[Ambrey]

So there is a teenager at the barn who is having trouble with her big, young QH. She's working with a trainer, but in the meantime it's summer break and she has no horse to do trails on. I have a horse who would be ridden 10 times a day if he had his druthers, so I figured it was a perfect solution.

I put her on him yesterday in one of the arenas and he took off with her! He's never done that before. I was shocked. I got her off of him, made him go around the arena like a good boy, then put her in the bull pen (her mom was there, and she was encouraging all of this- she's a friend of mine).

I'm not a teacher, but I guess I have just figured this horse out and gotten used to his quirks. He hates to have you hanging on his mouth and will "go" if he feels leg on him, yet will slow and turn just from seat aids. I really adore him, I think he's awesome- but he scared me a little!

How many people have had horses who are really well behaved if ridden a certain way, and total stinkers if ridden differently? My 10 year old rides him and he does well with her, but now I'm nervous!

[Smoocher]

This is just about every horse I've ridden. As a good rider, you adjust yourself and keep adjusting yourself until the horse goes very well.

I currently have a horse I trained from 18 months and I have someone coming to ride him. I'm curious to see how he goes under this other person and see if she'll adjust with him.

[Equibrit]

So there is a teenager at the barn who is having trouble with her big, young QH.

Ask yourself why!

[quiet5]

Yeah, Smoocher has a point--the more horses you ride, the more you realize each has his or her own preferred ride. Also, some horses are VERY sensitive to a rider's emotional state--so a kid who has a better sense of how to keep her emotions in check may not have any problem with a horse who may bolt under a child who gets a little nervous or even just a little apprehensive.

Bolting happens--to everyone. The difference between a frightening bolt and a nothing to it burst of energy depends on how long it takes the rider to respond and change the horse's reaction--really incredibly skilled and experienced riders can stop a bolt before it moves out of the stride to it.

On the other hand, everyone, even those "very experienced and skilled" riders, screws up, makes mistakes, gets distracted and finds themselves dealing with the scary spook, bolt, buck or rear...It happens.

I wouldn't worry about your horse so much as the rider. Is she up to the required ride of your horse?

Course, I'm from the it's never the horse's fault school of riding--big surprise, hunh?

[Ambrey]

I wouldn't worry about your horse so much as the rider. Is she up to the required ride of your horse?

Course, I'm from the it's never the horse's fault school of riding--big surprise, hunh?

She's fine in the round pen. I think once she gets used to him she'll be OK- but I wouldn't want her in the arena or out on trail with him yet.

She won't be riding without supervision for a while, either me or her mom.

It is just so WEIRD how his behavior changes! He can be a little hot with me, but always right there, ready to come back, and always sweet and not wanting to hurt anyone. He is a babysitter with my kids. With this girl, he just took off!

[Ambrey]

Ask yourself why!

There's no doubt that the QH is too much for her. That's why she is working with a trainer and not riding him out anymore.

He is a young, energetic, and big boy. I wouldn't put my daughter on him (mine is only 10, though).

But my pony is 10 and my 8 year old rides him!

Does this look like a face that would bolt on anyone?

(don't answer that- I know, there's always been cranky pony hiding in there and was just waiting to find a teenager to vent it on!)
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...eylightash.jpg

eta: Just to say that I don't think he was trying to be naughty. I think he was confused. He's an ex eventing pony, and she's mainly a western rider with some english training- and he felt a little too much leg and decided it was CC time. AND- she never was even close to falling off. And she was wearing a helmet.

I think I just really underestimated how well he'd trained me in the few months I've owned him. I find him the most fun, most confidence building horse to ride. I think she will too once he's trained her to respond to his cues

[quiet5]

There's no doubt that the QH is too much for her. That's why she is working with a trainer and not riding him out anymore.

He is a young, energetic, and big boy. I wouldn't put my daughter on him (mine is only 10, though).

But my pony is 10 and my 8 year old rides him!

Does this look like a face that would bolt on anyone?

(don't answer that- I know, there's always been cranky pony hiding in there and was just waiting to find a teenager to vent it on!)
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...eylightash.jpg

eta: Just to say that I don't think he was trying to be naughty. I think he was confused. He's an ex eventing pony, and she's mainly a western rider with some english training- and he felt a little too much leg and decided it was CC time. AND- she never was even close to falling off. And she was wearing a helmet.

I think I just really underestimated how well he'd trained me in the few months I've owned him. I find him the most fun, most confidence building horse to ride. I think she will too once he's trained her to respond to his cues

Might have better and faster results training HER to give the aids he prefers--JMHO.

[Ambrey]

Might have better and faster results training HER to give the aids he prefers--JMHO.

