How to React when the Horse You're Riding Starts Galloping Unexpectedly
Try to stop him., If the horse does not slow down after pulling on the reins, keep your heels down and use one rein to pull your horse into a tight circle., If you have a whip, use it gently but firmly on their neck to get their attention., If he...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Try to stop him.
Don't tug desperately at the reins; this will just scare him/her even more.
Firmly pull back, then release, being careful not to lean backwards yourself.
Keep repeating the pull and release.
If a horse is leaning on the bit he will find it difficult to keep pulling if there is nothing to pull against.
You will feel as if he is dropping his front end when you release the reins.
Command him to stop, but don't shout. , Horses cannot buck or run when being pulled around like that, so small circles are almost always a good thing to do. , Be careful when doing this, you don't want to encourage the horse to run faster, you just want them alert to your signals. , Stop, talk to him in a soothing voice and start to walk again, gradually regaining your original speed. , Horses can sense things like fear, and if you get nervous and scared, your horse will too. , This will make it harder for you to fall.
Do this by putting your legs forward and leaning back slightly.
Falling from a gallop can be very dangerous, so you should avoid it at all costs.
Keep talking to your horse and asking them to stop while you do this. ,, Call out where you're going because if you take off and you're in somebody's blind spot, how are they supposed to know? While you're galloping, call out things like 'coming up behind you!' to alert riders where you are in the arena. , Horses are herd animals and if they sees all the other horses standing calm, he/she will likely do the same with a bit of convincing. , Also, if you lean forward your legs go back on his/her side and when that happens, you kick your horse in their soft spot, and end up telling them to go faster. ,, Horses can't go fast in a little circle.
The faster the gait the larger the circle needs to be to maintain that gate, so pull hard.
You may feel a bit off balance, and that is why you MUST sit deeply in the saddle.
If you need to, grab the saddle or a bit of mane.
But DO NOT let him/her win.
Doing so will teach them that taking off is a way out of work, and that's not what you want. ,,, Just because the horse is acting up doesn't mean you want them hurt.
Jump like you normally would, but as soon as you've landed, steer away from the jump.
Next time the horse is running at the jump, end the approach as soon as you can.
Letting them run the jump over and over will reinforce what they are doing. ,, If the horse continues then repeat until he stops. -
Step 2: If the horse does not slow down after pulling on the reins
-
Step 3: keep your heels down and use one rein to pull your horse into a tight circle.
-
Step 4: If you have a whip
-
Step 5: use it gently but firmly on their neck to get their attention.
-
Step 6: If he does slow down again
-
Step 7: don't dismount.
-
Step 8: Stay calm.
-
Step 9: If you think you're in trouble and your horse won't listen to any cues (especially on trails)
-
Step 10: assume a safety seat.
-
Step 11: Situation 1: other people in the arena:;
-
Step 12: This step is the most important step because it keeps everybody in the arena safe.
-
Step 13: Ask people to walk or halt so that your horse can see that everyone except him is walking of stopped.
-
Step 14: Sit back in your seat and make your bottom the heaviest thing on you so you're not coming to your horse and he's coming to you.
-
Step 15: With your reins if you do a pull and release it with be more effective because it annoys him so much he is not going to gallop off with you pulling on his mouth.
-
Step 16: Pull him in a tight circle.
-
Step 17: Situation number 2: jumps in the arena:
-
Step 18: Do everything from situation one
-
Step 19: Let him/her over the jump
-
Step 20: and make sure to do 2 point.
-
Step 21: Have fun
-
Step 22: but remember these safety steps!
-
Step 23: To stop the problem immediately
-
Step 24: take one rein and pull it to your thigh
-
Step 25: which gets the hind end over.
Detailed Guide
Don't tug desperately at the reins; this will just scare him/her even more.
Firmly pull back, then release, being careful not to lean backwards yourself.
Keep repeating the pull and release.
If a horse is leaning on the bit he will find it difficult to keep pulling if there is nothing to pull against.
You will feel as if he is dropping his front end when you release the reins.
Command him to stop, but don't shout. , Horses cannot buck or run when being pulled around like that, so small circles are almost always a good thing to do. , Be careful when doing this, you don't want to encourage the horse to run faster, you just want them alert to your signals. , Stop, talk to him in a soothing voice and start to walk again, gradually regaining your original speed. , Horses can sense things like fear, and if you get nervous and scared, your horse will too. , This will make it harder for you to fall.
Do this by putting your legs forward and leaning back slightly.
Falling from a gallop can be very dangerous, so you should avoid it at all costs.
Keep talking to your horse and asking them to stop while you do this. ,, Call out where you're going because if you take off and you're in somebody's blind spot, how are they supposed to know? While you're galloping, call out things like 'coming up behind you!' to alert riders where you are in the arena. , Horses are herd animals and if they sees all the other horses standing calm, he/she will likely do the same with a bit of convincing. , Also, if you lean forward your legs go back on his/her side and when that happens, you kick your horse in their soft spot, and end up telling them to go faster. ,, Horses can't go fast in a little circle.
The faster the gait the larger the circle needs to be to maintain that gate, so pull hard.
You may feel a bit off balance, and that is why you MUST sit deeply in the saddle.
If you need to, grab the saddle or a bit of mane.
But DO NOT let him/her win.
Doing so will teach them that taking off is a way out of work, and that's not what you want. ,,, Just because the horse is acting up doesn't mean you want them hurt.
Jump like you normally would, but as soon as you've landed, steer away from the jump.
Next time the horse is running at the jump, end the approach as soon as you can.
Letting them run the jump over and over will reinforce what they are doing. ,, If the horse continues then repeat until he stops.
About the Author
Douglas Roberts
Enthusiastic about teaching organization techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: