Is it time to call it a day?

Im not convinced this was a true bolt...no doubting the scarey situation though. Could it not just be that he saw the wire at the last second and didnt stop in time? A true bolter would have carried on with the fence dragging behind regardless of the injuries sustained...this is not what sounds like happened here.
 
Clodagh said:
A horse that runs into a fence is IMO a true bolter as they normally have the sense to save themselves. I wouldn't get on him again but I'm not overly brave either.
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We don't know that the Horse did run into the fencing though. He may have slipped into it. I'm not sure if the OP had witnessed that part?

I agree though, if he did run into it, true bolter. If he just slipped, I would say in this instance he was just overwhelmed and tanked with his rider.
 
redriverrock said:
Im not convinced this was a true bolt...no doubting the scarey situation though. Could it not just be that he saw the wire at the last second and didnt stop in time? A true bolter would have carried on with the fence dragging behind regardless of the injuries sustained...this is not what sounds like happened here.
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Not if he was physically stuck and unable to get out of the wire. The Op said Fencing had wrapped around the Horse.
 
LaurenBay said:
We don't know that the Horse did run into the fencing though. He may have slipped into it. I'm not sure if the OP had witnessed that part?

I agree though, if he did run into it, true bolter. If he just slipped, I would say in this instance he was just overwhelmed and tanked with his rider.
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I dont think running into the fence indicates a bolter...running through it regardless may indicate a true bolt but even then we are giving the horse the brains to now barbed wire is dangerous when in reality it could just be a bit thick!
 
redriverrock said:
This sounds a little like an incident we had with our haffie who spooked at a herd of alpaca and went straight through a very thick hawthorn hedge, ditch and wire fence and then stood grazing within 10 secs... [...] This was not a bolt [...]
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I don't get it! What is a 'true bolt', then? What's tanking in comparison?
 
I would look for pain. However, even if found, and I doubt it judging by his reaction after you caught and untangled him, this may not be the horse for you.

Your confidence is shot and rightly so. I would not get back on this horse. Check for pain. Even then I'd send him to someone else to school. What it sounds like to me is a horse who is developing a nice habit of running off.

Here's what it boils down to. You are now scared of horse. You want a happy hacker to enjoy. So you have to make a decision. One that's not just right for you but horse too.

We get threads like these from time to time. Person scared, and rightly so. All advice is to keep going and it will get better. Well the commitment for the owner is huge and it involves getting help and being very commited. Running off is not a nice trait in a horse. Some people don't want that headache and they want a horse that they can enjoy. I never blame them which puts me in the minority. But it certainly can't be much fun. All of us can't be experts at riding through every problem. And sometimes even then you want nothing more than a solid mount under you to give you a nice time. I say this as someone who gets horses in sometimes on their last chance. I can't just focus on the horse. I need the Rider's expectations. What they want for the horse. So the commitment on their part has to be solid. It's not just a case of dropping them off for 6 weeks and horsie will be fixed forever. And just because one person may not gel with a horse it doesn't mean someone else won't. And this is at ALL levels of riding. Not just novices.

So you have some decisions to make both in the interest of you and your horse. Not easy, but the last thing you need is a bad injury. That's really the bottom line.

Terri
 
There will be people on here who have far more experience than me but I have only been on one true bolter and they do not stop just because they are abit tangled up!
One particulary bad example of a true bolter was a TB rode by a lady a friend of mine knew whose horse (which she had been warned about) decided to gallop full on into the side of a house...killing itself (think it broke its neck) and put the rider in a wheeelchair. Please dont shoot me down in flames...I know this is extreme and I dont want to scare the op but without seeing what happened it is very difficult to say but imo this was not a bolt that a experienced rider couldnt have controlled...
 
Equilibrium Ireland said:
I would look for pain. However, even if found, and I doubt it judging by his reaction after you caught and untangled him, this may not be the horse for you.

Your confidence is shot and rightly so. I would not get back on this horse. Check for pain. Even then I'd send him to someone else to school. What it sounds like to me is a horse who is developing a nice habit of running off.

Here's what it boils down to. You are now scared of horse. You want a happy hacker to enjoy. So you have to make a decision. One that's not just right for you but horse too.

