Hubby caught a bolting horse tonight but I'm pee'ved

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SecretSquirrell379

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Maybe I am totally in the wrong I'm not sure but at the moment I'm really hacked off
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On the way back from the yard tonight we saw a loose horse bolting across some stubble fields without a rider
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I pulled the car up, hubby grabbed a couple of apples from the back seat, jumped out and slowly went up to try and catch the horse. He was soaked in sweat, eyes popping out of his head and snorting like a bull! Just before hubby got there he bolted off up the road towards the busy main road. He caught up with him again at the top but a car zoomed past on the busy road and spooked him and he took off again. I picked hubby up and we drove quietly and at a distance down the road after him. A car coming towards us saw him and they blocked the road off their end, the girl got out and waved her arms at the horse. I stopped, hubby jumped out and the horse turned back towards us and just walked up to him. He was obviously pretty wound up but hubby is quite a horse whisperer and calmed him down quite quickly
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The girl from the car at the other end came up to us, undid his girth a bit, looked me up and down and asked if I knew who's horse it was. I didn't but I said that the guy who owns the tack shop lives a couple of doors down and he knows everyone as he fits saddles too so we should take the horse there, to see if he knows him and if not he has stables where we could put him until the owner could be found.

I went to take the reins over the horses head and she snottily said don't do that, I asked why and she said 'I've got horses and you don't take reins over the head if they have a martingale on' Now I don't pretend to know all in the slightest so I said 'So have I, but is it not better to take them over as he is obviously still stressed out and if he pulls back at least you have got some extra length in the reins to give you an extra bit to hang onto?' To which shr replied 'Whatever' and walked off
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She was so snotty and rude, no wonder horsey people get a bad name sometimes.

Now I have no idea if she was right, I've never heard it before (doesn't mean I'm right though) but I've led my girl several times with reins over her head and with a martingale on and never had a problem.

Hubby took the horse to D's and I jumped in the car to go and look for the rider. The horse had come from across the stubble so I went down to the farm, saw the farmer and he said it was ok to drive across his tracks to see if I could find her. The snotty girl was also looking for her and luckily she found her and the girl was ok. I went back to the farm to let the farmer know she was ok and to thank him for letting me drive down his tracks.

By the time I got to pick hubby up it was all over really. D knew where the horse was from and he rode the horse (after checking it over) back to the girls yard with hubby walking shotgun, it was not far from where we caught him. When he got in the car he told me that the snotty girl had taken the rider back to the yard and the rider looked a bit confused at hubby and D. D said that he had checked the horse over and hubby had caught the horse. ' Oh I thought the girls had' she said
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she didn't even say thank you to hubby. To be honest the poor girl had had a bit of a shock and its forgivable, she had taken quite a tumble and her horse had pegged it home well over a mile. She was probably in shock. There was no need for the snotty girl to be snotty and she's really pee'd me off
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I may be being silly and its not that we wanted to take any credit, its not that at all. As long as the rider and the horse are safe thats all that matters. There was just no need at all for the snotty girl to talk to me like that, even if she was right (if she was can someone tell me the reasons why the reins should not go over the top please!)

Sorry if I have bored you to sleep, just wanted to vent
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If a horse has a martingale on, you leave the reins and just lead with your hand on the reins by the bit. You can pull them down/move them towards horse's ears so you've got a bit of leeway.

The martingale straps don't have enough room in them to let the reins be taken over the head properly, unless obviously they're super long and probably not doing anything anyway.

That's what I was taught/have done and told the kids to do.

But I can see why you wanted to as having more to hold onto is always useful for a horse who's not 100% calm. But there's no need for someone to be snotty about it

Well done to you and hubby for sorting horse out. Hope rider is ok too
 
If I came off and one of mine bolted, I would want someone like you and your husband there. Don't be upset at the rider, she was probably in total shock (I can remember coming off an ex-racer and it bolting down a busy road - someone caught it, but I was in so much shock I totally forgot to thank them). As for the snotty girl, she is right - you shouldn't pull the reins over the head if there is a martigale, but this doesn't excuse her for being snotty. Just be thankful that you and your husband were there and horse and rider were ok.
 
yes id like someone like you and your hubby there if my horses bolted as well.
i was always tought from a young age not to take reins over the head if you have a martingale on as well.
but as for her being snotty that was out of order you were only trying to help,the horse world is one of the bitchiest ones and also full of girls like that who put people off of entering the horse world !!
 
Well done tricksy and tricksy's OH!

Don't worry about it, she snotty, if she was really that horsey she woul dhave been more concerned with the horse and where the rider was than picking on someone that was helping!

I take the reins over the head with a martingale, I unbuckle the reins drop the martingale off, put the rings onto the neck strap and do the reins up and lead, but then everyone knows i'm predantic and have my own quirky ways! lol.
 
Well I have learned something new tonght
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seems I am the last person to know about the reins and martingale
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I was never taught things as a kid and I was (very willingly and of my own doing) thrown in at the deep end just over 2 years ago when I got Cropi. I know I have a lot to learn still and I lap up what I can.

As you say though it was the girls attitude that pee'd me off, she was so far up her own ar$e and talked to me like I was a peice of poo, the 'whatever' comment as she walked off was so unnecessary. I am not upset by the rider at all, she had a huge shock and was probably very bewildered by it all.

