| By :
Josie Amani
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. Many people try to hold onto the reins with one hand and pull with the other to try and stop the horse by using sheer force. This causes the horse a lot of pain and can result in the horse running even harder in an attempt to escape the intense discomfort you're causing. Holding onto the reins for dear life in this way also causes your body to tense up, causing you to bounce around on your horse's back which makes you susceptible to a fall. The first thing you should do if your horse bolts is to concentrate on riding him. If you feel more confident holding the saddle or a neck strap do so but make sure you don't grip tightly as this will make you tense and cause you to bounce with every movement the horse makes. Make sure he can see where he's going by keeping his head straight and concentrate on maintain your rhythm with him. Try to remain calm and focus on what you have to do to remain on your horse rather than try to force him to a stop while you're panicking. Avoid leaning forward so as to avoid a fall if your horse changes direction suddenly or if he stumbles. Focus on your rhythm and balance and remember to breathe! 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. Remember that your horse is bolting out of instinct. Horses are prey animals and as such they have a strong fight or flight instinct. When your horse bolts he is in a state of panic and the last thing you should do is to panic as well as your horse will sense your anxiety. The horse isn't intentionally trying to be evil, he is just very scared and it is your job to regain control of the situation as safely and calmly as possible.
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