Fell off new horse last night, slap needed please

Perfect_Pirouette

Perfect_Pirouette

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Had Merlin for 7 weeks now (9yo TB) I have him on trial/full loan until August when I will be buying him. I have fallen completely in love with him. I was really unsure at first about going from a cob to a TB Ex-racer however he has pushed any doubts from my mind as he has given me loads of confidence and apart from being a bit spooky is a v. good boy.

I have only started cantering him out on hacks in the past couple of weeks as I'll admit I have been nervous about it. However, when it came to it he was an angel and has been fine.

Went on a pub ride last week with a few other people and on the way back (after a few vinos) people were jumping a little log that lay in the middle of the path. I really wanted to do it, I hadn't jumped him before. But a couple of other others were like 'oh, no I'm not going to' so I decided against it. It looked fun though so I said I wouldn't mind going back to it this week sometime and popping it as I thought it would be a nice thing to do 1st time I jumped him.

So me and friend went for a hack last night, had few canters on the way there and horses were fine, his a bit spooky but nothing major. Got to the log and friend did it 1st and then it was my turn, it went fine. Did it 4 times and on the last couple of times he started to get a bit excited and strong going into it and on landing. Last time on landing he took a lot longer pull up from it and I could feel him on his toes etc. Anyway, we decided to head back, both horses were a bit excited by this point and a little stronger but nothing major.

I wanted to stick to walk and trot on way back as I could feel Merlin was a bit excited etc but (ultra confident) male friend wanted to have one last canter. I said no but he persuaded me so even though I had my doubts went ahead with it anyway, we had just got into trot and both horses were strong. In front of us was a massive rut where the tractor had ploughed the field (we were on the track aligning the field) and where it had rained there was water in it. Male friend was slightly in front of me and he shouted 'oh god, think XXXX (his horse) is going to try and jump that' I knew then that something was going to happen, his horse did launch it and on landing launched off!!! Merlin then took off at full pelt gallop and that was it!

I went across 3 fields (male friend had wrenched his horse on a circle into the first field and was currently being tanked through that) at a flat out, uncontrollable gallop. It was so fast I could barely see :( I was so scared but was trying to stay calm and just go 'woah, woah' and half halt, when this didn't work I took harder tugs but being an ex-racer I didn't want to completely yank and haul at him as I thought it might make him worse. He just WOULD NOT STOP. I tried everything I could (logically) think of, contemplated trying to yank him around on a circle but the track wasnt wide enough so we'd have ended up in the field and I was worried he'd fall down and bring me with him, plus I really don't know if you can turn like that at that speed. We kept flying around these corners and all these branches kept smacking me in the face, every corner I thought I'd be off but I stayed on. I tried leaning really far back and pulling, nothing.

All this time I knew where he was heading and that was to the end of these particular tracks where it then comes out onto a farm yard. I was thinking that he was going to stop when the tracks end and we got onto the farm yard, I thought he'd have to!! But oh no,we were nearing the end of the track and he STILL wasnt pulling up and it was then that I got properly scared because it's a concrete farm yard with a private road running through and I thought 'what if there's a car coming, we'll be killed.' I could then see my male friend on my right bombing down the field towards me desperately trying to pull up his and just as we were nearing the end of the track/ onto the concrete I thought 'I've had enough' and we pelted out onto this farm yard and Merlin obviously thought 'oh god' and swerved to the left. I could've stayed on I'm sure if I was sat up but at this point I was already bailing. :( So off I came :( Hurt my right shoulder and hip. Thankfully kept hold of the reins, don't think he'd have gone any further anyway as male friend and his horse were there at that point.

Now my problem is, I have just spent 7 weeks getting my confidence on this horse and we were doing so well and I've been so pleased with him. I KNOW what caused it last night and if we hadn't have had that stupid final canter that I didn't want anyway and if friend's horse hadnt decided to launch the puddle and take off then we probably would've had a strong but controlled last canter.

