Did I Do the Right Thing?

Question

Here's what happened:
After our lesson in an outdoor ring, we trot the horses up a hill behind the paddocks and walk them back down and around the paddocks to cool them off. So the horse I was riding was really hyped up, and when he saw the other horses ahead of him start trotting, he decided to canter. So I thought, "Okay, where do you think you're going?" since there was another horse right in front of us (he closed the horse-length gap in like two strides of his canter). So since my horse was excited, so was the horse directly behind me. Well that horse bolted up to our left going up the hill, between the horses and the paddock fence (we were about 5 yards from the fenceline, plenty of room). So when my horse saw that other horse bolting, he decided to go along, too. So the four of us (horses and riders) were bolting up this hill and hollering to alert everyone in front of us.
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So I lost a stirrup halfway up the hill (I'm kind of glad, actually, it made me keep a deeper seat). They finally stopped when we got to the top of the hill, because the horses realized they didn't want to gallop DOWN the hill.
Okay now to the question...
There was a bit of a cornfield (bare this time of year) on the other side of the line of horses... would it have been better to steer him up that hill instead? Or did I do the right thing to restrict him to going between the paddock fence and the line of horses being ridden? He's an OTTB and I couldn't get him to respond to bit pressure or a one-rein-stop. What should I do in case this happens again?
This horse is usually used as a therapy horse and is calm when he just walks and trots, but because of his level of training he needs someone to ride him who can handle him at the canter, since he doesn't get to do it as often as he should... I don't know where I was going with that, I guess just giving you background info...

FYI: I did everything in my power to get him to stop... it had been so long since he had a good gallop that nothing was going to stop him... I'm pretty sure he was just venting his frustration at not being cantered frequently... so I DID haul back on the reins, I sawed with the bit, I tried a one-rein stop several times, and I DID try to make him do small circles. Just putting that out there...
BTW, hardly anyone is allowed to canter him, he was fine cantering in the lesson, I was able to handle him.

Answer 1

I have a very short but concise answer. If you cannot, either by not knowing how or lack of strength, take on rein and circle your horse to a stop, at any time, any where, no matter what is going on around you, I would suggest not getting out of the arena and just hand walking/cooling the horse until you can do what I just mentioned. While reading your question, I could think of so many things that could have happened to you and others just because you allowed your horse to continue on with what he wanted to do. I am not trying to be a know it all, just trying to be candid, and in doing so, I do hope that I have caused you to rethink what happened and avoid such a situation from getting this far out of hand in the future.

Answer 2

Keeping him from being too close to the field is always best. Also, although the others might get there faster, for the time being it might be best though to show him that it's either he does it your way, or a boring way. I'd get off and lead him up the hill and to the stables,even if it is a bit of a walk and i'd jerk the reins a bit, not hard, just a bit so it moves in his mouth if he tries to go ahead. If he does well doing this and you feel it's ok to ride him, if he acts up again do the same jerk while riding. It always works with my horses and also they do act up a little more during the cold weather so you have to be a little more patient and stern with them. I hope this has helped. Going with the group is always safer than trying to pull away. The horse will fight harder against you most of the time to try and get back with them. Repeatedly tapping the reins(a light jerking motion) will give the message for the horse to stop faster than just pulling back. That is how I always stop my less experienced horses and they do great.

Answer 3

I own barrel horses, so if I'm on a trail ride and have my horse at hand and someone bolts by me my horse of course freaks and fights for the reins because they want to run so bad. So i get mad because it takes the whole trail ride to settle them. But i don't think that what you were asking. Because of the horses background of not being ran alot. If you had taken him in that corn field, i bet you he would have been gone lol so i think you did the right thing by restricting him. Plus you don't want to get him hyped up if he is a therapy horse. A little run can do surprisingly alot for a quiet horse and it turns out some like it better and are never bomb proof again lol i talk from experience.

Answer 4

I think it was rather dangerous to let the horse do what he wanted. Not only for you but for the others as well. If he is used as a therapy horse think about the other riders who will come after you. They might not be so fortunate. That aside, did you try to turn the horse, riding it in ever decreasing circles until you could either slow down or stop altogether? I'm not trying to be mean, but perhaps you need to ride a horse that is easier for you to handle. Good luck & ride safe!

Answer 5

Ok you sorta the right thing. its good that your still thinking about it b/c you never know when something like that will happen again. Now think horses are herdy type of animals. When he first started to speed up i would make him turn around making the realize that your in control. Now if the horse bolts JERK on the reins hard. This will make the horse realize that they have something in their mouth. I'll tug hard on one rein or the other to make them respond.
Hopefully this helped. when my horse did that oh it was bad. I got the horse under control and it was punishment city. The horse that old doesn't need to pull that kinds of things on you

Answer 6

you should have stayed in control. you should have told him "no" and circled him. your safety is more important then your horses so you should have stopped him. my trainer always tells me that you can be either a rider or a passenger; and at that time, you were a passenger. a rider would have stopped her horse and made him go up the hill calmly. you need to let your horse know that galloping up a hill is NOT okay and that you will not take that. circle, pull his mouth off, do what ever you have to do to stop him. having your horse mad at you because you didn't let him run is way better then having your horse hurt another horse or rider.

Answer 7

When you're in a group of riders and one person is having difficulty with their horse, the responsible thing to do is keep your own horse in hand....and not to go blasting by others. Often times there'll be someone in the group without your experience and you've inadvertently set them up for a bad experience or worse. You placed yourself and the rest of your group in a compromising situation. Never good! You need to learn to think your way through these situations...the person having a hard time with a horse with thank you many times over. You'll save them and yourself a lot of grief. Perhaps this OTTB would do better in anothers hands...you may be over horsed. Either that or he cannot leave an arena.

Answer 8

I think it would of been better to steer him in the cornfield. at least in the cornfield if something happened you wouldn't harm any other horses. My friend and I take our horses through a cornfield to get to some hills to gallop up and down and friday in the cornfield we went ahead and were galloping, my horse would slow down so I went to circle him and he slowed down. Whenever a horse won't slow down always try and circle them it makes them slow down.

Answer 9

it can be tricky to controle a horse espeacley when it is larger than you but you shouild of given it half halts or if that diddent work pull realy hard strong pulls on the reins allternetley however do not do this willy nilly it realy hurts the horse and should only be used in a bolt

Answer 10

Agree with Blue. YOU should be in charge, not the horse. Riders allow horses to have their own way. Horsemen and women are in control.