# Horse that bolts in hand



## BrindalBelle (Nov 3, 2010)

My horse has begun to bolt from me when I have her in hand, usually walking her from her paddock to the barn and also when I try to trailer her. While annoying, it has not proven to be exceedingly dangerous until she bolted from the trailer at a show ground on our way home (not ok!!). She gives very little indication before she bolts and it is usually just to graze and avoid work. She only gets about 20-30ft away usually, but with the trailer she will run to the other end of the property. Also, when I get close to her she is VERY sure to stay away from me, walking as I get close and if I speed up, so does she! It usually takes at least two people to catch her, at which point I get her into the round pen and run her as punishment until she respects me again. This used to be a 5-6 times a year phenomenon at most, but in the past few months she has made it a weekly event! I'm growing concerned and definitely want to try to solve the problem... Please, any suggestions welcome!

For background: I use a rope halter and have used a chain lead rope and a lung line in the past. All of these she just runs through, even the chain, without issue. When she doesn't bolt, she is VERY respectful and barely needs any leading, it's just some days she suddenly decides she is over it and BAM she's gone. She is not a small horse at 16hh and half Percheron (so she's about 1400lbs) and it does not take much for her to get away.

Thanks for any help!


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## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

She's not respectful as she is only listening to you when it suits her. When it doesn't? She takes off.

You need to use a chain shank wrapped around the nose band of a halter that is not a rope one, so you have more bite with it.

And don't let her get by with anything anywhere, from feeding to grooming. I would imagine she is showing other signs of disrespect but you are missing them.

Do you know how to wrap and use a chain shank?


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## kenda (Oct 10, 2008)

Running her in the round pen is probably only teaching her that she shouldn't let you catch her. Getting away from work or the trailer, and getting to graze is her reward for bolting, running herself sweaty is her punishment for allowing herself to be caught. She is not associating the punishment with the crime. You need to prevent the bolt, and make the punishment for TRYING to bolt immediate and strong enough to override her now associated reward for bolting. Unfortunately that's easier said then done.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Your horse doesn't respect you and you don't have the proper skills to teach her manners. It is an easy fix however but I really hate giving advice as how as there is so many variables when I can't see what you are doing. My best advice to you is get a good trainer to help you, not only with leading but other aspects of horse handling, it will be money well spent.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## BrindalBelle (Nov 3, 2010)

I would never use a chain shank with a rope halter... I have a regular halter and I know how to attach it and use it. It was successful to prevent this behavior for a while but she just stopped caring after a while and now I only bring it out on these 'special' occasions.

I have also worked with a trainer on the ground and had ground training lessons with her and my horse. She is the one who suggested putting her in the round pen when she does this as punishment. I do agree though that my horse is not associating this with what she is doing and that is where I am having trouble. I am not sure what to do to prevent the bolt before it happens, it's so quick and I have no leverage to stop her... When I do get her back right away or prevent it, if I even show the body language that I'm angry or that she will be punished, she is off again without question.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Get another trainer, if I were there with you, I could show in about 2 seconds how to stop her from doing that. I lead 2 horses at a time, both walk at my pace and stop when I stop, speed up if I walk faster. All that took for me to train then is about a minute.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## BrindalBelle (Nov 3, 2010)

I have worked with many difference horses over the years with ground manner problems and issues like these without any problems, and trust me when I tell you my mare is very different. She learned at a young age (before I had her) that she is bigger and stronger and can pull away when she wants. Every horse is different and I firmly believe that you can't teach a horse anything in a short amount of time and everything takes patience and hard work. I don't think any type of 'quick fix' will change her behavior in the long run. I'm not looking for some simple way to do this, I am looking for suggestions from others who have had the same problem and simply 'get another trainer' or that you could fix it in 2 seconds isn't helpful. I appreciate your input but my horse will definitely not respond to some quick fix attempt.


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

My former Arabian gelding (long deceased and still missed) was a bear for bolting in hand. I only ever lead him with a web halter and the chain run under the chin - with that on he was a perfect gentleman as he new I had the upper hand (he was a thinker and observer of human nature:lol; anything else he was gone on a whim. This may work in your situation. But, please, under no circumstances tie your horse with the chain in active position; also when you do catch her (even though she's been tiresome about it) make it pleasant for her and she will reduce her antics. Good luck.


