What is the worst kind of spook??

[lovemyrobin]

Is it the "drop and bolt", "the sideways leap", or the "go straight up in the air and land in the other direction bucking"?

The thread about breezy, cooler conditions and spooking made me think of this. My old OTTB was the best in the barn at the "drop and bolt" he could sink that hind end like nobodys business and take off. Always in a straight line, most of the time without me. For some reason I could not ride his spooks and ate a lot of dirt. Current horse is a catty, fling herself sideways girl. And she can go half-way across the arena like that. I can ride her spooks much better.

I'll take a sideways spook over a bolt spook.

My daughters gelding is a go straight up and start bucking, she gets so mad at him--it's actually pretty funny to watch him. Especially the time he spooked at a fresh pile of poop in the arena.

[GoForAGallop]

The side-ways spooks, while surprising, are usually easy to sit as long as you know the horse is a sideways spooker.

Buckers are silly...you yank their head up, give them a smack on the bum, and tell them to knock it off. :) My guy is a happy bucker, and while not purposefully trying to get me off, is quite athletic anyways. However, I just sit back and ride them out.

And while my guy is not a spooker...when he does it's the drop and bolt, which is SCARY! I KNOW how to ride a gallop....I do it quite regularly. But the "drop two feet down and run FLAT OUT" spook that my guy does is another thing entirely. And he can be a little stupid about it...as in, we're coming up on the fence and I'm highly doubting that he's going to stop. So the two times I've fallen off of him during his dead-bolt spooks have actually been me bailing off. Luckily, he's only done it twice in the fours years that I've owned him.

[amastrike]

Spinning is what gets me. I don't like sideways spooks, but spinning spooks are the most likely to get me off. My horse bucks/rears/spooks/bolts, and the spooking is the only thing that bothers me. Last time he spun, I landed on my head (and bounced on my butt, which, surprisingly is what ended up hurting worse).

[pAin't_Misbehavin']

Fortunately, I am too old and slow to be unseated by either the drop-and-bolt or the sideways leap. By the time I react, it's all over.:lol: You'd be surprised how well you'll stick to the horse if you just slump there like a big gooey lump and don't do anything.

But I am alarmed to read that some of them leap and buck. I reckon the inertia principle (which is all that sticks me to the saddle most days) would not help in that situation. Luckily for me, I've never (yet) ridden a horse who does this.:)

[Ambrey]

Yep, leap and buck. That used to be my big guy's MO, and I think in that case the dirt ate ME.

Now he usually just does a little jump sideways, which is easy.

My little guy does these spooks that look horrendous, but are actually pretty smooth to ride, lol!

[silver2]

A friend of mine had a horse that would sit and spin so fast he'd leave the rider hanging in mid air like Wile E. Coyote in the aftermath of an ACME rocket misadventure. He rarely did it so it was kind of an event and much enjoyed by the rest of us.

[amastrike]

But I am alarmed to read that some of them leap and buck. I reckon the inertia principle (which is all that sticks me to the saddle most days) would not help in that situation. Luckily for me, I've never (yet) ridden a horse who does this.:)

Oh, it's not too bad. My horse is talented with his freakouts. My personal favorite was the time he reared, took a couple steps forward while rearing, landed, and bucked. I had no idea what he did until the people who were watching told me :lol: .

[dalpal]

My gelding always gets me...it's a sideways jump and then a bolt to the other end of the arena. He has yet to get me off, but I hate that whiplash/back twisting feel.

[ellemayo]

Well the horse I used to have was really amazing, because he liked to interchange his spooks so I never knew what to expect. Usually in the arena it was the sideways spook which wasn't a problem to sit.

However when we were in the fields he usually pulled the "drop, spin, and bolt" move. Of course all of my friends horses would bolt too and then when mine realized what was going on he would try to run and buck (I guess he thought he could go faster that way). Usually I ended up on the ground :)

[Samotis]

spin and bolt. Definantly the worst. Or after a jump head down stop and crow hop. Had a pony do that. Bad pony.

I had a gelding I used to ride and never fail every lesson he would spin so fast I would spin off and land on my feet. Every time. It happened so fast with no warning and I alway landed on my feet holding the rein and looking at him face to face. Very strange. Could never get it on video though!

[lesson junkie]

If they keep going forward, the spook and buck isn't too bad. The OTTB I had for years would add a dramatic twisting sunfish that looked a lot worse than it really was-20 years ago, anyway!

I have a drop and stop style spooker, and a spin and bolt style spooker right now. When I fall off Mr. Drop and Stop, at least I don't have to catch him-he's standing there with that "How did that happen?" look on his face.

[pAin't_Misbehavin']

Oh, it's not too bad. My horse is talented with his freakouts. My personal favorite was the time he reared, took a couple steps forward while rearing, landed, and bucked. I had no idea what he did until the people who were watching told me :lol: .

