One of the best ways to deter a horse from bolting or doing any other dangerous behavior on the trail is to check in with him every once in a while by asking him to move his feet and soften his body. As you’re walking down the trail, ask him to two-track or sidepass. Do a bending transition. Draw him to a stop. Keep him tuned in to you and on his toes.
I’m not saying you can’t ever put him on a loose rein, but every so often, you need to put his feet to work and get him to check back in with you. If you only ride your horse on autopilot, letting him go down the trail on a loose rein, he’ll find something to do with his energy and I can guarantee that whatever he finds to do won’t be your idea of a good time.
The bottom line, though, is that if your horse is truly bolting or rearing or doing any other dangerous behavior with you on the trail, you’ve done a horrible job of teaching him the Fundamentals. After taking your horse through the Fundamentals groundwork and riding exercises, you should have enough control of his feet and have earned his respect to the point that bolting is never an issue. If it is, he’s telling you that you’ve got a hole somewhere. You need to go back and figure out where it is.
Have a horsemanship question or looking for more training tips? Check out the No Worries Club.
