog lol) and sent her a huge hamper with wine and special things as we dreaded to think what *could* have happened. Instead of a statistic, my horse was a good story!

 

[Hoof_Prints]

I would have made some attempt to stop the horses, wouldn't bother me if I jabbed it in the mouth- I'm sure that's better than being hit by a car! which almost happened to a horse I stopped.

Me and my mum were driving down the road when suddenly a horse turns on the road and gallops towards us- my mum stopped the car and I ran out (in just a vest top in -4 ) and managed to grab the horse. The owner was so grateful to us and I am so glad I caught the horse. I have lost a horse myself before as my friend fell off, some terrified non horsey chap managed to grab her reins- never been more relieved in my life !

I also used to ride a little 11hh pony that would buck me off and leg it- unfortunately it didn't make the main road someone grabbed her for us.

 

[lastchancer]

One of mine threw me off and ran for home, a brave non horsey cyclist caught him - I was amazed, he wouldn't have been bolting blind but was galloping flat out and was really nervous around men at the best of times. I do think some people have a natural affinity with horses even if they aren't aware of it.

Same horse got away from me on another occasion and trotted so carefully up the road that the people on the yard saw him approach from a distance and didn't realize he was flying solo(!)

 

[misterjinglejay]

I think you did brilliantly - quick thinking and acting (something I wish I could do). Bet the riders were so pleased you'd caught them.

 

[Dunlin]

Very brave, well done.

I have once caught a riderless horse when I was fence judging XC and it nearly tore my arm out of it's socket! I'd never do it again in that "safe" environment but I would certainly try given your situation. Rather it have a sore mouth than causing a fatal accident on the road.

 

[1stclassalan]

Think I've done it four times if not more but not two at once - that's just being flash!

The worst case was of Mrs Pushy-Pushy and her daughter's way,way, overhorsed "Alwaysonhistoes" which as you might know was by "Ownerkiller" out of "Onourwayto Wembley" - I just had a glimpse of him with her on top across the fields and then just him so I knew what had happened and had about 10 seconds to work out a way of stopping him gallop out on the main road - luckily, I was only walking my dog. Not only did I stop him but after a quick check round, vaulted up and took him back to the yard, then went out looking for the rider, found her with a good part of her thigh bone sticking through her jodhs - no mobile phones in those days so it was a case of first aid taking her to hospital - as mad as that seems on so many levels today! I actually did poke my nose in after too and told Mrs P-P just what I thought ( along with everyone else) and the wisdom of living dangerously through one's children.

The only thing I ever thought about in all these events was saving the horse - if I'd ended up hurt, that would have been by the by.

 

[millsandboon]

I've done it once, caught a horse coming down the middle of a road in full travelling gear. Road was not very wide, so parked the car across it to block his path and grabbed him as his came towards it. It was a long walk back to where he was being loaded. Two girls eventually came running down the road after him.

 

[Ceriann]

I came off my horse on a public (albeit generally quiet) road a couple of weeks ago - two thoughtless scramblers to thank for that. My mare being scared witless after chucking me, disappeared down the road though thankfully ducked into a field at the first opportunity. A lady stopped in her car seeing me walk obviously horseless, asked some questions and then drove off and stopped by the field and caught my horse. By this point my mare was quiet and a little relieved that someone was there to save her, however this lady didn't know her (or how she might react) or me and I am very grateful she stopped to help. She even spoke with the scramblers who were helpfully hanging around. I was so grateful for just that little bit of support. You did brilliantly and I'm sure the owners were very grateful for what you did.

 

[Tormenta]

Well done and very brave of you!

Have only ever caught one of our own. Daughter and I had split at a fork on a bridleway, she was riding and I was with the JRT. I continued down a stony track and she split off onto a smaller deer track really (Plan was to meet up at a certain point later) Five minutes later after hearing a nois, I turned to see our gelding flying back down the track on his own, he came to the fork and I called him, luckily he slowed down to a trot, turned and came to me. Found my daughter perfectly fine after he had been spooked by a pigeon flying out low past his shoulder from trees.