Oh, dear.:eek: Rearing is, like, my big freak-out move. I don't know why, and it's completely in my head since no one has ever reared with me aboard. But I suppose if such a thing happened, I'd just go *plop* onto the ground after my heart attack, so at least I wouldn't have to worry about pulling the poor beast over backwards.:lol:

[vbunny]

The worst kind of spook is the one the horse doesn't take you with him on. I have horses that are super quick spooks but they are planning on me coming with them where ever they go I am fine. Its the ones that brace up and don't care whether they ditch me or not that I hate.

[piaffequeen]

The spin and bolt-I have ridden horses that truly terrified me when they did this. It was so bad to the point I would never canter and was very reluctant to go out trail riding. The only horse I trusted to gallop and trail ride until I got Sam was my friend's arabian Elixer. He just babysat me and if he felt me tense up during the gallops he would come down to a walk without me pulling the reins. His version of a spook was to stop-kinda jump in place and snort! Sam has not spooked with me except in place while I was holding him but he didn't go anywhere. He kinda looked at me like OOPs! I think I was doing up his velcro on his fly sheet. It was really loud and it scared me. :lol:Out on the trail he will just turn and look at it. He has stood still while others have spooked and bolted.

[tkhawk]

The spin and bolt. My Arab mare is very quick and first time she did it to me , I bruised my ribs bad and toook me a few weeks for the pain to go away completely. But after a while, I went with her-the first few times, it was odd I would be sitting and she would spin and bolt-flat out gallop(trail) and I was strangely calm and my mind would be like wait weren't we facing the other direction:confused:. She stopped doing it when I got fast enough to catch her before she did it. But the in between stage was just odd. It was so weird-it happened so fast and I was so calm and almost like it was happening to somebody else! Just a weird feeling-almost like my body went with the horse and my mind was somewhere else-just an odd sensation can't describe it!! Now she is great....

[LuvMyNSH]

I hate the sideways jumps. On the trails I ride, going sideways either a) puts me in front of oncoming traffic, b) puts us over the edge of a cliff or c) slams us into a wall of surprisingly sharp and pointy greenery.

I've only had one horse that could spin hard enough to get me off, and he went down the road.

[Sdhaurmsmom]

Fortunately, I am too old and slow to be unseated by either the drop-and-bolt or the sideways leap. By the time I react, it's all over.:lol: You'd be surprised how well you'll stick to the horse if you just slump there like a big gooey lump and don't do anything.
:)


:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: :lol::lol::lol: Hahaha, too true! (knock on wood.:uhoh:)

[strawberry roan]

Hate the drop & bolt. I have a greenie that does that. Keep my fingers crossed that the more she gets exposed to, the less spooky she will be. But until then I just hold on tight! :D:D

[sublimequine]

I think it depends on the horse. Spin and bolts on my mare aren't THAT hard to sit because the spin itself is very clean; she's a QH so it's kind of a move that she's built for. She does a perfect pivot, just a very very fast one. :lol: But that way, really there's not a whole lot of movement IN THE SADDLE during the spin, so if you just try and stay centered through it you're fine. The bolting, I usually don't worry about because I get in a one rein stop a few strides into it before she builds momentum.

For my mare, the hardest/scariest spook is when she WANTS to bolt, but I won't let her, so since she can't go forward.. she tries/threatens to go up (into a rear). I HATE rearing, and would never own a horse who was a chronic or really high rear-er. Luckily the few times she's done this, 90% of the time it was only a threat, and the other 10% she didn't get very far off the ground before I threw myself down hard onto her neck and kinda shoved her back down. She's only done this a handful of times too, thank goodness.

[ReSomething]

Any spook where they are so fixated by the spooky thing that they are in danger of hurting themselves (or me). So the otherwise quiet sideways or backwards walking spook sucks because of what L M NSH above said, and the spin and bolt either leaves me in the dirt or getting run away with by some horse who has just lost his mind. I don't care for it if they drop in place but it isn't dangerous. My experience with the drop and bolt is that they only go a short distance, and if I don't recall ever getting a bucking landing - if I did I probably chalked it up to being disobedient or getting the yahoos out.

[ddashaq]

I absolutely HATE the drop and bolt, but I am not a fan of the leap, spin, and bolt either. Fortunately, my horse sticks for the most part to the sideways step or the stop dead/total body shake variety.

[fleur de duc]

am I the only one that gets handed all of these on a regular basis?

my boy tends to go to his "spook and bolt in blind terror" act most of all. but from there it turns into "bolt and EXPLODE" often followed by a quick slam of the breaks and a spin. :yes: he is very talented. Sometimes I think he would make such a good rodeo horse, and that is really his true calling in life:lol:

I can sit all his spooks pretty well. when/if I come unseated it is always in his transition from the bolt to the explosion .. as sometimes he slides to a stop before exploding, or will jump sideways. depends on how he feels that day, and how big the horse eating butterfly that is chasing him is.:rolleyes: (yes that was the cause of our tommisode today .. thats what we call his episodes = tommisodes)

I personally hate his bolts the most though. when he really spooks he gets that blind with fear bolt going and NOTHING will stop him. I just gota talk to him and hope to god he realizes I am still there. and a fence ... yeah that means nothing but another thing to jump in his mind. i watched him clear my 5'4 fence in side reins (he broke my lungeline and took off) with such ease and grace that I know he will not hesitate if a fence is in his way .. just I REALLY dont want to be on him in that case!

