Have you ever baled out?

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vickyb

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I quite often read on here of people baling out from bolting horses. Now, I have been tanked off with many times, but only once experienced a true bolt. I considered baling out, but the thought of jumping off at that speed was just as frightening as staying on top!(We were in an area where I could let the horse run on fortunately, albeit through dense undergrowth and a couple of hedges) So, you people that have done it, how did you do it? Did you throw yourself off forwards or sideways or just slip out of the saddle? Did any of you manage to do it without being injured? What went through your minds? I wouldn't voluntarily jump out of a car at 30mph, and surely baling out can't be much different.
 
I did when I was a kid. I was riding a pony on a yard where my aunt worked so didn't know it at all. The only piece of advice I was given was not to pull on its mouth as it was sensitive and would probably take off with me if I did. Oh and it was afraid of traffic. So off I went with a few girls and all was well for a while. He very nearly spun and bolted when we met a tractor but luckily we were buffered by the horse behind. So that was ok. Then we got to this really fast road, with wide grass verges on either side, and the yard was down towards the end of this road - quickly became apparent they it must have been used to a mad canter on the way home with his rider so it took off. The others held back so I was on my own, fighting this pony as its literally galloping towards the road and there wasn't a thing I could do about it. The more i pulled, the faster it went. I decided it was better to land on the grass rather than in the middle of a car accident, so shut my eyes, counted to 3 and threw myself off (leg over the back as you would normally dismount) and watched it head into the middle if the road. I don't remember who caught it but it was fine. I was concussed and could lie down in bed that night - not that anyone took me to the hospital or seemed overly concerned! Must have been about 13 then.

I have jumped off my current horse a few years back - he took serious fright to something on a hack and was totally out of control. You know when they are so panicked its like you don't exist as you can't get through to them? I was desperately trying to stop him from bolting, but if I got him to stand he just reared up. So we were nearly home, and he was still acting crazy as we went on the path that is just above a steep drop into some caves. I didn't fancy ending up down there so made the decision to dismount and lead the rest of the way just in case. He wasnt bolting at that point, but would have galloped off if given half a chance. It didn't help the situation as he dragged me all the way back!
 
Well... Only once a long time ago when I was about 12 I decided to ride a pony that hadn't been ridden for about 10 years at my grandparents farm so took the bridle from the horse I regularly rode and put the bridle on new pony without adjusting it.... Was riding about the field and cantering towards the gate which I thought was great until the bridle actually fell off... So was just left holding the reins with the bridle hung round it's neck. Was bare back to and we were hurtling towards the gate so it was a no brained I just chucked myself off sideways, I didn't have time for a plan I just remember I'm better off bailing than waiting to see if pony would stop at the gate... Wasn't particularly hurt as a kid I wasn't really phased. There really was no time to think. Plus I was in an enclosed field so pony couldn't escape otherwise may of been different. Then again I wouldn't have been riding a v green pony bareback out in public. Tbh I shouldn't have been full stop.
 
Similar really. (As a child c10years). Horse took off back towards farm faster than I'd ever travelled before without assistance of an engine and was totally oblivious to small rider on its back frantically pulling on reins. The road was a dead end so little traffic but on way it went over quite a steep railway bridge. I decided well in advance that if it hadn't slowed down by top of bridge, I would abandon ship before it went even faster downhill.
It hadn't so I did!!
Both totally unmarked as far as I can remember. Friends very impressed and parents never knew!
 
I set off for a brisk canter up a field once and when I went to pull up the bridle just came up, over and off my mares head!! (chin strap on hackamore not fastened properly - my fault) This spooked her to go faster and it seemed an eternity using my voice and body and wrapping the bridle round her neck I managed to slow her down but she wasn't for stopping and we were heading to the roads so I dismounted, naivly thinking I would run alongside her and pull her up. I fell flat on my face on the gravel track and she carried on!! I limped back to the stables with bloody knees and hands to get help and there she was stood outside her stable with not a mark on her! She had negotiated the very steep slippy roads back. I had to throw away my new jodhpurs (typical) but the thought of running out onto the roads with no control seemed a lot more frightening than hitting the floor. I was a lot younger and bounced better in those days though :-)
 
rockafella-your post just made me shudder as my pony tanked off with me at 11, also heading upto a main road but I stayed on and luckily there were no cars when we screeched to a halt in the middle of the road after cantering through the junction! Eeeks so risky!
 
