Today my horse took off with someone?

[screechingwrist387]

First off all, I'd just like to say I have a horse who Does. Not. Bolt. Usually.

In the past that statement would have read Does. Not. Bolt. Fullstop, but today she defied expectations and years of experience and took off with my friends boyfriend.

So we all went on a trail ride, three horses and four teenagers. Three would ride, and one would mind the dogs. Friends Boyfriend (here on out referred to as FB) wanted a canter, so it was decided all the horses would canter up the hill. Black horse took off. FB suddenly chickened out and tried to keep trotting. Chestnut horse was slowed to a trot and did a very hasty trot for a few moments before the rider gave up and let her horse canter. Chestnut horse cantered a few strides but stayed beside my mare.

At this point my horse and FB were still trotting, when they trotted under a branch. FB leant forward and my horse took off. Apparently, according to several witnesses she actually galloped, pasted Chestnut and FB sat that gallop for a few moments before he tumbled to the ground. My horse stopped a few strides later and I mounted her.

She was slightly spooky but fine.

We recreated the event, with Black horse galloping for home right past my horse. My mare keep walking. Quietly. As she was trained to do. As she does every. single. trail ride. ever. I even leant forward and wrapped my arms around her neck to see if she'd take advantage. Nothing.

Another friend also got on, and cantered my horse both away from (out of sight) and back towards the other riders. Still, her manners were fine.

I am slightly annoyed, not only because FB came off but also because she was naughty. And also because she was only naughty for him. Any ideas about why the sudden change of heart for a different rider? And how I can stop it happening again?

[CDog]

It could have been the rider, she could have gotten spooked, no telling. When I was a teen, I frequently rode at the river, where many other teens hung out. My horse was great, so I often would let people ride him. He took off with someone, too. Fortunately, the guy didn't get hurt. I decided that though a nice gesture, letting people ride him wasn't a good idea.

[Sazzy]

How experience was the friend's boyfriend? My guess would be not very if he didn't really want to canter, beginner rides bounce around a lot, they lose balance easily and most importantly they do not have the experience or the ability to know when they're in control or not. This makes it very easy for a horse to take advantage, and particularly when you're out in a fairly large group it's asking for trouble.

No horse is 100% perfect all the time, they are living animals with brains and their own thoughts and this means you cannot guarantee anything from them. Back when I used to work for a riding school, we had some ponies there that had done their jobs for years and were about as reliable as you could get a pony - but still every now and again you would hear a surprising story that someone took a tumble off them for a behaviour that was completely out of their normal.
It doesn't mean they're bad, or they're suddenly horrid ponies - it just means it was bad luck, pony was having an off day or what ever which meant a rider wound up bumping into the ground. 99.9% of the time, they'd get back on and it'd all be fine again.

[Cody]

Sazzy is correct. This is what I do to help with horse spook problems. I take some treats and a plastic bag and go into my horse’s pen. Give him a treat, then slowly take the plastic bag, and slowly cress his face, starting from his nose up to his eyes. Let him, or her small the bag first. The more you do this, you can slowly progress to crumpling the plastic while caressing his, or her face. You can go to other parts of the body once getting them use to the face first. Just go slow.

[Lori]

It was probably rider error. Actually, she wasn't that bad, she stopped when he came off. She could have bolted all the way home and left you guys with one less horse to ride. More than likely she got confused from a wrong cue or some other external stimuli. A good way to prevent that from happening again is to not let inexperienced people ride her, or at least not canter or gallop. People ask to ride my horses all of the time and usually the answer is no. These are people that don't know how to ride but think they can. Honestly my horses would show them pretty fast that they don't.
If I put someone on my horses that didn't know how to ride, it would be in a small arena or I would be leading them and most adults wouldn't want to do that. Anyway, I would not blame the horse. She probably thought he wanted to go and then he fell off. Be thankful no one got hurt badly.

[Pr]

Sazzy is quite on target.

FB is likely an inexperienced rider. Often, a rider who is not into horseback riding, or rides very infrequently, can be a bit "nervous". Even if you don't detect it, the horse certainly does. A horse can tell if you are: nervous, off balance, doing things that the normal rider does not routinely do, and more. This is how they keep themselves safe.

Once the other horses began cantering or trotting, your own horse either decided the sensed danger was real, or decided this whole thing just did not seem right. Since horses are "flight or fright" animals, they tend to take off if they think there is impending danger.

Any horse can do this and especially if they happen to be in unfamiliar territory, or . . . if there happens to be something different in the area. This can be anything from a bag blowing in the wind, to some little animal lurking behind a tree or rock. Remember: horses are keenly aware of danger and if a weak rider is on them, they consider that THEY (not the rider) are the only one who will keep them safe. (Ordinarily, you keep your horse safe and she feels confident in you).

Do you normally use a slight shift in weight forward when you canter? If you do - even slightly - your mare may have sensed FB's shift forward as a cue to canter, as some of the other horses had already been doing and, as it sounds, the chestnut was already past FB.

