Runaway Horses: What to do on a Runaway 

Very scary, had that twice. Both ended bad with a fall from me and the horse, both in a turn they could not make so fast, one ended on a slippery bridge, and one time from a road with traffic into a garden bush. Glad to be alive because you feel like you are going to die at that moment. I saw a RU-vid video with a bolting racehorse in the track, hè didnt stop and the jockey, just got up and climb of like a ladder and stepped on the ground in full galop. That was Horsemanship!

Have been on two. One two yo in hackamore ran thru a five strand old barbed wire fence luckily it was old and rotted hit it square and it parted with just a few scratches finally gave out and stopped He never did it again. The other was an older spoilt Morgan managed to survive him too. I work as an outrider now at the racetrack. I have lost count of the runoffs I have seen or had to catch to get them stopped. Your are correct they can’t be stopped by pulling on them.

When I was about six-years old I witnessed what was supposedly a runaway situation - total horror show. Teenage girl was aboard an Appaloosa mare - named Appy. I was watching from about 50 yards away on foot. The mare took off from a trot right into a gallop, girl started screaming. I remember the horse had its nose elevated but not up high - still below its eye level. The mare seemed to make a beeline towards a big tree with a limb and, yep, it ended up being right about at face level for the girl and, wham, off she went in a bloody mess. The horse kept running. Long story short, the girl landed in the hospital with multiple injuries including a fractured neck and the loss of an eye and lots of her teeth. That was the worst of it but not the end of it. Once the smoke cleared that day and the owner of the horse heard the story he calmly walked out and shot the mare in the head. I've seen game animals drop after being shot but seeing that horse drop was something that I will never forget.

I appreciate your honesty. I bet most people appreciate your honesty. It happened to me about 5 years ago and I can't say I have fully recovered. I have a colt that needs to be ridden outside right now but unfortunately I'm still spooked. It really sucks.

Used to have 2 of them. Took the long way classic style, means 2 years. Both have been working with kids later on beautifully. Blessings from Germany

I was on a runway one time the colt that I was on he jumped a five wire bard wire gate

Don't jump ship you will have the best stories to tell.

I have heard that "Never had a horse that can run faster than I can ride" crap so many times. In North Carolina the are trees, fences, roads, hills and hollows, just not enough open area most places to not get you neck broke on a runaway no matter how good of a rider one is. Great video once again! Thank you!!

Awesome! Have never heard or read anyone talking about this. Hope I never have to try it but good to know.

My horse is a bolter when he gets scared and I instinctively never tried to do a one rein stop because I was afraid I would pull him over. Glad to hear I’m right.

I have been on a runaway…rock hard canal ditch road,,water one side, 10 feet down on the other side..my sisters devil horse.. she was mad..not panic on her part…the hackmore bit ( this was 1966 at the time) she had on had Brocken the back chin strap.. no leverage…it is terrifying…we, she went across 6 lines of roadway…I was yelling so loud people stopped..across the road ..was finally a level ground that had broken up land fill.. I finally was able to turn her to that place ( she was probably less mad and tired,) she came to a trot and I got off..walked her home..and me cussing her all the way.. I was probably 13 at the time..

My horse got scared and bolted and was at a full on dead run and couldn't stop him with both reins pulled back hard, so I grabbed the left side of the reins with both hands and pulled back like a gorilla and turned his head till he was looking at me then he finally stopped and gave me a couple of nice tight circles. Very exciting and very scary.

My first job was at the track. An ancient tracker “cully “. Advised me when in the run away. Was to pull hard and release While the pull side fore is off the ground. It worked once. k

Awesome as always. Only ever been in one that I couldn't do anything about. I was 14 riding a young horse first time riding out bareback, just a halter on. 200 yards from the barn he takes a shortcut through a steep ditch. I woke up 2 days later in the hospital, horse was fine. Got back out and rode him the same day, rounded up yearlings. Wasn't his fault

Well that’s some scary shit, hope that never happens to me. Good information always.

Many years ago I had a gelding run through a bosal. Before he could pick up too much speed he bounced off a barbed wire fence. Not a scratch and no damage to the fence.

Good video!! When I was around 16 I was on a youngster that ran away with me. It was the 3rd day of riding him & that’s usually when we would ride them out of the round pin. We had some pasture land about a mile from our place. I was loping circles with this colt in the pasture when something tickled his withers & he took off at dead run heading towards the barn. I tried to pull his head around but he just flexed his head & kept on running straight. The problem was there was a dry creek bed between us & the barn with a pretty steep embankment & we were headed right for it. I didn’t want to bail off because I didn’t know how I would catch this horse by myself. So I stopped pulling on his head & decided I would just go with it and even urged him on, if we survived this colt might learn something and me too lol. Well, he straightened his head out and took a sharp turn right when we got to the embankment. Looking back I probably should’ve jumped off but in the moment my ego got the better of me- I was more frustrated than scared. I thought you hammer head you want to do this let’s go. I don’t know how I’ve lived into my 30’s…

Excellent as always. I am glad you're still alive to give us this advice 😳

It’s pretty easy to claim that “I can ride as fast as he can run” while that motto may be true, i can assure you that you might not be able to ride as long as one can run. I’ve been runnoff with and after about a half miles worth we found a fence about 100yds ahead. I started whooping him in the mouth and about the fourth time he dropped his head and went to bucking. I was then able to get him turned off the fence. He did it again later that same day pushing cattle through the timber. He didn’t get very far that time as his chosen route was through a pretty decent sized slash pile.

Only been in one run away on a mule in the Grand Canyon while packing. I pulled back then left, then right, nothing worked. So I two handed, pulled his head around to the keft, and he stopped. I think a horse would have rolled.

Bret I don’t know if you do this but I like to shed my stirrups on a run away outside, just incase I get cloths lines or we do go ass over teakettle, my hand and ass are the only things keeping me attached to the situation

Its what ever you can do , with a tru one,i had one he was afraid of ropes and would whip around and then just sell out close his eyes and run right into a pipe and sucker rod fence . What i figured out was he needed to go to Mexico for dinner !

The other day I was at the racetrack watching the pacers warm up. I was one that seemed to have problems slowing down and then the horse broke its pace, I was worried for the guy because it is scary enough being on top of a run away but being behind them in those tiny carts is crazy. I saw him doing a lot of pulling but soon you could tell he was wore out. He finally had to give in and let that horse tire its self out. 1/10 do not recommend driving pacing horses.

Round pen and pasture? Same theory?

Best place for a runaway is inside a dogs belly

Just wondering, why couldn't a guy get them moving in progressivly smaller circles until they stop? Given you have enough country.

If on a track leave it til where they usually stop and try there

They can’t run too far without air.

BTW Really appreciate your brand of bs. Good man.