Ridecamp: Re: [RC] Speed Freak

I too owned a horse that was a blind runaway, he was also an ex-racehorse.
When he bolted he just ran, no thought to his own health or yours, or
anything that was in his way.  He scared the hell out of me.  The last time
he took off on me I finally got him stopped after about 2 miles, I got off
and led him home.  I sold him.  He's one of the few of my non-rescues that
I've ever sold, and I didn't feel one bit guilty about it.  He had other
issues too, rearing and striking, throwing himself on the ground when tied
to anything, crossties, trailer, posts, fearful kicking when you came up
behind him.  I had one vet tell me he thought the horse was autistic, I
think he had been severely abused.

He would have eventually hurt me and it's been said before, but there are
too many good horses out there to risk your life with the bad ones.  I sold
him responsibly, I told the woman he was dangerous to ride.  He was
beautiful and all she wanted was a beautiful Arab to pet, brush and buy
things for.

C.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Barbara McCrary" <bigcreekranch@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Ridecamp Guest" <guest@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: "RIDECAMP" <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, August 09, 2002 12:37 PM
Subject: Re: [RC] Speed Freak


> I find this post very interesting, as I rode a runaway a number of years
> ago.  This horse had a way of imagining a horse-eater coming up behind him
> and he would tuck his tail between his legs, bolt and flat-out run.  He
did
> several little ones and I didn't pay as much attention as I should have.
> One day, he did this on a wide road on the ridges above our ranch and ran
> for 1/2 mile.  I tried to haul him into the bank of the road, as one would
> do if a car lost its brakes.  Didn't work.  The road had a high bank on
one
> side and a drop-off into the canyon on the other.  I knew if he reached a
> certain gate, which was hung from a heavy pipe post, I was going to lose
my
> leg.  We have a nice little trail between the post and a tree, with a
> drop-off beyond the tree.  I was scared, but still thinking.  We came to a
> large open area on a flat...no banks or drop-offs.....just FEET before the
> gate.  I knew I had to stop him there or he would run around that post and
> tear my leg right out of the socket.  I had him in a Tom Thumb bit, I
> grabbed the rein and hauled him around with all my strength and headed him
> for a large Manzainita bush.  He didn't want to crash into that, so he
> continued to bend in the direction of my pull, and I got him stopped.
AFTER
> it was all over, then I got scared.  He and I never made a team, because
we
> were both tense.  My husband started riding him and they got along fine
ever
> after.  However, he would try to bolt a little every once in awhile, but
my
> husband would catch him up before he got away.
>
> Barbara McCrary
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ridecamp Guest" <guest@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Friday, August 09, 2002 5:37 AM
> Subject: [RC] Speed Freak
>
>
> > Elaine Parker elainep@xxxxxxx
> > I don't usually post and very seldom would I feel the need to speak out
on
> any subject but this one does urge me to comment.  I do agree that
training
> is the necessary route to the end result of a horse who doesn't run away.
> If the question, though, is "what do I do if he does run away?" then my
> answer has to be STOP HIM.  All the natural horsemanship, gentle hands and
> good intentions in the world will not keep a person from being killed by a
> runaway.  Sore subject, as a friend of mine was recently killed from a
spook
> and bolt during a pleasure ride we were on.  If a horse bolts with me I
STOP
> HIM and I don't give a damn about being gentle.  I'll saw his mouth and
> shake his head to break up the rythmn of his gait until I can break up the
> run, and as soon as he's going slow enough not to fall I'll pull his head
> completely to my knee.  NO horse that I've ever met could really run away
in
> that position.  I'm not talking about bending him, I want him kissing my
> knee.  Then I go back to a fairly loose rein and give him the chance to
> behave.
> >
> > My current horse had a reaction of bolting to adverse situations.  I
> started him so I know he wasn't abused it was just the way he reacted to
> fear.  The horse who killed my fried was the same way.  Absolutely no
> meanness or intention to hurt.  He got scared and bolted away from that
> stimulus.  She came off.  Not 100 yards away he stopped and turned to face
> the scary thing.  You need to know how to stop one when he runs, no matter
> why he's running.
> >
> > Elaine
> >
> >
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> >
> >
> >
>
>
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