Update on slowing down canter.

[guest@endurance.net]

Kelly W toast131@yahoo.com
Hi! I had the message a week or so ago asking what would help slow down my
horses canter. Well I've been loungeing (is that how you spell it?) him
about 3 or 4 times a week and just riding around bareback for fun the
other times and now i'm trying to get ready for school and colorguard and
all my fall things so i dont have much time to ride, so i usually just
have enough time to lounge him for about 15 minutes... i did not think it
would start helping this fast, but he has already slowed down a lot, we
still have a long ways to go, but we're much better. I started out just
walking, stopping ,then walk trot stop. And I was surprised at how well
Slim already knew voice commands. I just didnt realize before i guess. Now
we can canter too. The biggest thing left to work on is walking and
trotting just as slow after cantering. He gets too excited and goes a
little faster then before, but atleast he's still listening to me. He's
already getting better with going to a normal trot, but then he just
doesnt want to walk..but we'll get there. Thanks for all the help
everyone! Oh, and I've also started using side-reins, I dont put them very
tight, but just enough to keep his nose out of the clouds, and his neck
and back are already seeming to look better, but it could just be me. I
didnt expect this to work so well, and this fast!! And I know I wont have
much time during the first few weeks of school so we'll probably keep
doing what we're doing for about another month! I'm glad y'all suggessted
this, I cant believe I didnt think of it sooner. I guess hearing it from
other more experienced people just convinced me to do it, and thanks so
much again! Riding Slim is much more enjoyable now, and we're back to
having fun together. I'll tell you how we end up in September!
-Kelly & Slim