[CBoylen]

The spin. Anytime the horse changes directions without consulting you, things are bound to go wrong.
I also HATE the run backwards spook. You are less likely to fall off, but they are more likely to seriously injure themselves by running into things or getting hung up in something. It's also really, really hard to correct.

[BogyNme]

I can't remember if I found this on my own or if it was already posted on COTH. In any case, it relates.

Here's a horse that does it all and the rider haaannnggss oonnnn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3o19YIzmr-k&feature=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3o19YIzmr-k&feature=related)

[nwrider]

which is why I now own a draft cross and no longer ride a TB unless I have to. My OTTB did all of the above. He would spin and buck at the sound of a car backfiring a mile away. Or if he saw anything out of the corner of his eye he had a minor explosion. My heart can't take it anymore. I think that guy took years off my life just from the scares.

[5]

Asking in October gives it a whole 'nother' meaning.
I think the nightmare ponies that buck you off in your dreams are bad.!!!..
But the horses who pursue you in the other world looking for the lost toy mate of theirs that you broke by accident while you were playing with it when you were five is even worse because your mother threw it out and you couldn't make things better by gluing it back together because the pieces were taken by the trash men and the big wooden horse stands by your bed getting bigger nad bigger and meaner and meaner Yahhh!!!....
Then the Mary Poppins type carousel horses that ride off with you when you can't stop them no matter how hard you pull on the reins even though you scream and scream Yeiih!!!!!!!!!

Wait... Are you asking about 'tangible' type horses?

[Seven-up]

The worst kind of spook is the one the horse doesn't take you with him on. I have horses that are super quick spooks but they are planning on me coming with them where ever they go I am fine. Its the ones that brace up and don't care whether they ditch me or not that I hate.

Hahaha, Amen! :lol::lol::lol:


Gotta love those ones that just scoot and say, "c'mon, let's get out of here!" instead of "See ya later, if you live through it!"

[MsM]

I used to have a horse that did a version of spin and bolt that left me sitting in midair more often than not. :eek: I think there were two reasons - first he was big and round and I am short-legged so I couldnt really wrap my legs around him. Second, he had an amazing ability to drop his shoulder and spin around with his front end down! He was also a very inconsistent spooker and I rarely knew when they were coming or at what (even after they happened!)
Current horse has a pretty good repetoire. Mostly now he does a spraddle-leg startle (think cartoon horse :rolleyes:) He also will do a sideways spook and a spin and mini-bolt. The good news is he doesnt drop in front and really isnt trying to get rid of me. I have crawled back up his side after a couple of spooks (and he lets me) but the only time (so far) I came off was when he tangled up his legs and fell on his nose. I stepped off from about six inches above the ground! :p

[BCEVENTER]

Rear, spin and bolt. On the cross country course. In front of the jump. Trust me.

[ClemsonGraduateRider]

Sometimes having a lazy warmblood is a good thing because while he will spook, and generally does a side scoot, he figures out about 5 seconds after he does it that it was way more energy than he ever wanted to expend. The spook lasts about 2.5 seconds and it's over. Usually his lazy butt stops the spook before I even have a chance to realize what's going on. Now getting me off while doing a spectacular I hate your crop/dressage whip/spur kick out may be a whole different story . . . :)

[Lieslot]

Well my 17.2h TB used to be a master at the spin 180 degrees at full galop speed and proceed with rodeostyle bucking thereafter, which resulted in a total of 5 ambulance trips, with thank God good endings and enough confidence left to get back in the saddle ...
I lost the silly critter 1,5 yrs ago to a colic and although I cried my eyes out over him and still miss him. I wonder if he'd still been alive if I would have had any more ambulance trips coming my way....:sadsmile:

Anway, I also HATE the run backwards spook. You are less likely to fall off, but they are more likely to seriously injure themselves by running into things or getting hung up in something. It's also really, really hard to correct.
I could really use some advice on how to correct this.
My 18hh+ WB has started doing this and it scares the hell out of me!!!
The first time he did so (a year ago or so), was when getting stressed over something he thought he heard in the bushes, he started backing, rearing, backing, rearing and nothing I could do to get him to go forward. We were getting closer and closer to the drop off (call it ravine) which could have tumbled both of us 30ft+ down into the Delaware River. In a reflex moment I managed to slide off just in time, grab the reins, boot him in the belly from the ground, which had him leap forward and lead him away from the ravine. I had nightmares thereafter for weeks on end.

Only 2 months ago in our first ever groupsride (18+ horses), he freaked out when the group went into a groupscanter and jumped a few fences. Again rearing, backing, rearing, backing.... The entire group was well gone and I was left with a horse that didn't stop backing. He backed me into dense bushes (thank God no ravine) and then reared up again and I hit my spine against a fat tree branch. He backed up even more, so we got so stuck in the bushes it was impossible to swing my leg over to get off anymore, as I was flattened in his neck underneath a treebranch. We stood there for minutes (felt like hours) with his heart beating out of his chest until finally my husband managed to come back with our steady Eddy. He got off and had to pull us out of the bushes so I could safely dismount without being reared in the trees again.
ANYONE HAS ANY ADVICE ON HOW TO STOP A BACKER-UPPER FROM GOING BACKWARDS???? :confused:
Throwing reins at him, kicking him etc, no use whatsoever! Ever since, no more trailrides where I know there are dangerous drops and no more groupsrides.

