What do you do?

blitznbobs

blitznbobs

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If you are out on a hack (off road) and you go for a canter and the horses get a bit keen (not bolting but f’ing off)

How do you handle this situation (it’s a safe place with no cars etc but nothing ahead that’s likely to stop them either)
 
Depends really, I guess pull up is the obvious answer and if they were being so unruly then put them on a circle until they stop, or a one rein stop if being really really unruly. Once order is installed then everyone remains in walk until they've calmed down.

I have watched as my hacking buddies (one being my mum on Topaz) pissed off, luckily Skylla is a saint and pulled up and waited for them to stop and come back. They only stopped by using a steep hill and fence and both horses were old enough to know better!

edit to add: I'd also make note of the place and horses and limit that combination in future, I don't like horses thinking we get to this bit and wahay!
 
Bridge my reins and insist we come back to walk! I took over the re-schooling of a very sweet pony who had been allowed to gallop off at break neck speed and it wasn't fun. I had to catch her very quickly and say No.
 
As others have said, if you have the space, circle. If you're on a lane and asking them to come back as normal isn't working, single rein checks- check, release, check, release- until they come back. Just don't turn their head into a jumpable hedge, or you might get more than you bargained for!
When I've had difficulty with brakes but also needed to do fast work for fitness, I have insisted that we didn't pick up canter/gallop in the same place every time and also practiced coming back to trot at a random point along the track.
 
If it's safe to do so push them on. They will run out of puff quicker and they stop fighting if there's nothing to fight against.

If I need to stop desperately it depends on the horse. Bridging the reins and really using your core helps a lot of the time. Others if you give a pat on the neck and a looser rein it signals that we're done galloping.
 
Interestingly I had this recently. Feet forwards lean back big WHOAH! Acted like I knew what I was doing 🤣 horse got the gist!
 
Get whichever person has most control to pull up in a safe manner if this is possible. If this involves steering into a hedge make sure it’s not small enough to jump!

If brakes gone then 1 rein stop.

If there’s part of the route I’m on that involves a steep uphill that’s safe to canter on pick that as our next canter spot

Ideally do a decent amount of trotting in between to get rid of some energy.

Make a mental note to improve bitting if this isn’t a one off occurrence.

Think about reasons why this might have happened and if there’s anything that needs working on long term to improve this.

In all honesty as long as the brakes are there if I really need them I have tended towards go for a blast and enjoy my horse feeling fresh and good (but when very fit doing 40 miles a week or so and in certain company I did start bitting the Welsh creature up as he did like to encourage racing for his own fun & amusement and I liked to be able to say “ok that’s enough now” and have the silliness stop if he went too far.)
 
IrishMilo said:
If it's safe to do so push them on. They will run out of puff quicker and they stop fighting if there's nothing to fight against.

If I need to stop desperately it depends on the horse. Bridging the reins and really using your core helps a lot of the time. Others if you give a pat on the neck and a looser rein it signals that we're done galloping.
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This 1st answer would be my go to, if safe enough ahead.
2nd try also as above, then one rein stop is my final anchor.

Note to any clever clogs out there, I did make a rookie error once yrs ago, just had a little steering so pointed at a hefty wall.... blooming didn't work as sailed over it and took another frantic 2 minutes to actually get anchored! Don't try aiming at solid things.....
 
Lucky Snowball said:
if safe I wouldn’t even try. Let it gallop on.
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I always did that. I was regularly run away with by my fav. RS Connie. I cured her the day she set off up a long grass hill. As we neared the top where we turned right to go home, she slowed and, though I was relieved, I forced her to continue in canter up quite a steep right hand curve. She had chosen to run with me but I was going to dictate the downwards transition.
 
blitznbobs said:
If you are out on a hack (off road) and you go for a canter and the horses get a bit keen (not bolting but f’ing off)

How do you handle this situation (it’s a safe place with no cars etc but nothing ahead that’s likely to stop them either)
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Saw at the reins or give and take is meant to be the best thing.

If you 'bridge' your reins it can help with grip.
 
I had my heart horse bolt twice with me. Once down a very quiet country lane where I suspect some kids took a pot shot at him with an air rifle from behind the headland of a field. This was a full out gallop in a blind panic and I just had to sit it out, we travelled a good mile or so flat out, it was a wonder he didn't fall.

The same thing happened a few months later after trotting through a river in a hackamore. He started to canter whivmch I allowed but he got very fast and out of control quickly. In desperation I had to point him at a hedge there was no way he could have attempted to jump due to its height and thank God he stopped.

He did have undiagnosed wobblers and he was incredibly strong through his neck.
 
I've been carted only a couple of times thankfully, and it was always in a safe enough space to just either sit tight, or yes kick on.

On the couple of occasions where the horse has started to be a bit keener than I've wanted, I've sat down, kept the contact consistent and 'woahed' them quietly.
 
I frequently had brake failure with Bobbi before we went bitless. I'd usually circle her to stop, although thankfully she'd run out of puff fairly quickly. It was still enough to scare me though, because I'm a total wuss!
 
Birker2020 said:
Saw at the reins or give and take is meant to be the best thing.

If you 'bridge' your reins it can help with grip.
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I was thinking about this after today where my 5 year old just got blinking rude and refused to come back… so I did the zig zag rein thing and he came back pretty sharpish then… but then i thought was this old fashioned and is there a more politically correct way of stopping him. I wouldn’t want to do the one rein stop as he is fairly unbalanced and might just fall over!
 
blitznbobs said:
I was thinking about this after today where my 5 year old just got blinking rude and refused to come back… so I did the zig zag rein thing and he came back pretty sharpish then… but then i thought was this old fashioned and is there a more politically correct way of stopping him. I wouldn’t want to do the one rein stop as he is fairly unbalanced and might just fall over!
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So might be old fashioned but it got him back, I think horses learn a lot when we apply our absolute boundaries. They learn what is a absolute no, and that can keep them safe and alive. I've learnt a short term unpleasant thing is better than allowing a behaviour to develop that could be incredibly dangerous to horse and rider, within reason of course!
 
If it's safe, then I'd ride through and when they drop off a bit, ask them to pick up. I find it switches their brain when they question whether they've made this decision or you have.

If it's not safe but safe to circle, I'll circle. It it's not safe and I can't circle, I try to get their brain back by half halting and asking for bends or lead changes.

I don't fight physically, I'd rather get throw them a mental curved ball and then use the moments of distraction and light bulb to ask to slow.
 
Circle or if it's really unsafe (i.e. heading towards a road) I turn them into a bush.

I will also bridge my reins and ask them to be sensible by 'pulsing' with half halts so they don't have something to pull against constantly
 
To add to the above I think it sometimes depends on what you’re sat on as well.

The orange Welsh I used to have if he tried to grab the bit & run it was better to anchor yourself, hold him & say “nope you can’t have it” as after a few of those discussions he’d tend to soften and could then be rewarded by being ridden on a much looser contact once he stopped trying to dictate the pace. If you gave him his head he could be a pain to get back in company if he’d not been reminded of the rules recently (but on his own with nobody to show off to he’d slow off a weight aid)

The Irish creature that came before him was way better if you just threw the reins at him the first few strides and let him do what he wanted THEN asked him to come back a bit if needed. If you tried to hold him he’d just get strong and fight you for his head but after he’d had his fun he was open to suggestions.
 
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