Yep , when trying out a very muscly looking eventer that the owner said was safe for a novice ride. ( I was a bit better than that, but always used to say I was a novice to avoid jus this sort of thing.) Arrived and the girl said something along the lines of he had been in the last few days, would I mind if she rode him on the second ring of his dutch gag. (SAid he went in a snaffle).

Watched her ride in the arena, seemed to be working very hard, but I put it down to trying to get him into a good shape. (He was nice looking and thought he would be good fun so was probably making up my own answers).

Anyway asked again before I got on if he was suitable for a novice. "Oh yes, he's fine". Sat on him, 2 steps in walk and he bolted. Left with some steering but no brakes I figured I'll just go around the school a couple of times until his edge comes off. turned the first corner and he tucked his head right under, powered towards the rail and jumped right through it smashing the top rail to pieces. This took something off his pace and as we landed I saw a nice soft spot for a tactical moving dismount.

Highly successful I stood up without a bruise to see the horse heading off across the field persued by a chap who wasn't there a minute ago. Girl approached my very apologetic saying...(can you guess?)...


"He's never done that before!"
 
I've never bailed from a bolting horse (as to date have never been properly bolted with, been carted off with and had temporary brake failure a few times but never to the point that I've felt I couldn't stop the horse before we got into trouble) but I did make a conscious decision to let go when I ended up hanging off the side of a galloping horse that I had no hope of stopping from that position (Was riding in a treeless saddle with a girth that was not as tight as it should have been and his friends were both out in front). Was in a wooded area with trees at the side of the path. Could see one coming up that I had no hope of avoiding being swept off by and with how far I'd slipped round I was gonna end up on the floor anyway so I bailed. Still ended up headbutting the tree as mistimed my letting go and ended up getting ambulance out as I had one heck of a lump come up and was convinced I'd've done something to my neck with how hard I clobbered the tree but turned out no lasting damage (amazingly I didn't even have concussion) apart from spending the next few days not able to move! Luckily bridlepath had a gate at the end otherwise horse would likely have ended up on the road but as it was he stopped at gate and friend was able to grab him and we were able to sort out another livery coming to ride him home. I do honestly think that if I hadn't hit the tree though I'd've been straight up and got back on and finished my hack
 
I used to do it for fun in the school on my cob when I was a teenager... Never done it in an "oh ****" situation though... Yet :p
 
People stay on long enough to get a choice?:D

In answer to the OP, no never, either chucked off straight away with the bucking/bronco bit that precedes the bolt or there till the end..............

and then fall off when they come to a sudden slithering halt coupled with the sideways bit.:o
 
I did once, on a horse in China. I told the man that I just wanted to do some dressage type work in their indoor arena. They said "no problem". I turned up at the stables and they brought out one of their racehorses that obviously hadn't been out that day, and then put me in their 'indoor arena'. The thing went mental, took off at a gallop as soon as I got on and was heading straight for the solid back wall. I couldn't figure out which way it was likely to turn so I thought that I'd be better off biting the dirt than a brick wall. After I was off, it spun around, bolted out of the arena and took off to the race track where it happily ran off it's energy.

The workers there just stood and laughed, didn't even bother trying to fetch their horse.

I never went back to that place, or any other stable in China since then.
 
I was riding a friend`s Highland, total rookie at this point. Never ridden her before in the school though we would hack out nicely on the road. Going forward in working trot, asked for canter and the mare lunged forward pulling her head and neck down and unseating me completely as it was so unexpected. We were headed for the wall on the short side and I couldn`t regain my position and fearing that I would fall on the turn and slam into the stone, I baled. Beautiful textbook bale-out, limbs nicely flexed and head tucked in. Unfortunately I left my leg behind and it snapped into several little pieces and knackered my knee. Won`t be doing that agaiin in a hurry!
 
I've never bailed, don't know if I could physically do it?

