Runaway needs emergency brake!

[TBlitz]

We had our closing hunt this weekend and when other horses in the field got out of control on a gallop alongside a road, my horse grabbed his bit (rubber mullen mouth pelham) and ran with them. He’s never done anything this bad before!

I couldn’t do a one-rein stop because we would have met our end on either the asphalt or in the ditch/barbed wire fence. I was trying to stop him with every single bit of my strength (which isn’t a joke in the least since I used to powerlift) and he didn’t respond at all. I tried pulling straight back, heavy half halts, sawing on his mouth, but no help there. I literally felt like I was trying to stop a moving freight train. Finally we came to a field and I was able to do a one-rein stop. I’ve been riding for quite a few years and have only felt this kind of lack of control once before in my life (thanks to stupid teenage ideas ).

What should I do if this instance happens again? Should I find a heavier bit that has an emergency brake on it? He’s got quite the messed up mind and super heavy mouth from endeavors prior to my ownership of him, and has issues with submission and any type of restraint. Should I send him out to pasture and wait 3 years to ride my little guy? Beat him over the head until he can read my mind?

[Mendin_Fences]

I’d like to know some suggestions as well. My tb mare loves to gallop on the trail, but I quickly realized that she is lacking a set of brakes when we ended up jumping into a corn field trying to do the one rein stop.
Since then, I limited us to cantering (not galloping) down that trail alone (we take turns going down and back on the side of a field) and I start half halting and bringing her down to trot about 1/2 way down, before she has the chance to get too quick.
Can you teach a born-to-run horse to not run away with you? How do jockeys stop them at the end of a race?

[Equibrit]

Find a nice big field and make the sucker gallop until he can’t any more; make him scrape the bottom. He’ll change his tune!

[TBlitz]

Running to the death doesn’t sound like a good idea for my guy.

He is literally the type that will keep running until he falls over dead. I seriously thought he was going to die during a workout once when we were doing hill work (in the mountains), though I still had to fight him to a stop so I could jump off him. He was honestly shaking and I had to drag him around for at least half an hour to cool him off before hosing him and setting him in front of a fan for an hour.

[Acertainsmile]

[QUOTE=Mendin Fences;3162941]
I’d like to know some suggestions as well. My tb mare loves to gallop on the trail, but I quickly realized that she is lacking a set of brakes when we ended up jumping into a corn field trying to do the one rein stop.
Since then, I limited us to cantering (not galloping) down that trail alone (we take turns going down and back on the side of a field) and I start half halting and bringing her down to trot about 1/2 way down, before she has the chance to get too quick.
Can you teach a born-to-run horse to not run away with you? How do jockeys stop them at the end of a race?[/QUOTE]

What you can do is bridge your reins, and let the horse pull gainst themselves, and not you…and not let them run flat out.

Usually at the end of a race the horses are tired…although there are some that do run off…that is why they have outriders to catch them!

[bird4416]

Pulley rein. Take one rein, shorten it and grab a chunk of mane and that rein slightly in front of the withers. Sit your a$$ down in the saddle and pull back with the other rein. Short pulls but not a jerk as this could cause a fall. Keep that other rein firmly anchored and use that hand for leverage. This usually works for me when the Belgian/T’bred cross gets a wild hair and decides to run for the hills.

[LookinSouth]

@Mendin Fences;3162941

Since then, I limited us to cantering (not galloping) down that trail alone (we take turns going down and back on the side of a field) and I start half halting and bringing her down to trot about 1/2 way down, before she has the chance to get too quick.
Can you teach a born-to-run horse to not run away with you? How do jockeys stop them at the end of a race?

Are you cantering/galloping in the same spot every ride? Does she only do this on said particular trail or anytime you open her up into a gallop in the open even at a new location? I’ve found with my own horse that I really can’t always canter or gallop in on the same stretch on our trails because he begins to anticipate and get VERY hot. Unfortunately there are certain sections of our trails that are so ideal for cantering and galloping that I tend to always pick those spots but I’ve learned my lesson; we vary it frequently. The only places we can consistently do a nice hand gallop and stay 100% in control is when we are going up a Hill. Fortunately we have lots of those too. I also never open him up heading HOME.

[SEPowell]

[QUOTE=Mendin Fences;3162941]
Can you teach a born-to-run horse to not run away with you? How do jockeys stop them at the end of a race?[/QUOTE]

I have strategies, but they don’t always work and when that happens I resort to the “well, if you can run, I can ride” frame of mind, gulp. :lol:

I’ve come to believe that some of them just love it and need a steady dose of galloping. It’s good for their souls.

