Bolting horses=Why cant i stay on?????

Slc, I tried to pm you on this: since the daughter's still miserable, is there anything that you can do to help her? She must feel terribly alone.

I had to deal with a mare that knew every trick in the book. She was on a farm and no one could ride her. I drove her one day and when she reared I pulled her over on to her side. That was a big surprise for her and she didn't try it again. The next day I bridled her and put a calf halter on her with the chain under her jaw. We ( me and two outriders) headed out to the summer fallow and all went well at a walk for about the first little while until I asked her to lope. Her head started to drop as she was about to pitch me off but a good yank on the calf halter chain brot her head up pretty quick. When that didn't work she bolted. I let her go, knowing the soft footing would soon slow her down. But then I turned the tables on her. When she wanted to slow my two outriders each gave her a whack on the rump to get her going. She tried again to slow and then again a whack. I wasn't trying to kill her so when she was really puffing I asked her to whoa and barely picked up the reins. She did a sliding stop she wanted to stop so badly. I let her dawdle to catch her breath and we rode on for another hour. She was a different horse and I had a very nice ride after I dealt with her naughties.

Um, Saddlebag, nice story. But are you recommending this for a beginner to try? :) With her fellow "outriders?" Sorry, had to tease.

When working with spoiled horses my technique is to kinda work with the horse when he's being naughty then I change the rules. If he wants to run, fine, run, except we'll stop when I want to, not you. Want to buck, fine, but you're going to get a good whack with each one. Refuse to go forward, fine, we'll go backward a good hundred feet. This is for horses who have no respect for the rider. Sometimes we have to get a little tough with them or it will get worse.

Riding is always training you and your horse. No matter what, and if you think you are not being trained or training, it always happens. Whether good or bad. The horse is most likely bolting numerous times because it knows you'll get off now. I'm sure if it happens more than once your anticipating it and getting nervous. If you really don't want to keep falling then remain calm and hold on tight, the horse won't dump you, and will learn that bolting isn't smart. Or have your trainer help you. Or just leave that horse troubled and get a different one.

I'm not the OP, but I wouldn't pay to ride a horse that likes to bolt. I'll train my horse, but if someone wants me to train theirs, they can pay me.

Hilarious thought, OP(beginner) trying to take Saddlebag's advice!

Don't forget the outriders, OP! :)

THANK YOU, that is exactly what I think

Just curious. Does this stable put you on this bolting horse because they think you are capable of handling the situation, or because they have no other horses to put you on? If it's the latter, I would find another place to ride. Bolting is can be managed by an experienced rider, but a more novice rider could get hurt. Yes, school horses do teach riders by misbehaving to some degree, but bolting should not be among them if you are a beginner rider. The only bad injury I ever suffered was from a lesson barn that put me on a bucking, tripping monster simply because there were no other horses to put me on. Looking back, I should have skipped the lesson that day. Learning to ride safely is challenging enough without throwing in the steep learning curve of a bolting horse.

This is where the idea that people who've only taken lessons can't really ride comes from. Beyond novice level, lesson horses shouldn't be push-button. When a rider goes to buy their first horse, they won't really know what they're getting on beforehand, and besides in extreme circumstances any horse can act up. Not giving riders experience with bad behavior is doing them a disservice.

The schools I went to would take a horse with any habit except rearing - Everything else we were expected to deal with.