HBroom
Member
Hello,
I am hoping someone will be able to give me some advice in regards to stopping my horse from taking the bit and running with it. He is a 17 year old Irish Sport Horse and is normally perfect to hack out on and stops and starts when I ask. But today when I rode out with 3 friends and had a canter, he dropped his head, took the bit and ran. He pulled so hard I almost came out of my seat and really struggled to bring his head up and stop him. He did it twice more, each time getting harder to stop. Once we had slowed down he was back to listening to me and being the perfect ride; no jogging or throwing his head and didn't at all try to go faster.
We haven't had a fast ride in a couple months, so I'm unsure if it was just him being overexcited at us finally having a canter/gallop? I am not a hugely confident rider due to having a horse bolt with me a few years back and landing me in hospital, so when I go fast, that's always at the back of my mind. Maybe I'm too tense in my seat and that causes him to run away from me or I'm too harsh with my hands, so he drops his head to relieve the pressure?
I'm wondering whether having more frequent fast rides would help him to calm down, as when I first bought him we would have a canter almost every ride and he was a gent. So much so he slowed to a walk when a horse bolted in front of him. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!
I am hoping someone will be able to give me some advice in regards to stopping my horse from taking the bit and running with it. He is a 17 year old Irish Sport Horse and is normally perfect to hack out on and stops and starts when I ask. But today when I rode out with 3 friends and had a canter, he dropped his head, took the bit and ran. He pulled so hard I almost came out of my seat and really struggled to bring his head up and stop him. He did it twice more, each time getting harder to stop. Once we had slowed down he was back to listening to me and being the perfect ride; no jogging or throwing his head and didn't at all try to go faster.
We haven't had a fast ride in a couple months, so I'm unsure if it was just him being overexcited at us finally having a canter/gallop? I am not a hugely confident rider due to having a horse bolt with me a few years back and landing me in hospital, so when I go fast, that's always at the back of my mind. Maybe I'm too tense in my seat and that causes him to run away from me or I'm too harsh with my hands, so he drops his head to relieve the pressure?
I'm wondering whether having more frequent fast rides would help him to calm down, as when I first bought him we would have a canter almost every ride and he was a gent. So much so he slowed to a walk when a horse bolted in front of him. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!