[downthecenterlinetheycome]

The worst is when they don't know how to handle their own spook. I was training a few green old ponies over the summer, and one day, someone was using a nailgun in hearing range and they all flipped. One ran through his electric fence, which was near the arena I was riding in (unfenced), and at the same time the pony I was riding (bareback, had just gotten on), flipped out. He did his spin buck run routine, only as he tried to buck and spin at the same time, he slipped and fell right on his belly. My feet touched the ground. He lurched up, and to my dismay I saw other pony galloping toward us. I jumped off recently fallen pony and caught escapee pony, checked them both over. And then my parents got there. Perfect. ;)

My gelding (sold to me as bombproof, of course!), has a couple signature moves. Sometimes he sinks his but and goes sideways. Sometimes he teleports. Often he drops his shoulder, gallops sideways and, obviously forward. I've never really had a problem sitting his spooks. It's just not convenient though. In my first dressage show, right as I was about to turn down the centerline at the end, he spooked and bolted out of the arena. I had a 7 crossed out on my test, and an elimination. In the coefficients, CONFIDENCE and SUBMISSION were underlined. I did get a "well ridden" comment though.

[TheOrangeOne]

For the runner backwards, I'd have someone on the ground with a lunge whip or the bristly end of a broom. My 2 cents, don't want that to turn into a rear and flip. Been there, done that, not fun. Other than that, my big warmblood gelding has a patented process that I assume makes reining trainers drool. First, the crouch. Then the spin. Then the hops. This is generally somewhat like jumping but with more back end motion that front. Thankfully treating the ulcers has gone a long way to reducing that.

[jeano]

Sadie had perfected the drop the inside shoulder and spin around it spook. She has managed to dump me at a dead halt, cause of spook, wisp of hay blowing out of the back of neighbor's ATV, which she was approaching because she KNEW there was usually hay in it....

I knew I was finally gaining her trust the first time she took care to NOT dump me during a spook. Narrow trail, downhill, no real visibility for more than a few feet, thick woods. I knew, but Sadie didnt, that at the foot of the hill the whole landscape had changed since the neighbors had just gotten a BUNCH of trees felled on their side of the property line. Sadie rushes down trail, me trying to get her to take it easy, knowing she's not going to like what she sees. She reaches the critical view. Head goes up and ALL the air came out of her. She propped momentarily, took a huge breath, and very slowly and carefully she turned around, said, Lets get out of here Boss, and headed rapidly (but not bolting) back the way we came. I was laughing my ass off. I did turn her around after a few yards and took her back to the logged area and rode her through it.

We've made a lot of progress since then. She hasnt dumped me in ages and now spooks in place--sometimes the butt goes down, sometimes the shoulder and the very beginning of a spin, but she always stops and waits for me.

My former horse Sugar did a spectacular uphill sidways spook once and I landed on the trail on my butt, maybe 5 feet away from the rattlesnake responsible. Held on to the reins, cussed Sugar out, finally heard the rattle, looked around until I finally saw where he was, apologized to my horse and waited for Mr Snake to go on about his business. I landed on my sciatic nerve and it took weeks to stop hurting.

[Roan]

Spin-bolt, hands down. IMO the most dangerous one there is. Especially if it's a horse that will 180 in one direction, then 180* in the other. Yer history.

[Trees4U]

Drop shoulder spin (on the flat)
Dirty duck (at the base of a fence):mad::mad:

[tweeter]

Fortunately, I am too old and slow to be unseated by either the drop-and-bolt or the sideways leap. By the time I react, it's all over.:lol: You'd be surprised how well you'll stick to the horse if you just slump there like a big gooey lump and don't do anything.

pAin't, that's sooooo funny. I can definitely relate. My young TBX has yet to get me off, but I think it's because I usually wake up after he's done and I try to figure out what happened.

My neighbors are conspiring to get me killed, I'm sure of it. We were walking up to the arena, early morning, quiet....when all of sudden the idiots start with a nail gun. It sounded like an AK-47 going off. Next thing I knew, we were facing towards the barn, he did 3 or 4 HUGE leaps and then I got him stopped. I don't remember the spin, but it musta been good! Poor boy, I could feel his heart thumping away....or maybe it was mine?

Haven't been on him for waaay too long (my bad), but I'm determined I'll do it today. Should be interesting. NOT. :sadsmile:

[MistyBlue]

Gotta love those ones that just scoot and say, "c'mon, let's get out of here!" instead of "See ya later, if you live through it!"

