I read the posts on speed control,
but very quickly, so I apologise if I'm saying what's already been
said.
Firstly, it's important to
distinguish between a horse who's running, cos he can, and a horse who's
genuinely bolting. With a bolter, the issue is about stopping him,
not training him not to take off, because it's usually caused by the horse
getting a helluva fright, or a reaction to pain.
Other horses, the ones I think we're
talking about, are those who run, just cos they like it! They grab
the bit and tank, not out of fear or pain, but because it's more fun than going
slowly.
There are loads of ways of dealing
with this, and most of them have been covered, but there was something I didn't
see anyone say : a horse can only pull at you if you give it something to pull
against.
So, the way I deal with a horse who
does this is to drop the reins. Most of them are preparing to fight you,
and this kinda takes the wind out of their sails. No, it may not stop
them, but what it does do is stop them from tensing against you, and when you
take up the reins again, it's a lot easier to turn them in a circle or do the
one-hand stop.
Hope this makes sense.
Tracey
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