Horse Rolls!

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Felix2

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Nov 30, 2006
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Hi!

Can anyone help? Any suggestions how to stop a horse rolling when he has a rider.

I am just about to pick out the horses that we use for basic trail and ring work at a summer camp. We like to get the same horses every year so we know their personalites. Our horses then have 9 months off the rest of the year when we are not using them. My only problem is that last year one of the ponys started to get into the habit of trying to roll whilst he had a rider. He attempted this several times. He only does it in the school where it's nice and sandy and when he gets a bit hot but nonetheless it's dangerous! He won't do it when I walk next to him but I am unable to do this all the time. If its too hot, we don't ride the horses but obviously in the summer the overall temp is warm, and I don't completely trust him. It would be such a shame not to use him this summer as in every other way he is reliable and gentle but obviously I cannot risk the safety of campers if his behaviour cannot be rectified. Can anyone help?
 
no clue on what you could do but i would seriuosly find a different horse or get that horse checked. It could be a saddle fitting issue as when you are on him it is more weight which could cause him pain if the saddle doesn't fit because like you said once your off he doesn't try and roll.

i know my horse likes to roll after a good workout but not when there is anything on her back (well unless its winter then she rolls in her sheet). and if its not medical/saddle fitting issue he needs some training of some sort. i would not be using him as summer camp horse until thats delt with.:eek: DANGEROUS:eek:
 
It sounds horrible, but one way I know that people stop this behaviour is to sit on the horse while they are down. Horses generally don't like to lie down around people because they feel vunerable. If you lie across him when he is on the ground and prevent him from getting up then he will be unlikely to try it again.
 
my horse used to do this and i can tell you its horrible!! everyone tells you to sit and trust that the horse wont roll with you on their back....however i always jumped off. :)
do the horse roll for the sake of it or for a reason? molly rolled because she was allergic to the numnah i used, simple but all she needed was a decent bath and a new number!
she did try it a few times after, with a much more daring rider on her and as soon as she went down onto her knees she got hit very hard and her head pulled round so she fell over, it looked horrible and im not quite sure what it did but she hasnt rolled in 5 years!
hope it gets sorted :D
 
Some horses try to roll when they get sweaty and come to a sandy ground or sometimes even water. I have had a horse who liked to roll even with a rider if possible. I never dared to stay on as he would have just rolled over me, he didn't seem to be bothered about whether I was on him or not. Only way I could stop him from doing it was to be prepared and lift & pull from the reins, kick his flanks and scream at him and if possible smack with a whip. He usually tried to get on his knees couple of times but if you managed to get him to hop back up he usually stopped and didn't try it for the rest of time a rider was on him.

Nina x
 
This pony sounds like a serious liability for your camp, and to be honest I wouldn't use it with inexperienced riders. That's a lawsuit waiting to happen!! Even if you somehow manage to break the habit, the chance will always exist that the pony will try it again, and that could hurt a child.

That being said, sometimes horses will develop a rolling problem when they are being bothered or in pain in some way from riding. It's worth getting checked out.

No offense, but I don't know about that whole "horses don't like to lie down with people around" thing (seriously, I don't mean any personal offense, I just strongly disagree), because I know from experience that horses WILL lie down around people, and even remain lying down when a stranger walks into their stall. I'm sure some horses don't like it, but I wouldn't say MOST (non wild, anyways) horses don't like it. And I DEFINITELY wouldn't lay across a horse that is trying to roll... that's downright dangerous. And it's ludacris to think a human laying on a 1000lbs animal could actually prevent it from getting up if it really wanted to, unless the horse was in some was restrained (ie, tied up or drugged).
 
Im with cabbit. Alex stays lying with me resting on him, and we have alone time lol.
TBH hes never rolled with me on, but one day he did try with his tack on :S
But that was a one off and i realised he had a fly bite...which came up because of the saddle being ontop and heat etc. So i would definatly get the horse/tack checked, and not use this horse until you are 100% sure hes safe!
 
My mum used to ride a pony that would roll in puddles...
And I have seen many a pony that will roll in a stream on a hot day, you just have to push them forwards, to be honest I think this horse needs someone to work with it full time and not just be used for 3 months in the hot summer.

Do you do any fitness training with the horses before they go into camp work?
 
Felix2 has asked about a pony and thats what I replied to. Its very easy to keep a pony from getting up.

I also didn't suggest you stay on a horse that is trying to roll. I said 'when he is on the ground'
A full grown horse maybe not, but something 14h or under is very easy to keep on the ground and I've seen it done.

I also didn't say horses never lie down in front of people, they do, mine does. AS do most privately owned horses that are familiar with their owners. And horses who are stabled and comfortable with their surroundings do of course! If they didn't, they couldn't sleep!

In general though, I find most horses, espiecially ones that would be turned away for 3/4 of the year aren't just going to lie down in front of people. Horses lying down in a field if approached by strangers usually get up.
They are not 'wild' no, but they still have 'wild instinct' and lying down is a very vunerable position for them.
 
We used to hack out in the New Forest and several ponies would try to roll if we rode through a shallow stream in summer (at the Balmer Lawn, Brockenhurst).

As they started to drop their knees, we'd egg them on asap, kicking, to speed them out the other side. If they did go down, it was a rapid dismount job then dragging them out before the saddle got ruined!
 
I have a pony that rolls in water with me on him. He's only done it twice, but I was quick to learn and haven't taken him through water since! He's not stupid though, he won't roll if the water has a stony bottom though, he rolled at the beach and in a huge puddle. I went to a xc with a water jump and I just growled at him and kept kicking as he tried to grind to a halt and roll and luckily I was out before he slowed enough to start to buckle! Not ideal if they're being led though! Without a rider, Chex rolls in the sand school all the time, usually on the lunge, or if left not being held (as I found out at the the expense of my saddle...).
 
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