Horse taking off - help!

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vivhewe

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Rode my boy again today - the first time I've ridden him properly since he took off with me and I broke my ankle. and he's trying it again
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His favourite trick is to throw his head up or around so that you lose contact, then he can speed up, and I've tried holding him on a tight rein but I don't want to ruin his mouth so that isn't a long term answer and it encourages him to toss his head about even more depending on what mood he is in.

I'm starting to lose my nerve with him, I don't mind going fast but I want to be in control - when he decided he's going I'm not
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I've made sure he doesn't have any issues, and it isn't all the time he does it (walks away from gate fine, rushes back today, but he just does it when he feels like it)

Any ideas/suggestions (I've already said shoot the sod though LOL!
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) will be welcomed. I've had them take off with me before but never had to get them out of the habit so any help will be appreciated
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Thanks x
 
hes trying it on imo from what you've said my horse does exactly the same if you take a hold of him, which i think you may well be doing due to your accident.
the way i dealt with it was to work my horse in the school (enclosed area) and when he goes just go with him hes gonna stop sooner or later and so long as you stay aboard hes not won, no reason for him to do it again so will proberbly stop even trying as mine did.
you've got to bit the bullet sometime just don't think about it too much as you will get too nervey and he will feel it, which in turn causes him to bolt (flee).
good luck as its not nice the first time but once he stops your confidence will soar of that i promise.
 
its difficult if you are now nervous and the horse sounds like he knows it.One thing that can work with horses that like to go fast is to basically let them go but then insist that they keep going even when they want to stop.You have to let them think it is your idea and not theirs.The one thing that definitely will not be helping is the tight hold on the reins because that will make him want to run to get away from the discomfort in his mouth.You need to loosen the contact and yes I know that does sound stupid but it does work.You say he throws his head right up to gain control.Does he wear any martingale? this may well help to stop him getting his head above the point of control for starters.
 
Don't know how much this will help as I am not the most experienced person in the world
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My mare also tries to tank off with me but she puts her head right down and just goes like a train!! I have to use a very strong contact to bring her back again and her mouth is still totally fine. She is iin a Myler Combination bit. She used to throw her head about and I used a martingale for a while so she could not do it. It has worked but she has now gone to the other extreme!

Have you got a school you can use to try and get him and you back into it again? It might help your confidence too, at least if he goes in the school he can't go far.

Good luck, I am sure others on here will be able to give you other advise too
 
He's in a martingale, I've tried both running and standing but his head still goes up. Riding on a loose rein means he just sets off right away, I tried that last time to stop him jogging but he simply walked a few steps then went to flat out gallop. I've managed to stop him napping and rearing and all sorts of other stuff but now I just feel like I can't any more
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Has anyone had any experiences of Worcestor nosebands? Do they help stop horses from bolting?
 
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Have you got a school you can use to try and get him and you back into it again? It might help your confidence too, at least if he goes in the school he can't go far.

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I haven't just 15 acres of field
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I'd put him on livery at my cousin's yard but it is full, and I don't fancy riding him there. I know if I ask anyone to take him in the trailer I'll get told to sod off lol!
 
I like your thinking! I wouldn't mind, I dragged him up the hill in walk and he was knackered, but he still wants to run around like an idiot when I don't want him to hurry up *sigh*
 
never tried a worcester noseband but how about a kineton one?they are great for horses that like their heads up in the air as it has a lowering action and works in conjunction with the bit so improves the brakes no end but to be honest if your horse is a genuine bolter which it sounds like he is getting that way there is nothing which is going to stop him from tanking off.As I said before you need to make him think that bolting is not a good idea and that you want to go fast and not let him stop when he is tired.
 
Hi - I feel for you as I have been through the same with my mare. I would also recommend the myler combination, it works a treat for her, they are expensive but the best bit of kit I have ever bought.

I wouldn't normally advise going for a stronger bit but, as I know from experience, when your confidence is taking a battering sometimes something like this can help give you that extra boost!! (hope that makes sense
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My mare never seems to run out of steam either, I don't know where she gets her energy from
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I have not got a menage either, its such a pain. What I did last spring/summer is to use electric fencing to fence off a school sized area in my field and don't let her in there to graze. That is her working area. I put my poles etc out to practice my flatwork, is that possible for you? Mind you 15 acres is a huge field!!
 
When mine was 'having a phase', I lunged him into the ground before I rode. Only had to do it for a week & he was like a little lamb. Might not be a textbook solution but like you I had a big field & no school & I was getting scared.

Also if you're tense & you think it's making the horse tense, try a 'half-release'. It's like a half-halt, but you repeatedly 'release' one rein at a time by half an inch or so. It breaks the deadlock of you pulling against him & my horse would nearly always soften & lower his head once I'd stopped hanging on for dear life.

Also, try getting your saddle checked / reflocked. It can make a HUGE difference.