Don't chastise your horse for this. Simply remember that this can happen at any time and especially on a trail. It may be better to put an inexperienced rider on the horse, within a riding ring. Even in the ring, things can happen.

Well, at least FB is O.K., as far as we can all tell!

Oh, added note: Spring is in the air. Mares are always on the lookout for other horses in this case. This can also put them in an abnormally tense condition.

[zephania666]

Every horse in the world will bolt at some time, given the right stimuli.

In this case, the horse got multiple stimuli: some of the other horses were cantering away, leaving her. The rider was tense, no doubt holding on with his legs and gripping hard, while holding her back with the reins, thus putting her on the bit. The horse wanted to join her buddies, the rider was unintentionally giving "get ready" signals... and then the rider gave a clear Go! signal, leaning forward and no doubt as beginner riders do gripping really hard with his legs. He probably pivoted off his knee and his heels probably went into the horse's sides as well.

So... the horse took it as a signal to do what she thought he wanted and what she wanted to do anyway, and took off. The rider fell off.

To prevent something like this happening again, remember to never put beginner riders in this situation. Do not separate the group, with some horses leaving the group at speed and others expected to calmly stay back. Horses minds do not work this way. Groups expect to stay together; they're a herd. If some horses canter away, the others feel there's a reason - like a predator - and want to canter away too. When the rider feels nervous and scared to the horse, you've added another fear stimulus - like the rider sees a predator too. You put a beginner rider in a situation where he could not control the horse's basic instinct - flight - and the inevitable happened.

You couldn't recreate the situation because you weren't a beginner rider, tense and clinging on, and you weren't even tenser when you went under a branch leaning forward. Your other friend also knew the danger, and was ready for it. FB was afraid, that contributed to the horse's fear, and he didn't know he'd have to control it.

I let lots of people ride my horses, and I've never had much bad happen. I keep a close eye on my horses for signs of anxiety, and I don't allow beginners to put their horses in stressful situations. If one group wants to canter and another group doesn't, I separate the horses first - no one just canters away from the group! The beginner group halts, the other group walks away, and only once separation is clear and the stopped horses calm do I let the others canter. Then, if all riders are relaxed and all horses calm, we walk on. Note: the most responsible, capable, experienced rider stays with the beginners!

This is not the horse's fault; it's not FB's fault. It's actually yours. So if you're going to be annoyed, make sure you direct that annoyance appropriately. At yourself! It's not the horse's fault that she's a horse and acts according to her instincts. It's not FB's fault that he's a beginner and fell off. It's your fault. You expected a horse to be perfect under any and all stimuli; you expected that a beginner rider wouldn't need help. Unrealistic expectations.

Deep down you probably realize this, and that's why you're annoyed! Just vow to use a little more care next time in managing the entire group, and you'll all be fine.

[Bec]

I agree with the other answers- chances are FB wasn't as experienced and obviously horses pick up on that. It doesn't sound like your horse was deliberatly naughty (I mean she could have bolted with him at any point if she sensed him being inexperienced or unbalanced). What probably happened is she wanted to join in the canter, FB chickened out but then accidently gave an aid (leaning forward, gripping with legs, "shuffled" with his seat)
It's hard to recreate it - you don't know what accidental aid FB might have given, you don't know how his nerves were etc.
It could also be weather related - as others have said. Spring is coming. This change can make some horses play up more (just being more active). She could have spooked at something - or napped/spooked (you know how some horses suddenly decide the gate post is the scariest thing in the world despite walking past it hundreds of times)

[Ruckus]

It's not your horse's fault. she wasn't naughty. she was being a scared horse.
when you're scared is it your fault? no.

When this FB leaned forward I BET ANYTHING THAT HIS LEGS WENT BACK AND HE PRESSED ON THE HORSE'S SENSITIVE FLANK AREA and that's why your horse bolted.

Or he SQUEEZED his legs without thinking.

Clearly, this horse is too sensitive for this total beginner FB who should be sitting on a babysitter type of horse, not a sensitive horse.

So, how to stop that from happening?
Don't loan your horse to anyone who isn't experienced enough in riding.

Some horses shouldn't and can't be ridden by just anybody.
they are a one person type of horse or an experienced rider type of horse.
that is your horse.

[joann]

Since your horse took off after FB leaned forward after an encounter with a branch she may have interpreted that as a signal to do what she wanted to do anyway, which was to keep up with her horsey companions. It is also possible FB was radiating fear at that point and your horse lost confidence in his leadership taking things into her own hooves. It is also possible that FB isn't the world's most secure rider and without knowing it cued your horse forward by tensing his legs. It is also possible that your horse was annoyed with FB if he lounged in the saddle or was otherwise sloppy in how he cued her, and that she took the slightest excuse to be exuberant when the other horses were cantering.