# How to train my horse to stop bolting on a lunge line?



## quarterhorse (Apr 18, 2011)

Hi, I have a 15h quarterhorse that I just rescued and I am haveing trouble with him bolting on the lunge line. When I first got him I tryed lunging him with just a 12 foot lead rope and a rop halter. Well that turned out not so good. He will start out ok at the walk for about 2 second and then before you know it he bolts off to the outside and rips the lead out of my hand. So then i decided to put a loose ring single jointed snaffle in and I took my lunge line and put it up through the bit , over his ploe and attached it to the outside of the bit. After doing all that it still failed. He is extremly quik and strong. This is the srongest short stout horse I have ever worked with. When he bolted with just his rope halter I decided that it was time to learn in the round pin. Do you have any other ideas? I have been depating on using a chain or just keep dooing what im doing? Any ideas?:lol:


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Yes, since you have a round pen, first work him at liberty (no line) in that round pen. You move him around, change his direction multiple times, make him speed up, slow down and work him until he wants to stop. Really stop.

Then, you can put him on a line and work with him.

Really, he needs to learn how to disengage his hind quarters, and this will stop him from bolting off. But to start with, work him freely in the round pen to let him get some energy and be more willing to listen.

Do you know how to disengage the hindquarters of a horse? There are so many great books out there and dvd's and such. Look into some books on round penning and lunging. It's really hard to explain totally by a post on the internet. 

Hang in there and get it so he can't get turned 90 degrees away from you . That's how he gets strong enough to pull the rope through your hand.

AND get a good rope halter. The knots make it much easier to control a hrose. Ditch the web halter until he is better mannared.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

I would suggest that a 12 foot rope is not enough, it is really hard for an unbalanced horse to do a tight circle (with you in the middle, it makes it 24' circle). Your average round pen is a lot larger - like the 60' range, requiring a 30' rope. 

Might not sound like a lot, but it is in terms of balance from the horse who has to bend in and respond. The tighter the circle the harder on the horse. 

Other than that, if the horse is bolting, and you can't control that, I would pull in the lunge line til I could stop it. Do you have the lunge attached to a bit?

If not, change the order of movement as soon as the bolt starts with a lunge whip ahead of the horse to change its direction. 

Keep on changing so bolting is harder work than listening, but you have to be on it, the second it shows signs. Then run the horse on with the whip behind it.


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