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

One of the first horses I ever rode bolted on me. That wasn't training.

Nor have I ever met a push-button horse. They may exist, but I haven't met one. No one will ever accuse my Arabian mare of being push button...panic button maybe, but not push button! Nor have I had lessons. Not from a school. Just from my mare.

Meanwhile, if I pay someone for a horse to ride, I expect one that doesn't continually bolt. If someone's horse needs basic training, and they want me to do it, then they can pay me. Until then, they are working for me and can provide an appropriate service or I'll take my business elsewhere. If the OP is continually falling off, that is NOT appropriate service.

It's not a riding lesson/school horse's job to misbehave, to any extent. I see a good many riding stables where the horses come from the rodeo bucking string, and 'Killer' or 'Widow Maker' is hauling around beginners, and most of the lessons consist of children flying everywhere like tiddlywinks.

The worst case I ever saw of that, was at a TRC where the slightly too rambunctious horses sent most of the riders (equal opportunity, any and all disabilities) in the lesson flying, when (of course it had to be me) a volunteer led a horse down the barn aisle.

For the beginner rider, they need a horse that is appropriate to their level.

If they are learning to get used to the canter, a horse that won't canter with a little urging, or a horse that runs off bucking every time it canters, is not appropriate.

If they are learning to steer, the horse needs to turn when they pull on one rein and put their hand out. The horse that ducks out, rubber necks, that's not what they are supposed to be dealing with right now. They are learning - when you want to turn LEFT - put your left hand out like this and pull.

If they have been riding for a zillian years and are learning to do flying lead changes to every stride, then yes, actually, the horse needs to be fairly easy to get to flying lead changes every stride. Eva Marie Pracht had a horse that she taught ones on - her directions were generally, 'Swing your legs like crazy, as fast as you can'. Not a whole lot of real special timing required.

I can say, that if I pay 60-125 dollars an hour for a riding lesson, if I went there to learn some advanced move, I'd be pretty irritated if the horse had never been taught to do it, or acted like a jerk every time he was asked to do it.

I agree with you in this specific case. But to me, teaching students how to ride bad horses *is* providing good service.

Hello i'm from England not that makes a difference but when you say it bolts do you meen it just takes flight after a fright or do you meen it actually bolts by this I meen a blind gallop with no way of stopping!!.. am sort of in agreement with ponyboy that learning to ride difficult horses is part of learning but these days in a lesson situation unfortuantly all horses have to have little risk!! I grew up learning on naughty ponies fresh out of the market and jumping with no stirrups and no reins!! Now with the whole sueing culture is not something that can happen.. am a qualified RI and have got into trouble with boss for putting clients in a risky situation really would be great if we could teach clients about balance seat etc by giving them a horse that wasn't easy or doing bareback gymkana games like back in the day!! God I sound old!! :p

This is a common problem so don't stress, that will make everything work, for me youtube is a great tool, if you search around loads of people have tutorials there, and while text is good video is better and just watching people do it perfectly is extremely helpful,

Take action and I hope you see success soon

Danny.