Two Bolting Horses

Mahoganybay

Mahoganybay

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Whilst out hacking today, my friends horse slipped going up a tarmacadam road and she fell off, her horse subsequently bolted up the road with my horse in tow.

I tried continuously to herd said loose horse down a side street and i knew that 500 yards up the at the end of a junction was a very busy road.

Every time i managed to get in front of the horse he swerved and ran round me, there was nothing i could do and the junction fast approached.

We did run out into the road and fortunately there were no cars at the junction, but the road goes back to the yard and a section of it is a 70mph road and i admit at this point i had to look after my own horse and i let my friends horse go (he was running on the wrong side of the road into traffic) and pulled mine into a side street.

Thank goodness, my friends horse stopped in the road and turned round and followed us into the side street. All ok in the end, a few cuts and some bruising to my friend no doubt, but no real harm done.

My question is, what would you have all done in this situation, has it ever happened to you and what would you have done differently, am obv hoping never to be in that situation again but you never know.
 
Thats my worst fear. If another horse bolted I would just be a passenger on my mare, she would follow the horse no matter what. Glad you are all ok must of been a bit scary!!
 
That has happened to me but luckily we were only on country lanes, and I have to admit I let the other horse go, my first priority was for myself and my own horse, which I had managed to pull up and calm down. We found the horse grazing in corner of a field not too far away. It wasn’t a fun experience, luckily there was no injuries. But my heart was pounding.
 
It's happened a couple of times to my Mum and I. Once with her falling off, twice with me. On all occasions the seated rider waited with the rider on the ground, and the other horse returned to us once they had realised that the other horse was still stationary - easier said than done when panic sets in. We did have one occasion when we were both simultaneously dumped. Both horses bolted down the track to the main road, out onto the road, and tanked it home down the route they know. They were caught 2 minutes from home unhurt, and no accidents on the way. Did hear that a woman who was in her front garden saw them coming, ran inside her house & slammed the door! Gosh we sound like terrible riders don't we!
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sounds awful but look after yourself! i've a very recently ex racer so he still thinks he has to run with other horses!! you did the best you could in that situation. i'd have been a wreck!!
 
This happend to me last year on a pleasure ride. One of the kids i was with got bucked off her shetland and he buggered off. I gave chase for a short time but he just kept running so i returned to the children. Threw the fallen one onto my superstar pony and led her to the end of the ride (about another 2 miles). I phoned and told the childs mum that the pony was gone and we where on our way back. When we got back i went out again to search for the pony and lots of people set out in cars to find the pony to. We searched for hours but found him in the end hidden in a rapefield. My pony Lucy had stopped next to the field and whinned when i rode past earlyer. I wish i had listened to her and looked in the field.
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Glad all was ok for you today. You did the right thing not endangering you and your horse. I often find if you give chase the loose horse thinks it's a race and will keep running but they normaly stop if you don't follow. Unless they are a small orange shetland ofcourse.
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My 1st priority would be to pull my horse up. 2nd priority would have been to make sure my friend was ok, especially if she'd fallen off in the road!!!! With any luck her horse would have stopped because their mate had.
 
If you follow it's far more likely that the loose horse will carry on running, plus you're more likely to get hurt.

In that situation I would, if possible, have held my horse & checked my friend or at the least stayed on board & asked is she was ok. If she didn't seem to be then phoning for help for her would be my priority, if she was then calling the yard to try & get help to catch the loose horse would be. Or maybe the police to warn of a loose horse near a main road.
 
That happened to me last year, I think I aged 20 Years in the space of half an hour! Still traumatises me!

My daughter came off her pony on a road and my immediate reaction was sorting her out. Pony disappeared off into the distance with me dealing with a distraught child and equally fractious horse. Thankfully an elderly gentleman caught loose pony a mile down the road, but by god did I need a stiff drink afterwards!
 
That happened to me many years ago wen i was thrown from a race horse and my friend had n choice but to go with the loose horse 1 because she too was on a nutty racer with no breakes and 2 the horse was worth lots n money they galloped for miles ...not through choice but she did manage to herd loose horse and hers into a pub car park and ride the most sain 1 back but i think now i would deffo try to keep me and my horse safe let the other 1 go and just hope it would follow ...im pleased you r all ok tho and that it dosent happen again x
 
Seems like its everyones worst nightmare, when i said my horse was in tow, i had no choice as she was bolting too, she set her neck and was off and i was indeed a passenger for a while, i am amazed i stayed so calm trying to herd them both into a side street as i am normally quite a nervous rider.

When i heard my friends horse fall behind me i turned round and saw my friend get up so i knew she was ok, it all happened so fast and it seemed like ages before i managed to get control of my horse.

It was indeed scary stuff and something i don't want to happen again any time soon lol.
 
What a horrible thing to happen, so glad you were all ok, I think you did what you could, as others say, check rider is ok first and then go after the other horse, as long as it doesn't put you and your horse in danger.
 
If you can the best thing is to stop your horse as the other is less likely to carry on running then. If you can't stop trying to steer both toward a safe place would probably be the best thing.

It has happened to me, years ago, one rider got bolted with, horse I was riding thought it was a race. She came off when hers jumped a hedge, mine decided that jumping was too much effort and stopped there. Once mine stopped hers slowed to a trot. Luckily it was a very quiet gated lane so we were able to let the horse find its way home without too much worry.
 
As you discovered, you have to try to stop your horse, because the bolting horse will often then stop and come back to it's friend.
 
Thank god you're all OK!

I have always been taught to stay in control of myself and my own horse, and not to chase an out of control horse, unless it is completely safe.
One horse galloping up behind will only egg the lead horse on to go faster.
In reality, it's difficult to sit back, as instict will tell you to chase after to try and catch it, but as you found once you stopped chasing, the other one came back.
 
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