help! naughty youngster

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sonny310105

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so i bought a horse about 2 months ago, she's fantastic but hasn't done too much, she's 4 years old rising 5 in around 6 months. she is very responsive and sensitive but doesn't seem to listen to much. recently she has been getting stronger and more eager, and i think this is due to her becoming fit as she was not doing much work at all when i bought her. she's always a pain to get on, and now she's started bolting off with me at canter. i have had several saddles on her, and i have just bought her a wide one to pad out and make it much more comfortable for her as i think her other ones were pinching her a bit. i just wanted advice on bolting horses.. it's only ever in the school, she is fantastic to walk and trot, do everything else with but as soon as i ask for canter she locks on and just goes for it. sometimes i have had to do an emergncy stop, but recently i have been coming off her mouth more as she likes soft hands, which helps her relax but she still picks up speed, i cannot canter her without hanging on for dear life which stops me being able to school, hack, jump and train her and she has so much potential and her bolting is just causing her to go to waste! i have a grackle on her to stop her opening her jaw, and she is in a simple full cheek snaffle. advice please :D
 
I get a saddle fitter out to actually fit a saddle rather than just padding one out that is possibly too wide??!? if the previous saddles were tight and pinced, she might just be expecting that to happen every time she goes into canter? so it might take her a while to realise it doesn't hurt, once she has a properly fitting saddle!

I would also get her back checked as it might be sore from the old saddles!

and yes a riding instructor to help if the above is all fine!

oh and obviously get her teeth checked as well.
 
do lots of trot poles and set up some canter poles to get a steady rythm, canter on a circle, do just 5 or 6 strides of a steady canter and then back to trot, get her back steady and then again, 5 or 6 strides lots of reward after a couple of strides of a steady balanced canter

get the saddle checked rather than just padding out, PM me if you want some tips on checking yourself if you cant afford a saddler to come out (i dont know how much it is)
 
thanks for all your advice. busybee at the moment i can't set up canter poles or anything as she does just bolt. i tried that before she started bolting in canter and she did it over the poles, she use to be really chilled and had a collected pace for the canter, i don't know if she's just gotten into the habbit of doing it now, and everytime i circle she seems to speed up and nearly fall over lol! i have done lots of downward transitions e.g canter a few strides then trot, then repeat and she does get better but she's the type of horse to get bored quick.
 
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