Have you experienced that feeling? Right before your horse freaks out? You feel the energy rise in the horse, the horse crouches down and then BOOM!!!
If you’ve ridden for any length of time, you have probably experienced the terror of your horse freaking out with you on their back and the sensation of being completely out of control! This is not a good situation to be in and it is important to have a plan and some tools that you can use to get control of the situation and prevent you and your horse from getting injured or scared.
Here are 3 tips:
Keep your hands down and lower your center of gravity – human nature makes everyone curl up into fetal position when we panic. When horses freak out, most riders tend to lean forward and raise their hands. This is exactly the opposite of what you want to do! Instead, keep your hands down, upper body back and think of lowering your center of gravity onto the horse.
Implement a one-rein-stop. A one rein stop, or disengaging the hind quarters, is the best way to regain control of your horse. Whether the horse is bolting, bucking, or rearing, a one rein stop will channel the energy of the horse into a circle with bend. It is very important to practice a one-rein stop before you need to use it in an emergency to make sure that you and your horse know how to do it!
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” – The best solution is to avoid the bucking, rearing, and bolting situation and prevent if from happening in the first place. If you feel that your horse is fresh or thinking if misbehaving, get busy with bending, serpentines, circles, and channel your horses’ energy towards productive work!
