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The tack room

Discuss horse riding and ownership on our Horse forum.

Original poster

Dd's horse bolted with her. Wwyd?

88 replies

Mercison · 26/03/2018 08:13

Dd has had her horse for almost 4 years. He's a big competition horse but very polite and easy. Can get strong and boisterous occasionally but nothing bad. Dd has started eventing him and he's been great. She hacked him out last night as normal. She cantered along a bridle path and he got stronger and stronger faster and faster. She couldn't stop him and he ran through a line of bollards onto a road (bridleway has been unceremoniously divided by a new road Sad) , a car had to swerve to avoid them. She eventually managed to turn him into a closed gate and jump off. She rang me and I drove to where she was and led him home. She was completely petrified, had a panic attack. Horse is fine apart from a split mouth which MAY have been the cause (new bit). Also dh bought the wrong chaff with alfalfa in a few weeks ago which we thought he might be sensitive to, but fed it anyway.

She's supposed to be competing this weekend. Dh wants to get rid of horse!

Wwyd?

OP posts:
Clemfantango · 26/03/2018 11:24

Sounds like a perfect storm situation - different feeds, new bit, hurt mouth, grass coming through. If it were my horse I would only hack in walk for a few weeks.

Original poster
Mercison · 26/03/2018 11:34

yeah I agree, a perfect storm.

I've never seen such a contrite horse this morning

He's lost a shoe, no obvious aches and pains or lumps

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Fueledwithfairydustandgin · 26/03/2018 12:55

One of mine was really dreadful on Alfa. He was the most feed sensitive horse I've had but Alfa was one of the worst for sending him very silly. What prompted the bit change? What was he in and what did you change to? I definitely don't think it sounds enough to sell him without giving him more of a chance.

UrsulaPandress · 26/03/2018 13:01

Several horses on our farm went doolally last year from one particular bale of haylage. DD's horse bucked his way through a dressage test.

QuestionableMouse · 26/03/2018 13:17

Alfalfa is basically rocket fuel to some horses. What supplement was it? Some of the weight gain ones contain it too. Sounds like a perfect storm of stuff imo.

Eve · 26/03/2018 13:30

If your daughter has had health issues hashe been ridden out much?

Yecaet - my worst road accidrnt/bolting was also caused by s motorbike deliberately revving loudly !! Horse tore muscles and took 6 months to recover - I now raise my eyebrows at all the think bike adverts !!

BertrandRussell · 26/03/2018 13:48

I know this will divide the room, but has she tried him in a bitless bridle?

Original poster
Mercison · 26/03/2018 13:51

She tried a hackamore last year and he hated it!

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RatherBeRiding · 26/03/2018 16:45

If he's cut his mouth, cancel the lesson and keep him turned out (if you can) on just hay and low-sugar stuff. Big competition horses with new feed, not enough turnout and exercise can be buggers. You say your daughter hasn't been well - is he short of work? And the weather's been horrible - is he short of turnout?

I would recommend a bitting clinic if he's got a fleshy mouth that tends to cutting.

And, yes, alfalfa is well known for sending SOME horses loopy.

Original poster
Mercison · 26/03/2018 17:09

Thank you. He hasn't been ridden as much as he should have been
Feeling a bit pissed off with dd today as she's refusing to even come and see him ie help me change rugs and feed Hmm

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GothMummy · 26/03/2018 17:18

My standardbred became unrideable on Alfa-A and linseed (fed for condition)! Usually he has a lovely temperament. To be honest your DD's horse just sounds under worked and over fed!

QuestionableMouse · 26/03/2018 17:31

She's probably still a bit shocked (and depending on what really happened, embarrassed). I wouldn't push her today but make sure she goes tomorrow. If you have a school, get her to have a plod around on him.

Original poster
Mercison · 26/03/2018 18:30

She's going over later. Definitely stopping all the alfalfa, linseed, conditioning cubes and turmeric mix!! Back on calming chaff (with extra magnesium a d salt) and a handful of fast fibre. Lots of hay and turnout!!

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UrsulaPandress · 26/03/2018 18:46

Deal breaker here if DD ever refuses to go.

Whatdoiladymcbeth · 26/03/2018 18:55

Absolutely agree with the feeding! What bit is she riding him in? Maybe try bit guards or bit wrap of mouth is sensitive.

One of my friends rode her horse in a jelly bit, worked a treat on her mouth sensitive horse who didn’t appreciate a hackamore.

Original poster
Mercison · 26/03/2018 19:51

Yes ursula here too. She's been over and put pile ointment on his mouth.