I'm probably being silly, thanks for your comments though, they are appreciated
 
I fell off my horse on xmas morning a few years ago in our village (was very hungover and pony felt like being very sharp!)
He dumped me waited for me to get up then legged it, ran a mile with me in hot pursuit!! Had a policeman stop me to ask me if anyone was riding the horse to which i replied "no, im the rider" (very restrained I thought!) He then took off in his policecar chasing, leaving me to run!!! Had several people chasing the beast in their cars and not one stopped for me! Was not impressed especially as not one of them caught him, when I arrived (eventually!) he was grazing on a cricket pitch with everyone watching!
Could of done with somepeople like you and your hubby then! Certainly wouldnt of been snotty, although probably rather red-faced and feeling the effects of the night before!
Had a very eventful day that day, after i caught the pony and got back on, he jogged sideways, bucking regularly the whole way home, and then had a group of small children throw rocks at me! It was so much fun! Dont ride on xmas day anymore!!!
 
[ QUOTE ]

I take the reins over the head with a martingale, I unbuckle the reins drop the martingale off, put the rings onto the neck strap and do the reins up and lead, but then everyone knows i'm predantic and have my own quirky ways! lol.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll remember that if there is ever a next time
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You're not meant to pull the reins over the head when a martingale is on, but its not really the time to witter about rights and wrongs is it? Well done for helping and dont let it put you off!
 
Well done to both of you for helping.

As for the snotty girl, who knows why she was like that, sometimes people who are actually quite shy can come across as snotty because they don't really know what to say..don't let it spoil your day - you did good
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To be honest if you'd caught my horse and looked after him I wouldn't give a monkeys whether you'd taken the reins over his head or not. The rider was probably just very shaken - I'm sure she'll be grateful when she realises what you did. No excuse for the other girl though.
 
I know you're not supposed to take the reigns over the head, but under the circumstances, with the horse being in the state that it was in I would have. You don't have as much control over the horse if the reigns are still up the kneck. At least if the horse tried to bolt again you had a better chance of keeping hold of it. I have caught 7 loose horses over the years and you just have to do your best at the time. Doing things 'the BHS way' is not the most important thing at the time. Well done!
 
oh well done for catching the horse

as for snotty girl if she knew that much she detached the martigale from the reins before putting over the head and she should have said that in a nice manner

but she didnt she just said your not meant to put reins over the head--- you should lead from the reins

but never explained why


so much for her trianing and knowledge---

if i said you not meant to i would have explained the reason why
and possibale made another friend

dont get hung up about it -- excuse the punn

you and your hubby are great and did what loyal caring people do -- respect comes in many forms and you respected the snotty girl unfortunately for you shes has any respect of others
bit in the gutter with manners then
 
Well all I can say is if ever it happened to me then I hope your hubby is about! You could have both just driven by and let them get on with it.

Some people just think far too much of themselves, especially some horsey people it seems
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I expect that the girl that came off is very grateful to you.

Well done both of you!
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...Just stumbled back after 15 hours sleep and PC camp all last week....

When leading with a martingale, slide the reins over the head and push the martingale ring on the near side round the reins to the ring on the other side - what I've been told to do all week at Pony Club
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I sure hope that there are people around like you and your OH if I ever fall off... Fancy a relocation to Warks? LOL.
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[ QUOTE ]
I take the reins over the head with a martingale, I unbuckle the reins drop the martingale off, put the rings onto the neck strap and do the reins up and lead,

[/ QUOTE ]

That was how I was always taught!! Except I was also told you should tie the martingale straps either in a knot togther if running (or to the neckstrap if standing). I was always taught that it was more dangerous to leave the reins on neck, especially in a situation like this where the horse may pull away!

Sounds like you and your OH did well - sod the snotty girl, I've known a few of those and you soon discover they have very few (if any) friends!
 
We caught an escapee endurance horse once and took it back to the competition and they never even thanked us even though it had been galloping along the main road to Thetford which is really dangerous. Also they didn't even seem too bothered about the rider and just sneered at us and made a comment about the stud we worked for.
 
Thank you all so much for your lovely comments. I have taken them all on board about the martingale and if I should ever ber in a situation again then I will take the rings of the martingale off the reins before I lead them off.

I popped into to see the lady and her horse this morning as I was worried that they were both ok. Apparently what happened is they were cantering on the stubble and a hare ran right infront of the horse, he spooked and started to bronco, she came off on the 3rd buck
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She was really really grateful and said thank you so many times, she said she had a good cry last night when it sunk in what had happened. She is a bit stiff today but the horse is fine, no puffy legs, hot feet or scratches on him
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amazing.

She said that she had gone out without her mobile as well and the houses that she ran too to get some help were empty, the people were out, so another lesson learnt there.

I'm so glad that it was all ok, the rider is fine and the horsey is too, he was very lucky as its such a fast road that he ran out onto.

Thanks again everyone xxx (I'll hire hubby out for a good price!!!)
 
she was right about the martingale and taking the reins over the head however there was no need for her to be snooty, she could have just helped you take the reins out of the martingale to make it easier !

She was probabily jealous that she was not the one that caught the horse !!!

well done, I had a bad fall and knocked at someones house after being nocked unconcious, i just kept saying thank you which I think can be worse that one thank you !!!
 
You were a good Samaritan and that's all that matters. You potentially saved the horse's life and possibly a car drivers life too had the situation become out of hand. Don't even waste your time thinking about what the girl said; she was snotty but so what, just ignore it; you did a good deed and you'll get your rewards elsewhere
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You did very well to catch the horse.

A leson to be learnt is that one should always have a tag on the horses saddle and bridle giving the owners and vets telephone numbers.
 
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