How to Correct a Horse That Bolts

Clinton Anderson from Downunder Horsemanship has developed a way to train horses, regardless of their past problems or traumas. It all begins with training the owners so they can gain their horse’s respect and understand how to properly control them. Join Clinton on his weekly endeavors of tackling some of the most challenging situations with problem horses, and problem owners. This week, we watch as Clinton shows us how to correct a horse that bolts.

There are several things that can go wrong when you’re out on the trail with your horse. While some of the problems are minor, others can put both the rider and the horse in danger. One of the more dangerous instances, Clinton reminds us, is when you’re going down the trail and your horse tries to bolt or take off. If this situation occurs, you need to do a One Rein Stop and shut your horse down immediately. This will help you avoid any disastrous situations and keep you both safe. Unfortunately, the One Rein Stop will not work unless you’ve done it a lot with your horse. This is why practice and ongoing training is so important between a horseman and his horse. Repetition, repetition, repetition—that’s the best way to really secure your horse’s training and new learned behaviors.

Clinton tells us that when you can shut your horse down with one rein, you have more of a choice as to what to do next. You can either get off and work him from the ground to regain control and then get back on, or you can get control under the saddle. However, what you don’t want to do is have your horse panic and bolt. That never results in a good situation. You want to shut him down and then take control of the situation in a safe, effective manner.

If your horse is really bolting and taking off bad, Clinton tells us that it’s a dead giveaway that you’ve not done a good job teaching him the Fundamentals exercises. Remember that if every horse in the world could do the Fundamentals, Clinton would be out of a job yesterday, because 99.9% of people’s problems are the same. “Clinton, my horse bucks, my horse jigs on the trail, my horse is shy, my horse is reactive, my horse is hot and nervous, etc.” It’s all the same thing—a lack of foundation. Clinton’s training on the trail series is all about taking the Fundamentals and applying them in the real world, but it’s not how you get your horse broke in the beginning. First, you have to spend time in the arena in a controlled environment. This is how you correct a horse that’s bolting or bucking bad—you go back and restart your Fundamentals again. You go right back to the beginning.

For the past 20 years Clinton Anderson has devoted his life to creating the best training tools and videos available to help bring his method to you. Now, Clinton has created a way to bring 20 years of horsemanship into the palm of your hand. Introducing the mobile method. It’s part of the Downunder digital experience. And it makes learning the Method easier than ever before.

Now you can always have access to the Downunder Method, even when you’re on the go or at the barn. The Downunder Horsemanship app gives you access to your digital training kits and allows you to download videos and training content directly to your mobile device or view them on your computer. The Downunder Horsemanship app also offers over 100 hours of free in-depth training content. No Worries Club members will have full access to Clinton’s ever-growing training library and a massive number of members-only features and information. And the best part is that you can view and interact with each lesson on your mobile device or computer, giving you ultimate access to the Method anytime and anyplace.

To learn more about the Clinton Anderson training method, become a member of the No Worries Club, or to get information on any of the products seen on our show, head over to our homepage and download the Downunder Horsemanship app today! If you’re interested in getting accelerated results, let a Clinton Anderson Certified Clinician bring the Method to you!