I was bolted with once as a child, probably about 11 years old. Some friends and I were out hacking, one of the younger girls was on a pony that was scaring her to death; so being the slightly unhinged I offered to swap. She could ride my well mannered pony and I'd ride the bucking, snorting Section A. We decided to have a canter, it set it's neck, opened it's mouth and stuck it's head on the floor, everybody else pulled up thinking he'd stop too, he didn't and we started heading home at a gallop dictated by him. Luckily we weren't riding on roads, so there wasn't any immediate danger. We did nearly run over a few dogs and dog walkers though. Eventually, I figured that a tree might be more sucessful at stopping than me. Grabbed the left rein, at the bit ring, with both hands and hauled at the right handed corner. It meant we went straight on just long enough, to end up in the undergrowth facing a huge tree, forcing him to stop. Friends caught up and we continued home quite merrilly. It never even crossed my mind to bail.

I've always been taught, that you're safer on top than on the ground, and even when falling I'm the one clinging on for grim death and normally I managed to recover myself, before hitting the ground.
 
JFTD said:
I used to do it for fun in the school on my cob when I was a teenager... Never done it in an "oh ****" situation though... Yet :p
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Ha, yes, that reminds me of playing cowboys on ponies, pretending to get shot and doing a dramatic stunt dive off the side - but probably only in low speeds, and of course, when you are young you bounce SO much better! Thanks for your replies people, I notice that a fair few of you have suffered nasty injuries, I hope you recovered okay.
 
Yes, I have baled out when being bolted with, I couldn't stand the thought of the alternative so made the choice. This was blind panic due to Pigs and we were left with two bolting horses racing side by side down a one horse width bridle way. Horses were found five fields away eating!

My most awful bolt (about 6 miles on road up and down dale and caused a car crash) I tried so hard to find the right time to bale but mare was so erratic and so fast that I would make a decision and then it was too late. I stayed on all the way home where mare stopped at the gate bloody, foamy, shoeless and shaking. I didn't hack out for two years after that!
 
Hippona said:
No....I am a coward, and it takes more guts to fling yourself from a speeding horse than to hang on crying:cool:
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I have to admit, I believe this too. My old horse used to have the occasional bolt around water, I always just sat firm and rode it out, talking to him as calmly as possible whilst trying to get control back.

Just that one time I wasn't even seated properly since the racehorse took off as soon as I got on, and I knew there was no way I was going to be able to stay on him once he turned at the brick wall, and that I'd end up going into it face or shoulder first.

Figured I could roll better on the floor ;)
 
I've only ever once been bolted with, didn't last long as horse froze when it saw round bales, spun and took off in panic straight through a hedge. Other side of the hedge he went into a ditch and catapulted me straight into the ground. Lucky to escape with only broken bones. I can't imagine ever having the courage (is that the right word?) to bail out. Not sure how physically I could make it happen either - without ending up under his feet or tangled in stirrups. On the other hand I have been tanked off with a good number of times, and never felt the urge to bail - that's a completely different experience!
 
cold_feet said:
Not sure how physically I could make it happen either - without ending up under his feet or tangled in stirrups.
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When I think about it, I actually have no idea how I did it... feet out of stirrups, dive and hope for the best? It was in an arena so the ground was sandy and even, so I didn't have to worry about bricks/logs/holes/traffic etc I guess. It was literally a split second decision, floor or wall?
 
Bolting, I think, is the only thing I cannot abide. It's happened to me more times than I like to think about :D

Worst couple of occasions were:
Aged 14 - herd of cows came ambling over to look at new po - po took one look and took off in opposite direction down middle of fast road with traffic everywhere :eek:
Same po - through a wood...tried to duck but whacked my head on an overhanging branch. Hat smashed like an eggshell :(
Aged 15 - on an ex-racer... also in a wood..... does anyone recall that scene in Return of the Jedi (I think it was) where they're flying round trees at a rapid rate of knots? :D
and oooh aged about 40 - taking a new route for first time - along a bank with about a 10/15 foot drop either side and Arab has a bonkers moment and just GOES!!! For about two miles....:rolleyes: Thank god we didn't meet a gate.
Only time I remember bailing out was on said Arab before I found treeless saddles. He had another spectacular boinging piaffie type episode on the beach, saddle slipped, I jumped and landed gracefully on my feet :D Never bailed out at speed though.............

