Stopping a Runaway Horse

The biggest mistake most people do when their horse bolts is to try to stop him; they tense up, tug at the reins and in doing so become more likely to fall off. The more tense you are on a horse, the easier it is to fall off. The first thing you should do when your horse bolts is to focus on staying on.

Unfortunately many riders panic when their horse bolts and they try various ways to stop the runaway horse. One of these methods is to force the horse into a tight circle, but by doing this you compromise the horse's ability to see where it's going and you risk driving him into an obstacle. Pulling a horse's head to one side when he's bolting will also unbalance the horse which could result in him falling.

Some people grab the reins in one hand and pull with the other in an attempt to force the horse to stop. This is usually unsuccessful because it will cause a lot of pain and discomfort to the horse causing him to gallop even more in an attempt to escape from the pain. Hanging onto the reins in this manner also causes you to tense up and bounce around on your horse putting you at risk of falling.

When your horse bolts, you should focus on riding him. If you feel safer holding onto a neck strap or saddle you should do so but make sure you don't hold on too tightly as your body will tense up and you will be thrown around with every movement your horse makes. Keep your horse's head straight so he can see where he's going and try to establish a rhythm with his movement. Try to remain calm and concentrate on staying on the horse. Refrain from leaning forward as this can put you at risk of falling should the horse stumble or change direction suddenly. Establish a rhythm with your horse and breathe deeply.

Start squeezing and releasing the reins in tune to your horse's stride, this squeeze and release technique will bring your horse's attention back to you and slow him down. Lean back slightly and continue to squeeze and release the reins until your horse is more responsive to your aids.

Keep in mind that when a horse bolts he is only acting out of instinct. Because they are prey animals, horses have a strong fight or flight instinct and when a horse bolts it is because he is afraid and panicking, the last thing you want to do is to panic and reinforce his fear. The horse is not being malicious in any way, he is simply scared out of his wits and it is your job to try to remain as calm as possible as you try to regain control of the situation.

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