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"I have a notebook of the tips from your site and I love them... Bonnie Anderson has been wonderful. All the tips I tried of hers worked the first time. I am now in the riding stage and my horse is awesome. Thank you all very much and keep the training tips coming!!!!!!"
Karen Gossard
Fayetteville, NC

Horses can be unpredictable at times. Even the most well mannered mount can misbehave, or perhaps take a misstep that can take us unawares and result in a nasty fall from the saddle. Mentally preparing ourselves, by going over in our minds what we should do during these situations, could be the difference between acquiring a mere bruise or a serious injury. The following situations will hopefully give us a mental push to staying safe.

What do you do when your horse tends to bolt? I would first check the horses equipment, making sure it fits him properly. If the saddle is pinching the horse in some way, he may bolt forward to relieve the pressure from time to time. If the tack checks out fine, then it just may be the horses inexperience. A young horse may still be feeling insecure in strange places and will in time settle down as he gets older.

To help stop a horse when he does bolt, use one rein to pull the horse around into a circle the moment he lunges forward. The sooner the better. Once the horse gets momentum, it's harder to get him into the circle. Hold him into the circle until he stops on his own. Once he finds out that bolting only gets him boring, hard to do circles, he should stop the behavior in time.

What do you do on a runaway? First of all, dont throw yourself off in a panic. Try to use one rein and pull the horse into an ever smaller circle until he stops. If you have no room to circle, for instance on a wooded trail or steep incline, try pulling one rein back as tight as you can, then securing it with your hand by anchoring it into the horses mane. Using the other rein, start a pull and release pattern. This should not only break your horses stride, but break his focus from running in an all out panic, gaining you a chance to get back in control.

What should you do when your horse bucks? If your horse has made bucking a habit, seek professional help. Its hard to stay on a horse that has learned how to rid itself of a human on its back. For the occasional bucker, use one rein and pull the horses head up and to the side, easing him into a circle that will take away his momentum. Doing this on the first buck is always best. Every bucking stride the horse takes, presents that much more of a chance that you will eventually come off his back.

If all these techniques should fail, and you know you are going to land on the ground - relax. Let your body fall naturally, possibly tucking your chin and rolling into a ball. If the horse falls with you, be prepared to look our for flailing hooves as he tries to regain his feet. Always wear a riding helmet, especially when riding out alone. At the very least, tell someone where you are going and how long you expect to be gone in case something unforeseen should occur. While riding in todays busy world, you need to look out for yourself, and for your horse. Keeping safe is an all important job that should not be taken lightly.