My horse tries to run away with me

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Jesstiggs

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Hi

Just after a little help please, when I go out for a hack..my boy gets fairly excited, and quite often tries to run off with me, its not everytime I go out but quite a lot, it feels like he just throws his head about then drops his head, and then just runs.

Up till now I have always been able to stop him, but I just feel that there will be a time when I cant, as sometimes, I feel quite unsafe so choose to get off and walk for a while.

I have had his back, teeth and saddle checked and all are fine, so I know he is not in pain anywhere.

Any suggestions welcomed that could help me put a stop to this behaviour would be great
 
personally I would put a stronger bit in so he can't do it

then school him on hacks, lots of transitions and backing up etc The more you do this the more he will learn hacks are not just fun, he still has to do what you want

once you have done this you will probably be able to go back to the old bit

ps the reason I say put a stronger bit in first is that, if you don't already 'school' on a hack he may take offence and try to run off even more to start with
 
Thanks Soulfull I will give that a try, is there a bit you would suggest, he is currently ridden in a french link fixed ring

Schooling does sound a good idea, as I do tend to only stick to the school for this, as Im still trying to make hacking a happy thing for me and my horse, as I have lost my confidence after a bad fall, and he has not done much before i brought him, and does seem to be a little unconfident in himself
 
are you hacking alone? I would try and hack with others if possible, it may help.

I would also work on ground work and work in an arena. I would get an NH or IH instructor to help.

Are you aware of using one rein to stop instead of two?

There is a lot more too this than I am going to put in this post, but if you work on lateral flexion, that is your pony bending towards the left or right on the ground when you ask with the rein, and then later when you ride, so that it only takes a light ask for him to tip his nose or bend his head a little towards you/your foot as you walk and later at the trot. If this is a pattern, then should he get excited you can use lateral flexion to bend him to a stop. If a horse runs off, and you can tip his nose a little to the left or right, such that he bends laterally, then you will be able to slow and stop him. With pulling on two reins, he is stronger, if you use 1 rein, you are stronger. (Do not drop the other rein, though or throw it away)

Working on transitions and circles can also help. A horse will get faster and more forward when in a straight line than when working on circles. A horse will listen to you more if you exercise his mind and not just the body, hence transitions and yields are good. If you are able to hack to a clearing where you feel safe and then are able to work as if you are in an arena , and then hack a little more, and so on this may help as well. But make sure things are working in a safe environment, before you go out on long hacks.
 
Jesstiggs said:
Thanks Soulfull I will give that a try, is there a bit you would suggest, he is currently ridden in a french link fixed ring

Schooling does sound a good idea, as I do tend to only stick to the school for this, as Im still trying to make hacking a happy thing for me and my horse, as I have lost my confidence after a bad fall, and he has not done much before i brought him, and does seem to be a little unconfident in himself
Click to expand...

In that case schooling while hacking is perfect you will be giving him a lead by taking the pressure off ie some horses need a strong leader to feel safe, by just sitting there you don't give them this confidence. by asking him to do lots of different things you do, and at the same time giving yourself more confidence when he does what he is told. remember lots of praise too, it is SO SO important to their confidence :D

I would either try a pelham or a tom thumb or 3 ring gag depending on does he lift his head more or put it down more, if lift then the pelham if down the tomb thumb/gag

just be gentle with your hands BUT not too gentle :D

try it in the school in all paces first though to make sure you feel ok and he doesn't react to it.

With either bit you may get some reaction from him at first while he says NO I don't like this, this will be because he doesn't like suddenly being made to do it. work through it quietly insisting, then good boy when he gives in
 
Hi Jeeve

Yes we always hack out in company, as he will only run straight home with no stopping on our own

We have started having lessons the last couple of months which is helping alot with our work in the school as he can be very nappy, so this why I also want to solve our problems out hacking.

We seem to have passed the general napping stage of him wanting to go one way and me the other.