Also.... I used to get regularly bolted with by one particular pony when I used to beach ride. Solved this by refusing to let him slow down. I would lean forward and sing in his ear and when he started to run out of puff would put my leg on and ask for more. Soon put a stop to that :D
 
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I have - my tb bolted with me and we ended up in a flat out gallop round a rather small school and I came to the conclusion he wasn't staying upright much longer.
Because he had bolted as soon as I got on I didn't have any stirrups and the only way I was staying on was because I had tight hold of the pommel. I simply let go - I think I intended to try and sorta roll/skid etc but somehow managed to land upright on my feet. Unfortunately this resulted in both ankles breaking and dislocating :rolleyes:

Even with that I still reckon I did the right thing in that situation as if he had gone down then the potential for injury would have been much higher and the potential for more serious injuries, eg spinal much higher.

Main reason why I'd never get on a horse known to have bolted previously.
 
I've baled also when a friends horse decided she wanted to head for a home at full gallop. We'd already been through several fields, a path and the road and there was no stopping her-the more I pulled/asked her to slow the faster she went! I only had one stirrup as I had lost one when she suddenly decided to go and didn't have many other options as I knew I wouldn't be able to stay on for much longer, had a bit of steering and tried pointing her at all sorts of obstacles to slow her down or stop her, instead she seemed to go faster into them as if she was going to jump so I managed to keep her on the straight..all sorts were going through my head and so I took the other stirrup out and elegantly slid off the side-unmarked but not something I want to ever repeat, dented my confidence massively and very scary!
 
Yes I have once but never again, I will hang on tor dear life now, whatever the alternative is.

I was having a group lesson and we were all cantering together when my ride decided to go a little faster and was heading for the xc course, I didn't fancy that and didn't think he would make the corner so decided to bail but timed it badly as he went round the corner I summetsauled off and landed on.my shoulder and shouted ow..I broke my arm....then I was on the floor for days until the air ambulance arrived. Luckily it was just my humerus and not my back...that just had a big dent in from a rock I landed on.
 
Hippona said:
No....I am a coward, and it takes more guts to fling yourself from a speeding horse than to hang on crying:cool:
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This!:o

I really shouldn't read these threads, they scare me! I've never been atop a properly bolting horse, and have managed to stay on the few times I've been tanked off with. I haven't fallen off for 17 odd years (only been back riding 18-24mths) and most of the time it was due to spooking and I just came out the side door :p Of course I was a teenager then so bounced better too :cool:
 
Have bailed twice.

First, was after getting bronced with 3 times straight on nappy pony, proper full on broncing bareback...each time I was astounded to find I was still on said pony. 4th time it went to do it...I decided to jump off quick....which was fine till leg got caught, I went under pony and wrapped between the arena fence! That bruised nicely. I don't know why I didn't just stick the broncing out again lol.

Second, was getting proper bolted with, on an already notorious bolter. Horse in question had done 30 laps and counting and thought was going to jump out on short side - where there was a very large ditch on other side full of thorns, so I bailed and chucked myself off just in case! Had the absolute stuffing knocked out my core, a bad back for a fortnight and was ill for the following 2 hours after :/

Each time, regretted bailing as has hurt more than any 'normal' fall...on the second there was sod all I could have done about it however.
 
There's been one time in particular where galloping was only interrupted by some bucks before it was continued and I was desperate to bale but I couldn't find the guts to do so. Once I'd finally built up the courage to bale, I thought "hey, you're sitting this rather well.." and went with it.. :rolleyes:
 
I've been tanked off with a few times, once or twice in situations where I had time to think it would be much, much better to jump off and leave the stupid animal to it, but I couldn't do it. I am not flexible enough to know how to jump off without landing head first!
 
yes, from my current (un-)trusty steed when he decided that the most efficient way to let myself & the saddler know that the saddle we were trying wasn't 'the one' by performing a perfect quarter pirouette at A followed by a bronching charge down the centre line of the school.

... by the time we'd got 3/4 of the way down and he'd got me more than a bit unseated, with the fence at the end of the school and a drop onto to the hardstanding beyond looming I bailed - figured my chances of staying on to the end were slim & getting over the fence in one piece were nil. :o

I ended with a twisted knee and as I found out later the next day in the office a bit of concussion but still better than landing on the various farming machinary on the other side of the fence!
 
Yes. If I hadn't I would possibly be dead. Head first into a brick wall did not seem a healthy option.
 
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