Been busy with a temporary job, so just getting to my email and run across three
letter so far of riders having problems with getting their horses to walk during the ride.
All three riders got tired of "fighting" with their horse and would either give up or try
and walk the horse. Two riders blamed their horse and said the horses had all heart
and no brains, (or was that the riders with all heart and no brains). And the third rider,
who was on the right path, had the attitude that it was somthing that she had to learn
and work with.
Like Mary Twelveponies always says, "there are NO problem horses, only problem
riders." These horses need to be taught to stay in the gait they are in not matter what
is going on around them. This all starts with when they are broke to ride. Most people
are in a hurry to break their horses to ride (30 days or less) and do not teach them
disipline on the gaits. I am not going to go into who to do that over the Internet because
of lack of time and space, but if anyone wants to know they can email me.
I did learn a good way to teach a horse to walk that refuses to. I had an Arabian mare
that did fine when I was riding her at home but would prance and jog me around on the trail. When she was walking and would try and go into a faster pace I would pull on the
reins to hold her back and she would fight me. One time she fought me for 30 miles!
Was I tried! Then a trainer told me that when she started to go faster instead of pulling back on the reins to hold her just pull her around in circles and keep her in the circle
untill she will walk then let her walk out again. The circle needs to big enough so that she
can comfortably trot around it but she is not getting any where. The horse will get tired
of going around in circles, especially if it is not getting any closer to the other horses and
will slow down to a walk. Just keep doing this and pretty soon the second you start to
signal the horse to go into the circle she will start to walk. Just don't ever pull back.
Nancy has the right idea with trying to train the horse before trying to win. I would suggest
to her that she does not get off the horse and walk him. This just rewards him. Not only
did she get off his mouth but she got off his back as well! Also I would start his lessons
at home. Ride with some friends and have them ride by you. When your horse starts to
take off just calmly put him into circles. Some horses, who have gotten away with it for alot of years, might take a while to retrain, but the results are worth it. Just don't ever
let the horse break the gait he is in no matter what the circumstances.
I have trained Arabians for years and have purebred Arabians that will stay in the gait
I have them in even if someone comes by them at a full gallop! They never fight me.
Like I said it is all in the training of the horse, not the intelligence of the horse.
Lynette Helgeson
Diamond-H Ranch
North Dakota
I had to stop and reply to these people and