Thanks, LilyandBaron, and Lusoluv. I can’t believe I am buying another horse, but I just couldn’t stop worrying about where he could end up, even one more bolt and a hurt rider, and he could’ve wound up in a kill pen, which would be such a shame without trying to work with the problem.
Can anyone post a pic for me, in case anyone is interested in seeing him?
Thanks, exploding pony, we certainly hope this ends well, but even if it turns out longterm he is not ‘my’ forever horse, I can get him much safer, more trusting, and expose him to lots of things to build his confidence and good decision making. If another rider eventually ends up being the best choice, then as hard as it will be, he will at least be a lot better prepared to be a good citizen.
My horse used to bolt when I got him. Hot, spazzy Arabian that had no sense of confidence in himself and just thought bolting was the correct answer. I did a lot of groundwork and obstacle course stuff, and desensitizing/despooking training. It helped tremendously. He still bolts, but he doesn’t cover ground, if that makes sense? He’ll bolt in place, on a loose rein even, his little legs sometimes going lightning fast, but he doesn’t actually GO anywhere. I’ll take what I can get. It’s a process!
Sounds like it was meant to be. Your background sounds a lot like mine. Many problem horses found their way to me too. Lucky he found you because it sounds like you know how to go about this. This guy sounds like some nice clay to work with …of course we want to see him and regular reports on progress. Stay safe.
Usually, a horse that bolts is either insecure, or afraid of pain. Unfortunately, those reactions are trained in right at the very beginning of starting the horse- incorrectly and badly. That’s why it’s such a hard behavior to correct.
Many big horses are unfairly ridden with strong aids, because riders are afraid of them, and they learn to bolt in anticipation of pain- usually in their mouths. Others are severely disciplined because they were unsure and stopped to have a look at something that frightened them. I’m sorry, but 99% of the people who “start” young horses have no business riding them, and ruin them in the first 30 days of training.
In my experience, ALL young horses take off at some point, maybe even a lot depending on their personality, and ALL young horse are afraid of something they see. This is to be expected, and the correct rider response is to let them look as long as they need to, even get off the horse, and reassure them, walk them towards the object, whatever you need to do to let the fear rush fade away before you go on. If they take off, so what? Just go with it, and laugh, and pat them, and even urge them on- guiding them in a big circle and letting them figure it out. Just a few rides like that and it’s all over, forever.
When you have a confirmed bolter, well, that’s now a big problem, and now you not only have to figure out why, you also have to retrain them.
Frankly, I don’t find anything odd or unusual about this horse’s reported behavior of taking off with a strange rider in a strange environment. If you knew nothing about his history, would there be all these histrionics? Because any horse in the world could react this way under the circumstances.
I’d do a couple of things-
if he has no brakes to begin with, I’d put a double on him, and with no nonsense at all, I’d put them on. That takes about 15 minutes, one time, and its done. I don’t care what kind of rider or what kind of hands, a horse needs to understand that whoa means whoa, absolutely.
If he has brakes, but he’s just scared, I’d put the mildest bit possible on him, and ride him with the lightest contact possible, but I’d RIDE him. I’d have a total game plan, keep him concentrating because I’d be concentrating, and vary it up constantly to keep his brain with me. Besides, its more fun! This is how professionals ride anyway, its the ammys that daydream and get into trouble. And yes, the walk is part of the work out, not a time to amble around. More riders get into trouble at the walk than any other time. I’ve been dumped at a walk and from a total standstill, and both time I’ve been hurt worse than at a gallop. Both times sitting without stirrups and gallywagging- learn from my mistakes!
I’d also take him out of the barn, and ride him in varied environments. In order to do this safely, you need an experienced horse and rider with you- the horse to give your horse confidence, and a rider who is experienced at starting trial or field hunters. I would also use a standing martingale.
At first I would pony him- with a long lead thru the bit and over his head to stop him absolutely without breaking the bridle. If this goes well for a few weeks, I’d free him, but always keep him in company. If possible, he should be with an experienced horse in front of him, AND behind him. Then I would start exercises to give him confidence that he can be alone and ok- by riding him a little in front, then behind, then to the left and the right, so that he learns he can leave and be ok. After a couple of months of this, along with his arena time, you should have made HUGE progress in overcoming his panic attacks, and forming a real bond with him.
NO horse will never bolt. My 20 year old FEI horse a couple of months ago was walking back to the barn after a lesson, and right next to the barn, took off without warning 20 feet from “home”. Who knows why? He’s a horse. But almost as soon as he started, he realized he was being a dork, and stopped, because he wasn’t afraid of me flipping out on him, so he didn’t need to now run away from ME.
Bolters almost always are running away from their riders because they are afraid of the consequences of their actions. Give them no reason to fear you, and they will keep their minds clear.
There is a 3rd kind of bolter- these are the horses who are not afraid at all- but have learned that they can intimidate their riders by running off. These horses are VERY dangerous, and frankly, need to be put down before they kill someone, or find a rider who can channel that aggression into performance, if they have talent. They are thankfully, pretty rare, but believe me, they exist. This horse, from your description, sounds anything but this.