The first thing I learned when working with race horses was when you take hold of their mouths you’re telling them their speed is good and that you’re probably going to pick up speed. So during their track days they’re conditioned to pick up speed as rider weight shifts and contact on the reins increases. Some of them learn to love to lean on the reins to gallop so trying to stop those guys with one long steady hold can be counter productive.

Sometimes it works to lighten the hold and let them stretch out for three or four strides, steady them, say good boy/girl, give a pat and start checking, nothing as aggressive as a half halt (not that I really believe half halts are aggressive, but ottbs can decide they are). I have a mare who is wise to that trick now and so she just runs off with me for a while.

I haven’t been part of a group run away, but again I would treat it like breezing on the track with another horse and then start the same pull up strategy I just mentioned.

For my difficult mare, the one who runs off with me sometimes, a wexford bit worked for a while. I kept a light hold and when she tried to take hold of the bit she didn’t like it. After a while she decided she liked it so that stopped working and now I’m back to the softest bit I have. She just hates to be bothered with me when we’re hunting and lets me know it :lol: So now I always try to place myself strategically, in front with horses who are going to keep moving and that keeps her happy. Thank god she knows the master/huntsman and simply never tries to pass her. I’m not quite sure why she’s agreed to this rule, but it works for me.

But sometimes you just end up in a tough situation and you have to do the best you can to stay safe and not crash into anyone else.

I was about to post this when I thought that pull ups (when you trot behind another horse, the horse in front stops, you pass, the horse behind you falls in line, you stop, the other passes, … and then you progress to doing those cantering, might help. Also practicing cantering head and head with someone and pulling up together might help.

[Abberlaze]

http://mylerbitsusa.com/bit_combo.shtml

I don’t have great training suggestions, except I’d be wary of the people telling you to make him keep running. When they get tired, they get lazy/clumsy and are way more likely to fall and flip on you.

I used this bit on my girl who was normally perfect, but out hunting or x-country would just run and ignore me. It combines several elements and so leads to a more effective stop without ripping their mouth out. Not the most traditional, but it WORKS!

[mrs.smith]

butting into the conversation…

a friend of mine rides her horse on the trail in a running martingale. Does this actually work for more brakes and is it safe?

[Beverley]

A number of good tips have already been posted.

When I gallop mine, it is on contact, and when it comes time for them to start easing up, I DROP the contact, stand up a bit in the stirrups, and say ‘hu-ho,’ as their signal to start coming back to me. Actually, once they’ve done this a while, that’s pretty much all I need when working solo, they pull themselves up. Out hunting, when galloping in a group and they get a little strong, I’ll drop contact and give that verbal signal briefly, and that sort of breaks their brain freeze and if I wish to take them back further, they are paying attention to the bit again and I can go ahead and rate them to the desired speed- sometimes just a few strides to negotiate something trappy and then we are off again.

Another emergency braking technique is the ‘finger in the ear’- you reach way up on one side or the other, grab the rein closer to the bit, and go straight up toward that ear.

Also remember, not having brakes isn’t the end of the world if you have steering and enough of a space to circle.

[armandh]

sometimes nothing will work

at a spot where others have been dumped [I later suspected ground bees] my horse’s [a TWHxClyde] back came up and we were at full out in a moment. it was all I could do to steer him away from the hunt and across a field. speed control was out of the question even with a double bridle. [and I can put a half barrel of beer on the pickup tail gate] Nearing the other side the dim bulb of equine intelligence finally came on and he started listening. We stopped, turned around, cantered back to the field, and stopped with ease. what happened I was asked. No clue I answered. It was a one of a kind excitement thankfully. photo of horse in my profile.

sometimes nothing will work but riding it out. hopefuly with out crashing

[xeroxchick]

This can be scary, no? First of all, going to a harsher bit sometimes just works for a few hunts. I’ve seen people use the Mickmar, rave about it, then it dissapears after a time or two.
I agree with Beverly that you have to drop contact at some point, but not that they fall down with you at speed.
Here is a thought:
Some people feel really out of control on a run in the field and try to micro-ride a comfortable XC-type gallop. Better to just go with it. Trying to keep the gallop you want in can be profoundly frustrating for the horse and they will not be focusing on the hunt but on being held-in yet again. I let them out and ask them to go go go, which we actually have to do in our hunt quite often, and after that real galloping, most are more managable. Asking them to stop while the whole run is going on (other horses galloping on beside and around them) is just futile and just another instance where they are frustrated with you and learning not to respect your judgement (unless you have a made horse, which means you are partners and he respects your judgement).
In other words, kicking-on and focusing ahead on the hounds will create a more managable horse than holding him in.
That being said, before I hunt a horse I actually do gallop towards home to approximate that alacrity and show them that my breaks do indeed work. Or perhaps find out then that they don’t work. Just a little test once or twice.

