Turning and bolting while mounting

[paddy5710]

My new ex racehorse tb, will turn and try to bolt as soon as I get on. He stands perfectly still while I climb up on the mounting block and place my foot in the stirrup, it's only when I swing over he will try to spin and bolt before I even get my other foot in the stirrup.
Any help is greatly appreciated

 

[skint1]

Hi, I think you probably need to get a knowledgeable person to help you on the ground and assess the root cause of the behaviour, could be a lot of things couldn't it, so best to get someone who can actually assess the horse in person

 

[be positive]

Has he been retrained since leaving racing and did this include being mounted from a block? most racehorses are mounted on the move by the rider being legged up so they are not used to standing still and need to be trained to stand and wait, it is usually fairly straightforward to teach them but will take time and patience, it will be easier with a helper to hold him initially until he understands he is supposed to wait for you, at the moment he is not bolting he is just doing what he was allowed to do when in training but you are probably holding him tightly so he is turning rather than moving forward, then overreacting because he realises he has done something wrong.
Make sure there is no other reason such as the saddle not fitting or moving when you put your foot in the stirrup, keep the reins even so he cannot duck round and be prepared for him to move away fairly promptly, then bring him back to halt and make him wait for you to ask him to go, it will take a while and is often best done repeatedly after exercise when is is more relaxed and less keen to get on with things, he should soon learn to wait.