LOL...that's the horse's way of saying, "Here, eat this instead of me!" as they dump you off and run like hell. :lol:

Okay...WORST spook for me? The Pony Spook. As badly as some athletic horses can spook...speed that spook time up by 500%, add less animal under you to grip and give it the manueverability of a boneless eel.
Now that's just the physics of the Pony Spook...then add in the mentality of an evil genius and realize that MANY Pony Spooks are actually well planned, premeditated and perfectly executed anti-rider terrorism. It weren't an actual spook people! :winkgrin:
I've said it many a time...people fall off of horses. They get *flung* off of ponies. :D

But...I'm also not a huge fan of the drop and bolt. Harder to hang on when the animal drops out from under you. But not going into panic mode will save you most of the time. (not that it's easy to predict a spook) The spin and bolts are common as heck and rarely bother me much. The "back up at light speed" can be dangerous as heck because that usually means the horse is a few donuts short of a dozen, ie: horse doesn't have much self preservation instincts. Most spooks are because of their self preservation instincts, survive at all costs! So they change directions and run like hell. The backing up fast reaction is just blind panic...I'm not a big fan of those. I think the best course of action would be to immediately try turning that horse front and back ends, try to change it's mind to flee instead of back up. Spin and bucks...if they're not huge kicking out bucks...then it's not in a panic and is just "enjoying" the adreneline rush of the initial spin of the spook. The spin was the spook...the running off bucking in glee is the "Yay, now get off human!" :lol:
Rearing doesn't bother me a whole lot...unless the horse is nuts. Then I dismount off the side saying, "Go ahead and go over, but I'm not coming on that trip!" But then, I'm weird like that probably because my first horse's response to annoyance was rearing and my late mare's reaction to being told to do something she really didn't want to was rearing. Neither were dangerous "rearers"...just annoyed ones. Usually not further than halfway up, not straight up types. if it's a somewhat "habit" with the horse then you can expect it and be prepared. But on a nutty horse that doesn't care if it hurts itself? Nope, I'm bailing. I saw a horse go over on someone...don't care to try that. :no:

[twofatponies]

My older mare has a super athletic drop-and-spin. She only does it on trail rides, and rarely now (used to be at least five times a ride, now its more like 1 in 5 rides). Used to nearly get me off every time, but I sit on her with it in mind now, and even keep a couple fingers on the grab strap if we are walking on the buckle, just in case. She hasn't dislodged me in several years.

My younger mare used to be spook-free - I swear she's learned the sideways leap sideways from the older mare, above. It's so rare it always catches me by surprise. I still have a back spasm from a huge leap she took two days ago, in the middle of a peaceful sunny field with nothing scary anywhere. Dang! I nearly slid off the back of the saddle. I swore like a sailor at that one. :D

[War Admiral]

A friend of mine had a horse that would sit and spin so fast he'd leave the rider hanging in mid air like Wile E. Coyote in the aftermath of an ACME rocket misadventure. He rarely did it so it was kind of an event and much enjoyed by the rest of us.

That's how HRH Avery managed to unload me the time I broke 2 vertebrae, although of course being a TB he added the "Aaaannnd they're off!" variation. Gets extra points from the judges for that apparently. :lol:

But he also has this weird spook that I've never seen in any other horse, and that's the one I dread. When Avery is really truly fer-REAKED out, it's like he loses control of his legs and can't coordinate them, and he plunges up, down, and in 2 different lateral directions all at once, with his legs going every which way in no coherent gait, ALL at lightning speed. He doesn't do this very often (i.e. I've owned him for 8 years & he's done it maybe 4 times), but I'm guaranteed a fall when he does, because there is no rhyme, reason, rhythm or pattern to it. It's truly bizarre.

The last time he did it I happened to be hand-walking him and got a chance to watch the legs splaying out and flying everywhere while the body goes 3 different ways, and found myself thinking "Dang, no *wonder* I can't stay in the plate!"

[Pokey]

Mistyblue - this really made me laugh:

"The Pony Spook. As badly as some athletic horses can spook...speed that spook time up by 500%, add less animal under you to grip and give it the manueverability of a boneless eel.
Now that's just the physics of the Pony Spook...then add in the mentality of an evil genius and realize that MANY Pony Spooks are actually well planned, premeditated and perfectly executed anti-rider terrorism."

I rode a little 4 year old OTTB that knew precisely the way to get rid of me...she could spin and bolt off her front end. Now, I can do the spin and the spin and bolt - but generally speaking, those always happened off their butt. This little mare could prop and stop and front end spin and bolt, before I even realized why I was on the ground. She'd pivot off her front legs from a canter. It got me off every.single.time. I've ridden the drop and bolts, the leap and bolts, the buck and bolts, the levitate and bolts...couldn't stay with that mare's front end spin and bolt. She'd just plant her front feet, swing 180 degrees, and off she'd go.

My old little mare was a drop and spook-er. She was lovely though - she'd wait for me to reseat myself before spooking again :)

[Ambrey]

I liked the comment about horses that plan to take you with them vs. leave you behind. I really think that's the difference between my big guy and my little guy. Or at least, my big guy before- when he spooked he just lost it.

I also wonder how much power comes into play. My big guy is half percheron (huge powerful front end) and half quarter horse (huge powerful back end). That guy can freaking MOVE. My little guy just doesn't have the power behind his spooks.

