Conference noted::equitation

    Make sure you have plenty of room when you turn. It is very easy
    to make them fall over by only turning their heads slightly. I used
    to ride a lot of unrully horses for people when I was a kid and a lot
    of them were bolters. If you're on tar you'll go over really easy.
    The easiest thing is to stop them before they even get started, at
    that first lunge, you turn their head. If they've got speed and they're
    in a panic they don't usually hear or feel anything you do. You
    sometimes have to just ride it out like you did. You can guide them 
    fairly easily, try getting them into a field to circle. Try to get 
    them off the tar.  
       Alternate reins, jerking left then right, won't throw them
    off balance enough to fall so it's a fairly safe one to get their
    attention. Never just haul back and keep pulling in rein. It won't
    really do anything and you'll end up pulling yourself out of the
    saddle in your panic. You can also jerk both reins at the same time.
       It's a really scary thing to be in that situation but I've only
    been on one bolter that ran blindly. They usually keep their eyes
    open and I think you'd be hurt a lot more by bailing out then sticking
    with them. They wind down eventually and start listening, and you
    get a few gray hairs.
    
    Sharon               

    My Standardbred mare can get *real* strong and attempts to bolt off
    occasionally. I stop her by bracing one hand against her neck and
    pulling back and over the withers with the other. I believe it's
    called a pulley rein?, and it seems to be pretty effective. Also,
    sit as back and as deep as you possibly can, leaning forward at all
    will only encourage them. Another trick I use to discourage it is
    riding with my reins in a bridge....the excess of the left rein in
    my right hand with the right rein, so that when she begins to pull
    the crossing rein goes down against the base of her neck and she's
    pulling against herself....
    

    
    	I agree with what others have said. 1] know your horse well
    	enough to be able to anticipate, 2] try a circle, 3] saw the
    	reins back and forth. I've only had two occasions to do this
    	with my horse (both times dirt bikes screaming around a 
    	corner and not seeing us), and I was able to control him by
    	whipping him around 360 degrees. He seems to feel like his 
    	effort has been defeated, and `where was it I was going??'...
    	He didn't bolt, but he wanted to until I distracted him.
    

	I must admit I didn't try bridging the reins (amazing what you
	forget when you need your memory most!), if there's a repeat
	incident I'll give it a try, likewise the "pulley rein" idea;
	I didn't try sawing either, as I recently read a book (called
	"The undisciplined horse" by Ulrich Schramm, anyone read it?)
	which suggested sawing actually worsened the situation by giving
	the horse even more to worry about... turning seems to be the
	most reliable method looking at the replies, must remember to
	turn him on his soft side next time!

	Thanks for all the hints,

	Jonathan.

    We had the same experience New Year's Eve Day.  My brother 
    was visiting me from Calif, he used to live in Arizona and
    owned a horse at that time.  So my husband and I decided to 
    let him ride one of our horses, the horse he was on is a 
    trained reining horse.  So here we are walking down the driveway
    the three of us and my brother and the horse he was on kept 
    trotting forward, we told him to pull back and if he did not
    respond to turn his head toward his knee, before he even had
    time to do this they bolted into a full gallop across the street
    into our neighbor's driveway heading toward the garage doors,
    my brother managed to turn him onto the lawn then turned back toward
    the driveway slipping on the tar, mind you this horse has slide
    plates on.....then they proceeded back into the street a car was coming
    missed them both by inches...I thought they would both be dead.
    I kept on screaming to him to sit back and pull him around, finally
    the horse stopped dead in his tracks in another neighbors driveway.
    He managed to stay on the horse, how I don't know, but somtimes I
    don't think anything in the world can stop the horse unless he
    wants to...  An experience I never want to witness again....

    I was going to suggest the "pulley rein".  It is very effective and
    good for emergencies - ie after the circles or if there is nowhere to
    circle.  Just remember to lean back and not tip forward else .... well
    you know....
    
    

    Another word of caution on the pulley rein....be very careful 
    using this technique in the cold weather.  I used the pulley rein
    to stop my horse when he bolted on a cold day, and we stopped on 
    a patch of *very* frozen ground; he slipped and fell over on top
    of me.  Fortunately, he was unhurt and I only sprained my ankle,
    but I shudder to think how much damage we could have done.  He
    had spiked shoes and the footing was generally pretty good, we just
    hit a bad spot at the wrong time.  If I ever run into the problem
    again,  I'll try sawing instead to slow down instead of trying to 
    halt.

    
    
    When I first had my horse we were going down a bridleway with
    tress and bushes on either side, it was about 3-4 feet wide.
    Suddenly through the bushes she saw some people wearing flourescent
    coats and before I knew what was happening had spun round and
    bolted back the way we came. I tried leaning back but had to keep
    leaning forward and ducking overhanging branches, which caused
    her to go even faster. It was a nightmare! We went about 2 miles
    before we came out into the open and I managed to stop her. I can
    still see those branches rushing towards me! I was totally
    powerless, not a nice feeling.  Since then we have got to know each 
    other a lot better and on the rare occasion when she has been 
    spooked enought to bolt I have felt it in time to do something 
    before she took off. 
    
    I agree that drastic turns are probably dangerous, leaning back
    and pushing down does change the centre of gravity and seems
    effective. Another time we went a few paces and I managed to steer
    her towards the bank which distracted her enough to get me back in
    control, that too could be dangerous but as we were on a road at
    the time I felt it was my only choice.
    
    I know I can stop my horse, she is not too strong for me. I would
    think if you were riding a big animal and you didn't have strength
    to match you'd be in trouble. In that case I think I would take
    the advice of an earlier noter and bail out! Practice those
    emergency dismounts!

    Hi, Jonathan.  Sorry to hear about your accident!  It's really
    frightening when something like that happens, isn't it?  Many years
    ago, my appaloosa did a similar thing to me, except it was down a 
    winding trail...the only way I got him to stop was to put my weight
    in my stirrups and saw on the bit, leaning back while I pulled.  
    I hated to have to do it, but it was either that or have us break 
    our necks.  He never bolted again...but I can't say it was because 
    of the pain he felt from the sawing on the bit or because he never 
    got scared on the trail again.  Either way, we had success.  (I hope 
    you never have to use this piece of advice!)
    
    Happy riding!  Laurel.