Q. I own an Appaloosa/Thoroughbred gelding. I’m riding him in a D-ring snaffle with copper rollers. Most of the time he is very good at this bit, as he has a very soft mouth. He’ll turn at the slightest touch of the rein, and he halts well, too. But sometimes (like at shows) he gets very strong and no matter what I do, he won’t listen. I’ve tried stronger bits, but it just makes it worse. The rollers seem to keep him busy and acting well. I’ve seen a snaffle kimberwicke with copper rollers, and I was wondering if I should switch to this bit until he stops the take-offs altogether.
The past year I have taken him to shows where he did well. He was the reserve champion for Hunter Hack. I’ve only taken him to very small local shows, and I’m normally there half an hour before anyone else so I can ride him around the grounds without anything to bug him. I have only asked him to do two or three classes in the shows. I’m seventeen now, so I did mostly youth classes, but next year I have to go into senior classes. Will this make a difference since there are normally more horses in those classes? I’m using from October to May as break time and training time. Is it ok to bring him to the local shows that he’s used to?
The main problem is when he spooks, he’ll run through (or over!) anything – even people – and if he can’t run through it, he’ll jump it! He’s only 15.2hh, but he can easily jump five and a half feet. When I’m in the arena, I try to run him into the wall. This normally stops him, but sometimes he’ll spin like a top and try to run the other way. When I’m riding in the outside ring, I just try circles. Even though the fence is six feet tall, I’m scared he’ll jump it! When there are people in the arena when I’m riding, I ask them to stand in the corner, but some of them won’t move. I’m scared he’ll hurt someone if he runs over them.
He’s getting a lot better now that he trusts me (he follows me around without anything on). He still wants to run away from stuff that spooks him, but he’s been listening to me and not running off. His take-offs are getting further and further apart. Because of the weather, I haven’t been down much – only twice a week – to ride him, and because of this, he’s been very fast. To give you an idea of how fast he can go, for the first two months I had him, I had to run to keep up with his walk! He’s learned he can’t go so fast when I’m leading him, but he has a long stride and a fast step, so I still have to walk fast to keep up with him.
I just got this horse nine months ago. For the first seven years of his life, he was used as a hack horse. I have talked to his original owner who will no longer talk to me. After this, my horse was sold two more times within ten months before I got him. The owner before me was going to use him as a school horse, but none of her students could handle him. He shows small signs that he might have been hit before. If I come off his back, he’ll get really scared and back away from me. He also hates being cornered in his stall. I think this might have to do with his unexpected spooks and take-offs. His eyes have been checked by a vet, and he says that they’re fine.
He is in a 25-acre field with five other geldings. He’s the big boss man of them, and he’ll chase away any horse that gets in his way. He’s coming to me now when I call him in the field. He loves being with other horses. Most of his spooks are when there’s not another horse around.
A. The first step in dealing with a horse who exhibits potentially very dangerous behavior is to determine the cause behind the behavior. It sounds most likely that his runoffs are triggered by fear. That being the case, and the fact that he is apparently getting better over time, tells me you are on the right track. He seems to be a horse who has lost all confidence in his rider, has come to expect the worst (and possibly painful) consequences, and is quick to revert to his natural flight instincts. When he gets scared, nervous, or frustrated, his instincts tell him to run – to escape … and that’s just what he tries to do. Without knowing every hurtful or frightening situation this horse has endured in his life, you really have no way of anticipating every situation that may trigger a runoff.
Your description of this horse’s behavior with his pasture mates clearly identifies him as an “alpha” personality. It’s enough to make me consider the possibility that his runoffs may also be, at least partly, power plays. Horses who have been used as rental hacks for a long time, as your horse apparently has, are subject to potentially tremendous abuse from a wide variety of riders ranging from terrified beginners to skilled equestrians. In fact, I was surprised when you identified his mouth as being soft. That’s quite uncommon for a rental hack. Most often, their mouths turn to steel after years of kick-and-pull riding. Rental horses generally respond to the abuse they endure by either turning into absolute deadheads who will put up with nearly anything or becoming downright dangerous. The stronger a horse’s innate personality, the more likely he won’t take kindly to abuse and will eventually develop dangerous habits. Is this starting to sound familiar?
You have asked about changing bits. As you’ve already realized, stronger is not better with this horse. You have realized a remarked improvement in this horse with your current bit over a relatively short period of time. Don’t change it. A stronger bit will only give him cause to mistrust you, and that would be extremely counterproductive to your long-term goal. At this point, it sounds as though he is slowly developing some confidence in you. Remember that whatever caused these fear/aggressive responses in the first place probably happened over a course of many years. You can not hope to undo years of harm with a few months of kindness. You need to be extremely patient with this poor fellow, and let him know he will not be punished for his inappropriate responses.
When he runs off, try to handle the episode as calmly as possible (easier said than done) without causing him pain (try to avoid jerking his mouth). You can use your voice to try to calm him, but only if you can keep your voice calm. If your voice reflects your anxiety and fear, better keep your mouth shut. Do make absolutely certain to try to maintain as much body relaxation as possible during his panic attacks. It’s hard to do, but if he feels you relax, he’ll be much more likely to respond to your requests for control. He won’t be able to slow down and relax if he feels your body as tense and tight as an overstrung guitar.
There is a very legitimate concern for your safety and the safety of those around you when you ride. I would suggest riding him only in the arena with the high walls until his bolting is under control and trying to ride him only when there is no one else in the arena. I know this may be very impractical (if not impossible), but do your best to keep the setting as quiet and safe as possible for all concerned. If that means riding early in the morning or late in the evening, then try to find a way to ride at those times. The fact that he’ll run over anything in his path when he bolts indicates a blind panic, and it’s extremely dangerous for all concerned. I once saw a rodeo bronc panic and run headlong into the arena wall. He split his head open and died instantly with the cowboy still on his back. This is a matter of grave concern. You must do everything you can to keep yourself and any other riders as safe as possible from your horse’s panic attacks.
Lastly, I strongly recommend that you not attempt to show this horse again until he no longer spooks and runs off at home at all. To do so would be placing your horse in a stressful situation for which he is clearly not prepared and putting all other competitors in jeopardy. It’s great that he has performed so well for you in past shows, but if he’s occasionally putting other riders at risk with his dangerous behavior, you have an obligation to keep him out of a ring with other competitors. If he causes injury to another horse or rider at a show, you may find yourself permanently banned from the ring – not to mention the strong potential for a lawsuit. Stay at home with this horse and work on building up a satisfactory and consistent trust level before trying to take him into unfamiliar settings. Once you have helped him become a confident and trustworthy mount at home, you can start taking him to shows and riding him casually around the grounds without competing. By never overfacing him with situations that cause dangerous responses, you’ll be able to gradually re-acclimate him to the competitive environment. Perhaps someday he’ll become that show horse you desire him to be, but your only hope of achieving that goal is by working with him on his timetable rather than your own.
You’ve clearly taken on quite the challenge with this animal, but I get the impression you really want to help him blossom into a happier and more confident riding partner. I wish you the best of luck.