just been bolted off with down a steep hill

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TarwinBate

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Just had what i can bluntly describe as one of the most scary experiences of my life. 11 year old horse (so should know a lot better) bolted off with me tonight down a very steep hill on a narrow track (so steep that we normally always walk down) and straight onto a main road. Luckily neither of us were injured, apart from me being very shaken up.

What I wondered was if anyone had any tips on how i could stop him if he did this again? I tried everything i could think of in a panic, pulling, sawing, just pulling on one rein repeatedly, yanking with my hands up high to try and get his head up, he nearly ended up jumping a 5 bar gate that is just next to the road, but ended up swerving round it, which ended in him slowing and me managing to get him under control, however the whole hack back i was in tears, not helped by him leaping around next to the road and going up!
 
Poor you, that sounds really scary.

Do you know what set him off?? I would put a stronger bit in for a bit, till you get your confidence back. Just so you are not nervous about him doing it again, and you can enjoy your hacking. Will save him picking up on your nerves as well.
 
Gosh! Glad you're OK OP.

Has he done this before? (with you or someone else?); how long have you had him? What's your feeding/exercise regime? Has this changed recently?

Have you had a different saddle fitted? Different bit? Is he in pain anywhere? When did you last have his teeth/back checked?

Did anything set him off?

Sorry, lots of questions........... think you need, for now, to not go out onto the roads or anywhere and just stay in safe space like the school, and maybe get a professional's advice to see what is going on.
 
Thankou everyone for the replies, yes think staying in the school is the best option for now!

In answer to your questions MiJods, As far as i'm aware he hasn't, he went through a phase about 8 months ago of bronking in fields and bucking me off, but never bolting off like that! I've had him about 18 months now, and he gets ridden 6 days a week, his day off would have been tomorrow! And feeding he's just on chaff and nuts due to weight management, no things changed!

Had the same saddle since i got him, last got it checked about 3 months ago, same bit for the past 6 months, i don't know about pain to be fair! Had his teeth done in march and his back done last week. From what i was aware there was nothing, came out of the blue!!
 
TarwinBate said:
Thankou everyone for the replies, yes think staying in the school is the best option for now!

In answer to your questions MiJods, As far as i'm aware he hasn't, he went through a phase about 8 months ago of bronking in fields and bucking me off, but never bolting off like that! I've had him about 18 months now, and he gets ridden 6 days a week, his day off would have been tomorrow! And feeding he's just on chaff and nuts due to weight management, no things changed!

Had the same saddle since i got him, last got it checked about 3 months ago, same bit for the past 6 months, i don't know about pain to be fair! Had his teeth done in march and his back done last week. From what i was aware there was nothing, came out of the blue!!
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Give him the benefit of the doubt. My driving pony Bolted with down a road in the carriage, ive never been so scared in my life, he was terrified of a herd of shetlands that he could hear but couldnt see. Ive worked on my (and his) confidence and he has never done it again
 
Hope you're ok! Sounds very scary!

I too would give him the benefit of the doubt. My calm and sensible 6 year old bolted with me a few months ago, turns out he's petrified of push chairs! I came off but managed to hang onto the reins to stop him from running onto a road. I broke my finger but at least we were both safe.

Horses have their own minds, and unfortunately these things happen sometimes. He's never done anything like this since and we're working on his fear of pushchairs!

Perhaps you could walk him out in hand while you get your confidence back?
 
easier said that done but the only thing I've found is to give the horse its head and let them get it out of their system! my mare was a serial bolter

she would get her head down, bit on her bit (mullen mouth Pelham) and nothing I done would help, it was like she was in a battle with me! after a few years of this I start to stop pulling and you could feel the power then suddenly you could feel her lose it and just go into a normal gallop! I did also swap her bit after a while too, to a Waterford dutch gag so she couldn't bit down on it!

she never bolted through fear, just because she could! and was much much worse in company! she dumped me on the floor one day, trampled on me and galloped off for about 4 miles down country lanes, almost got run over but luckily a farmer caught her and put her in his field and the man who almost knocked her down came and got me and took me too her!! another time I came off, I refused to let go and got pulled around a field by the reins until she eventually stopped, another time she cross an a road on her own and got home on her own! she should have been a cat with all these extra lives! plus I didn't get her until she was 16 so she should have known better too! she's alright now shes 28! id say 3 years ago was when she started to chill out!! haha
 
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