LOL, that's what I meant- he'll train her to ride him the way he likes to be ridden.

He's an excellent trainer

[HiddenStars826]

I think they just need to figure each other out, and you are making the right choice by only allowing them in a small area under supervision for now. Its just going to take some time. I got on my trainer's horse a few times that had been raised by her (the mare was 21ish when I met her) and boy was that a particular horse. I trusted her implicitly, she was that kind of horse, but half the time I was on her I had no control, because I couldn't figure her out. One of my last rides on her I finally learned how to stop her- drop the reins! Wierd, but thats what did it for us! My trainer's other mare that she broke, it took me 20 minutes the first time I rode her, to even get her to walk!!! I wanted SO bad to give up, but I knew I needed to just figure out where she wanted me to be to coincide with what she knew. I'd ridden for a few years, but it took this one mare to REALLY teach me what my seat and position should be like- even after riding her for a few years, she'd still get me on stuff, like stopping dead from a canter because my weight shifted back a bit further than it should She was a fantastic teacher, but it took a while to get used to each other.

I hope this rider appreciates you allowing her to ride your horse while she works through problems with hers. Thats awesome that she has the opportunity you are giving her. As someone who currently can't ride my own horse, I'm SO grateful that I have 4 other horses I can ride for free- it really makes a big deal to us!

[Equibrit]

Some people just have electric butts!

[Angela Freda]

Ok I'll say it....

Are you sure you want to risk pony getting ideas from this kid... ideas he might use on you and your kids?
You are training a horse every. Single. Time you ride them...

[Ambrey]

Ok I'll say it....

Are you sure you want to risk pony getting ideas from this kid... ideas he might use on you and your kids?
You are training a horse every. Single. Time you ride them...

I know, I did think of that. But honestly, he's so opinionated. I think it's going to be sink or swim with him, either she's going to get quiet legs, seat. and hands or it's not going to work.

This is a pony that I toodle around the barn and socialize on for an hour. One day I thought he'd finally lost his patience for it, but it turned out he just really needed to pee. He's mr. "on the buckle at home, go juice on the trail."

EB, lol at the electric butts. I have one. I had to learn to unplug it for this pony, and if he can teach this to a few kids in his turn he'll do his good deed for the day. Unfortunately, I need to learn to turn it back on when I ride my big guy in dressage lessons- that will be another post another day

[tkhawk]

My mare is quite similar. Very very sensitive and light in the mouth. One cluck and she is off to canter If you start yanking at the bit or kicking her-you will be in for quite a surprise . If you are wishy washy she will not listen to you at all. But if you are quiet and firm she is great. Nowadays the only time I get a major spook is usually when I am riding with other folks and am distracted, chatting away. Still haven't figured out how to keep chatting and pay attention to your horse at the same time! When I ride by myself-I listen much better and am tuned in to her .
But even then my mare has experienced a lot of stuff so even a major spook is really not major when compared to what she used to do a few years ago. She knows better. Unless you see what that kid is doing different from your 10yr old or you, it would be difficult to say what the issue is.

[goeslikestink]

So there is a teenager at the barn who is having trouble with her big, young QH. She's working with a trainer, but in the meantime it's summer break and she has no horse to do trails on. I have a horse who would be ridden 10 times a day if he had his druthers, so I figured it was a perfect solution.

I put her on him yesterday in one of the arenas and he took off with her! He's never done that before. I was shocked. I got her off of him, made him go around the arena like a good boy, then put her in the bull pen (her mom was there, and she was encouraging all of this- she's a friend of mine).

I'm not a teacher, but I guess I have just figured this horse out and gotten used to his quirks. He hates to have you hanging on his mouth and will "go" if he feels leg on him, yet will slow and turn just from seat aids. I really adore him, I think he's awesome- but he scared me a little!

How many people have had horses who are really well behaved if ridden a certain way, and total stinkers if ridden differently? My 10 year old rides him and he does well with her, but now I'm nervous!

common problem-- in most when people try new horses they tend to grip-- its a natural reaction-- they dont reaslise they doing it so horse takes off as thats whats he been told to do

not your horses fault-- rider error- and also the way shes been taught- and hasnt been told to relax-- and be floppy type thing- if she had she would have had legs of and just sit in a walk until she got used to him a bit

[Ambrey]

One thing that is neat though is for both this girl and my daughter, once they figure out how to handle him I think it's a huge boost in confidence. At first he seems kind of hot, but once they figured out how to sit down and make sure he knows they want "walk," they both got grins on their faces and spent quite a while practicing (who knew the walk could be so fun?).

