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[RC] Training the Hot Horse - Peggy B-SmithI have a mare that was off the track. Raced for 2 years, very successfully before I got her. Taking her out on a training or trail ride was an adventure! She jigged, jumped, bucked and constantly chomped on her bit, wanting to go fast.
The first thing I did was to replace the bit with a little S hackamore. She was much more relaxed. The next thing I did was long rides. Mostly walking, then some trotting. When she started jigging and jumping and wanting to go fast, I just calmly turned her away from home. She would have the most surprised _expression_ - like, we're going the wrong way! Just kept doing this - it would turn 2 hour rides into 3 hour rides sometimes, but it worked. She finally got the idea. That, and lots of riding. At first she couldn't ride with another horse without wanting to get in front and go, so I just rode by myself.
All this slow work has not taken the go out of this mare - at a ride she has all the go I would ever want and more! But now I can go on an occasional slow trail ride with friends, ride in front, ride drag and she is just great. The only thing she has done when riding drag is to bite the horse in front when it was going way too slow! Other than that, she is wonderful!
After getting this horse, I found I had way more patience than I ever thought I had! But she has really been worth it. We did our first multi-day at Cuyama and she was fantastic. She is still really competitive, but very controllable, the perfect combination, I think!
Peggy Bergman-Smith
Bear Valley Springs, CA
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