But maybe it's just that he really plans to take you with him. He has these horrible looking spin spooks that don't even pop your butt 1/4" out of the saddle.

The spook that put me out of commission for 6 months was a leap-bolt-buck.

[grayarabpony]

I hate the knuckle down in front spook. Makes you feel like the horse is going to fall down.

The spin, the sideways leap are wonderful in comparison to the laying down in front first.

[kookicat]

The drop shoulder spin. I hate that!

[Catalina]

I rode a former Grand Prix Jumper Holsteiner in college that was the master at the drop the shoulder spin. He spooked at everything, shadows from the windows of the indoor, flower boxes, other horses, even my nails scratching on my chaps as we walked on a long rein :rolleyes:. He got me off twice in one lesson with the shoulder drop/spin combo. One second I was trotting along, the next I was in the dirt. Once I realized his M.O., though, I learned to ride it and manage to stay on.
He got just about everyone else who ever rode him off with that method. The best was when he was used for an Intercollegiate show. I warned the director that he was not a good horse to use, but he had been going so well for me that they used him. He made it around three jumps, spun his rider off and bolted out of the arena. Needless to say, he was removed from the show.
I had an Arab that was king of the drop and bolt move. But he didn't do it because he was spooky, he did it to test new riders. He would be trotting quietly along and then for no reason he would bolt. If you managed to stay on and make him come to jesus for that move, he would never do it again until the next new rider came along.
My OTTB does the twisty spook where he twists his body away from the scary thing (known as 'some loss of balance' in the dressage test as hw spooked at the letter markers). My ISH does the sideways halfway across the arena spook and my mare just stops and stares and snorts and then carries on.

[Liscar]

I vote for drop the shoulder, spin and take off spook. My mare is a master at this. Before I even know it's coming, I'm on the ground. This little manuever of hers destroyed my confidence, and I am STILL working on getting it back. I don't even ride her anymore because of this, even though she's the most awesome mover and is as comfortable as a lazy boy recliner and the love of my horsie life, definitely my forever horse in spite of her odd behavior. She's too nice a horse to go to waste, so I'm hopeful I can get the gumption up to throw a leg over her again one of these days. Not quite sure HOW I'll do that. haha.

[FancyFree]

The worst spook with my old horse was the one I would be totally unprepared for. When I first got my mare as a green five year old, she was a nightmare on trail rides. We could be traveling calmly along out on the trail, everything quiet and peaceful, and with out warning, she do a 180. Elevator drop and spin. She'd go right, I'd go left. There was absolutely nothing around to spook her, so for awhile I could never really relax out on trail, never knowing if she was going to spin on me. After being dumped a couple times, I learned to anticipate it. Her body would tense up right before spinning, and I could make her go forward through whatever was freaking her out, which I rarely could see myself. She eventually became a great trail horse that you could practically fall asleep on. But it took awhile.

[BuddyRoo]

Anything followed by bolting in the opposite direction ranks up there on my list.

You want to hop sideways and snort? Fine.

Want to spin around? Fine.

Want to drop your shoulder and hit the brakes? Fine.

But....if you do any of the above followed by hitting the afterburners? Hate that.

I also hate "group spook"--ya know, you're with a group, everything is fine. ONE horse sees something they deem spook worthy and they try to jump in your lap--you--the one on the bomb proof horse--the safe zone. I have taken my mare out w/ lots of greenies and I kid you not, the scariest thing to me is having 2-3 green beans trying to hop in my lap.

[BoysNightOut]

My horse hardly ever spooks under saddle, but when he does, it's the 1. Squeal, 2. Arch back like a bronco, and 3. Take off while throwing in high, bucking bronco bucks.

He's only done that a few times since I've owned him, and I went flying both times, haha.

Luckily, (knock on wood, haha) he doesn't rear, spin around, or take off at full gallops. :)

[00Jumper]

Well our youngest mare has the best spook to ride - the traditional drop, stop and snort. Not too bad. But my damn horse does the drop and bolt . . . sideways. Not just a run to the side, not just a drop and bolt, no, that would be too simple. It's this demonic hybrid of the two. Over the years I've gotten pretty good with staying with it but it was definitely a learning process hahaha. The rear/buck thing was pretty fun too, but that's seemed to stop with age (touch wood). :lol:

[diffuse01]

But she does the turn and burn - drop the shoulder and spin - and that gets me off ... every.freaking.time. It happens so fast that I'm laying flat on my back with her looking down at me before I even knew what hit me. There is absolutely NO warning at all. Just cantering along and WHAM! But I found out she had ulcers and she's been treated so she hasn't done the turn and burn since, thankfully. :o



That's what Clyde does.. er.. did, he hasn't been ridden in a year due to it, and me losing total confidence in him u/s. Treated for ulcers twice, been in training twice, still a spooky little devil. He's one that looks for things to be scared of, and alot of the time, he'll just decide that he's scared right.now for no reason. :rolleyes: But I love him anyway. Just on the ground only :lol:

But yeah, the drop the shoulder and spin is the worst. Clyde would just amble along, ears floppy, do-de-do, and WHAM, it's like his whole neck disappears from in front of you and he's done a 180 and is gone. No warning at all. Got me off twice in 5min. with that one. After the second time, I was totally numb so there was no getting back on for round 3. I had never fallen off of him before in 3 1/2yrs. of owning him, so I was definitely due, but it was not cool.