Sensitive horses like him are a blast to ride, because they seem to read your mind and go where you want before you even knew you wanted it

[Thomas_1]

Ambrey, I might be wrong but I got the impression you were a relatively novice owner/rider??

If that's the case then do you have appropriate public liability insurance which protects you if a rider falls off your horse?

I'm thinking "oh my, oh my" though with your story.

You mentioned either you or mum "supervising". What makes you a "competent person" to supervise as defined by such as health and safety or insurance requirements.

How are you intending to "supervise"?

What risk assessment did you undertake prior to putting said kid on your horse? Now?

It sounds to me like a wholly inappropriate situation. Incompetent supervision. Poor judgement. No prior assessment. Inappropriate horse for the rider. Out of all management control!

It also sounds like the horse may not be sufficiently trained for such circumstances and I'm also wondering if you actually know what he did and what you did to try to get him to stop.

One minute you're talking about him "taking off with the rider", the next that he bolted????

Do you even know what the difference is?

To me a bolt isn't a spook and skoot and its not when the horse goes faster than you intended.

Rather a bolt is when the horse is GENUINELY in that flight and fright mode and its not thinking or listening at all to any rider.

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

Bolts are extraordinarily rare. They're not everday or common for riders. In my lifetime of riding and driving for decades and countless horses and even countless young and spoilt horses, I've only ever been bolted with on 3 memorable occasions!

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 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 you are describing is a situation where the horse mistook the rider's intent and decided to run on faster than wanted. And I'm presuming that either because the horse was ill trained or disobedient or else the rider inexperienced and in ignorance of how to ride and calmly manage a horse. If the rider is inexperienced, then the reaction is to be worried and then to grip and even to lean forward and give all the signals for the horse to continue, and so in effect to do what is being asked for!

The latter is a situation you shouldn't ever put anyone in!

A horse that transitions from canter (or walk come to that) to a gallop and is staying in the 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, the rider would have been through or over the arena!

If a horse takes hold of the bit and tanks off with the rider then you really need to take a more holistic approach and review a whole set of circumstances and I'd suggest you need a competent trainer for the horse or a competent trainer for the rider.

IME horses don't develop a habit of bolting or become accustomed to it just because they did it once and for no reason. And neither IME do they develop a habit or become accustomed to tanking off unless there's good cause.

Its root cause that needs to be understood and worked on. NOT the emergency measure to be taken when its all gone wrong. IMO its too late then!

Neither IMO does a horse in the habit of tanking off teach a rider and any competent person equipped to supervise a young person on a new horse would know that!

[AnotherRound]

I agree with thomas. I don't think you have any business putting anyone on your horses, especially considering how they behave, and that you have had long standing problems with your horses taking off with you yourself, and that your response to this problem was to put a stronger bit on your draft cross rather than learn to ride him correctly. You don't have any of the experience needed to put a young rider who is having problems on a horse under your supervision. If you did, you would have known to put her on a longe line until you could see how she handled the horse and how he handled her, and instruct her on riding him. You barely can ride yourself, and the lack of knowledge about horses and riding apparent in your posts is astounding for even a beginning rider. What is even more worrisome is that you apparently have no understanding or concept or clue about how uneducated and misinformed you are about horses. There was nothing responsible about what you did. If she is getting training and instruction and having problems with her horse, leave her alone and leave it up to her trainer.

You have repeatedly poor judgement and this girl should not be under your supervision on a horse.

[kcmel]

Yes, step away from the teenager. You are not a riding instructor. Take it from me--my SIL fractured her shoulder to pieces when my normally well-behaved horse took off with her. Bad, bad idea (hindsight is a wonderful thing).

[MissintheSouth]

In my experience horses that "need to be ridden a certain way" usually need to be ridden by a more advanced rider. My horse is a lap horse - he would crawl in my car and come home with me if he thought he could. He is super safe on the ground and LOVES to be hand grazed by the camp kids.

BUT - no one is allowed to swing a leg over him without a trainer present except for me -and everyone who even walks him has to be approved by me first (after I watch them ride him with trainer there). He likes things the way he likes them and I put in way too much time and energy to get him to where he is to have some kid thwack him too hard and have him take off or go up. He is dead quiet on the flat and he will cart anyone around at the walk - but I know how bad he can get when he is frightened and I am not willing to take a chance that some beginner won't know any better and will scare the education right out of him.

I would say leave the teenager to her own horse and let the professional trainers do their jobs.

[JustABay]

As kind of you as it is to let her ride your horse, it's not your job to make sure people are having good rides. That's horses. You have good rides, bad rides, bad months with bad rides every day, but you need to work through them, and make yourself a better rider. Hopping on someone else's horse doesn't fix the problem.