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How To Do An Emergency Stop

From Katherine Blocksdorf,
Your Guide to Horses.
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Learn to do an Emergency Stop if Your Horse Bolts or Runs Away

Ideally you should stop your horse before you feel it is going too fast for comfort. However, there are situations where a horse may panic and ignore the cue to halt. Even the calmest, most predictable mount can 'lose it'; if you encounter a nest of ground wasps, close lightening strike, snake, a hot air balloon drifts overhead or other strange sights or noises spook it.

    1. Be sure you are not causing the problem. Make sure your heels or legs are not digging into the horse’s sides. Yelling “Whoa, stop, or halt!” and flapping arms and clothes may only excite the horse more.

    2. Hold the reins tightly in each hand.

    3. Pull on one rein more strongly than the other and turn the horse in a large, then smaller, and smaller circles.

    This will take balance and control on your part—and some space to maneuver. But it can be effective in stopping a runaway

    Depending on the horse and situation not all emergency stopping methods may be effective. These emergency stopping methods may not be effective in all situations. Your effectiveness will depend on your skill level and the horse's training. The best way of preventing runaways is by always riding with awareness and control.

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