Good luck and enjoy him. I think he will be totally fine with a rider who isn’t scared to death he might make a mistake.
Thank you, guys…Well, he was picked up this a.m., and is on his way to me, should be here tomorrow sometime. I can’t tell you how nervous I am, I’ve been up since 3 a.m., going over in my mind all of my strategies and ideas for working with him. I am keeping all the great suggestions in my mind, so I can use any of them, as I determine exactly what his motivations are and if it’s fear, rebellion, etc. I will start from scratch, but he still will be in work, as I feel as if he’s not ridden, then it may only be worse with time. Of course, I won’t get on if he gives me any weird signals, or otherwise indicates he is not to be trusted. Saddle fitter is coming next week, and I have an SOS out to my vet who does the chiro/acupuncture/herbal stuff. She is great at finding pain, tightness or imbalance. I really don’t want to do too much until she has gone over him thoroughly, and she gives her go ahead. I hope I’m up to this task, but I have to have confidence in all of the other throwaways that I’ve worked with and turned into successful citizens. Say some prayers for both of us!
My guy was a rescue, not by me, but the lady I got him from. He’d been a stallion in a field at some backyard breeder’s in Kansas (he’s an Azteca). He has a slit on his top left eyelid, and his winter coat has a dark spot on his jaw on that side. He gets a central crack in that hoof and the chiro has to adjust his knee and shoulder on that side. I’m convinced he was attacked by another stallion. When I got him, he’d been with a small herd, just two horses, including a mare. I kept him with just my mare until I moved to a larger boarding barn. He finally made friends! I called them the rat pack, and honestly, he gained more confidence having a good group of friends than as a result of any training. Not sure if your boy’s issues may relate, but sometimes I think the insecurity is both their bad experiences with people and other horses!
Oh, the poor boy, thank goodness someone got him out of there. My guy hasn’t been turned out with other horses, at least lately, so that is part of my plan, to see who he might get along with and then he can have a buddy. At least I hope so. He needs to be a horse, and be out as much as possible. Unfortunately, we will be in middle of spring mud season soon, so that is always fun. Hopefully he plays well with others.
Just wanted to say good luck.
I knew two people who owned bolters and they were both Cheval Canadian. I’ve wondered if there isn’t some kind of correlation there.
I know that all horses can bolt if they are startled enough. They are prey animals. But these two were confirmed bolters.
#1 Horse was eight. Very well backed seemed to have no issues. Not nervous etc. Owner was an older experienced rider. First bolted when her daughter hacked him out in a field. Daughter is also experienced. She rode the horse in a stronger bit and had no more problems.
Owner rode him mostly in indoor but had increasing problems with him bolting. First time he bolted it was because she dropped one of her gloves. Daughter worked with him for a while and he seemed fine and then a few months later he bolted with her when she took her jacket off.
And yes they had done some desensitizing work with him.
Third time he bolted with her daughter said that’s it. Owner gave him to daughter who is a lot younger and could handle him.
He was and is a sweet horse but owner was an older woman and wanted a dependable mount.
#2 Belonged to a teenager who saw him and had to have him. Parents just paid the bills. Pony came to barn for training. Girl and pony had lessons with trainer and seemed to be done. Went to show and it bolted with her in middle of dressage test. Pony was gone by the next week.
I don’t know what happened to it.
I really really hate people who knowingly pass their problems to someone else.
I don’t have any great pearls of wisdom to pass on as far as retraining. You seem to have the right mindset for taking it on.
Just wanted to go give you my good wishes for the future.
AnastasiaBeaverhousen,
that is very interesting. I have heard several other stories. I have known lots of WB bolters, TBs, Friesians, etc, who had the same behavior, so who knows. I’m wondering if it’s because many of this breed are brought up semi feral, living out in big herds without a lot of early handling. This particular horse was started at 5, and is coming 9, so has a few years of this behavior. Hopefully, I can go slow enough and do enough remedial work that the instinct will be pushed down a little further. I’m really getting too old for this kind of crap, but at the same time, where could he end up if he has one more bad home that can’t deal with it? I just feel incredibly bad for my friend who purchased this horse, as she fell hard for him, and it’s been a sad sorry emotional time for her.
I knew two people who owned bolters and they were both Cheval Canadian. I’ve wondered if there isn’t some kind of correlation there.
A test group of two. I have known several - maybe 10- Cheval Canadians - and none were bolters- but still I would not draw any breed generalizations from that small group-
I think one has to be careful about these generalizations and anecdotes based on small numbers.
I really like the Canadian breed (also, tiny note - it’s Canadien with an “e” not an “a” if you’re going to say “cheval” - the “e” is the french spelling. Otherwise you can just say Canadian horse 
) We have one at our barn with an absentee owner who has been taken over by the BO. I’m helping her put some good basics on the mare, and she’s just a doll. Totally unflappable and very very sweet - and not called le petit cheval de fer for nothing ("little iron horse) - feet and bone that are pretty well indestructible.
Good luck with your new project. Bolting is something that really makes me leery - simply because it can be so scary to ride through, but good on you for taking a shot on this guy.
