# What are your emergency strategies?



## lauraetco (Sep 14, 2011)

What you do when your horse suddenly starts bolting, bucking, or rearing while you're riding?

What are some emergency dismounts that you've practiced/used?

Also, any tips of what to do when you are thrown off? I've seen jockeys curl up into a ball before they land. Does doing that minimize the chances of serious injuries?

Thanks


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

There really isn't a definitive answer for any of those questions. What I do on a horse that suddenly bucks/bolts/rears greatly depends on the horse and the situation. I've ridden some horses that responded well to the one-rein stop in those situations. I've ridden others that would just continue to buck/bolt with their nose to my stirrup, or even better, the ones that would just snatch the reins out of your hands and go on their merry way.

As for the falling thing, I normally scramble to stay on as long as possible and when I finally realize that I can't, I just splat wherever I happen to land :lol:.


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## Saskia (Aug 26, 2009)

I've never done an emergency dismount, nor have I had a rearer. But I had a horse that would always take off and was super strong, and what I would do is spiral in until I could regain control. If I needed to pull up I would do a tight circle one rein stop style. 

I think jockeys roll into a ball to protect themselves from trampling, which isn't as much an issue for someone just riding alone, as there aren't a herd of horses to trample you.


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## hoopla (Jan 29, 2012)

I always think the safest place to stay is ON BOARD

It's exceptionally rare for a horse to lose it's mind to such an extend that it's going to put itself in danger and hence risk you too.

Of course though as a trainer who for many years was a jump jockey I do know how to dismount a rear should a horse risk flipping over and I do know how to land a fall with a roll away.

But for the every day rider that's a skill that would soon be lost in the heat of the moment and due to lack of practice.

My advice is that the best thing you can learn is how to ride and how to ride well and stay balanced and secure in the saddle. Then to be able to critically undertake risk assessment and avoid anything that is outwith the bounds of your competence and ability to manage. Finally always ensure you wear correct personal protective equipment: hat, body protector (as appropriate)


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## jinxremoving (Apr 6, 2009)

I've always been taught to stay on and try to regain control of the situation. Circle the horse if you can, use a pulley rein if necessary. Try anything and everything to either slow the horse down or bring them to a stop. Only as a last resort where my life is at risk should I perform an emergency dismount - something like the horse bolting for a busy highway or into another hazard where the outcome isn't going to be nice.

Falling off is another story... some people tell you to "roll" away from the horse but I find in reality you don't have a lot of time to think about how you're going to fall. If and when you fall, if you do "roll" away it's usually based on pure luck not because you planned it out in your head. In a perfect world, you would roll with your hands behind your head and elbows tucked to create a "ball" with your body but it doesn't always work like that.

... and whatever you do, if you are going to fall don't stick your arms out to catch yourself because that's a sure fire way to break something.


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## mildot (Oct 18, 2011)

This has a few tips. The one variable you have to account for is that these riders knew they were going to fall

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WgjVORA9LIE


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

This behaviour often shows up when the horse is being ridden out alone and arrives at the spot when he feels he's gone too far from everything that represents safety to him. If this is the case, he will give subtle signals at first, slowing down, less responsive to leg, quick to turn in the direction of home. Tail switching is a warning. When a horse tightens it's back muscles they feel wider, but he is planning on rearing. He needs to bunch his muscles in order to do so. When you feell that, that's when you want to pull his head around and drive his hindquarters around. As long as his hind feet can't get planted beneath him he can't rear. Tap the inside hip with a crop to make him hustle. His hindquarters likly won't complete a circle and he'll want to quit. So you push a little more. Only when he will stand quietly do you allow his head to straighten.


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## mildot (Oct 18, 2011)

Saddlebag said:


> This behaviour often shows up when the horse is being ridden out alone and arrives at the spot when he feels he's gone too far from everything that represents safety to him. If this is the case, he will give subtle signals at first, slowing down, less responsive to leg, quick to turn in the direction of home. Tail switching is a warning. When a horse tightens it's back muscles they feel wider, but he is planning on rearing. He needs to bunch his muscles in order to do so. When you feell that, that's when you want to pull his head around and drive his hindquarters around. As long as his hind feet can't get planted beneath him he can't rear. Tap the inside hip with a crop to make him hustle. His hindquarters likly won't complete a circle and he'll want to quit. So you push a little more. Only when he will stand quietly do you allow his head to straighten.


Yes. I've felt the same uneasy jiggyness when hacking my mare out alone. That's the signal to get busy. Ignoring it will just lead to problems.


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

hoopla said:


> I always think the safest place to stay is ON BOARD
> 
> It's exceptionally rare for a horse to lose it's mind to such an extend that it's going to put itself in danger and hence risk you too.


I disagree with this part, but I agree with everything else you said.

Some horses, it's better to get off and refocus their energy and mind to something more constructive than having a freak out. Other times, you DO need to ride it out. And other times, a simple one rein stop or lots of transitions, directional changes, etc.

But for your question, I always dismount my horse in the emergency dismount way. Both feet out of the stirrups, swing my legs over and launch myself away. The important thing to remember is GET AWAY. I would try to curl up but avoid bracing or being stiff or you'll get more hurt. 

Don't put your hands out in front of you.. keep your limbs close. 

I wouldn't try to hold onto the reins if you fall, in case you pull the horse in the direction you're going and it runs you over. But it's a good idea, if you can, to hold on if it's an open space or YOU initiate the dismount. 

It's a catch 22, just be careful.

One last thing, first thing you do is get those feet OUT of those stirrups once you've decided you're going to bail. Get into the habit of doing that without looking down or kicking your horse. Looking down = BAD!!


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

One thing that most people don't know, you don't really have to _practice_ what you would do in an emergency situation, especially if practicing would be dangerous. 

Where I used to work, they would advise us to constantly play what they called "the what-if game" where you would constantly think of what you would do if "this" happened or "that" happened. If you thought about it logically and often, you could build up a sort of synaptic memory (similar to muscle memory) in your head and when the emergency hit, your brain would automatically go to one of those pre-thought out plans.


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## GotaDunQH (Feb 13, 2011)

mildot said:


> Yes. I've felt the same uneasy jiggyness when hacking my mare out alone. *That's the signal to get busy. Ignoring it will just lead to problems*.


Love this! Jigginess....give that horse something to think about and focus on...like the rider! Put the horse to work, even if you are on the trail or on a hack and get the focus back. Feeding INTO nervousness, jigginess...only makes that behavior snowball.

For the original question, I would not own a horse that bolts, bucks, and rears. It means there is some HUGE holes in the horse's training and a too reactive mind set that has not been dealt with. My horse has a spur stop, so should he ever want to bolt, all I do is apply hard steady pressure with my legs and spurs he he stops IMMEDIATELY. It's like having an emergency brake. Bucking? You push the horse forward so they will have to keep all 4 feet on the ground. Rearing? The worst and the most dangerous. SO again, it comes back to the mind set and holes in training.

I've had to do an emergency dismount once in my life, from an Arabian I was trying out. This horse was being rehabbed and had some major issues due to bad handling and cra*ppy training. To JUST get on this horse, you had to turn his head to you and KEEP his head turned to you until you got on. Well, as I started to swing a leg over, something caught his attention....he turned his head back straight again and proceeding to take off like a bat out of he*ll. I only had one foot in the stirrup and my other leg was almost over to the other side. I could not get the momentum to swing it all the way over....so I kicked my foot out of the stirrup, pushed myself away and ended up hitting the dirt in a sitting position. Ended up with a bulging disc in my back from that little venture.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

I personally am not a fan of emergency dismounts. I have never had to use one, and I am better able to control the horse from the saddle than the ground. 

I am of the opinion that in 99% of situations, that I have a commitment to the horse I have chosen to jump on rather than bailing and leaving it to it's own devices.


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

Interesting thread. My most feared of all "ugh ohs" is - rearing. I give the horse ALL the rein possible, and positioned my weight (you can just naturally feel where you need to balance) to get them back on all fours, I collect the reins and get them moving forward as fast as possible if the situation allows. 

Bucking is bad, but not as terrifying to me as rearing. There is nice gentlemanly bucking (in a straight line), then there is holly molly bucking (spin). In either case, in a buck I do everything I can to prevent the horse from getting any more of its head than it already has. I ordinarily ride with a snaffle...so, not much help from the bit, itself. The lower the head, the harder they can buck. 

But, then there is the wide rest of the spectrum aside from rearing and bucking. What you "should do" and actually "do" when it presents itself can be two very different things. But I think it is very helpful to predetermine what you should do "in case of x"...and then hope it never happens. Twice in my life I, and those around me at the time, knew...while it was happening....the thing I "should" do was to jump ...b/c if I stayed on I would most likely die. But, I just couldn't jump (fear). Luckily, I lived. Point is... one has to know what their own true "responses" and limits are in order to determine what is the best thing for them to do, as opposed to "should" do. IMHO.


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## ChristineNJ (Jan 23, 2010)

If you are losing your balance due to an unexpected buck and know you are going to fall try to relax and go with the fall because if you tense up you may break something. Sometimes it just happens so fast all you can do is go with the fall and hope for the best.


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## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

When I've had horse bolt, I have either pulled head around to knee, and circled, or depending on the area bolt has occurred, urged them on. Horse realizes "hey, she wants me to go faster, well I don't want to!" and slows up and comes back to hands.

As for rearing horse, I bring weight forwards, and drive horse forwards with legs. BUT if horse is wanting to develop a habit of getting light in front end, so as to scare off rider, I either take hand and pop between ears, or have also used egg, or whip handle to thump them there. Whiskey bottle with warm water works too, but then have mess to clean up. The egg, running down their face, gives them something to think about, the tap/pop does too. But it has to be done with a horse that is developing the "I don't want to so I will rear" rather than a confirmed rearer that has gotten past 45 degree angle. 

When horse is almost straight up? Too late for much of anything then. Problem needs to be fixed before that point.

Bucking is thwarted by keeping head up, and moving forwards, or anything that can be done to redirect horse's mind.

Bailing off is case by case. Sometimes you just come off, sometimes you have a choice to push free, or roll.

And while I agree there can be holes in training to be fixed? Horses are living creatures, and even the best trained horse can decide "I don't want to" and all the training in the world is not going to help then, if horse really puts mind to it. They are not machines, they think and may do things they know not to do, simply because they can.


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## Newby32 (Dec 4, 2011)

ChristineNJ said:


> If you are losing your balance due to an unexpected buck and know you are going to fall try to relax and go with the fall because if you tense up you may break something. Sometimes it just happens so fast all you can do is go with the fall and hope for the best.


This was my situation exactly. I knew right before it happened that I was going to fall. The mind works so quickly and I remember thinking, "Here goes!"


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## Flicagirl (Dec 8, 2010)

This past summer for the first time I had to make an emergency dismount.....every other "bad" horse I rode.... the one rein stop, making them turn and back up made the stop. I was riding a 16.3 hand horse that was a morgan walker mix and he bucked and bolted on me on a trail ride...he did this because he was awfully barn sour....I actually stayed calm and focus the whole time while he bucked and carried on (which helps you maintain your seat and hang on) and he finally stopped bucking and continued to gallop on home....I tried getting his head turned with a one rein stop but that didnt work so while he was galloping I realized that I was NOT going to hold on to him while he was approaching a downward slope.....so I took my right foot out of its stirrup and swung it over and laid my upper half of my body on the saddle and took my left foot out and just counted to 3 and let go haha and I was fine only a couple briuses. When I fell I tried to not stick my arms out to catch myself because thats normally when someone gets hurt I normally tuck and roll when I fall off and havent got hurt yet.


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## Iseul (Mar 8, 2010)

I try not to come off unless it's absolutely necessary. I've clung to the side of a horse bareback when she decided to throw a nice, big buck on my way from the driveway up to the barn with my senior picture shirts. I've clung to many kicks/bucks from the same horse. I've stayed on more rears than I can count from Dude (16.2h draft cross), along with a few "Oh my lord, it's a bird!" spins and bolts.

I've only come off three times though, and only one was a bail.
First fall was off Toby (14.3h pony) while we were jumping bareback. At the time I was working on Tae-Kwon-Do that I was enrolled in and learned the "try to land on your back and smack the ground with your arms spread wide" technique. Albeit, it wasn't exactly designed for a fall from a horse, but it worked. Didn't even come away with a bruise and only me and my friend (his pony) know about it.
Second time I came off (I'm not counting when I slipped after dismounting and fell, ****) I ended up just jumping off and landing on my feet..and then rolling. We were racing the horses in the hay field and when everyone took off I got left behind about 2 foot..on Dude's butt. So, Dude's just running along like nothing is wrong and since I had neither stirrup and no reins, I decided to shove myself off to the side of him. Landed on my feet, shocked my feet a bit, and then I decided the ground would feel nice on my backside as oppose to my feet. So my "emergency bail/dismount" was me just jumping off and hopefully landing on my feet while my horse galloped away to catch up with the others and almost into the electric fence.

Third fall was my first time showing Lucky. We drove almost 2 hours north to a show. I was suppose to be riding Dude, but BO asked me if I'd rather take Lucky, since Dude's owner wanted to come out and ride that day. Being me and wanting to ride all the horses I can, I of course said sure and went to the show without even practicing with Lucky (my mum had a meeting the day before the show, and I was asked 2 days prior to the show). Now, I rode her twice on trails, but only walked. She was a spazz if she wasn't in front and kicked like no other horse I've ever seen. Well, since I never practiced on her, I didn't realize that she actually listened to leg commands as well as she did (I was at the time training Dude since he had no leg commands). So, we went for our exhibition run and just so happened, I accidentally gripped with my right leg and pushed Lucky towards the second barrel, she ducked out to the left and I stayed going straight. Landed flat on my back again, getting a bruise the whole way across my lower back where my belt was. All I remember from that was me thinking, "Oh sh*t..not now!" and then my friend diving through the arena panels to "catch my horse".

I guess I didn't really have to say all of that..since we're just talking about the dismount part itself..But, I guess my point is I always end up flying through the air and landing on my back. The good part is, that I have never smacked my head off the ground while doing so; everytime I've sat (well..layed) there for a second and then leaned my head back on the ground.


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

AlexS said:


> I personally am not a fan of emergency dismounts. I have never had to use one, and I am better able to control the horse from the saddle than the ground.
> 
> I am of the opinion that in 99% of situations, that I have a commitment to the horse I have chosen to jump on rather than bailing and leaving it to it's own devices.


I'd rather stay on too. I don't like the idea of fractured limbs. I can do & I teach the emergency dismount but as a last resort. I've never had to use it-yet.
For bolts I think the best thing to do is first get your seat steady, especially after a spin. I let them run until I feel secure then ask for a stop or slow down. They usually don't run too far unless they are very determined to get home fast.
A rearer is going to be eating it's tail once it comes down. Never pull the reins when they are up.
I can ride out most bucks, even the dirty belly roll ones. That said I'll probably get dumped tomorrow :wink:


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## minihorse927 (Aug 11, 2008)

I know this is talking about riding but the worst I have ever had was when Whinney and I were waiting for a class to start at the show. She was still fairly young and we had been at the show all day along with the fact that when she had always shown before, it was 1 maybe 2 classes and we quit. This was the first time I pushed her for 3 and it was a disaster. We were waiting for the mini roadster class to start and while waiting she was acting up, trying to rear. She was fed up with the show and wanted to be done but after 2 tries she stood quietly and calmed down. All of a sudden she went up and when the harness would give no more she fell to the right, onto pavement. As she reared that time I decided my head and pavement did not make a good pair. I dove off that cart when it was half tipped over by pulling my feet from the stirrups and pushing with my hands on the seat and shafts. I landed on my butt/side and someone else grabbed the mare. My first worry was the mare as I was fine, tore my pants pretty bad coming off the cart(embarrassing), but otherwise fine. She was fine, just shook up. Learned my lesson to not push a horse that is obviously not ready.

That is the only time I can say I dove off of any horse, ridden or driven. I had a mustang mare that thought bucking while asking for a canter would mean I wouldn't make her do it and I just held on for dear life as she went "buck" wild. She quickly learned it didn't work. Bailing is not always the best option, if you are confident enough and a decent enough rider, you can ride through a lot of bucks/rears/bolts. There are the times it is better to bail though!


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## yourcolorfuladdiction (Feb 19, 2012)

Really, the goal is to prevent this situation from happening. There are going to be signs of an impending rear, but there aren't always warning signs before a buck.

The trick is for most "bad" behavior (besides bolting) is to move forward. Horses have to plant their feet to buck or rear. So making them move forward will prevent a rear and diminish the bucking capacity. The next trick, for a buck is to get the head up, so they can't continue bucking, but KEEP GOING forward. If you teach them that bad behavior means stop they might continue said bad behavior to get out of work.

As for bolting generally a "pully rein" will work or aiming them at a fence or trees we have a 21 year old bolter at the barn whose a blast to ride most of the time but occasionally just has to go lol. 99% of horses are smart enough not to run into the trees or the fence and the 1% that aren't, are not worth keeping (they're what I call "stupidly dangerous" and will get you {and itself} hurt).


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Something mechanical is not anything like the real thing!

*The Emergency Dismount* is the most illogical and unsafe thing to try and teach anyone, young or old! With this the rider is taught to lean forward, wrap their arms around the horse's neck and throw a leg clear and land on their feet.
OK so what do you wrap your arms around if the horse has its head down bucking, or has stumbled badly? There is no neck to wrap your arms around! 
Even if the rider gets their arms around the neck and the horse then dives its head down and bucks then the rider is going to be open to landing straight on their head.
I was taught, as a child to stay on as long as you could! Often didn't work. LOL

The one thing that all those that learnt to ride did and that was to play gymkhana games, this taught us to jump on and off at a fast canter/gallop and land running alongside the pony.
We also fell off a lot! not so much in lessons but when we were messing about on the ponies bareback. That teaches you how to land when you do fall.

Several things are very different to when I was first starting out.
First off, there were no back protectors.
Riding helmets were made of cork and then many years later, fibreglass. The lining was a slippery silk like material and the hat was held on with an elastic strap under the chin.
Saddles had no knee rolls so there was nothing to keep you securely in place, if you were going to fall then you did, and fell clear. 
I am sure that many rotational falls are so bad is because the knee rolls keep the rider in the plate for to long.

I always taught my rider to lean back if anything happened, to shove their lower leg forward and brace against the stirrups. That way, if the horse was bucking or stumbled badly, the rider had to go through the upright position before going over the horse's head. 

When it comes to jump jockeys falling it is a different matter. They usually only fall because the horse makes a bad mistake and is going to fall itself. Then the horse is on the way to the ground so less distance to fall. They learn to hit the ground and roll into a ball. This gets them away from their own horse, makes a smaller target for any following horses to miss and if they do get hit by another horse they roll with the force of the kick. 
It still makes it a risky sport and I have yet to decide whether the UK Jump Jockeys or the Bull Riders are most insane!

The only time I would bail out from a horse is if it was rearing to the point of going over backwards or if it was bolting - and by bolting I do not mean just running faster than I wish but in a blind panic going straight through anything ahead of it.


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## hoopla (Jan 29, 2012)

Foxhunter, I'm in entire agreement with you on that.


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## Cinnys Whinny (Apr 10, 2010)

I am a fan of the one rein emergency stop. I reach down my right rein, hold on to the neck with my left hand, and pull the head around. I don't YANK it, I just do a graceful, smooth pull around until we are circling. It disengages the hind end so that can't continue bolting and it makes it difficult to buck. 

Warning, if you yank too hard too suddenly your horse could fall over, I've done this once LOL


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

Rearing - Lean forward, do NOT pull back on the reins, grab some mane or the saddle. If the horse starts to try and flip over, drop your stirrups and jump. Selena is a rearer, and I just wait her out and when she touches the ground again she gets her butt kicked because there is nothing I hate more than a horse who gets "lifty" in the front end.

Bucking - Push the horse through it. If I absolutely cannot stay on, try and slide off and then grab the whip/reins/crop and punish the hip by smacking him and making the hip move around, with the "If-you-let-me-anywhere-near-that-hip-it's-going-to-hurt!!" attitude. You're still punishing but by then you are pretty safe.

Bolting - One rein stop. As fast as you can within reason. Obviously if you're on slippery terrain or uneven footing it will be best to make a large circle, but in an arena with good footing I will grab that face so fast they will barely even make ground.

All of the above? :lol: One rein stop and spurring the hip around in a circle at the same time to disengage the hindquarters.

As for emergency dismounting, I honestly have the best ability to hang on as anybody I've ever met. Because I have quite a distinct fear of falling off and kiling myself, I'd rather sit through anything.


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## franknbeans (Jun 7, 2007)

The older I get, the more I really NEED to stay on. So my strategy-HOLD ON FOR DEAR LIFE!:lol: Why do you think I have switched to western? lol

Emergency dismount is out of the question, I cannot move that fast anymore.:wink:

I do pay really close attention to my horse, and am a true subscriber to the philosophy that 9 times out of 10 there is a warning. A tail switch, an arch of the back, an ear pinned. That is the tie to get busy. Agree 1000%. If the horses mind is on YOU, it is less likely to have a problem with whatever imaginary issues are on its mind. I also practice this in the ring, just so I know I can have their attention when I need it.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Interesting as to how I would react differently to the below



SorrelHorse said:


> Rearing - Lean forward, do NOT pull back on the reins, grab some mane or the saddle.
> *I disagree with this, if you grab the mane or the front of the saddle then your bodyweight is going to be to far back, you need to wrap your arms around the horse's neck*
> 
> If the horse starts to try and flip over, drop your stirrups and jump.
> ...


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## hoopla (Jan 29, 2012)

I can't help thinking that when folks are talking about "bolting" here they're talking a different language.

You can't and won't ever stop a genuine bolt from happening.

What you have to do is once the horse has bolted, hope (or try) to get the horse to "switch back" quicker and recover its composure when its being ridden. When its bolting its in a full fright and flight mode and if you're lucky it's looking after itself - its not at all concerned about anything else. As a rider all you have to do is sit on and try to get it to listen to you and switch back its attention on you and to steer it to safety if at all possible.

Half halting, turning in circles and one rein stops (which in effect just disengage the hind quarters and turn the horse's head) can all be helpful to put the horse off balance and get it to concentrate on something else rather than the true flight and fright bolt.

But don't go thinking that you can stop a true bolt.

I think what is most often being described is a situation where the horse has mistaken the rider's intent or got over-excited and decided to run on faster than wanted. And perhaps even grabbed or taken hold and leant on the bit in order to so do.

A horse that transitions from canter (or walk come to that) to a gallop and is staying in the likes of arena confines and going round in circles is either evading deliberately because its objecting to what is being asked of it, or else its mistaken the intent of the rider. 

That's not a bolt though. 

If it was a bolt, you'd have been through or over the arena!

If a horse takes hold of the bit and tanks off with you frequently then you really need to take a more holistic approach and review a whole set of circumstances and as described earlier. It's not "emergency strategy" that's needed. It's a management strategy. 

It would have to be a dire situation for me to bale out and such that a horse had totally lost it's mind and wasn't looking after itself and was heading to leap over a cliff or off a mountain top for me to bale out.

Its falling and coming off that hurts









IF a horse is proper bolting (not a few scuttling strides away) regularly and at comparatively silly things e.g. a car that backfires, a tarpaulin that flaps, a person with an umbrella, then its a training issue without doubt. If a horse bolts because some idiot did something really dangerous and risky, then in my mind, that's a sensible horse just being a horse. The mark of whether its a good and well trained horse and what your relationship with it is like is how quickly you can get its attention and trust back on you and get it calmed down. 

It always concerns me when someone asks how to manage a horse that is bolting or breaking out of canter or becoming uncontrollable and yet they're supposedly routinely riding out and sometimes even competing or exercising such horses. IMO the fact that someone's asking anonymous folks on a forum means they're not ready for such activity and need more lessons and practical guidance from an instructor.

There's really only one way and that is sit tight in order to help him maintain his balance and ask him to trust you and break down the flight fright instinct by just riding and asking using your seat and hands quietly. 

If you grip and try to pull he'll get worse and no-one has the strength to stop a pony, let alone a horse if he gets strong and excited and determined when you canter in the open. 

Rearing: Grip firmily with the knees and weight well forward so your body stays upright in spite of the back ward tilt and it it's VERY high, then arms round the neck if need be. Relax the rein totally.... IF you need something to hold on to then by all means grab the mane if you don't have a neck strap but ensure it's not going to have you too far back. If you happen to tip backwards and try to save yourself with the rein then you will likely over balance the horse and it may fall on top of you. Pulling the head to one side might help because he can twist in the air to land on forefeet. IF the horse goes well up then get your feet out of the stirrups so that as you start to slide you land on your feet. 

As you feel a horse about to rear, quickly urge forward with most active leg aids and a totally relaxed rein... he can't go forward and up at the same time!


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

I've had ample (for me) experience with bolting with my mare. You cannot prevent a bolt, but you can reduce its length. Horses bolt from fear, but they won't go on forever. A bolting horse, on its own, doesn't run 2 miles.

In the middle of a full fledged bolt, I don't think a horse will respond to a pulley rein or one rein stop. Mine doesn't, at least. But the full up bolt lasts 25-75 yards. Squeezing, screaming, or thrashing with the reins can make it last longer. Settling in the seat, making a conscious effort to move your knees apart, and breathing deep can shorten it.

After the initial fear reaction of the horse, he will start listening to the inputs of a calm rider. It may take much longer to bring the horse all the way down, but the initial fear reaction doesn't last long unless the rider reinforces it.

If you can recognize the growing fear first, then there are several things you can do. Some horses - most horses, I'm told - respond well to being worked. That spins my mare up very fast. She responds better to facing the fearful thing, standing still and having her neck rubbed. It may not calm her down right away, but it doesn't freak her out the way disengaging her does, for example. She can handle being backed away, but not turned away.


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## Sunny (Mar 26, 2010)

I've only ever ridden two genuine bolts in my life. Like others have said, there is no stopping an actual bolt.

The first one was terrifying. As a stupid teenager I thought it would be cool to watch a train go by on horseback, like in the old west movies! Well, the horse didn't agree. He full-on bolted as the train passed, and there was no stopping. We were on asphalt and my girth was loose, so I took my feet out of the stirrups so if I fell I wouldn't get caught and be dragged on the road, and then I just waited it out until the horse stopped. I was talking to him softly trying to reassure him, because that was all I could do. We clocked it in the car later that year; we went almost two miles before he stopped. Let me tell you, being on a horse who is literally running for its life is a scary thing.

The second bolt, I bailed. My mare bolted on a dirt road and was headed home. The thing is, to get home we had to go through a very tight trails full of trees. I knew that if I stayed on I would lose a leg, so right when we got to the trail opening I bailed.
When I caught my horse, I saw that my stirrup leather had been ripped off my saddle. That could have been my leg, so I'm glad I bailed.

Point of my rambling; there is no definite answer on what to do in an emergency. It all depends on the situation. If I had bailed on the asphalt, I guarantee I would have had broken bones and probably a concussion (no helmet), if not worse.
If I had tried to stay on my mare, I may have lost a leg.

So just survey your surroundings and make the best decision you can.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

Oh trust me I've had bolters. It may take awhile but the fact is the sooner you have their nose in your boot the safer you are. I had a three year old mare who would bolt in a panick at the tiniest little thing. A one-rein stop immediately wan't an option, yes, but with me being ready for it I could reach down, grab her by the bit and steer her out of harms way. (Don't tell me if your horse was flying at a bunch of jumbled barbwire fence you'd say "Oh well I can't stop so let's just let this happen") A one-rein stop is as good as any other at this point.

As far as the rearing, not doing anything has never worked for me. Selena is the most recent rearer I've had so she can be the example. If you do nothing, she will proceed to do it over and over and over again. You kick that hip of hers around a couple times or get her feet moving, she immediately stops. There have been a couple other horses since my trainer got hurt that I put training rides on for her that had this same problem. In my experience, nothing stops a dangerous problem faster than a punishment.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

GotaDunQH said:


> For the original question, I would not own a horse that bolts, bucks, and rears. *It means there is some HUGE holes in the horse's training* and a too reactive mind set that has not been dealt with.


THANK YOU!!! People need to stop babying their horses and start really working them. THIS is where I totally agree with CA about lunging for respect and his trot and canter one-rein-stop-exercises done in a large arena until the horse LISTENS.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Yes, practicing it in a controlled environment and making sure that the horse is solid in the basics can do a lot to prevent _most_ trouble, but won't stop it all. I've ridden my share of horses that rode like dreams in a controlled environment, super soft in their face, really responsive to seat and leg without even having to pick up the reins.....but taking them out of their comfort zone was a whole different deal.

That makes me glad that I live out in the boonies. If I have a horse bolt and I can't stop them, I just let them run until they start to slow down, then I whip their *** until I can't lift my arm. Do that once (or maybe twice on a really slow learner) and they won't want to ignore your cues to stop anymore.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

If your horse consistently bolts or rears or bucks then you haven't spent enough time training. It REALLY takes much longer than most people think to train a horse. Yes, I've had good horses rear on me on occasion, and Corporal would sometimes do "happy bucks" when we went to an event and raced acoss a field, but I was never unseated by them and it wasn't a habit. Quit tuning out your horse when he shows that he's afraid. Take him back to the barn and work him for a few hours. My horse, "Buster" was being disrespectful yesterday, so I worked him on the ground twice as long as I had planned. There was NO REASON for him to lunge towards me when the ATV spooked him, so we backed 1/2 of the arena as a result. Later, when tied he refused to move over, so I poked him with my big grain shovel the 2nd time I asked. He moved immediately. It's all about respect. NO HORSE will ignore the herd leader, and you MUST be the herd leader. If you are the follower your horse will make the decisions for you.


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## HarleyWood (Oct 14, 2011)

well for bolting, bucking, ect, it depends on where im at and what horse im on if im in a arena or solid fence area, if i cant pull him back i will run him into the wall/fence for the last resort. on a trail one rein and when hes done doing whatever make him work. 

for falling well ive found out that if you land on your back it hurts and you break something. but if you land on your side you just get scraped so if holding on doesnt work i try to roll on my side.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

SorrelHorse said:


> ...It may take awhile but the fact is the sooner you have their nose in your boot the safer you are...


Unless, as happened to me once long ago, the horse is still galloping WITH his nose at my boot. It was on a 40 acre pasture, with a barb wire fence coming. I turned him by kicking the snot out of his shoulder. Otherwise, we would have hit the fence at full speed, with the horse hitting neck first.

If they are scared enough, they can run full speed while looking back...


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

bsms said:


> A bolting horse, on its own, doesn't run 2 miles.


You haven't met my horse then :lol: 

But I agree with hoopla.


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

Sorry it won't let me edit. Here's the rest:

But I agree with hoopla. Bolting is terrifying.. it's not balanced either.. usually the horse just veers in different directions looking for a way out. Least in my experience. 

A bolting horse, to me, is a horse that isn't 'ready' (I'm going to have trouble explaining this.. so I'll give you an example.)

When I first met my horse, he couldn't trust anyone. He couldn't be lead without the person being trampled or jumped into or whatnot. He couldn't tie, and he was a hard ride. He was a mess.

We started basic respect and groundwork training, with a little ride now and then (this was before he was mine, I was just exercising him) and there was one day where I got on him, we were in the turnout pasture (the one that wasn't in use) and we were enjoying ourselves. Came up the hill by the riding arena, the fence wasn't all put up yet so we could get into the arena by walking through the gap made (looking back, very STUPID idea) and all of a sudden... he bolted from 0 to 60 in half a second.. I came flying off, and he continued to run and run and run and run and run. His eyes were like glazed over and he was in a trance. I finally made enough noise to snap him out of it. He looked at me, looked at the gap, and made a run for it. He got into 5 acres of hills and kept galloping and whatnot and then 10 minutes later, he stopped running and started to trot, looking around.. his tail came back down and was glued to his hind (not up like you see in the pictures) and he began to neigh like he had no idea if there was any form of life around him, or where he was at.

I walked down there and caught him carefully. Took him into the round pen and let him loose just so HE could do what he wanted to, safely. Which at first was to just trot around with one ear on me and one searching for his herd. He eventually stopped running, walked into the middle, and I rubbed him down and took him up to re-tack him. We went to the other arena and he was fine.

But yeah.. he wasn't ready. He wasn't ready to trust me, he let his horse instincts completely take over.. maybe I put him into a situation where he felt like he was an easy target or whatnot. But he came to and then he was fine.

I find horses usually bolt where they feel there isn't another option. If they are overloaded and not given any 'breathing room'


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Bolting can also be a learned habit. Bolting on a very _green_ horse is usually the result of being unprepared. However, some horses learn to bolt to avoid work just as others learn to rear or buck. That really isn't something that can be corrected in a nice arena, especially if they have the habit of bolting on the trail or toward home.


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

Well, I just can't agree w some posters that believe you can train the buck, rear, and bolting out of a horse. For example, I have never seen a fresh horse of any age go down a deep gully and right back up the other side that didn't give at least a tiny "hop" once out of the gully, or nice solid big buck, and move on. What should you do, beat them for it? The rider should know (be "trained") it is coming. If one "trained" a horse to never startle, never lose control of thier composure no matter the circumstances...they would have indeed "broken" the horse. Say, a mountain lion or bear crosses your path, would it be just huge holes in training that caused the horse to physically and mentally respond?