 

[little_critter]

I was out in a horsey area looking for livery. On the way out a saw a teenager on her pretty grey pony. On the way back I caught a glimpse of pretty grey pony cantering off on its own being half heatedly pursued by a jogger. He saw me in riding gear and hoped I was the owner. I sent him off in the direction I'd last seen horse and rider together and went after the pony. Luckily someone coming the other way managed to block the road and we caught the pony. There was no ID but we were very close to the local pub which also had stables so we started walking him that way. The parents and rider quickly showed up and gave us a mouthful for leading him away from home (how would we know!, we were leading him the same way he was heading on his own)
The father decided it would be a good idea to inspect his legs while he was still wound up and on an open road. Pony broke away again and the chase started again.
At that point us hangers on left the family to it but did keep a very careful eye out on the way home.
Unfortunately ponys home was the other side on a A road from where we were. We were hoping and praying they caught him before he got to the road. There were no stories in the local paper so I assume all was ok.

I have a key ring on my saddle with ponys name, my number and yard number just in case I come a cropper.

 

[Liath]

Seems lots of folk have been in similar situations!

1stclass... You say I'm showing off catching two when you vaulted onto one and rode it home?!!

I can honestly say the thought of getting on either of my charges, especially as they'd just been mid- bolt, NEVER crossed my mind!!!

 

[1stclassalan]

Seems lots of folk have been in similar situations!

1stclass... You say I'm showing off catching two when you vaulted onto one and rode it home?!!

I can honestly say the thought of getting on either of my charges, especially as they'd just been mid- bolt, NEVER crossed my mind!!!

Haha oh no... I bow to you.... catching two trumps my vault hands down! BTW - one of the others I caught was at Blenheim ..... and I almost did the same thing.... but then had a reality check mainly concerning what illustrious rider would say about me up on top so opted for a long walk - but I did get a mention over the Tannoy and a ripple and owners invited me over for drinkeys in the evening!

 

[Holidays_are_coming]

Well done you, I lost my horse out hacking a while ago, she usually never leaves me but we both fell off and the other horse ******ed off home so she followed. They made the road but sge stopped in the middle of the village, I made a sos to a friend who went looking for them but some one else I knew found her apparently she looked so lost and was so pleased to be found. I would always attempt to catch a lose horse as id want someone to try and catch mine.

 

[skint1]

I think you were very brave, I'd like to help in a situation like that, keep the horses off the road as best I could, and I would be SO grateful if someone saved my horse in such a situation. Well done!

 

[OldNag]

Well done you , bet the riders were very, very grateful.
I'm anither one with ID on my saddle. It's an fluorescent yellow marked SOS and contains my mobile, OH mobile, YO mobile and Vet number and yard address..hope I will never need it to be used. Kids have same on their saddles.

 

[Liath]

It seems I didn't get off so lightly for my escapades after all.... my lower back (which i've broken twice in the past coming off horses, so isn't good at the best of times!) has slowly but surely ceased up through the day today... couldn't ride my boy this afternoon as there's no way I'd have been able to get on or off... now sitting bolt upright with an ice pack down my pants!

Still don't regret grabbing them though... far rather a sore mouth for him and a sore back for me than any hideous accidents!

 

[TrasaM]

You are brave! I can stand a wave my boy down but two X strange galloping horses ? No! I'd have climbed the nearest tree and not come down until they were well gone.

Well done and hope you've not done anything too terrible to your back. Also hope the horse owners recognise what you did and send you a nice prezzie.

 

[Regandal]

Think I've done it four times if not more but not two at once - that's just being flash!

The worst case was of Mrs Pushy-Pushy and her daughter's way,way, overhorsed "Alwaysonhistoes" which as you might know was by "Ownerkiller" out of "Onourwayto Wembley"

Like very much