I know I musn't blow this out of proportion and let this affect the way I feel about this horse as it really was just unfortunate. But it HAS shaken me. Not in the school, I know I'll still be confident on him in the school etc but hacking now I KNOW I will be wary. Not just walking and trotting around the lanes etc but wary and seriously scared now trotting/cantering no tracks. What if I next go to canter him and he does it again :confused::( I'm sure he won't but I am a nervous rider anyway and things like this really eat me up.

He was in his snaffle which was next to useless, should I put something a bit stronger in for hacking do you think?

Has something like this ever happened to anyone else and just been a one-off? Like I say, I know what caused it but REALLY don't know why he went through field after field after field with me full pelt, not slowing down at all when the other horse had peed off in the other direction anyway so I'd hardly say he was racing!

Sorry, just realised this isn't really a post for CR :confused: Just hardly ever post in NL now. Also realised what a pathetic post it is, again apologies. I just feel really uneasy and wary now :(
 
No it isn't pathetic at all. The good thing is that, although bolting off is naughty, there was a reason for it - and plus your horse being an ex-racer he must have seen it as a race since he was trained that way.

Do you have another friend with a very sensible horse to hack out with?
If you do go out with them for a couple of times to gain your confidence back again.

If not, continue with schooling doing lots of canter - trot transitions. Then when you're feeling more confident venture out - even if it is to just walk calmly around. You'll get you're confidence back in no time :)
 
Wow, how scary. Being bolted with is the most terrifying thing in the world in my opinion! Hope you feel less sore soon. If it helps at all - a horse I had bolted with me twice in my first 6 months with it, never did it again after that though. I just put it down to a settling in period and us getting to know one another (although I know how dangerous bolting is!). Have you ruled out a sore back and tack etc.? That can make a horse a bit twitchy / spooky etc. But to be honest, I would give the horse the benefit of the doubt since the other horse bolted too - horses are herd animals as you know, its very difficult to stop one horse going when its friend has!
 
I don't think you should put a stronger bit in, you've got to remember ex-racers are primarily taught the more pulling on the reins the faster and faster to go, so a stronger bit could make it worse. Also once he started galloping his adrenaline would have been up so he would do what he knew best and run, run, run!

I think if you go out with male friend again tell him not to be such a ****. You're on a new horse who you don't know inside out yet and male friend behaved stupidly (sorry) for completely ignoring you.

Chin up, I think you two will have such a good future together, it just takes time to gel :) Remember how long you were riding G for, a real partnership takes longer than 7 weeks to build so I think you'll definitely get there :)
 
Oh poor you :(

I would perhaps get some confidence back in the school, ask for lots of transitions so you know that he is listening before venturing out again. Trot, canter, then few strides of canter then back again. Being an ex racer he probably thought it was a bit of fun and he was winning :)

I don't know your friend but maybe go out with someone who would actually listen to you, and if you say you're not ready to canter they won't push you into it? Maybe just for the first few times back out again, then introduce canter gradually - no need to go mad, just ask for canter up a hill (not on flat) for a nice steady lollop then back to trot. Then ask for longer periods of canter. He should learn that cantering out of the school does not mean flat out!

And if you would like to jump Merlin, perhaps try it in a lesson first so you have an experienced person on the ground to help.

Hugs, hope you start to feel better soon x
 
Thanks.

There are 2 older ladies down the yard who are really nice and sensible and have really sensible horses so the next time I go and have a canter (which might not be for another 7 weeks now if my confidence is anything to go by :( ) I will go with them. Male friend's horse is lovely and has been really good lately, hence why I hacked with him. But he CAN be unpredictable and has a rep for doing that sort of thing. Just hasn't done it in a year or so.

MM- Hopefully it was just like you say and he was pushing the boundries and it will be a one off. Male friend said the same as he actually has pushed the boundries with everything I've done with him so far. Back etc fine, it really was just like you say, other horse went so he did too. His little face was loving it, I can see it now. Little git!!
 