We get threads like these from time to time. Person scared, and rightly so. All advice is to keep going and it will get better. Well the commitment for the owner is huge and it involves getting help and being very commited. Running off is not a nice trait in a horse. Some people don't want that headache and they want a horse that they can enjoy. I never blame them which puts me in the minority. But it certainly can't be much fun. All of us can't be experts at riding through every problem. And sometimes even then you want nothing more than a solid mount under you to give you a nice time. I say this as someone who gets horses in sometimes on their last chance. I can't just focus on the horse. I need the Rider's expectations. What they want for the horse. So the commitment on their part has to be solid. It's not just a case of dropping them off for 6 weeks and horsie will be fixed forever. And just because one person may not gel with a horse it doesn't mean someone else won't. And this is at ALL levels of riding. Not just novices.

So you have some decisions to make both in the interest of you and your horse. Not easy, but the last thing you need is a bad injury. That's really the bottom line.

Terri
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Could not agree with this more!
 
have read through the thread and thought I would add the following.

No matter what his problem is, he has lost your trust on a massive scale. I wasted 10 years of unhappy horse ownership 'trying' and 'giving the benefit of doubt' and got to the point of giving up rding for good.

Eventually I realised that this was my hobby - something I do because I love being with horses and riding. Owning horses is not cheap, we all go without to make sure our horses have the best. We only live once, we need to enjoy what we do whilst we can. Have a vet check him and then move him on however you can. Then, go to someone like www.safecobs.com and buy the right horse for you that you can trust and build up your riding again. Take your time and find the right horse.

I now have a cob/ID thing (have no idea of actual breeding) - she is forward going as cobs can be and is 6 but she is predictable and stable and I am having fun on her - the first time in many years. She is also the smallest horse at 15.3 that I have had (I'm 5'9") ever and I love being closer to the ground! - so maybe for your confidence you should look for a smaller horse. It has certainly helped me.

Good luck and don't give up - the right horse is out there somewhere and just think, this time next year you could be writing an answer like I am now!!:)
 
think some of the advice here is a little harsh. End of the day, this is a young horse, not getting much work and reacted accordingly. My 5 year old took me by surprise and tanked yesterday. He wasn't hard to pull up but I have put it down to him letting me know he is getting fed up with so many slow hacks and schooling (due to slippery boggy ground) so he will be going out jumping this weekend to let off some steam and probably the gallops the week after. 3 days a week is not a lot of work - thats less than my old mare gets and she is 24!. If you are not enjoying him, then check he is safe first by having a more experienced rider on him, then sell, but think you asked a lot of him and can understand why he behaved like this. However, your horse is supposed to be fun so I would look at something that is happy with a lower work load.. possibly go to a charity for a low key hacking horse and reduce your overall stress!
 
Floxie said:
I don't get it! What is a 'true bolt', then? What's tanking in comparison?
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The difference between a Horse tanking and a Horse bolting is, in the situation of a Horse tanking, a confident and experienced rider will be able to stop it. Usually the Horse is taking the mick or could be a pain response of some sort. It is dangerous but manageable with the right rider.

A bolt however is very dangerous. No matter how experienced the rider you are merley a passenger. The Horse has no regard for its own safety, which puts you both in danger. With a bolter is it often better to bail out and chuck yourself off, before you get too hurt.

I have been through both and whilst tanking can be scary, it is nothing compared to the fear of a Horse bolting with you.

IMO bolting (along with flipping over backwards) is the most dangerous thing a Horse can do and if it can't lead a non ridden life, it should be destroyed before it kills someone.
 
I don't think the advice here has been overly harsh. And also if this horse were to increase his work load, the other end of the spectrum is increased fitness. Part of the puzzle. No 2 situations are ever alike. Makes no difference what you or I do with horses, this situation is not fixable over the Internet.

What we do have is a woman who is afraid to ride her horse. A horse that tanks off when he bloody well feels like it. Telling her to get back on and get him to let off steam probably isn't going to help. Maybe it's pain, maybe not. Even if it is pain, the problem may still exist if he's expecting it. But just from reading it probably isn't pain. But that's the information as I'm reading.

There is never any shame in not being a superstar can ride anything rider. Accepting you need help or even need to sell means horse is likely to find a better situation and rider can find something she enjoys and feels safe on. Horses cost too much money and time to be scared daily. There are riders out there that would enjoy this horse. He may thrive with somewhere else. He has youth on his side. Again huge commitment on a rider's part involving outside help. Or you can have something more suited to ability and time spent riding. Horses are meant to be fun. And no I don't mean they are to be turfed our like trash. I mean you do your very best for your horse. He needs sent away for some schooling and he should be fine and ready to be sold honestly. I get people coming to me with their horses and they've lost all confidence. I feel really badly their dream has turned into a nightmare. I feel badly for the horses too. When I see confidence return to both I'm happy. It's not meant to be a struggle. Unfortunately love, rainbows, and fairy tales do not make horses better.

