pony setting head and neck and taking off!!!!

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perfectpolly

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well, i seem to have tried almost everything....... but today my girl decided we were going for a blast and that was that!!! we were on a track , jogging due to excitement ( bridle= d-ring snaffle with copper rollers, flash and running martingale), was managing to hold her, then she decided to go and i couldn't stop the mare!!!!!!! we did stop at the end of the track , but i was bricking myself...tried using my seat and legs, sitting back a bit, gently pulling, voice calmly, then pulling harder and sitting deep, heels really down to give me something to pull against! then eventually had to seesaw the bit, shouting obsenities at her. all to no avail--she had just set her head and neck-took the bit and bogged off with me!
i was a tad shaken up.
what would you do in this circumstance????
have tried stronger bits--gets wound up by them and fights more., schools lovely and is in many ways my dream horse......its just when she wants to go , there's nothing i can do to stop her! thought about trying a bitless . but worried i really wouldn't stop, although she may listen to a different aid.
so, any advice.............
 
My mare has done this on occasion. What I've done once I've stopped her is gone back and made her walk, when she jogs we have either halted and reined back or turned back and walked again before turning back in the 'bogged off' direction. EVENTUALLY we have succeeded in walking up the track. It is very important you don't anticipate her going and taking hold before she does, it will just make her worse.

Mine is hacked out, jumped and fast work in a long shanked Neue Schule Tranzlozenge pelham with two reins.
 
when she does actually bolt 'I' would for example..hold the mane with your left rein and hand and pull the other as hard as you can or pull back and forth to force her into a circle and then when she turns drive her in the other directiuon it will confuse her and your back in control again...just keep on schooling her with alot of halts to walk and halts to trot to halt extra so that she knows you in control. u could try a hanging cheek and a standing marrtingale.
 
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My mare has done this on occasion. What I've done once I've stopped her is gone back and made her walk, when she jogs we have either halted and reined back or turned back and walked again before turning back in the 'bogged off' direction. EVENTUALLY we have succeeded in walking up the track. It is very important you don't anticipate her going and taking hold before she does, it will just make her worse.

Mine is hacked out, jumped and fast work in a long shanked Neue Schule Tranzlozenge pelham with two reins.

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dont you fing that your mare has created a habit of napping when you rein her back when she gets frustrated or bolty like that?? or when you stop her does she imediatly shoot back and then forward? surly rein back would exasibate the problem wouldnt it not...but sayin that, all horses are different arnt they!!...no offense
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I would suggest that you need to deal with the jogging first as in the circumstances I suspect it is a bit of a 2 fingered salute to you before take off.

You need to use your seat ( as Im sure you know) try squeezing your thighs inward and down - this often works.

The main thing is DO NOT pull back on both reins at once. Use either the left or right rein to bend the head round towards your knee ( you have to release pressure on the other rein to allow the bend ) This will take the power away from the engine ( 1/4's) Obviously you need to do this BEFORE your horse gets going. I would practice this every time your horse starts to jog - as soon as she walks release the bend and carry on as normal.

Hope this helps
 
Just as an after thought - I would go for a milder bit with full cheeks so you have some leaverage to help you bring her head round.
 
when she took off today her neck was just "locked". i couldn't turn her or anything--tried pulling on one rein , and seesawing one at a time--which ireally hate to do, but if you can't stop then i'll try anything. it was like riding a plastic horse.......
beleive it or not, but we have come along way in the year i've had her! she used to constantly take off with me, jog 3/4 time etc, but we have been schooling and just getting on with it.every time she gets joggy we either stop or rein back. it can take a while for her to get the message. she is just soooo excitable that she just looses it. i can see by her eyes--all mad and frantic. but she is mostly perfect on the roads-- a massive bumpy trailer can go past all clanging and she won't bat an eyelid....so perfect in some ways. keep the advice coming ... all good!
 
You need to react before she "locks"

As I said before I think she is giving you the signs long before she goes.

Have you had her back checked and her saddle?
If her eyes go all mad and frantic it could be a pain reaction or she is trying to run away from something.

Can you find a calm and confident good quiet rider to see if she is still the same with a change of jockey?

I wouldn't stop or rein back when she gets joggy as both can create frustration. I would just bend her head around and wait til she walked ( or halted) whichever she offered. Then praise and walk on. You may have to do this 50 times in the space of 5 minutes but keep at it. She will get the message.
 
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My mare has done this on occasion. What I've done once I've stopped her is gone back and made her walk, when she jogs we have either halted and reined back or turned back and walked again before turning back in the 'bogged off' direction. EVENTUALLY we have succeeded in walking up the track. It is very important you don't anticipate her going and taking hold before she does, it will just make her worse.

Mine is hacked out, jumped and fast work in a long shanked Neue Schule Tranzlozenge pelham with two reins.

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dont you fing that your mare has created a habit of napping when you rein her back when she gets frustrated or bolty like that?? or when you stop her does she imediatly shoot back and then forward? surly rein back would exasibate the problem wouldnt it not...but sayin that, all horses are different arnt they!!...no offense
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No, she has NEVER shot backwards, nor napped. She has been taught reinback with the seat and legs used rather than just hauling her backwards off her mouth. Rein back serves the purpose of disengaging forwards. The changes in forwards/backwards/standing still help to engage her brain in sensible activities rather than haring off at high speed. Now if she is getting hyper, I just bring her to halt and walk on again, if she continues to hype then we halt, rein back then walk on and generally she realises that fast isn't an option.

Leg yeild, shoulder in and half pass are also useful if you can anticipate when they might take off as they occupy the brain.
 
this is true. i have to say when i got her she jogged constantly.
( very different from the laid back pony i tried before buying--although she hadn't been ridden for several months......mmmmm)
anyway, tried loads of different tactics and did find that halt and rein back did help. she eventually got the message that we weren't going to get there any faster, so started to walk.she now only joggs if very excited.......but still have the taking off issue, which i am working on. she hasn't done it for a while so it really knocked my confidence when she did.

I will try the nose to knee tactic and see if it helps....cheers.

re sensible other rider--none. only two of us at livery yard ( which is lovely), but her pony is a nutter, and her other is just 5, so don't want to get into that situation. she can be better in company on a calm ride, but not on any fast work.....thinks it's a race....and she's fast!

saddle fitted by qualified saddler 9 mths sgo, teeth done, aug last year and maythis year. not had back checked,but no signs of sore back....stands whilst mounted, wears shoes evenly, schools well....but could be something to look into. what are the signs of sore backs....that aren't very obvious....as she doesn't seem to have any....but i could be wrong.
 
i have always found that with a horse like this that is joggy and exciteable, do loads of circles and things that means you can really get your legs around her and get her listening. Another trick is if the head is on the bit and to one side. (I.e a circle). They can bomb when they are in this position but it takes long and is more difficult for them. Have you tried schooling down this lane? Circling, leg yielding, etc?

I know this might sound strange but have you tried rising when she bombs? I was on a mare who bombed with me on the road, flat out gallop up a hill! I tried turning her, sawing her mouth, running her into the wall, pulling, slowing with my seat etc. What actually worked in the end was I started to rise like I was doing rising trot. Its not easy to do but its a nifty trick. I just counted 1 2 1 2 in my head and rose. The mare fell back to a trot and I regained some control and could get her to walk from the trot. It is not easy to do and it feels horrible but if you can master this then its a good little trick to have!

Izzi xx
 
thanks...will try this out if happens again, although i'm hoping it won't. saddle was fitted by respected saddler 9mths ago. vet checked back when i bought her a year ago at vetting.no obvious signs of back pain.
 
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