Well done for staying on so long, I bailed out the other week from mine sometimes you just know thats your only real option.
You must be relieved that no real harm has been done to you or your horse.
Your bound to be nervous its natural, even the bravest among us would be a little, it the sensible thing.
Take thinks slowly and build back up, go with a friend you trust riding a sensible horse or on foot, go on short slow hacks and slowly you will start to trust him again.
They can all have there moments, even the solid cobs:D
 
He's an x-racer, I don't know if he's been reschooled etc but on them pulling usually equals go faster. You have to learn to drop the contact a bit and just sit up to stop them. I got pissed of with on my xracer a few times till I got the hang of it , once you have the knack no reins required to stop.
Might be usless but thought it was worth mentioning.
Your "friend" would be on my bad list too.
 
Poor you, It's the worst feeling ever getting run away with. What probs started it was jumping the log back and forth. I would try a stronger bit with him and don't be afraid to more forceful that you think you should if he does do it again. Good luck and I'm sure you'll be fine.
 
Firstly, hugs and arnica heading your way!!

Secondly, there aint a horse on Gods earth that at some point wont do exactly what your lad did. And if someone says they do have such a horse, no doubt, its dead/stuffed or built onto rockers !!

Finally....

I think at some point weve all had a moment with our horses that shakes us to the very core but which can be explained in some way or another. Its not normal behaviour for him and he was egged on. You are right, you probably could have stayed on but hindsight is a wonderful thing. Being a racehorse isnt anything to do with it IMHO, Ive been bolted with by a shetland in my time. Height, speed, breeding or past lives have nowt to do with a panicking horse in my experience! If anything the fact you were on a horse built for speed made clearing off a damn site safer as there is nothing worse than tripping at speed on something which lacks stamina, balance and surefootedness.

You know him pretty well by now and know that he wouldnt have been doing that to scare you or assert himself. His mate was running and in the mind of a horse, whatever scared his mate, could well grab you and him next.

The only method I ever found that worked on a hard pulling horse was to change the way I felt about it. If my horse was going faster that I actually wanted I would pretend to push him on. As soon as I stopped trying to stop, he would "come back to me". Strangely the more I wanted him to slow/behave the more agitated he got and thats purely because I was focusing on the activity that I DIDNT WANT... and so got more of it. (The Law of Attraction...)

If you are suffering from anxiety - try TFT.. It really works!
 
male friend is a complete and utter tw*t! and your horse did nothing thousands of others wouldnt have done too.......................so i would put it down to experience and just dont do it again, one or two steady canters and no jumping on hacks for a while.

build up both your confidence again, it will have shaken your horse as much as you.
 
My advice would be to take him to a nice big green field with a variety of bits and someone to help out and work out how to stop him

You need to learn the one rein stop, as straight pulling won't stop something that is going

Please watch this:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmpDSbXPtzU

Also I would use a stronger bit for hacking, because I hate having to pull and want to preserve the mouth for schooling
 
It is completely out of character for him I think. Mrussel, thank you. You've made me feel a lot better about it all. No I haven't heard of TFT what is it?

I know it was a bit harsh of male friend, HOWEVER he has known me a long time. He knows how nervous I am and therefore knows that I have to be pushed to do things and pushed out of my comfort zone or I will never do it. He has helped me a lot over the past 7 weeks with Merlin and has pushed me to do half the things I've done with him!

Having said that though I KNEW something bad was going to happen if we cantered and if that ever happens again I WILL NOT be persuaded, even if it means me leaving someone and going home on my own!!

I don't regret jumping the log, it was tiny and something fun for us to do. I will be buying merlin for dressage, however I musnt forget that with his current/soon to be old owner he has evented and has had lots of fun. I don't want to spoil all that for him and just push him around a school all week. I would be more than happy doing that but he wouldn't and he deserves some fun! He was really good over the log, if we'd have left it at that the hack wouldve been fine so I must try not to let that put me off doing stuff like that with him in the future. I won't be cantering on a hack again for a few weeks though and jumping on a hack for a long time!
 
I have to say I agree completely with your sentiments about your confident companion !! My hubby is also Mr Uber Confident (whereas I am nervous-nelly who prefers dressage and small spaces !). Had my hubby not pushed me, I would never have gone hunting or jumping in my earlier days and get to really know my horse.

I dont choose to go hunting or jumping anymore but by golly it feels good to know Ive achieved it in my time !! :)

SS - TFT is a way of refocussing your emotions.. it works brilliantly. I should know, I tried EVERYTHING to get over a fear of cantering after a nasty experience like yours. Im not saying I dont have moments where I feel full of anxiety but I can certainly now get on the track-of-fear and have a fair old bomb up it without passing out or being sick on myself !!

TFT stands for Thought Field Therapy - makes you look daft but somehow it works... Jo Cooper is the person who transformed me from Jelly to Jetsetter. Good Luck !!
 
clearly your friend is not all that though as he pushed you TOO far, there has to be a line, and he went past it, with this result......

i think quieter hacking so that you dont need to pull, would be better than a strong bit. i can only go on past ex racer experience but neither of mine would be stopped by a stronger bit, because its a mental running, not just a physical pulling. you need to keep his mind with you and then you wont lose him to speed.

to be honest, if he is as buzzy as CS, walk and trot only for a few weeks will do him good.he may well have evented but a lot of them know the difference between working on grass and just plain old hacking.

i know plenty of eventers that are fine t go xc schooling and do controlled canter work, but are too sharp to whizz round the countryside hacking.

iv plenty of friends who are excellent riders and very confident, but the only person i hack with ever is NikMT, as she's the only one i trust!
 
Oh blimey that must have been really scary, glad you're both ok apart from your bruises. I agree with a few other replies in try to teach him to stop to your voice and seat. I can stop mine from a fast canter - we don't gallop (hence being an ex-racer) by dropping my reins and using my voice. She also stops / come down gaits by closing my legs, usually just squeezing my knees is enough but if she's at a party and is excited I squeeze with my thighs as well and she knows. It doesn't take long to teach them just repeat, repeat, repeat.

Finally in future just go with your gut instinct, don't feel you need to keep up with other people. Don't hack again until you feel ready and thats YOU being ready not someone else on the yard telling you are.

Good luck and take as long as it takes.
 
I typed out a whole long reply and my computer deleted it :-( so I will summarise!
- ex racer did this with me but once, and only once
- afterwards I just did walk, trot, and lots of transitions on hacks
- found a field and schooled him on it in walk and trot so he got used to grass not=speed
- first canter after was on a circle in the field
- person you went with was idiot, I don't give people 2nd chance after they have done that, if you shout stop, you need to know person you are with will do that immediately
 
I know he isn't all that. He knows it too and he knows he went too far last night. Maybe it'll bring him downa bit and he'll learn that he can't always push and push me . I could tell he felt really bad about it and didn't want to make a bad situation worse by going on about it. But he knows I'm not pleased put it that way.

Tbh I'm not really a 'bomb around the countryside jumping ditches' kinda person. I mainly do walk and trot and if I'm feeling like it and the ground's good ill have a couple of canters.

I do agree in that ex-racers probably arnt going to be great to bomb around the countryside on!
 
Don't feel silly about it - I know my ex-racer would've done exactly the same (and I don't hack, but only because nobody does in this country, suicide mission!). You did well to stay on so long, and being nervous is completely understandable. At least you can take comfort in the fact that Merlin's reaction is far from unusual and it's unlikely that under other circumstances he'd do it.