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

Missy May said:


> Say, a mountain lion or bear crosses your path, would it be just huge holes in training that caused the horse to physically and mentally respond?


Yes and no.. you can minimize the response but you can never get rid of it. Heck, I could handle snakes my entire life, but if I see a snake out in the wild and it's after me, I'm going to be scared!!! 

They do what they must to survive.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Missy, it's not about beating them out of any response at all, it's about teaching them which response is acceptable and which is not. Lifting their head and/or flinching is acceptable, spinning/rearing/bucking/bolting is not.

If you've never seen a fresh horse that couldn't just calmly walk/trot across a gully, then I'm sorry to say you've likely not seen any good, well trained horses.

A good, well trained horse knows that "hopping" or any other action similar is simply not acceptable under saddle, no matter how good they are feeling. Any one of my horses ride the same every time the saddle is on them regardless of whether it's been 2 days or 2 years since they were last ridden.

I know that not all horses are like that, some need a warm up before they are ready to really work after an extended vacation, but to intentionally not react at all whenever they do something that is inappropriate under saddle is the same as encouraging it.

It's the rider's responsibility to prepare the horse for what they are expected to do and, yes, the horse should be corrected every time they do something inappropriate under saddle, no matter what. That doesn't even come close to breaking a horse's spirit, it just teaches them to behave like mature, trained horses instead of spoiled 2 year olds.

Yes, mine get corrected every time they act inappropriately and, no, they aren't anywhere close to being "broken". Well trained, yes, but they still have as much fire and spirit as any horses I've seen. It's just a _controlled_ fire.


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

smrobs, I agree w most all of what you are saying. I was just saying...it is a bit much to expect any horse to have seen and have been habituated to "everything", when the vast majority of people have not. And, good, nice people don't always just stay calm when they run into "new and intimidating" things. I am good and nice, for example :lol: and cockroaches make me bolt right out the door - and nothing short of gun point will bring me back!

And, by "a gully"...I meant severe high walled (no less than 15 feet and steep) gullies. It is rare that a horse "fresh out of the gate" takes one w/o so much as batting their lashes. I don't think of it as "bad behavior", I just think of it as...what they need to do. I don't mean, if they just kept bucking until they jar your teeth out...I mean a little buck should be acceptable and expected in that instance.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Missy May said:


> smrobs, I agree w most all of what you are saying. I was just saying...it is a bit much to expect any horse to have seen and have been habituated to "everything", when the vast majority of people have not.
> 
> *No, that's true, you can't expose them to everything, but if you instill the basics of how to react to the feeling of fear, then their first instinct will be to react that same way in every situation that comes up. After that first gut reaction to freeze or flinch, then, upon further thinking about the situation, can decide whether it would be safer to continue on or go the other way. Plus, that added second or two when they are frozen will give you time to decide if you are safer where you are or running the other way and you can make the decision of what to do next instead of leaving it to them.*
> 
> ...


Oh, I understood your description of gully, that's what we call it down here too. That's where you and I differ in our training ideas. IMHO, bucking (even a tiny bit) is _never_ acceptable and to just accept that it's "to be expected" is asking for trouble later down the line. 

What happens if you're going up the gully wall and when the horse decides to give a buck because he's feeling good, the footing crumbles or he trips and you both go rolling down to the bottom of the hill? Is it still "acceptable and expected" when you're laying there with broken bones and internal bleeding? If the horse is more concerned with being able to hop around because he's fresh than he is with paying attention to the cues you're giving or where his feet are at, then something bad _will_ happen, and probably sooner rather than later.


I guess I just have higher expectations for my horses that most folks. I expect to be able to get on them and go for a ride without constantly worrying and wondering whether they are going to throw a buck here or there, whether or not they plan to bolt today, or having to spend the entire ride in constant rigid fear because I _know_ that they will spin and bolt the first time that a blade of grass or a leaf flutters in the wind when they weren't expecting it. Why would I want to ride a horse that would purposefully buck just because he's feeling good, even if it's a little one? On any given day, a little buck can hurt you just as bad as a big one.

Is it really too much to expect a horse to behave like a good saddle horse should? For goodness sake, they have 20 hours a day or more to go run and buck and play, they should be able to behave for the small fraction of time that I am handling and/or riding them.

I mean, riding is supposed to be fun above all else. Spending every micro-second of every ride wondering where and when the buck/bolt/rear was going to happen doesn't sound like very much fun to me.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

Sacking out is not about introducing them to everything possible. It is about teaching them good responses to fear.

I've just spent 3 months working with a pro on my 11 year old Arabian mare. Our goal was to teach her how to respond acceptably to something scary. Spinning and running as fast as you can is not an acceptable response.

After 3 months, she has made progress. She hates little kids (although she has been around a bunch), and the sound of plastic wheels rolling across the ground has always been something that causes her to run around her corral.

Yesterday, I was riding her and a woman came by with her 2 kids - pedaling trikes with plastic wheels. Little kids. Plastic wheels. Mia was genuinely frightened. So how did she handle it?

We faced the scary things, and stopped. And as long as I let her look at the scary things, she stayed immobile. Head up, ears forward, snorting - and immobile. 

The lady & kids were willing to stay for about 10 minutes and give Mia a workout. If I tried to distract Mia by turning her head, she'd spin around 2-3 times. But she didn't run. I could back her up and she obeyed. I could move her forward, and she would obey. I could scratch her neck, and she would stand without moving a foot.

That is *NOT* a well broke horse, but it is light-years better than spin and run mindlessly with diarrhea coming out the back. Mia's fears have always been genuine. Bolting - running mindless with fear - is no fun. Standing immobile is ever so much better.

I cannot introduce Mia to every scary thing, because it doesn't work. She has heard plastic tires rolling across the ground hundreds of times, and it drives her bonkers. She would be thrilled if everyone under 20 was executed tonight. That isn't going to change.