[charismaryllis]

i definitely prefer a straight ahead bolt; have sat a few of those successfully (even the one where i had some serious misgivings as to whether i'd be able to stop the horse :eek: ). i pretty much can't stay on the sideways leap, although one time i ended up halfway off, hanging on the reins, behind the cantle. horse stopped and patiently let me claw my way back into the saddle. (damn nailguns.) i've had a couple rearing episodes, and managed to stay on just fine, although they weren't really high ones. have also sat more than a few crow hops, but i'm dead certain i'd be off at the first serious buck.

have never experienced the drop-spin-bolt, and hope i never do. :yes::winkgrin:

[IdahoRider]

I have come off most often during a spin and bolt. I had a gelding for a while that was a master at that type of spook. He was so quick.
Sheilah

[twofatponies]

I liked the comment about horses that plan to take you with them vs. leave you behind.

Me too! As my DH says, you don't have to run faster than the bear, you only have to run faster than your friends! Munch.

[twobays]

I'm gonna disagree with everyone and say I HATE the sideways move. That'll teach me not to drop my reins and lean at the canter.:D

[imapepper]

LOL...that's the horse's way of saying, "Here, eat this instead of me!" as they dump you off and run like hell. :lol:

Okay...WORST spook for me? The Pony Spook. As badly as some athletic horses can spook...speed that spook time up by 500%, add less animal under you to grip and give it the manueverability of a boneless eel.
Now that's just the physics of the Pony Spook...then add in the mentality of an evil genius and realize that MANY Pony Spooks are actually well planned, premeditated and perfectly executed anti-rider terrorism. It weren't an actual spook people! :winkgrin:
I've said it many a time...people fall off of horses. They get *flung* off of ponies. :D

:lol: How true :lol: Ponies can be evil concentrated :winkgrin: but I still love them. Thank goodness the ponies that I am dealing with right now are really pretty good sorts :)

[CBoylen]

ANYONE HAS ANY ADVICE ON HOW TO STOP A BACKER-UPPER FROM GOING BACKWARDS???? :confused:
Throwing reins at him, kicking him etc, no use whatsoever! Ever since, no more trailrides where I know there are dangerous drops and no more groupsrides.
I'm interested to hear the responses too, but really the only thing that works with mine is to always have a stick when you're riding outside the ring, and to use it immediately, repeatedly, and as hard as possible at the first cessation of forward motion.
Once they start going backwards there really isn't much you can do other than grab one rein hard and spin them in a circle, and then either kick them forward again or make them back the other way, past the offensive object.
If you have someone that can get behind them from the ground, that works, but it's not always feasible and it doesn't often take the backwards spook out of them permanently like it might take a rear out of one.

[dalpal]

LOL...that's the horse's way of saying, "Here, eat this instead of me!" as they dump you off and run like hell. :lol:

Okay...WORST spook for me? The Pony Spook. As badly as some athletic horses can spook...speed that spook time up by 500%, add less animal under you to grip and give it the manueverability of a boneless eel.
Now that's just the physics of the Pony Spook...then add in the mentality of an evil genius and realize that MANY Pony Spooks are actually well planned, premeditated and perfectly executed anti-rider terrorism. It weren't an actual spook people! :winkgrin:
I've said it many a time...people fall off of horses. They get *flung* off of ponies. :D

But...I'm also not a huge fan of the drop and bolt. Harder to hang on when the animal drops out from under you. But not going into panic mode will save you most of the time. (not that it's easy to predict a spook) The spin and bolts are common as heck and rarely bother me much. The "back up at light speed" can be dangerous as heck because that usually means the horse is a few donuts short of a dozen, ie: horse doesn't have much self preservation instincts. Most spooks are because of their self preservation instincts, survive at all costs! So they change directions and run like hell. The backing up fast reaction is just blind panic...I'm not a big fan of those. I think the best course of action would be to immediately try turning that horse front and back ends, try to change it's mind to flee instead of back up. Spin and bucks...if they're not huge kicking out bucks...then it's not in a panic and is just "enjoying" the adreneline rush of the initial spin of the spook. The spin was the spook...the running off bucking in glee is the "Yay, now get off human!" :lol:
Rearing doesn't bother me a whole lot...unless the horse is nuts. Then I dismount off the side saying, "Go ahead and go over, but I'm not coming on that trip!" But then, I'm weird like that probably because my first horse's response to annoyance was rearing and my late mare's reaction to being told to do something she really didn't want to was rearing. Neither were dangerous "rearers"...just annoyed ones. Usually not further than halfway up, not straight up types. if it's a somewhat "habit" with the horse then you can expect it and be prepared. But on a nutty horse that doesn't care if it hurts itself? Nope, I'm bailing. I saw a horse go over on someone...don't care to try that. :no:

Oh. My. God..you are so right, too funny!!!!