I would stick to quiet hacks with more sensible horses/riders for a while. Maybe a short, controlled canter after a few. Make sure you're confident in your canter trot transitions before you go out and perhaps keep the canter to a circle or something similar first time :)

You'll be hacking again in no time! And Merlin sounds lovely and sweet, I really don't think him running off is something that will be repeated if the circumstances are more controlled next time!
 
Whenever anyone at our yard falls off (either at the yard or whilst off the yard competing/riding) we enforce the cake rule. This means that they have to buy cake or biscuits and leave them in the tea room. We all stick to this rule and I swear it gives you amazing sticking power whilst riding!! We were only joking tonight that whenever anyone falls off the first words their friends say when they rush over to their side is not "Oh my God are you okay?" but "mines a blueberry muffin!" LOL
 
I think it was just one of those awful things that happens out hacking, it happens to all of us.
I agree your friend over stepped the mark, I don't hack out with people like that! When I go out with my friends we all check we are ok to canter, we go off on the condition that if someone shouts stop we pull up straight away, we never shoot off but start slowly and just make sure everyone is in control! I know when I go out with my mate and I'm riding my TB she will let me go in front if he's feeling fresh so he's not having to 'chase' the one in front :).
If it makes you feel better thought the exact same thing happened with my old 20yr old schoolmaster on a sponsored ride! He got so excited that he took off, I couldn't stop him and had to bail it was awful!
With my current young TB I'm careful and I won't put myself in a situation where it will go wrong. I canter out hacking and pop logs, ditches whatever but it's very controlled.
I would also like to say though that just because you have a more sensitive type of horse doesn't mean you won't be able to let your hair down in the future!
You are still getting to know him and it can take ages. My late mare I used to take on mad hacks around the country.. After I had her for a few years and knew her inside out :).
I could tell you story's of me falling off that would make your hair curl :p.
Don't dwell on it, take it slow and stick within your comfort zone for a while and you'll be fine :).
 
Thanks JM22 :) he is lovely and very sweet and another reason why I don't want to let it affect me too much or my decision with him is because he IS very good and safe and if merlin's 'too much' for me then what isn't going to be?!

Applecart- lol well if someone said to me 'you have to give me a fiver everytime you come off' I wouldn't have bailed! The stupid thing is I have a flashstrap attached to the D rings of my saddle to hold onto in an emergency. WHY didn't I just grab that?! Lol

Firewell- I think I will go in front when I next canter in company. I often feel like I'm safer behind but actually he probably does race to get to the front! Thanks, although I am mainly flatwork/dressage I don't want to feel like I can never go out and have a good old canter and play about jumping logs and things, I think it does you both good occasionally to blow the cobwebs away and have some fun. Just like you say I don't want to feel like with Merlin I can't do that! Glad to hear I'm not the only one that has bailed!
 
I would still hack do some in walk and short trot etc to get your confidence back

And yes defo stronger bits for hacking
 
Oh flipping heck, how scary!

Try to remember this happened due to a set of circumstances and you have cantered happily many times previously with no problems - so it isn't going to happen every time you canter. You have learned that jumping whilst out hacking excites him and that maybe being in front is best. You just need to figure out the things that maybe push his buttons and work round them. Take your time and as everyone has suggested, hack out with something rock steady and build yourself back up.

Re bits: - If he ran because he was being naughty and got stronger and stronger until you had no control, upping the bit may help avoid this situation re-occuring - but choose carefully - some horses will run from the the action of some stronger bits. If he ran because the whole situation panicked him and he followed his flight instinct, I doubt a stronger bit will help - the strongest bit in the world will not stop a horse who thinks he is running for his life.

Finally: - as others have mentioned, race horses work from different commands to regularly trained horses and sometimes our body's natural instinct is just what they know to "go faster" so think like a jockey! (I couldn't get my ex racer to move from a collected canter through to a gallop at first - until I figured out all I had to do was pick up the contact even more and come out of my seat rather than sit down and push)
 
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