# My horse rolls when I am riding!???



## MirrorImage (Aug 20, 2011)

So I have a wonderfull horse, who goes on trails, team pens, not spooky...The best with kids and just about everything 
except.......SHE ROLLS when I have a little girl ride her especially this time of the year with bugs!!! Emma (my horse) gives no warnings, just down...Rolls...Then gets back up, she is fine and we continue the ride without her doing it again!! I let her roll out in the turnout before we ride. But tonight escpecially you can tell she was very annoyed by the bugs. I put my daughter on her after she rolled and she did not try rolling, but my daughter knows how to ride and keep her going!! She did it with me once on the trail in the sand when she was all sweaty, but not in the arena! ....Like I said seems to be a combanation of the little kids and bugs!! Maybe NO MORE lessons especially when bugs are bad!! 
I do spray her and still does not work!! 
DOES ANYONE ELSES horse do this? As far as I know NO!! 
Do not know what to think!
THANKS:wink:


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## Skipsfirstspike (Mar 22, 2010)

Yes, there are horses who may attempt to roll in dirt or in water while being ridden. This is extremely dangerous!! If the young rider couldn't get off in time or got their foot caught in the stirrup, they could be killed!-
If this is a known behavior, I would not let Any young or beginner riders on this horse.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

MirrorImage said:


> SHE ROLLS when I have a little girl ride her especially this time of the year with bugs!!! Emma (my horse) gives no warnings, just down...


Well, there is a "warning" before a horse rolls, but an inexperienced rider, or a little girl that is not strong enough to keep the head up and movement forward may not be able to prevent the roll.

My horse almost rolled when my husband was riding her one day. Luckily I saw her preparing to go down and yelled at my husband to get her head up and moving in time to stop it.

I have come across several horses that will do this, but I have found that the owners all seem to have one thing in common: they think it's funny or cute or just a thing. So, in other words, there is no training to stop it. I would definitely keep inexperienced and not strong riders off this horse until this behavior is corrected.


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## Sahara (Jul 23, 2010)

I have a 12 year old mare that I had owned for 18 months that rolled twice last summer. Once with my (adult) sister who has very limited riding experience and once with my mom who should have seen it coming. Both times she was hot and sweaty and the bugs were horrible and the instant she got in tall grass she dropped with very little warning. I took her out and rode her everywhere I could think of to force the rolling issue but she never tried to roll on me. The key to this problem is prevention. Never let the horse make the decision to stop. Don't let the horse get its head down. 

I even heard you should put all your weight on their head and neck to force them to stay down. Supposedly, the idea is to force them into submission and they will never roll again. I don't know if this works.


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## pintophile (May 18, 2011)

One of my mares tried to do this with me last year. The snow was deep and I forced her to walk out in it, but it was too hard so she just laid down. The first time, I thought something was wrong (she's never done it before) so I jumped off and led her out. The next day she tried it in the exact same spot and I yelled, gave her a big kick, she got up and she's never done it again.

I agree-keep kids off her until you correct the behaviour.


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## MirrorImage (Aug 20, 2011)

Thats the thing it's not often.... she has only done it three times in the year I have owned her but the last two times have been my last two lessons. I get AFTER her when she does it, I do not think it's funny at all!! I guess I need to work with her on it and will take the advise you guys have given me!!! I don't plan on letting the younger one ride her till I get her to STOP!!! Emma is very sensitive to the bugs and bites!! So maybe this time of year NO lessons!! 
It's very frusterating!!!!!
THANKS


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## Faceman (Nov 29, 2007)

Keep the horse's head up and it won't roll...in my experience letting a horse drop its head is the most common mistake casual and trail riders make...


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

First time she did it --- Shame on her!

Second and third times she did it --- Shame on you. 

The first time she did it, she should have thought she was lucky to still be alive after that. I would have spanked or spurred her until she was begging for mercy.

I have had several horses that have tried this --- once. [I have 2 now and both are great kids horses.] Evidently negative reinforcement works quite well on the behavior because none have tried it a second time.

I also consider this a very dangerous bad habit and not cute at all. A rider's leg or hip could be broken - at best; and a rider could be killed - at worst, so it is nothing to play with.


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