Story of the Mad Gallop Home

I LOVED the writing; and I'm so glad you're okay! I totally know that feeling of "Oh s***...but this is so fun I don't want to stop", haha.
Image isn't a bolter; more of a "stop and drop", but I used to gallop him when I kept him on my mom's farm. He's usually a bit on the lazy side (unless he's jumping), but he would get SO excited from galloping back and forth around buckets (I didn't have barrels, haha) he would get all snorting and blowing and prancing all over the place. It wasn't scary, though because I knew I had complete control over him.
I can't imagine what it's like to be on a galloping horse that you have NO control of! Good job staying on =]

I taught a 'hot' Arabian/QH gelding to be able to gallop towards home (even race against my sister's TB), but when I told him to walk, he'd walk. On a loose rein. It took training. But he learned. I think it's a very important thing to teach a horse.

If you are scared of/not had very much experience galloping, it's a whole different story.

I tend to like galloping, that and cantering are a couple of my favorite gaits. I also love a jog, a huge trot... and walking... I guess I like pretty much every gait!

OP, great job for sticking it!

Thank you all! I am pretty impressed I rode it out without a single injury, haha. It was hard because he was just so head strong. My guess is that he thought he was back on the track. I couldn't really do a pulley or one rein stop because he wouldn't even have responded to it, as he was never taught to. My friend still feels bad about the whole thing. I'm honestly surprsied how many of you can relate to me "OMG no I'm going to die right now this is the end of my life, and why is dying so much because I love this!" feeling. I thought I was just crazy.

Its hard to know how to stop a galloping horse without actually ever stopping a galloping horse. And your never going to learn if you never even canter.

On the subject of teaching a horse to canter home politely, I used to constantly ONLY ever canter/gallop away from home on a trail, usually only walking or doing a slow trot back home.

After about 6 months of this, I relised that my mare is a quick walker and eager away from home, and somewhat sleepy on the way back. She was anticipating that all the exciting stuff (cantering/galloping/jumping) happened while going away from home, so going away from home = good.

Relising this, and the fact that she was never homebound anyway, I now canter equally in both directions and she's fine. Food for thought? She's still more happy leaving home than returning tho. XD.

That's a great technique, iride! Seems like it should work. And I agree that never cantering won't help. It's an ongoing learning experience. At least I learned I can stay on a full blown galloping horse without dying... haha.

I'd be leery of that pulley technique on a horse with a light front end, methinks... Any other thoughts on that?
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Yeah, but I think 6 months was over doing it. I think like, a month would have been enough.