Help me bit the bolter!

lpp

lpp

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I'm at my wits end with my nov eventer. He is a sensitive irish tb that had a bad start in life and i've had him for the past 3 years. Hes nervous in stable, box walks, weaves etc nervous to ride but is finally starting to trust me and 99% of the time is lovely and light. On surfaces i can jump him in a snaffle but if he gets scared/worried or if i have to give him an encouraging 'click' of the tongue he runs blind and theres nothing in his mouth. I paid the price today, mid bolt, i committed to a xc fence 3 from home and pecked on landing resulting in a nasty fall. Ive come to the conclusion that although hes improving all the time there will be that time he bolts and i need to make sure ive the right bit in him. Currently ridden in an american gag with curb and rope noseband, ive tried waterfords, cheltenham gags, barry mouthpieces, cherry rollers, 3 ring waterford gags, pelhams etc. Im now swaying to mark king style long shank A. gag with combination noseband, or butterfly flip bit or a ported liverpool driving bit. I need something that stops him in his tracks rather than him sort of listen and then go dumb. any ideas?? (other than give up!!)
 
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I've not had anything run througha reversible military Pelham

You must use 2 reins, but thats one you can really go "oi" with

The other choice would be a nelson gag, again with 2 reins and if he goes use a one rein stop and bring him back to walk

I probably wouldn't go x-country until you've got control
 
In your shoes, I'd take your last option, and give up. A horse which is known to "Bolt", is at a real risk of killing its rider, and or itself.

I no longer ride, but if I did, and if I ever had a horse of my own which committed the cardinal sin, then it would be put down, without a second thought. A genuine bolter is a horse with a mind set which re-bitting is unlikely to cure, and the more severe the bit, the more determined the bolt. I wouldn't even begin to think of "understanding" the creature, I'd shoot it.

I've only ever once been truly frightened whilst on the back of a horse. The owner, when I told her of our little event, laughed and said that the mare was prone to that, sometimes. She sold her a month or so later, and both the horse and her new owner went under the front of a lorry. At least they were both killed outright.

Alec.

Ets. The above are harsh words, perhaps, and I should point out that there's a world of difference between being "carted" and "bolted" with. a.
 
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Sorry but in my opinion if you have a confirmed bolter that you cannot contain then you need to do what Alec says.
Having had to pick up pieces (literally) for someone whose horse didnt stop till he went over/through a stone wall I'd not continue. They had given that horse every chance, it did not come right in the 2 years so after the wall affair it was destroyed on the spot.

You admit you have tried just about anything & everything - sometimes that can work, but from what you say in your post, it appears you have run out of ideas - and the horse is STILL doing a runner - and a blind runner, which is true bolting.

Please, dont wait till you - or some unwitting 3rd party gets damaged :(
 
I don't think you can stop a horse that is truly bolting. If it is, I agree with Alec :( I once saw a horse gallop over a cliff when it bolted out hunting, I had one who galloped into the sea wall, killed itself and very nearly me. It was ridden in an army reversible, nothing was going to stop it. There is a difference to a blind bolt and being taken off with though, if it's the latter then the army reversible might help.
 
It's not really a case of sticking a stronger bit on the poor fella, but addressing why he is doing it in the first place - it may also make things worse by adding a lot of pain to the fear. Which means stopping the situation where he does it from occurring and starting back at the beginning with building in the trust you already have and letting him be a horse again - i.e. long periods turned out with other horses. But he may alway do this in some circumstances, so the decision on safety is there to be made.

Paula
 
If the horse is running in the way you describe I'd be likely to agree with the above. Even if you do find a bit that strong a horse that runs at jumps with so little concern that it ends up on the floor sounds like an accident waiting to happen.

There is also the point that a bit capable of stopping a horse in its tracks is too fine an instrument for xc. What if you need to let the horse pull you a bit? What if you have to make an adjustment but get it slightly wrong? Over bitting can be as dangerous as under bitting especially since, as you say, most of the time the horse doesn't need anything strong.

Not every horse is suitable for every job and it's not always straight physical talent that's the conditional aspect.
 
Oh no, how terribly frightening. How many times has your horse really bolted with you and is there any routine with it or certain triggers? If there is then you have something to build on, if it is random then I'm afraid I agree with the others that pts May be the best option.

If your boy gets so stressed out that he is box walking and weaving then why not keep him out 24/7? I am in no way thinking that this will cure your problem but it could help with the overall mental well being. I used to have a box walking stressy tb a few years ago and living out really helped him, we used to sji every weekend and he was instantly more chilled once he was living out.
 
This is not a happy horse and all the different bits and gags will not solve the problem .He is not safe to ride from how you describe him you are doing neither of you any good continuing trying to remedy this.He would be best kept as a companion or put to sleep as his life sounds miserable despite your best efforts.
 
I have a horse that is fabulous XC but never could handle the adrenaline involved in hunting and would bolt right past the huntsmaster! (oh the shame!). I tried all manner of bits to no avail.... and then one of the guys out hunting calmly observed one day that it's nothing to do with what's in his mouth, it's what's in his brain.

.... I took the hint with this horse and ditched the hunting and focussed instead on what he was good at and really enjoyed (and now hunt OH's horse when I feel the need ;) )

IMHO, if he's truely bolting, forget it and find another job he likes/ can handle.

If he's "just" strong at times, that's a schooling issue but very good cautions above about putting in a stronger bit that could actually prove counter-productive.
 
thankyou to everyone who took the time to read this and reply. I have alot to think about! Most of which i knew already but its great to hear it from others.
 
I would agree with others. Are u interested in dressage as it seems he only does it jumping from what you say? Either u concentrate on dressage or think of the other options before something really serious happens. We don't want to read about something terrible happening to you in future as you have had solid advice. Sorry.
 
i'd want to get to WHY he panics. If he does it when you click, do it a LOT to desensitize him. Or it may be that you only click (and kick?) in moments when he's about to panic? If you want to persevere, I would avoid ANY situations with fixed fences until you've cured the panic attacks, if you can. There's a difference between a 'scooter' (accelerates in panic but IS still aware of you and of what is around it) and a bolter (been on 1, once, ever, jeezus christ never again please, NOTHING i did made any difference, and NO bit in the world would have either.)
I would also do all the usual checks - teeth (different dentist to your usual one), back, saddle. Maybe he's running from a pain you do not know about? Some horses have very low tolerance thresholds...
If you want to persevere I would also seriously look at trying Jason Webb or someone similar, he has a great reputation with horses with problems. And I know it's utterly crazy but I would also maybe try an animal communicator... I don't care what anyone says, sometimes you get to the end of your tether, and when your safety and the horse's is in the balance, as here, you'll clutch at straws. I did, and I'm glad I did, because I got a lot of answers, and eventually, having done a lot of things, a totally different horse.
Good luck, sincerely hope you have a good outcome with him.
 
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