RC: Slowing down canter...help!

[Rides 2 Far <rides2far@juno.com>]

>My horse is a mad man > in the
> ring. He seems perfectly normal at the walk/trot, but when you ask >
him to> canter, whoosh, he's off.. He just wont slow down. 

Hey Kelly,
Your horse sounds like the one I started endurance on.  I'm no great
trainer when it comes to changing behavior, but I'm pretty good at
working around it. >g<  The key to my horse was to never canter.  He
would hold a nice trot for me, but he only ran away and got stupid at a
canter.  He was an absolute nut for 9 years, but then when I started
training him really regularly for endurance he *finally* settled down and
was wonderful (I could even canter)  That was the good news.  He was
perfectly sane while he was in very regular training (I was young and
riding him 5 days a week).  The bad news was that when I quit doing
endurance with him he got stupid again.  

I do not recommend "running it out of him" to settle him down.  They just
keep getting stronger and it takes longer every time. It's too exciting
and somehow seems to just build on itself and make them get worse and
worse.   I have far more success with boring it out of them.  Just be
boring.  Don't do anything exciting like racing.  Just stop, start, turn,
walk, trot up loooong hills, and then do it again.  Go for a picnic. Tie
him up for an hour or so and go in the house (or at least watch from a
place where he can't see you).  Stop and let him eat for awhile (took my
horse forever to chill out enough to eat).  I know it seems like a hyped
up horse would do well at endurance, but actually those are the ones who
are way too willing to hurt themselves and will do it with little or no
encouragement on your part.  There are lots of endurance riders down in
your area, and the GERA is very big on recruiting.  I am forwarding your
post to Ann Cofield, the nicest lady in the world who has recruited lots
of endurance riders in that area.  Maybe she can hook you up with someone
who can give you some guidance.  Good luck!!!!  (It really is a blast!)

P.S. Are you anywhere near Dawson Forest?  Where's Gwinnett Co. in
relation to Atlanta?

Angie McGhee
Wildwood, GA (near Chattanooga, TN)

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