My mare has only done two major spooks in 7 years.....one over cows and another over a Herring taking off. Those were the "pick my front end up and spin in the other direction/take off" spooks. Otherwise, she just jumps in place or side steps. She's a very level headed gal. :yes:

My gelding....he's all TB and quite athletic......he's the one who can spin and bolt on a dime. NOT a GOOD FEELING.

[f4leggin]

It's the combination spooks which are hard for me. A sideways spook, drop and spin, leap forward, or one buck - generally all those are annoying but fine. But a few of them together, and the longer it goes on, the harder time I have. But. bucking - I can't seem to handle more than one. Just about everytime I remember falling off it has been a bucking fit that doesn't stop - esp from QH geldings - I hate it when they start (don't own any now, and don't plan on owning any in the future).

My WB's - for the most part, the spooks are BIG and SLOW. And, they want you to go with them - it's like they wait for me to catch up. QH's - quick fast spooks IMHO - and not really much worry about where I am...

Jill

[Painted Up]

for me it's ALWAYS the spin and spook, a sideways 180 and i'm in the dirt! sideways spooks, bolt forward, bucking i can ride, but when they spin around and take off i'm gone!:eek::lol:

[Daydream Believer]

With my little quick and amazingly agile horses, it's the leap upward and do a 180 turn in the air and land running in the opposite direction that gets me!

[dab]

I hate my mare's drop the shoulder, spin, buck, and bolt -- The buck is optional, and only makes it in to about half of her spinning spooks -- I actually think the buck has helped me stop going sideways so that I can regain my position, and has probably saved me more than once -- She truly loses her mind in these situations, and even if I've managed to stay on until we get to the bolt, that's still not a guarantee I won't eat dirt --

A sideways spook only bothers me when I'm on the ground -- I've been bulldozed by those when I was standing next to the horse --

[La Gringa]

Spin and bolt are not my favorites, neither are spook and buck. Either one can get you on the ground in a hurry.

[flypony74]

I really don't mind a bucker, or one that scoots sideways, but the spin and bolt usually gets me.

[LegalEagle]

Had my first "bonding moment" with horsie today...neighbor's evil and ferocious horse-eating golden retriever charged us growling/barking and we have....the drop and bolt! I wasn't really sure what to expect (first spook, he is relatively new) so I just grabbed some mane once I saw the head pop in the air. Well, we both made it, lol :lol: So, anyway, I would have to say that is not the worst kind. I think the sideways leap. I always ended up where pony *used* to be on that one when I was younger!

[Christa P]

I find the drop/spin/buck with a twist the worst:winkgrin:. Most others I can ride, it is the combinations that are difficult.

Christa

[des]

When the stuff their nose between their toes and duck back. I never could really master that one.

[quietann]

My girl does the 20 feet sideways teleport, and if she's really upset she'll pick up her front feet (and if one does something really stupid, like try to ride through it when she's terrified, she'll go all the way up -- but trust me, I am NOT that dumb!) So far I've coped and stayed on, though it's freaking scary, especially since I am not young, and the ground is hard.

[Wigwag]

Spinning is what gets me. I don't like sideways spooks, but spinning spooks are the most likely to get me off.

Ditto.

Not a big fan of riding regular spookers anymore, though I got a lot of miles under saddle when I was younger because of the horses I was willing to ride (that no one else wanted to). It was the spinners that usually did me in. Surprisinly I can generally hang on for the drop the butt and bolt forward, as well as sideways spooks. But if they come to a screeching halt, spin, drop and bolt in the opposite direction....ha, I'm done for.

That said, the only two times I've come off my (non spooky) TB were both similar incidents in that he spooked at something and went straight up in the air, landed, and then bounced up again. The first up and down threw me off balance on the jarring landing, but I would've been ok if he hadn't done it again. The second fall occured when he went up in the air for the second time and then did a pretty impressive kick out behind him. I was done for, sigh. Both time's he had a pretty good excuse for the spooks, so I can't really fault him. Just got back on and continued.

The horse I'm riding right now for a friend is a pretty sweet horse, but somehow he's managed to get me off twice. I guess that's what riding once a week will do to ones balance! First incident he was being buddy sour, an issue we were deliberately setting him up for so as to correct the bad misbehavior. I'd ridden him through countless temper tantrums that day, and when I finally briefly let my guard down but was still sitting a bit too far forward in a "defensive" posture, he screeched to a halt, dropped his shoulder, and spun so as to take off in the other direction. Luckily, he didn't bolt, but that's only because the weight of my body flying over his right shoulder as he spun to the left yanked the rein and rained on his parade.

[pines4equines]

My old TB mare...the scariest spook she used to do was her airs above the ground. She would start by standing and shaking. You couldn't kick her because she would go up in the air - all four feet. Not exactly sure what she did in the air as I never had a witness to tell me and I did stick it but it was so scarey...I knew it was coming when she would start the shaking. Again, at the time, I had no solution as you could not kick her, pull a rein right or left. Freaky! It really was the up in the air stuff that was scarey.

Thankfully now I have a draft cross who is much saner...