Speaking as to Trigger alone... that was the number one scary problem with him... ignoring any cue to halt and really getting into his mouth would send him straight up. He would run right though the bit... just set his neck and tear off. Back in my Bigger Bit = Better Brakes days, I thought I'd just go up and up and up on bit strength until some day I actually landed on one that would get his attention.
It wasn't a lack of having his attention. It was multiple problems and I just made them exponentially worse by getting meaner and bigger with the bit. He was anything but dead in the mouth. If anything, he is very soft in the mouth. It was his head that was on wrong... his brain wasn't wired right.
1. He was a nervous hot mess suffering from PTSD from suspect past abuse. A long list of reactions to very, very specific stimuli - Men with strong/loud/aggressive tones of voice... but I learned last weekend also women with aggressive/harsh tones to the voice, NOT being able to see your eyes aka wearing sunglasses, spinning a head or heel rope anywhere near him, showing him the end of the rope, reaching for his ears would freak him out so bad he'd nearly stand straight up, and he would shake uncontrollably under saddle, talking with your hands, loud body language.
2. Mounting evidence suggests he was a black rodeo relay horse. This explains why he'd be ready to take off like a shot as soon as you got your left boot in the stirrup and your right foot off the ground.
3. He took every ride like a race. In an arena with one other horse and rider walking side by side? He'd get a little faster, a little faster... and the other horse would get a little faster, then next thing you know, he's blazing a full circuit around the arena hard as he can run. There was no shutting him down, no keeping him from picking up speed... he would ignore me and just run right through the bit.
4. I was scared of him and not able to ride any horse without being tense as a loaded spring. He sensed my tension and concern, worry, and he's super sensitive to his rider... and responds in kind immediately. I don't mean there's a couple of seconds of lag there. He is immediate in his reaction. So he'd want to GO... he was afraid because I was afraid, so MUST GO LADY! If you're scared, I'm scared and we go!
He was and still sometimes is, a hot mess. But he stops for me now. He may not LIKE it, but most of the time he stops just fine. The best thing I've done for him is trail ride. I will preach that gospel till I die... because the trails here are narrow and wind around. He can't gather up a full head of steam in most places. The second best thing I can do for him and let him keep his feet moving... he will give me his head easily, he's very soft in the neck... so we used to do a lot of circles till he cooled off and figured out we're not going anywhere. Then I started packing snacks with us... and every time he stood still to let me get in the saddle, I would and still do... tap his shoulder. He reaches back, taps my shin, gets a snack. We do this on each side before we move out. If I forget, he will tap me once... then twice... then a third time like hey... hey lady... laddyyyyyyy you forgot my snack! If I ask him to stop on the trail, he has a choice: Keep moving his feet, sure if he wants... but we're going to do it right here in a circle... or listen to me, stop when I ask, and get a snack. Of his own accord, he's began stopping in the middle of the trail if I slip my boots out of the stirrups. If he feels them suddenly swing loose? He will stop and look back at me to make sure I'm okay. He by GOLLY gets a snack for that, yes sir! Because I feel like he'll stop if there's a real problem. He listens for the velcro on the horn bag now. I get my water bottle out? He hears that velcro sound and he is STOPPING and looking back at me. LOL
I've also learned to be serene... not just quiet... but serene... and rock steady calm no matter what... when I'm around him. I've learned to modulate my tone and keep my voice calm... no matter what. But we also, all of us I camp with, talk normally, loudly, and with our hands a lot... but cheerfully so he's learned to understand talking with hands is okay... and loud voices aren't always bad.
He's still very sensitive to tone of voice... so if I'm telling a joke loudly on the trail, over my shoulder, he's fine. If I notice when we get back to camp my other horse is gone (happened once) and I raise my voice and my tone is full of alarm... he wigs right out and gets emotionally compromised. Then he's an accident looking for a place to happen. He will try to take off on me and head straight to the trailer.... sooooo I watch how I say things these days.
On the trail... I usually let him pick his pace. It's two hours in and two hours out buddy - feel free to trot all you like! You're just wearing yourself out, sir. He can trot about two hours solid, btw. It's exhausting, but he's learning to calm down - he has no one to blame but himself. But he also gets to burn off tension before it builds up enough he things he has to run.
These days, on a nice straight away if he wants to, I will let him off his chain and we GO! And he can FLY... but he always listens when I ask for a shut down - Because I'm learning to trust him and he's learning I'm not going to beat him, he doesn't have to 'win' every 'race'.
So, for him, it's partly his nature, but it's largely conditioning and what he was expected to do in his past life. It's taken about four years to mellow him out... but he's anything but dead in the mouth. He was by and large made into what he was, by someone else, before I got him... because that's what they wanted him to do, everything from walking off to wanting to RUN EVERYWHERE... someone else expected it of him.
Annnnd I'm still working on chilling him out. Trails, he's by and large golden now. Parades and grand entries at rodeos are the next Big Thing we're working on. Those are some tricky situations - Much Picking of Battles goes on there because I have to keep the safety of everyone else around me in mind and he gets sensory overload and is just mentally GONE. Much work to be done, but we'll get there.
The rest of our horses have always been very meh about running off on us... unless it was heading home. And that's why we started hauling away from home to ride. Hard to bolt back to the barn when there's no barn to run back to, and at camp, there's not a lot to look forward to other than being tied to a picket line or stand around in a pen.