Horse keeps tanking off on hacks

Perfect_Pirouette

Perfect_Pirouette

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Well G is pretty good to hack, he doesn't spook and when he's on his own he's fine. In company however all he wants to do is race.

A few weeks ago I had a horrible hack on him when he very nearly killed us both. We went out with 1 other person and just walked and trotted and as we were heading back at a trot down this drive, all of a sudden he just shot off at a gallop and I could not stop him, other horse who's an ex racer shot off too and was leaping about beside me so I couldn't turn him or do anything and we were heading towards the road, I was practically pulling his back teeth out and he wouldn't stop. This drive is a hidden driveway and about 50 yards before the road I knew he wasn't going to stop and was thinknig 'oh my god if a car's coming we're both dead' he didn't stop and shot straight out onto the road with the women I was with screaming. Luckily there were no cars coming.


Ever since then I've been slightly wary as although he's taken off before he's never not stopped at the end of the track. Took him out on my own yesterday and he was ok we were having a lovely hack, then I turned him to go home and all of a sudden he went from walk to gallop and again shot off full pelt along this track and I couldn't stop him he was so strong. I was terrified I wasn't going to be able to pull him up in time before the road and the same thing would happen again, but lukcily I did manage to pull him up. I then took him on the roads the whole way home as he was snorting and jigging around and didn't want to risk him taking off again. He was then a pain on the roads, side stepping, jogging, spooking at things he wouldn't normally blink at.

I have a dutch gag and a pelham, I'm wondering whether to change his bit from his normal snaffle to one of these for hacking? Also maybe considering a martingale, if nothing else for something for me to hold onto as he has no mane.
 
wow that sounds so scary! i would definitley put a martingale on him if i were you. I used to have a problem with my boy tanking off and i put stronger bits in him and it seemed to work for a week or so but he would find a way around it or just pull against it. ou will never ever win a pulling match as they are 10x stronger than us. The thing that worked for me was going back to basics in the school if you dont have a school you can do it whilst hacking im still learning but i put my boy back in a snaffle and just walked everywhere doing lots of half halts and flexing and giving gently all the way round the hack. also have you changed his food? is he getting a lot more? im not an expert but if i were you i would slow everything down and get some schoolong in and teach him to respect you again.
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vulgar!!! i would cut his feed right back and stick some brakes in his mouth for when and if required!!! do a bit of schooling in school and hacking. lots of transitions and half halts pat up when good and be firm and repeat if not listening!! try to hack with good steady friends for a little while til control is back! one going off on one is bad enough but when your companion lights up as well you wont get much say!
 
I would put a stronger bit in and the martingale BUT the most important thing is to make him listen before then, ie lots of halt, walk rein back and be firm making him do it and lots of praise when he does. I don't think I need to tell you this is going to get even worse if you don't deal with it now. Everytime he gets a little too forward going home, turn him away and walk away from home. Be careful tho he may not like this
 
I would stop all feed except hay or haylage which ever and start from there. I would put a pelham on with roundings. I was once told and have found this to work in a situation like that worth a try if nothing else is working for a bolting horse. Cross your reins over his neck he is then fighting himself and it normally slows them down enough to get control. How old is he? How long have you had him?
 
May also be worth trying a flash noseband along with your gag, if he can open his mouth he'll be twice as strong! As above don't forget to check saddle/teeth etc. Would also cut down on all feed, just stick to hay.
 
Poor horses !!! stronger bit, nose band!!! crap!!! once they get there neckstraight and start to run off its about all over,
whats needed is a bit basic ground work ie teach to disangage the hind quarters on the lunge and learn a one rein stop, pulling back with both reins is a no no..
 
My girl hasn't galloped of with me par si but when we canter out she can get very very strong and I have no brakes at all. The only thing that works is firstly and most importantly, make sure you are not clamping your legs around her/him really tight as you are understandably scared (like I did
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) the vice like grip just pushes them on. Yes I'd also put a martingale on if he throws his head up to get away from you or just a neck strap/ breast plate if thats not an issue, just something for you to grab onto. When she/he tanks, first check your legs, 2ndly hold your martingale with one hand with a very short rein, with the other hand give him an almighty sock in the chops, might sound harsh but it works better than a constant pull, sock him once, if he doesn't listen, sock him again. You must try and keep your body relaxed, trust me I know how hard this is when your scared but it really really does help. I hope you get to the bottom of it and soon. Take care xx
 
he is an absolute gent in the school though isnt he ss?
and ive hacked out on him with my pony; who is a cow to hack out and nearly always tanks when we canter, and g never puts a foot wrong

so i have no idea whats happened to him lol
maybe worth teeth and back though.... cos hes never been like that has he?

i love him though lol
hope you sort it biatch
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sophee
xxxxxx
 
I agree that it would be a good idea to get him checked over first, putting a stronger bit in his mouth is not always going to be a solution. Especially if he's not normally like this, he may have a sore back/mouth? Have you changed anything recently with him? i.e feed, routine? hope you find a solution, i know how scary it is when they take off with you! I ended up in a hedge after throwing myself off a bolting horse, not pleasent!
 
No haven't changed feed or anything, he is an absoulute complete novice ride in the school and is so lazy I never ride without spurs. I don't think it's pain related as he only does this on the way home and he will do it on the way there if i'm hacking out with other horses, he always has wanted to race that's just the way he is. I think he's just getting really fizzy lately as I haven't been hacking him as much as it's too dark by time I finish work etc so now when we do go out he gets so excited.

Am gonna try him with the pelham and put a neckstrap on so i've got something to hold onto. I can't really cut out/down his feed as he's so lazy in the school so needs some oomph.
 
Do you get any pre warning he is about to tank off? Even if it is just a split second twitch or jog or anything? B used to have a tendancy of buggering off towards home but the more I rode her the more obvious it was she was thinking about it. As soon as I suspected she was gonig to tank off I'd turn her around and start heading in the oposite direction. She soon learnt that trying to run home didn't actually get her home faster at all.

Another thing I have done in the past with something that used to tank off was to take it somewhere safe where I knew I didn't need to worry about roads, traffic or people and just had miles of gallops. As predicted naughty pony took off, so I kicked it on till it was knackered and then kicked on some more. Never, ever legged it again after that and learnt a bit of respect!
 
Yes I can normally tell when he's going to do it, in fact I KNEW yesterday when I turned him towards home that he was gonna go really, but I had to go home sometime as it was getting dark and it literally was a walk to gallop transition so I had no time to try and stop im etc.

That's the thing, the only thing I wanted to do yesterday was find a really good spot not near any roads etc and give him a bloody good gallop as I could feel he needed to let off steam, we have fantastic hacking but unfortunately all the tracks are like a mud bath atm.
 
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