Theosmom wrote:
haha yah, I am a confident rider I have taken lessons for years and now I teach lessons during the summer at a camp up north and I lead trail rides for guests blah blah blah... This is my first time owning my own horse though. After the fence incident a few weeks ago I started treating him like I would if I was starting a colt. Back to the round penning, lunging and respect gaining. I don't want to use a harsher bit because I don't want to mask the problem but I do know his previous owner used a curb. I guess I just need some good ways of getting his attention...

I also own a bolter, though his is purely spooking related. To me it just sounds like your horse has no respect for you whatsoever. If he is listening to you in one area and not in another, it has nothing to do with spooking, it has to do with the fact that he is choosing to listen to you in the ring, and choosing not to outside of it where he can easily take advantage of you.

My first pony was this way, as well as several other horses I have worked with. In my opinion, ground work never helped. Most were perfect gentleman on the ground, but turned into idiots as soon as your ass hit the saddle. The only thing that solved it was riding it out again and again and again. If he doesn't want to walk away from the barn/pasture, first, ask him to. If he pitches a fit and tries to bolt, pulley rein to get him to stop, and work the living hell out of him for about 2 minutes. Trot circles, do sharp turns, back up, etc. Make it very uncomfortable to remain where he wants to be. After you do this, calmly offer for him to walk away, if he acts up again, TELL him to walk away, and if it escalates, again, pulley rein and work the hell out of him before rinsing and repeating. If you aren't comfortable with your ability to stay on through this, have someone else do it. He needs to understand that no matter what he does, he doesn't get to just run off with you. Stopping and putting him in a round pen and working him out in a ring just reinforces that if he doesn't want to hack out, he doesn't have to.