Be aware that some in the breed tend to be hot. They can get strong and maybe that is how that bolting came into play.
also, tiny note - it’s Canadien with an “e”
yes, I know- just used same as others used here rather than explain French spelling.
I’m going to put this horse on some magnesium, too. Just a sneaking suspicion that he may need it, based on his muscling, and it may help with some of his anxiety. I take it at night and it helps my muscles to unwind and let me sleep better.
Like I said any horse of any breed can bolt. But these two were confirmed bolters and no amount of training seemed to change it. I don’t think that holds true for all horses. Some people here were able to. I hope you can do it.
My apologies for the spelling. No insult intended.
And I do feel for your friend. We do spend a lot of hope on horses don’t we?
You sound like a true horsewoman: concerned for outcome of this horse.
It could be this horse was pushed too hard too soon.
I believe in taking time with young ones.
But I understand why trainers start so young. Clients want results now.
And the one who writes the checks is always right.
Good luck and let us know how he is doing.
[QUOTE=AnastasiaBeaverhousen;8568921]
Like I said any horse of any breed can bolt. But these two were confirmed bolters and no amount of training seemed to change it. I don’t think that holds true for all horses. Some people here were able to. I hope you can do it.
My apologies for the spelling. No insult intended.
And I do feel for your friend. We do spend a lot of hope on horses don’t we?
You sound like a true horsewoman: concerned for outcome of this horse.
It could be this horse was pushed too hard too soon.
I believe in taking time with young ones.
But I understand why trainers start so young. Clients want results now.
And the one who writes the checks is always right.
Good luck and let us know how he is doing.[/QUOTE]
I am leaning toward your thinking here Anastasia that the problem lies in training. Canadians are a strong-minded breed and need to be trained with that in mind. Trained too hard, you can get undesirable habits in responses that become ingrained. Then it gets tougher because the breed tends to rise to the challenge if the fight escalates…or they think it is about to escalate. Canadians have long memories and will test circumstances just to see if the rules have changed. A friend boarded a Canadian at her place, and he tested the fence everyday just to see if it was on because one day it was not. The resulting daily shock did not matter.
Knew a Canadian called Molson (tongue in cheek name because Molson Canadian is a type of beer). Molson also bolted. Last time I saw him, he had managed to ditch the two ladies who were driving him in the cart, and was tearing down the dirt road that serviced the barn with the cart flailing behind him. Moments before the bolt, he was happily pulling the cart…and seriously, nothing scarey was going on. The switch flipped in his head. One of the scariest things I had ever seen.
Anyway, based on that limited experience with the breed, I would look to training impacts of the past and be diligent and consistent. But it seems that you are doing all those things. Best of luck
I’ve known a few horses that were hyper alert and had come from semi feral surroundings - prepared, always, for the attack from nowhere.
Here’s a little update, he arrived Thursday night, stepped off the trailer and walked into the barn and his stall without hesitation. Settled in quickly and quietly. Turned him out the next day next to some other geldings, no alpha behavior or silliness, in fact my studdish upper level horse actually seems to like him and hangs out near him. I gave him that day off, to let him recover from his travels. But I did work a little on leading and head down, and not invading my space or mugging for treats.
The next day I took him in the indoor and worked with him, he did a lot of leading, forward, backward, move your shoulders over, move your haunches over, put your head down, and focus on me, not your surroundings. We lunged, and I made sure Whoa meant Whoa NOW. He wants to join up and bond with me, but of course it will take a long time to make sure he can do it under stressful situations.
Yesterday took him back in the indoor, and we worked on desensitizing, touch the balloon, touch the tarp, follow the balloon, follow the tarp, let the tarp touch you, touching him all over with the long lash of the lunge whip, up legs, between legs, belly, back, head, ears, all pretty great. Starting to get the hang of staying with me, on a looped line, when I turn, back, go forward, follow me, follow me. He’s very bright and willing, just the kind of horse I like to work with. We are going to have so much fun working on all the natural horsemanship stuff, as well as under saddle. He really isn’t reactive to all of the normal things that most horses are afraid of, not afraid much of the tarp, not afraid of the helium balloon, even when he bit it and it popped, he hardly flinched. Also worked on walking on the trap, in a small area between the wall and some buckets, he was very careful, but not terrified.
I have seen his flight response though. He seems very nervous and upheaded when we go outside and he is looking all around, and a lot more jumpy. He seems secure in the indoor, not so much in the open. He’s fine in turnout, but he tunes out and loses focus in hand once you are in a bigger area. So, he is insecure outside of a ring, as I suspected, so many dressage horses don’t know what to do when they are not in an enclosed area. So, I plan to do a lot of hand walking all over the place, insisting on focus and paying attention to me, not the outside stimuli. My upper level horse was like this, and still is to some degree, but at least I can walk him down the long driveway, around the pond, even trotting and cantering, without feeling most of the time like I am going to die. Any other suggestions?
He does seems to have tight spots in his neck, and poll, so have the chiro/acupuncture vet coming out as soon as she can.
I think we will be fine together, but will be hyper vigilant, and just always continue to work on this stuff, so he trusts me implicitly and hopefully it will transfer over once I’m riding.
Good work and great start- I think you already know what to do.
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