As for the one reign, yes I do put this in practice, and does seem to work well, but on some bridlepaths, (mostly on the way home) there just isnt room to do this
 
Yes that is definatly the case with my boy soulfull, he is defiantly looking for leadership from me, and I feel this is half the problem, if I can i get my confidence up a bit then it will better, and he mostly always seems to do this in the same place, which might be part of me anticipating it, but unfortunatly, we have to go the same way to go home.

Yes a friend of mine has given me a gag to try, and was hoping someone may suggest to clarify this could be the best thing to try as, yer he seems to drop his head and run.

I asked a friend to ride him the other day as he did the same with her, and she is a confident rider, so I hope it isnt me that is causing the problems
 
Lots of transitions in the school, include rein back--helps to get him light
Square halt, turns on the forehand etc
Keep riding forward into halt, pause and allow him forward then halt again, on the roads you have to be able to stand still at junctions
Keep his mind occupied
Lots of leg yielding which you can also do on hacks--providing track/lane quiet--helps when you have to move in for traffic to pass or move out to pass a parked car
Easy said I know but dont allow running away to become a habit
Try not to dismount out on a hack--could be dangerous if he got away from you.
 
Before you try any new bits or gadgets you need to examine what he does when he goes to bog off. That will help you work out the best way to stop him.

For example if he sticks his head in the air to evade you then a gag might not be a good idea as it has a lifting action, but a martingale might help or a bit with a curb. If he opens his mouth or crosses his jaw a grackle might help. If he sets his neck then things like flexion can be the best solution.
 
Cuffey - Thanks, we are working on lots of transtitions in the school and will give these a go out on hack to...we dont do roads...thats another of his problems, fine with cars and anything smaller, but bigger...o no we have big problems...but that is another thing we are working on

KristmasKatt - From what I have felt so far, he seems to be walking nicely, and then he just seems to get irratated he throws his head about all over the place, and then just drops his head and runs...i have given him the reign and also kept the reign but this doesnt help either..sometimes he only does it a few times and then gives up, other times its a real fight all the way
 
How is your confidence when cantering? Are you nervous/frightened/OMG when cantering. Dressage-canter in the confines of the school is a completely different feeling to a big open canter out hacking, esp if the horse ups a gear and the turbo kicks in from behind. It's a real OMG moment the first time you experience it, probably rather akin to going round Silverstone as a motorbike sidecar passenger or doing a bungee jump.

But if you feel nervous at canter outside, then you need to be able to practise cantering outside in big safe open spaces on a safe horse so you learn what the feeling feels like, and you can experiment with different stopping strategies - drop reins, pick reins up, turn in big circles, flex head one side, bridge reins, brace back and legs, etc.

Horses, by and large, love the opportunity for a good fast canter, and if you're only used to dressage canter, then fast canter is frightening. It's not something taught in riding schools either, so it's something you don't learn until you're out there on a horse in a big space.

A friend of mine who is confident and knowledgeable but has a horse with stopping issues (takes half a mile to pull up, she says!) has been advised to hire the local gallops so that she can go, dressed for success - hat, bodyprotector, gloves, with a sane companion (horse and rider) and then she can warm up in trot and then "let him go" safe in the knowledge that he can't go anywhere and if he's moving forwards, then he's not going to buck, and she can learn the feeling of him moving forwards, and practise all the things above and suss out what works for him and feel comfortable herself, so then in future when she goes out on normal hacks and pleasure rides, she then has some tools to use which she knows will work.

Good luck in getting there. Fast canters and gallops are wonderful once you're in control and both you and ned are relaxed and enjoying yourselves.
 
Thanks SueChoccy - This may sound weird, but I am less nervous at cantering out than I am in....he is very good, when I ASK for a canter, he will go nicely into it, and will stop when i say...this is when i go in a straightline...I seem to panick if i am in the school when i have to turn aswell...

Yes i know i expect it sounds very silly
 
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