Terri
 
Personally, I would get the horse checked out by dentist, back person, saddler, thermal imaging and vet. This will then give a good idea if the horse is in pain or not.

If it's not, it can be sent to someone to school and sell. If it is in pain, it can be treated, and taken from there.

IMO you see to many posts on here about novice riders wanting to send a horse back the instant it puts a hoof wrong, and the compensation culture, not to do as many pain checks as possible before selling
 
Floxie said:
I don't get it! What is a 'true bolt', then? What's tanking in comparison?
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Its a load of rubbish that's what. They're both runaway horses and that's what bolting is in my book. What people like to describe as a true bolt is where the horse has totally lost any awareness of the rider's aids as is running in full flight without any thought to is safety. In reality bolting is a lot more varied and has a sliding scale exactly the same as rearing, bucking and shying.

Some horses who have bolted can be cured or managed and some are always going to be a massive danger to themselves and to people around them. It has degrees, just like rearing and you need to figure out how serious this horse's issue is, whether you can get on top of it, whether it is something a more experienced rider can get on top of or whether persevering with it would be a danger to anyone who attempted to try.
 
Flame_ said:
Its a load of rubbish that's what. They're both runaway horses and that's what bolting is in my book. What people like to describe as a true bolt is where the horse has totally lost any awareness of the rider's aids as is running in full flight without any thought to is safety. In reality bolting is a lot more varied and has a sliding scale exactly the same as rearing, bucking and shying.

Some horses who have bolted can be cured or managed and some are always going to be a massive danger to themselves and to people around them. It has degrees, just like rearing and you need to figure out how serious this horse's issue is, whether you can get on top of it, whether it is something a more experienced rider can get on top of or whether persevering with it would be a danger to anyone who attempted to try.
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Not sure this is helpful for the op but we are all entitled to a opinion but I personally think you are wrong...sorry
 
Equilibrium Ireland said:
I would look for pain. However, even if found, and I doubt it judging by his reaction after you caught and untangled him, this may not be the horse for you.

Your confidence is shot and rightly so. I would not get back on this horse. Check for pain. Even then I'd send him to someone else to school. What it sounds like to me is a horse who is developing a nice habit of running off.

Here's what it boils down to. You are now scared of horse. You want a happy hacker to enjoy. So you have to make a decision. One that's not just right for you but horse too.

We get threads like these from time to time. Person scared, and rightly so. All advice is to keep going and it will get better. Well the commitment for the owner is huge and it involves getting help and being very commited. Running off is not a nice trait in a horse. Some people don't want that headache and they want a horse that they can enjoy. I never blame them which puts me in the minority. But it certainly can't be much fun. All of us can't be experts at riding through every problem. And sometimes even then you want nothing more than a solid mount under you to give you a nice time. I say this as someone who gets horses in sometimes on their last chance. I can't just focus on the horse. I need the Rider's expectations. What they want for the horse. So the commitment on their part has to be solid. It's not just a case of dropping them off for 6 weeks and horsie will be fixed forever. And just because one person may not gel with a horse it doesn't mean someone else won't. And this is at ALL levels of riding. Not just novices.

So you have some decisions to make both in the interest of you and your horse. Not easy, but the last thing you need is a bad injury. That's really the bottom line.

Terri
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Well said.
 
My 5 year old cob is generally a very quiet safe easy going hack BUT she gets bored, I'm always asked if I will nanny horses and once a week maybe is fine but if she constantly has to go slow she gets fed up, she likes a good blast as much as the next horse. I can control her but I feel it's a bit boring for a young horse to be the nanny anyway. This might not be the same situation but it's possible he could have just got bored and wanted to go, and with a rusty rider who he didn't know he took advantage and went?
 
Thank you all once again for your thoughts and advice and experience.

As many of you on here will know, keeping your horses at home is hard relentless work with very little time for actual riding - far more time taken up poo picking, fencing, repairing etc etc - but I don't mind the work if I feel I'm doing it for the right horse. For 8 years I persevered with a mare who had neurological problems, I was thrown, run away with, crushed and frightened to death before I accepted that she was dangerous and the safest thing to do was have her PTS. I don't think that applies to this boy - I do think had a more experienced rider been on board, they may have been able to pull him up - but then again, maybe they wouldn't have and therein lies my problem - it's the doubt and the lack of trust, especially when my attention is going to be split going forward with keeping an eye on my daughter on her pony. I need a plod I can trust as much as possible but looking for one is a long way off until I can decide what is right for the beautiful boy I fell in love with.

Thanks all - it's good to get a 'horsey' point of view. x
 
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