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## rideverystride (Jul 19, 2013)

This sounds like a horse at the barn I work with. Only she was much more dangerous. This horse turned into a monster and actually ended up jumping a fence with another girl I work with. I am saying this to warn you that if you don't nip this in the bud it will get much worse. I too agree with palomine that she is probably showing disrespect in other areas, which you don't seem to notice. A horse that pulls you around is not one I would classify as respectful. If there's disrespect in one area there usually is disrespect in some way shape or form in other areas. My advice like many others on here is get a trainer, and get one fast.


Edit: This is not not something someone should suggest about over the internet. Get someone out there who will teach you IN PERSON, and show you hands on how to do it. I do not believe this will be an easy fix in my personal opinion. But this horse I work with we lead her with the chain around her nose. She was lead as a baby with a chain, and as a result of that when she got a bit older she realized she could easily pull humans around and that she didn't have the restriction of the chain. As soon as we put the chain around her nose, she turned into a completely different horse, she was respectful, she stopped as soon as you pulled back the tiniest amount. I know it seems like we just covered up her behaviour, and I know it isn't convenient to lead a horse around with a chain all the time. But hey it worked it was just a training flaw on this horse. Anyways enough of my rambling good luck with your horse .


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

I have good news and bad news:

The good news -- she isn't a mule. When they start doing this, they are never completely 'fixed'. They know immediately when there is a chain or 'war bridle' on and when there isn't one -- so they just bolt when they can get away with it. If you have not handled mules; they ARE that smart.

The bad news -- Once a big horse has learned to do this, you have get pretty rough with them to stop the bad habit. I cannot hold one that has learned to do this and I have seen them get away from my 200# husband.

I have tried the chain (of course), but some horses can run through it if a handler does not weigh 220# or sometimes more. 

I have tried a lip chain -- that usually works but is really difficult for a novice to get set up right where the horse cannot spit it out. Some horses are also smart enough to know when it is there and will bolt when it is not.

What I have done and had it work every time (except with mules) is to tie a 30 foot lariat rope to the horse's halter and snub it to a post. [I have always used a pipe post set in concrete.] Then, with an ordinary lead-rope, I lead the horse holding the lariat rope in my left hand and making sure neither I nor the horse step over it. When the horse bolts, I turn the lead-rope loose and let the horse hit the end of the lariat rope. 

Maybe I have just been lucky, but I have done this with somewhere between 20 and 30 different horses and have never hurt a horse and never had one have to be jerked around more than twice -- and the second time it hit the end of the rope a lot easier than the first time. I could not talk any of them into hitting it three times. I have had it jerk a couple of horses down, but I did not feel too bad since they had jerked me down a whole lot harder. 

Oh! and by the way, I yelled "Whoa!" just as the horse hit the end of the rope. No reason to not take advantage of any situation that comes up.

If I have had the luxury of having a second person to help, I just had them dally the lariat around the pipe post so they could get it loose quickly if I needed it.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

I agree this is a respect issue, odds are manners are lacking with other interactions but you do not realise it. 
As usual, I agree with Cherie, and have used the same method with a few stubborn horses!


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Put the chain on and give her about 6' of lead. Chin up, shoulders facing forward start walking then make a sharp turn and keep walking. She'll hit the chain and maybe react but whatever you do DO NOT pet her or talk to her, just keep your focus straight ahead and keep walking. When she's coming along, do another sharp turn. After half a dozen I promise you she will be watching your shoulders to guide her as to where you are going. Don't expect her to figure it out after the first contact with the chain, It takes at least 3 times for the horse to figure it out. Be consistent with this work as it will remove her notions of bolting. Instead of eyeing the grass she'll want to prevent hitting the chain.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

I might have to seek out a big pushy horse and make video!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Foxtail Ranch (Mar 10, 2012)

I have a mare, a KMSH, that used to do this. She can be very pushy with her head. I use clicker training with her and she hasn't bolted on lead since we started CT. Ella follows me wherever i go now, without me having to use a chain or watching carefully to keep her head tipped to me, which is what i used to have to do before CT. But that is a whole other way of training and many folks on here do not agree with it at all.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Light (Mar 4, 2012)

So, I thought that my mare really respected me and she would do the puppy dog following thing in the round pen. very sweet mare. We moved to a new place. About a week ago she got spooked and broke away from me and ran back to her corral. I didn't really react to it. I just took off her halter and ignored her behavior. 

Yesterday she got spooked by the same horse and wound up completely disregarding me as another living creature let alone a leader of any sort. She was running circles around me and I had to leap to get out of the way of her feet. She wound up with her head like a giraffe on crack, whites of the eyes showing, flared nostrils snorting repeatedly, and chomping and foaming at the mouth. Every time I interacted or tried to with her she would bolt circles around me and started mini bucking while she did it. 

I couldn't handle it and had to ask for help like a sniffling little girl. By the time the ranch guy got to me and her I was so upset I couldn't talk. (No person or animal has ever made me crazy upset the way this horse does). 

He quietly walked her back to her corral for me and I died a bit inside. Then I went to the store and bought a regular halter a real lead rope, a dressage whip, and a long stud chain. we walked very nicely to the different arenas and we walked all over the place. She started to act up at the same spot but I nixed it before she could. she got no pets and no "good goo goo horsie" and will not get that kind of responses from me again. She is a horse and will behave like one or she will kill herself or me and the latter isn't an option. 

What I am trying to say is that these little things creep up until they are all of a sudden full on scary somebody's gonna die. 

My suggestion is to not take it lightly. Use a chain all the time if you must, and don't think she won't test you again. You have to stay safe no matter what. 

good luck


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## Boo Walker (Jul 25, 2012)

Ditch the chain and use a lunge line as your lead rope. When she bolts away, make it seem like your idea and move her feet quickly! Around and around, left and right, no walking but a brisk trot. Bolting = lots of work on her part, walking quietly at your side = no drama.


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## flytobecat (Mar 28, 2010)

I like Boo Walker's idea, but I would try it first in a large arena where if she did get away from you then she still wouldn't get loose.
I'm hesitant though to suggest anything since like Wares said there are so many variables involved. Since she isn't respecting you , she could easily try to go forward and through you if she can't get away.
I would try to find a trainer or someone more knowledgeable than you to help with this.
How is she on the ground in other areas? Does she move when you ask her to, stand when she should, etc...


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## Ian McDonald (Aug 24, 2011)

When I first started learning about handling horses it was on several of the big Thoroughbred breeding farms and training barns in Florida. In most of those places we handled horses regularly with chains, even the yearlings. The mentality was very much "get the job done quick" because we would have 50 horses in a barn to handle daily and not much time to do it in. I remember that most of those horses were pretty bad to pull away from you and could drag me around even with the chain, even though I weighed about 220lbs and could dead-lift over 400lbs.

In the ensuing handful of years since I started getting onto the idea of getting better results through increasing knowledge I found that trying to use my strength and severe equipment to obtain compliance was not even a fraction as effective as working hard to develop my horsemanship, -especially- if I happened to meet a horse that seemed to defy everything that I thought I knew about horses. A lot of people seem to be dismayed by this but I look at these situations and think "you don't know how lucky you are, having a tough horse if becoming a better horseman is your goal". 

As for bolting though, I have found that your position, the relationship of angles between where you are and where your horse is and your timing to be able to divert that energy as soon as he -decides- to try pulling away is far more important than how much physical pressure you can apply with equipment. It's possible that I don't know what I'm talking about - but it's been a lot of years since I've had a horse get away from me even though I'm not as strong as I was when I was handling those thoroughbreds with chains. ;]


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## flytobecat (Mar 28, 2010)

Ian, I'll have to try and remember that in the future. It's always been joke around here that when you are having problems with your horse that it is just "good training".


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## Ian McDonald (Aug 24, 2011)

flytobecat said:


> Ian, I'll have to try and remember that in the future. It's always been joke around here that when you are having problems with your horse that it is just "good training".


It's funny because it's true. :mrgreen:


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## LadyDreamer (Jan 25, 2008)

Other than "running for punishment" do you do any other ground work with this horse? She is telling you to go fly a kite. I definitely agree with the chain over the nose, or the stiff Clinton Anderson Style rope halter with the nose knots. She needs a come to Jesus meeting, not a run around the round pen.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## mangomelon (May 11, 2012)

BrindalBelle said:


> It usually takes at least two people to catch her, at which point I get her into the round pen and run her as punishment until she respects me again.