What's a jelly bit? We have a nathe loose ring for dressage that he likes but he needs more brakes for fast work. He's in a ns universal for sj and had been in a ns Cheltenham gag for xc, but its a bit too strong and he gets cross and shakes his head. She was trying him in an elevator gag which I hate the look of anyway

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CottonSock · 26/03/2018 20:01

I had a sensitive horse at her age. I tried a rubber snaffle once, but didn't feel to have enough control. If he is well schooled it might work?
Lots of high fibre low energy food. If I gave him beet he would canter on roads. Also, probably obvious, but make sure she does not always canter in same places.
Get all his tack checked by someone in the know?

UrsulaPandress · 26/03/2018 20:04

I always go for the softest bit possible.

An elevator Gag sounds - um - harsh.

Original poster
Mercison · 26/03/2018 20:05

It is harsh. I bought it for a different horse ages ago and she was trying it out to see if it would give enough brakes for xc. Clearly not!!! He goes really well in the universal

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yawning801 · 26/03/2018 20:16

It's probably not what you want to hear but my friend had a Welsh cross who liked a bit of XC but would stop at the least pressure on the reins. She gave him a supplement (can't remember now, but it worked) and put the reins on the middle hole of the gag. Both of these worked a treat and he carried on with some light xc well into his twenties.

BertrandRussell · 26/03/2018 20:18

Hmm. Have you sought advice about bits? WHat made her decide on the elevator gag?

Greyarabsdrinkthewind · 26/03/2018 20:57

Its easy to have a bad day and say "thats it he's got to go". Against my better judgement Ive recently bought one of the arabs I ride ( I fell totally in love with him) most of the time he's brilliant. But I fell off the bloody thing the other day mainly my fault, I came away thinking what the hell have I just purchased? For a day I didn't want to go down and ride, he lost a shoe and I couldn't ride and I was relieved, this isn't like me I guess it was because the bloody thing is actually mine now. Anyway after three days I thought this is ridiculous he's been going so well get a grip and ride him and he's gone back to his normal genuine although some might say araby self. If most of the time its a nice genuine horse don't let one incident spoil put you off. Horses like us are allowed to have off days.I wonder if he could speak what he would have said about me falling off he looked totally stunned when I was in the ground a "what the hell are you doing down there expression" "you're normally so confident and balanced what the hell is going on".
I'm well into my middle age and specialise in young arabs in all the years Ive been riding them Ive been bolted off with twice there's a difference between being bolted with which is surprisingly rare and being carted off with. Genuine bolters are a very serious issue I don't touch serious problem horses just delinquent arabs with over indulgent owners I don't know anyone who specialises in genuine problem horse who'll touch a true bolting horse, the only one I knew who would take any lunatic was eventually so badly injured he gave up. It sound to me like your DS's horse just got over strong and excited she panicked a bit climbed up the reins and upset him more especially with a new and quite severe bit and then your DD panicked and so on and so on. Can she hack out for a while with another quite horse, definitely don't canter there for a while stay in walk. Or get someone else to ride him down that bridleway in walk for while and let your DD ride him out quietly or just canter him in a school until her confidence has returned or even beer can she go for lesson at reputable stables on a decent school master and discuss what happened and what to do if it happens again? Definitely don't ride him till his mouth has totally healed, if you've got the turnout put him out 24/7 whist its healing if you've got decent grass stop the hard feed he probably doesn't need it

IME its unusual for arabs horse to be sensitive to Alfalfa it is a high fibre feed and low in soluble carbohydrates therefore does provide an excellent source energy but it is slow release energy this is why endurance riders feed it of course you may not want your horse to have more energy!!! The first thing I do with any arab Im asked to ride that's being a total idiot idiot is suggest they come off sugar beet because that can lite them up and go onto alfalfa this is assuming they need hard feed.
I like the NS universal loose ring but can see it might not be strong enough for this horse how many ring choices did you have I think I would have started him on the highest ring is he's not used to it especially if he's used to a Cheltenham gag which of course lowers the poll rather than raising it. Can he not be hacked the Cheltenham gag with two reins? Only using the second rein to lower the poll if really necessary?

Original poster
Mercison · 27/03/2018 09:32

Thank you all and thank you grey for that post. Farrier is out today and dhorse is being very well behaved! Have coated his mouth in pile cream. He has a lesson tonight so we'll see how that goes.

Dd said he was being difficult before she rode him, wouldn't be caught which is very unlike him.

I'm hoping it's just the feed as an easy fix!

OP posts:
BertrandRussell · 27/03/2018 10:28

Grey-dd's pensioner mare who took her for an unplanned gallop at Christmas is an Arab! Too clever by half, Arabs..........

Original poster
Mercison · 27/03/2018 10:29

The farrier commented on how well behaved he was Hmm obviously feeling contrite

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