What can change, and is slowly changing, is how she responds to scary/hated things.

My mostly Arabian gelding also has been taught to respond to scary things by standing still. A couple of months ago, he saw kids playing on a trampoline. How do you prepare a horse in advance for that? His hooves grew roots. His neck was perpendicular to his back. His eyes were the size of dinner plates. 

But he didn't move. So I dismounted, and scratched his neck, and after TWENTY minutes his head dropped maybe 6 inches. So I called that victory and led him, from the ground. After a few more experiences, he will now stroll past the trampoliners without more than a cocked ear. My other 2 horses see nothing unusual with people flying up and down in the air, and have never cared in the least.

Each horse seems to have his own idea of what it is that screams, "DEATH!" For my part, if I can teach my horses to stop when scared, it is good enough. Once the scary thing is identified, we can work on making it less scary. That will probably go on for a lifetime.


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## GotaDunQH (Feb 13, 2011)

Missy May said:


> Well, I just can't agree w some posters that believe you can train the buck, rear, and bolting out of a horse. For example, I have never seen a fresh horse of any age go down a deep gully and right back up the other side that didn't give at least a tiny "hop" once out of the gully, or nice solid big buck, and move on. What should you do, beat them for it? The rider should know (be "trained") it is coming. If one "trained" a horse to never startle, never lose control of thier composure no matter the circumstances...they would have indeed "broken" the horse. *Say, a mountain lion or bear crosses your path, would it be just huge holes in training that caused the horse to physically and mentally respond*?


Your talking about something that is totally different. The bolded comment, well a horse's natural instinct would be survival. There is a HUGE difference between a horse who's survival is at stake when coming across a predator and a horse that is just ill-trained and rank and bucks, rears, bolts out of defiance and disobediance.


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## mildot (Oct 18, 2011)

bsms said:


> Sacking out is not about introducing them to everything possible. It is about teaching them good responses to fear.
> 
> I've just spent 3 months working with a pro on my 11 year old Arabian mare. Our goal was to teach her how to respond acceptably to something scary. Spinning and running as fast as you can is not an acceptable response.
> 
> ...


The visuals I was getting out of this made me smile....


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

smrobs said:


> Oh, I understood your description of gully, that's what we call it down here too. That's where you and I differ in our training ideas. IMHO, bucking (even a tiny bit) is _never_ acceptable and to just accept that it's "to be expected" is asking for trouble later down the line.
> 
> What happens if you're going up the gully wall and when the horse decides to give a buck because he's feeling good, the footing crumbles or he trips and you both go rolling down to the bottom of the hill? Is it still "acceptable and expected" when you're laying there with broken bones and internal bleeding? If the horse is more concerned with being able to hop around because he's fresh than he is with paying attention to the cues you're giving or where his feet are at, then something bad _will_ happen, and probably sooner rather than later.
> 
> ...


 
I agree w most everything you said in both posts, minor exception..the gully thing. I would only ask a sure footed horse to perform that task, a good one will fully clear the gully before they buck, but point well taken.

Like I said, I don't disagree w most of what you said. All I was saying is that believing an emergency strategy should be unnecessary b/c a horse should be bomb proof is taking it a bit far. Oh, and I am not saying that is what you said, there are several posts where that is the implication. 

As a favor to a friend that was injured, I rode his retired police horse often to get him "out and about" - he loved to be riden. I prefer to ride my own horses only, but he is a good friend. I got into a horrible situation along the road - a situation I had never even "considered" as a possibility. He didn't flinch or bat an eyelash. Had it been my horse I would have been dead. So, yes...I wished my horse at the time, God bless her soul, were that "solid". But, then, he wasn't sure footed in rough terrain, and she was the best. Should I have trained her to take on even that horrid of a "pop up" on the road? Well, yes, it would have been best. So, I don't disagree...there is nothing like a solid horse, I am just saying - it shouldn't exclude considering the possibility of an emergency.


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

smrobs said:


> Oh, I understood your description of gully, that's what we call it down here too. That's where you and I differ in our training ideas. IMHO, bucking (even a tiny bit) is _never_ acceptable and to just accept that it's "to be expected" is asking for trouble later down the line.
> 
> What happens if you're going up the gully wall and when the horse decides to give a buck because he's feeling good, the footing crumbles or he trips and you both go rolling down to the bottom of the hill? Is it still "acceptable and expected" when you're laying there with broken bones and internal bleeding? If the horse is more concerned with being able to hop around because he's fresh than he is with paying attention to the cues you're giving or where his feet are at, then something bad _will_ happen, and probably sooner rather than later.
> 
> ...


 
I agree w most everything you said in both posts, minor exception..the gully thing. I would only ask a sure footed horse to perform that task, a good one will fully clear the gully before they buck, but point well taken.

Like I said, I don't disagree w most of what you said. All I was saying is that believing an emergency strategy should be unnecessary b/c a horse should be bomb proof is taking it a bit far. Oh, and I am not saying that is what you said, there are several posts where that is the implication. 

As a favor to a friend that was injured, I rode his retired police horse often to get him "out and about" - he loved to be riden. I prefer to ride my own horses only, but he is a good friend. I got into a horrible situation along the road - a situation I had never even "considered" as a possibility. He didn't flinch or bat an eyelash. Had it been my horse I would have been dead. So, yes...I wished my horse at the time, God bless her soul, were that "solid". But, then, he wasn't sure footed in rough terrain, and she was the best. Should I have trained her to take on even that horrid of a "pop up" on the road? Well, yes, it would have been best. So, I don't disagree...there is nothing like a solid horse, I am just saying - it shouldn't exclude considering the possibility of an emergency.


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