Running a horse around in a round pen only works if you know what you're doing. I'm not saying you don't, but from how you wrote your sentence it sounds like you assume making her run in circles is what gets her to respect you. You have to know when to add pressure and when to take it away if you want it to be effective.
Your mare doesn't respect you. If she did, she wouldn't pull away. A horse respects you or he doesn't; there is no sometimes. The "respect" you get sometimes is just her _allowing_ you to pretend you're in charge. If that's alright with you, go for it, but it was when I realized that with my horse that I finally connected the dots and decided to do something about it.
If you're determined, you'll be able to get her respect. I agree with finding a good trainer; it helped me a lot. 
I'm not a fan of using chains. I feel like it just covers up a problem because it allows you to ignore the fact your horse doesn't respect you. I got a horse that knew how big he was and he knew how small I was. He took advantage of that and I can tell you a chain would not have helped me with him. You can't take short cuts to getting your horse's respect. A good trainer will be able to help you with her and teach you how to handle her in a way that works for both of you.
Good luck with your horse!


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## GreySorrel (Mar 5, 2012)

OP....I can only tell you my story on what I did. I bought a good friends 17.2H Percheron mare, who when she decided she has had enough work or didn't want to work the next morning would trot off and not want to be caught or if she had the halter on, would turn and bolt. Now, holding 1800lbs of draft I cannot do, but like you, thought if I approached it differently, she would listen. Yea, no. She decided in our stock trailer one morning that we hadn't loaded her team mate quick enough for her and she did not want to go do wagon rides the 2nd day in a row, slammed into me, I fell backwards and she spun, again hitting me and bolted off the trailer. 

I put a stud chain under her chin, the snap part was attached to one cheek, it went under her chin and then through the other side. I thought that having that would help, but no she ran through that till I would put it on her with her work halter, give it a firm jerk, a "WALK" and then led her to wherever we were going. She tried to bolt once and I had enough time to jerk it hard and back, setting her back a bit but she stopped, and now knows, if I tell her to walk in an authoritative voice, give a tug on the chain, she had best do what is asked of her and haven't had a problem since. You have to be consistent and realize, once they know they have your ticket, they will use it to their full advantage.

As what another person said, there is also other small signs of disrespect. Again, for Trixie it was crowding me at feeding time, so I began to carry a dressage whip. I didn't use it on her but I did use it to tap her chest and say "BACK", then make her take a step and stand there. Didn't matter how long, I was in control and I am the alpha mare. I never let her crowd me, or nudge me or anything else and after a few times she got that. 

I know you don't want to resort to something harsh, but sometimes in a case like this, firmness is much kinder than her killing, harming or hurting her or you or both. Horses want and need a leader, one they can trust and look to for direction, you right now, are not it.


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## rookie (May 14, 2012)

My only thoughts are that a stud chain is often better over the nose than under the chin. I find that under the chin it hits the horse in the chin and can cause a horse to rear. Over the nose always works better for me and if they get really snotty I go over the gums (but thats like really snotty rearing type behavior and we have stuff to do). Over the nose I feel is better because its a bit more sensitive and you have more leverage.


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## Muppetgirl (Sep 16, 2012)

I agree with Cherie here. Unfortunately when I worked at the racetrack we didn't have the luxury of hitching them to a good strong post! LOL! I used to use a long lead and a colt bit (a chifney bit) attached to the lead and the halter through the ring with the colts that like to run. Not many of them ran through it, I also took the opportunity to teach them to spook on the spot with it also, so instead of bolting in fear just getting a fright and not running. 

I did have the opportunity to be dragged across a field, through a ditch and through a mud puddle at the track by a horse at the track one morning in the dark. My boss was out working a horse and when she got back to the barn she said 'oh did you catch Del? My reply 'I never let go!'......all she could see in the dark was a big black horse b-lining for the barn! He wore a chifney from that day on while out picking.


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## SketchyHorse (May 14, 2012)

BrindalBelle said:


> She learned at a young age (before I had her) that she is bigger and stronger and can pull away when she wants.


I acquired my mare Cally 3mos ago. She's 16yrs old. She knows she's big (about 16.2hh & super muscled) & that I'm little. She knows she can drag me across the arena. And she did several times. This mare was set in her ways, allowed to be a brat for the longest time, and had no care for what _I _wanted. I can tell you this - she suffered a come to Jesus meeting & doesn't pull any of this crap anymore. Now the girls at the barn can walk this mare out by her _fly mask _and she doesn't bowl them over. She's a little slow to the stop, but then again she can't exactly tell with a fly mask... (we've had talks about that... please use a halter /end rant)

So just because the horse knows they're "bigger & stronger" or "learned it young" doesn't mean it can't be unlearned.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

Just a quick question to the OP. Is your horse a warmblood by any chance?


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