Good luck!!
 
may sound drastic but if nothing more sensible works dismount at full gallop (only if in dangerous situation) and call your horses name.despite several years of intense tuition and too many bits to mention this was the only course of action that worked for me.still have my 14'2 no bolting now for 10 years.
 
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may sound drastic but if nothing more sensible works dismount at full gallop (only if in dangerous situation) and call your horses name.despite several years of intense tuition and too many bits to mention this was the only course of action that worked for me.still have my 14'2 no bolting now for 10 years.

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EEk thats suicidal.Not a good idea to get off going flat out.It is safer to stay on unless you have a horse that doesn't give a damn if they hurt themselves.Most horses won't do that and will stay out of trouble if they can.
 
We do occasionally get advice given on here which chills the soul and the above advice to get off at a full gallop just did that for me..
Do not under any circumstances follow this person's advice.
There are several things you should be doing.
Firstly keep the horse out as much as possible to use up his energy.
Look at what you are feeding him, and cut it down to mostly hay or haylage with little of no hard feed.
Ride out in company not alone.
If it's possible, lunge him first for at least 15 mins solidly to get rid of excess energy.
Look at what you are bitting him in.
Like most people I always advise going for the mildest bit the horse will go in but with a problem such as yours, you need some brakes you can use when necessary.
The Myler high port works very well on thicker mouthed types, the new schule has had good reports too.
If you can borrow a dutch gag, this will work very effectively but it's a step up in severity from the first two bits.
Something else you can try is to long rein him in a stronger bit. get him going in trot then be pretty tough and literally pull him hard to a stop. You need to psychologically break through his idea that he is in control and can bugger off whenever he feels like it. No you won't find that in any BHS manual but it works, and if it saves you breaking another ankle I'm afraid so be it.
I think your nerves are causing a lot of the problem, does he bomb off with other people too?
Reading your post the bit where you talk about a tight rein sounds like the cause to me, you should never be in the position of "tight" but keep moving your hands
very gently with he contact rather than fix and pull.
When my kids' ponies went through phases of bombing off I did the above, one pony ended up so well schooled he got chosen for the Dressgae Talent spotting final, yet on his bad days we had to use a gag to stop him b***g off when jumping..
Any bit can be kind or harsh in a horse's mouth, just because it is capable of being so doesn't mean you need to use it like that much at all. You can be as gentle with a gag as a rubber snaffle.
I would also advise having some instruction, a good instructor will see what's happening and advise how to stop it.
 
Your situation sound mildly like mine was - in that my horse bolted and I had to bail out and I broke my ankle.
He is NOT a bolter, but once in canter/gallop he will completely ignore all aids and do what he wants which terrifies me.
I always thought it was just me as my friends got on fine with him, until one day he really tanked off with my sis and only stopped till he hit concrete, and she is a really good confident rider who had ridden lots of difficult horses.

This may sound obvious, and I see it has been said already but please check your saddle and also get his mouth checked! Also you might want to change his feed? I have taken Beau completely off cool mix(cool? PAH!) and I definately prefer having to use my legs to having to use my hands. He now just gets happy hoof and a balancer.

Beau was out on Loan to a girl that loves XC, and the introduction of jumps to galloping seemed to have a positive effect in that he did become more controlable, but a trip hunting proved that it was conditions dependant
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.
This girl had no fear, and 2 concussions and thumbs that will never be the same she still rode him XC, and SJ and he seems to have learnt that he cant win.............but it has taken almost 18 months.
And in that time I learnt to handle my fear, and in turn Beau has become more relaxed when I ride him, so much so that when flat schooling we now use a snaffle, but for jumping we use a waterford + martingale is we are hacking and planning a canter. He doesnt put his head up past a normal on the bit position but goes behind it so we have the martingale a bit shorter than usual and this works well, but I have my reins slightly lose so that he cant use up my "braking reserve". I would say stear clear of dutch gags(sorry) my boy was in that and it made him over bend, and so evade the bit and when braking was needed there was nothing left. I do agree with most of what henry horn has said, but I have light hands and Beau just used this to his advantage. He came to me in the gag but also had not been ridden for months. DO you use a flash?

He also seems to respond to voice aids now, I yelled Whoa when my sis was jumping tonight (just for a laugh) and he just went to walk adn then stopped
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I am now looking for am instructor as I want to compete, but as I still refuse to jump in canter (i still have a wee fear of speed) its hard!

When I was youner there was a lady at my friends yard who could be quite happily eating grass out on a hack then just out of the blue head up, and off! With grass still in mouth! He would go till he got bored then stop, back/teeth everythign physically fine, he was a very happy loving horse, bit of a plod in the school, not really fizzy at all. We just reckoned it was like a mental Tic or something as when ever he bolted he always looked blissfully unaware of what he was doing.

Thats just some of my experiences...............well done if u survived reading that and it make one iota of sense
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Is there any way you could send him away for schooling for a couple of weeks (obviously explaining to the trainer what your problems are?). After a couple of weeks you could go and ride him under supervision and perhaps get a bit more confident again. It just seems to me that this very unpleasant habit needs nipping in the bud before it becomes too ingrained. Just a thought.
 
