It's definitely a skill that is more scarce than general riding, but there is also a surprising amount of it once you start poking around. That said in my area there is the woman I learned from is only 7 miles away, but she is moving into her therapy stuff over lessons and the next closest is about 20 miles away and has limited openings. Plus I cross over between pleasure and draft/agriculture driving and they are just on the pleasure side.
If necessary you can brace against the front of the cart and really put your whole body into it. Ideally you don't have to get to that point. Most driving bits also have leverage options, but you won't be changing the leverage mid-bolt, obviously, but going into a situation where you aren't sure how your horse might act (hauling to a new place, show, trail, etc) you can drop the reins on the bit and have more leverage without changing the mouthpiece.
That all said many modern vehicles have brakes. Pretty much all four-wheelers and some two-wheeled carts. The brakes aren't going to stop the horse either, but going from pulling 500lbs+ rolling on wheels to it becoming a dead weight that can discourage continued forward motion as well!
Of course the best way to fix bolting is to be really spot on with your training, but things can happen. Today driving Bud around the neighborhood some of my client's neighbors were building a tree house and using an impact drill. As we came by all was silent and then as we came level "Brrrrrkkkkkttttt!" really loud. Bud skittered sideways in a completely honest and understandable spook, but got his head back on after a quarter turn despite the drill still going off and on.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2017-04-22 10:12 pm (UTC)If necessary you can brace against the front of the cart and really put your whole body into it. Ideally you don't have to get to that point. Most driving bits also have leverage options, but you won't be changing the leverage mid-bolt, obviously, but going into a situation where you aren't sure how your horse might act (hauling to a new place, show, trail, etc) you can drop the reins on the bit and have more leverage without changing the mouthpiece.
That all said many modern vehicles have brakes. Pretty much all four-wheelers and some two-wheeled carts. The brakes aren't going to stop the horse either, but going from pulling 500lbs+ rolling on wheels to it becoming a dead weight that can discourage continued forward motion as well!
Of course the best way to fix bolting is to be really spot on with your training, but things can happen. Today driving Bud around the neighborhood some of my client's neighbors were building a tree house and using an impact drill. As we came by all was silent and then as we came level "Brrrrrkkkkkttttt!" really loud. Bud skittered sideways in a completely honest and understandable spook, but got his head back on after a quarter turn despite the drill still going off and on.