[BigHorseLittleHorse]

All good suggestions so far… I have one more to add. You may not need a stronger bit if your horse will respond to lateral pressure. My horse is very fussy about his mouth, but he can get pretty strong when we’re cantering or galloping. I’ve found I have much more control if I use a bit that has some lateral action (the simplest is a full cheek or Dee rather than a loose ring or eggbutt, but there are many others out there too).

If I use the direct action of the bit by applying pressure on both reins, he just puts his head down and leans on it. But with a bit that has lateral action, using just one rein has a more dramatic effect, without being harsh. For instance, when you use the left rein, the right side of the bit applies gentle pressure to the outside of the horse’s mouth, causing him to turn his head slightly to the left. For my horse, this breaks his momentum just enough that he’ll start listening to my half halts again.

[Nikki17]

I am taking a shot in the dark here as I am lurking, I am a show hunter rider, but was interested in reading your post. To me it sounds like a training issue working along with the horses natural instinct to run with the others. How about some more training on this one. Would a harsher bit really fix your problem? I empathize with you as this would really scare me (I don’t hunt) but I think any horse with the tendency to “runaway” in the field or ring needs to go back to fundamentals. Good luck

[SEPowell]

Just another thought. Be very careful of bits that work on their polls, even rubber pelhams do this somewhat. Some horses just can’t and won’t tolerate this and after awhile start lauching to get away from the pressure. Monsters can be created out of ottbs very quickly with the best intentions. There’s a reason D bits are associated with the track and that’s because they don’t make tbs nuts. I like french link Ds even better for some.

[SimpsoMatt]

Amish emergency brake

[LookinSouth]

@BigHorseLittleHorse;3163758

If I use the direct action of the bit by applying pressure on both reins, he just puts his head down and leans on it. But with a bit that has lateral action, using just one rein has a more dramatic effect, without being harsh. For instance, when you use the left rein, the right side of the bit applies gentle pressure to the outside of the horse’s mouth, causing him to turn his head slightly to the left. For my horse, this breaks his momentum just enough that he’ll start listening to my half halts again.

If you haven’t tried this already it is worthy advice! My horse can get strong and quick in certain scenarios and the technique described above is the ONLY way to get his attention. I can stop him in a happy mouth loose ring from a gallop just as easily as a slow twist full cheek or elevator. It’s not the bit; it’s the technique.

I never thought to use a quick, light pulley rein to slow a horse down when they ignore the half halt. I always just used a harder half halt which would take several efforts to get the required response.

A friend of mine whose ridden my guy a bunch of times suggested that I use the pulley rein (one rein pulled directly back while other rests on the neck) anytime he ignores my half halts of just seat/leg rather than just half halting and pulling directly back harder. Don’t do it so hard to actually stop him but to get him to listen when he starts to get strong or quick. Exactly as the poster above states. I get a result IMMEDIATELY when I use the pulley rein in conjunction with leg/seat. If he is really on a roll ( we’re cantering/galloping behind others) and still doesn’t listen I say “Hooooeee” and abruptly use the pulley rein to stop him and then make him WALK. Usually he gets the message with the first light pulley rein.

[Delphia]

Talk about taking your life in your hands!:eek:

Remember that “harshness” of a bit is in the hands of the holder. Too many folks think a simple snaffle is a mild bit, but the way it is used makes the difference. A “severe” shanked ported bit may not be harsh at all given the right hands.

So, create a situation where your horse will run-away and try ( not in any particular order ):
full cheek snaffle
twisted wire mouth
gag
curb with chain
ported curb
pelham with longer shanks
ported pelham
mechanical hackamore

If you live we would be delighted to hear what finally works!:winkgrin:

[Granada]

[QUOTE=Beverley;3163467]
they get a little strong, I’ll drop contact [/QUOTE]

I second Beverley and especially this quote. IMO this is the most important thing. Half halt, seesaww, pulley rein, whatever you have to let go in between them, it disrupts their balance and brain and they have to go slower. You probably already know this but Most horses can’t gallop full out without the rider contact, a steady strong contact actually helps them balance in the gallop.

Don’t be afraid of practicing because it will probably happen again. The best method I have found is to gallop them snot out of them in a big open area on safe footing even using a crop to get them listening.

[QUOTE=Delphia;3164684]
If you live we would be delighted to hear what finally works!:winkgrin:[/QUOTE]

:yes: please share if something works! Good Luck and have fun!