Personally I'd be training him to be responsive to 'one rein stops'. It's an emergency brake type thing.
I've had lots of bolters over time, and this method could even stop my thick set connemara in her tracks, she was a true bolter with a neck to rival rosiie's Herc.

You're best using a fulmer/cheeked snaffle or using a lip strap to link the two bit rings of a normal snaffle, to stop the bit being pulled through the mouth.
Starting at a halt, you need to have him truely flexing in both directions so that his nose touches your foot, he should follow your hand right the way around. Make him hold it for a few secs, then release to him. Once he does this you need to start introducing it at walk, and then trot and so on.
It's going to take a bit of time, and you should do it in an enclosed space, you don't need much room.
One of my mares (bucked, reared, bolted, napped, you name it!) had the one rein stop every time she tried something on - they just can't p*ss about with their head at that angle. She eventually knew that i only had to pick up the one rein a little and she'd behave, as she knew there just wasn't any pint in her trying.

By pulling their head around at that angle you disengage their hindquartes and the power just ebbs away. Google it, its an aussie thing that they swear by, claiming that a horse that doesn't one rein stop isn't safe to ride. Its even taught by the pony club over there.

Whatever you decide to try, I hope you stay safe. Confidence is harder to mend that bones. Good luck. x
 
Thanks everyone! I've tried replying a few times to everyones replies this morning and it hasn't worked in here, so I had a rant in Soapbox
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I certainly won't be throwing myself off him at a gallop - I'm not keen on hitting the ground involuntarily, so I'm not going to guarantee myself a broken ankle! LOL!

I will try what I think will work out of the adive you have all kindly given me. He had never took off before I broke my ankle, and as I didn't discipline him at the time (i.e. get back on and walk him, insisting on a nice walk) so he has 'won' - once I phsycologically win he will be easy to ride again, once I didn't allow him to nap he hasn't tried it since. I'm off to long rein him now and work on me having control and not him - it helped when he wouldn't go past a certain part of hedge in the field - and hopefully it will give me more confidence too.

Then when I get on him I will definitely be trying the one-rein stop Bounty
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I'd heard of it but wasn't sure of it, but it is something which I think will really work with him as once you get his attention like that he is a star
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Totally agree with you on the confidence is harder to mend than bones statement too - it really is so true and has really struck a chord with me
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Whatever I try I will be careful - I hate being on crutches for a start! x
 
I'm just gutted that I didn't think quickly enough to do the whole one rein stop thing the other week when on the youngster, it would have saved me all the pain and inconvenience of a broken collar bone!
It just happened so quickly, and tbh I never thought that walk-halt transitions could end so dramatically, so I was completely off guard for naughtiness! Kicking myself!!

Hope you and your ned resolve your issues (or rather his issues with you being the boss!). Looking forward to hearing the reports on your progress, you'll be back to where you were in no time at all. x
 
I'm having similar problems with Chex since I've got back on him after breaking my leg. My problem is complete lack of muscle I think - I don't have the strength to pull him up in my arms, or in my leg. Amazing how quick the muscle disapears and how long it takes to come back again! I'm not losing my confidence, but he's at beginning of fitness and shouldn't be galloping about! I'm going to change him into his dutch gag again I think, until I can get my strength back and he stops taking the piss! Anyhow, this isn't actually helping you lol, so I'll shut up now lol
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On no account ever bail out... it would never enter my head... even at full tilt you're safer on board than throwing yourself off. My only exception to this would be if the horse was about to gallop over a cliff or across a motorway...

The one-rein stop sounds great in an emergency and the theory behind it is absolutely right - disengaging the hindquarters gives you total control. But personally until you feel safe on his back and can trust him not to p*** off whenever he wants I would stick to ground work but working on the same idea of disengaging his hindquarters. I like Richard Maxwell's books and DVDs and his methods with the pressure halter which work on disengaging the hindquarters. You get the horse seeing you as leader and therefore he will always look to you for instructions as opposed to taking off on his own accord whenever he wants. Richard advocates lots and lots of groundwork to lay the foundations before you even think about getting back in the saddle. He's got a great forum as well on his website where you can ask his advice - might be worth registering and asking him exactly what re-training programme you should follow.
 
Chex you are helping - it make me feel slightly better to know it isn't just me
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I hope you get there soon too - my leg definitely isn't as strong as it was for giving leg aids
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Hope you get riding properly again soon too - I'm sure you will
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Gedenski's girl - I'm already on Richard Maxwell's forum
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Will definitely ask on there - can't believe I didn't think of going on there duh! LOL!

Bailing out isn't something I've thought of doing lol! I was hoping I'd manage to stay on until he stopped last time, either back with the welshie or back at the other field gate - just silly me had to fall off
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Thank you
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