How can i get my horse to slow down but have speed when asked?

Question

i have been training him in barrels and poles and he's doing really good cause he LOVES to go fast. but the problem is, when i am just riding around i have to be constantly in his mouth to keep him in a walk, trot or lope. he is overly responsive to leg and verbal cues and he bolts when going into a lope.

please help!

Answer 1

what you need to do is NOT stop the speed events like these guys keep saying...get into an arena with no other horses, people or object and make him walk, trot and lope everywhere, at the trot make him stay there and let him go where ever he pleases as long as he stays at the trot, see when he relizes this he thinks oh all i need to do is trot and i can go anywhere i want, do that with the lope and fast lope as well, it may take a week or more but it works.

Answer 2

you don't need to trail ride him if you want a barrel racer, i have my horse that runs barrels one that runs poles and then a trial horse. a barrel horse is is meant to run for the fastest time not to walk in the woods

Answer 3

The answer is likely in him not understanding what you ask.

When I was a younger kid and teenager, going fast all the time was fun.  I did not realize then that my body posture played a big role in what my horse was "hearing" me communicate to him.  I had the same issues back then.

You must first focus on what means you use to tell him to move out and go faster - usually your spine is tall and stiff, your legs in pressure with his sides and your hands forward.  If, at any point in time you are telling him one thing with your body and another iwth your hands, he cannot hope to understand what you are asking him.  So first, concentrate on all parts of your body when you are asking him to go vs. when you are asking him to ride casually.

When riding casually, your spine perhaps shouldn't be so stiff and maybe your legs are off him all together.

Let's say now your cues, body language and all are perfect - hands, feet, body are all telling him either "go slow" or "go faster" and he won't slow down.  while concentrating well on your body still, when he's jogging and pulling to go, his choices should be "do what I want" or "work".  Work may be in the forms of turning circles or figure 8's.  Let's say you're walking down the trail or around the field and he's jiggin and joggin and pullin on you - simply rein him around in a few circles until he clams down and walks out - he'll start off slowly, then when he picks up again, turn some more.  Concentrate 100% on the cues you're giving him, don't tense up when he's jiggin - stay calm, don't tense up when you're circling, stay calm.  This will take a few sessions but after a while he'll catch on.  when he's walking at the pace you desire, you should have the pressure off his mouth and low physical body energy.

Trainers will teach you to ride your horse, not sit there - if you're walking, you should be moving your pelvic area with your horse about at the rate you wish the speed to be, as you increase the gait to a trot, your body should be moving about as fast as you wish the horse to go and so on.  Then, when you stop moving your body, bringing your energy down, that's telling him you want his energy down too.

One more important thing - when he does what you request, stop and let him rest.   Start out with him jiggin - turn circles until he calms and walks at the pace you wish - when he walks maybe ten steps at the pace you desire, stop immediately and praise him - this is the reward that will reinforce and tell him what you want him to do.

Whenever a horse is NOT doing what you want it to, think about what you did in the 5 seconds before he did what he did and how that might have been perceived by him.  I have this filly see, and after I've taken a few forkfuls of doo out of her stall going back and forth with her in it, she starts really getting in my way and trying to push me around.  This is because she doesn't understand that I'm cleaning her stall.  She sees me go in, she comes in and I go out.  Hmmm, I must be backing off from her Dominance - back in I go and she after me, maybe she steps a step closer or flips her ears just so and I leave again - hmm, that got me to back off too.  Before long she thinks she's chasing me out of the stall successfully.  She's not playing with me as friends watching all this think, she's going through a domiance exercise to establish who's the leader of our herd of two.  When she thinks she is, I'm in trouble.

So - you much teach your horse what you want him to do by rewarding what he does as immediately as possible when he's done it right so he gets the point and connects your body cues in the last 5 seconds with the praise.

You also might consider a change of headgear - use a certain headstall and bit when you're going barrel racing or contesting - switch to a different bit and headstall of a different design for trail riding.  This has helped me in the past as well.

good luck!

Answer 4

Some horses don't adapt well to both barrel racing and pleasure riding.  Try riding off of your seat bones only.  To slow him, sit deep, as though you're trying to sit right down through him onto the ground, and lean your weight backward against his forward movement.  He will be forced to slow down if you do this.  If you are on his mouth a lot, he is resisting the bit and the more you pull, the faster he'll go....like a racehorse.  Loosen your reins, and use your seat...he should relax and slow down.

Answer 5

My friend has the same problem with her horse. what she did was used a different bit for each. so when you want him to pay attention and go the right speeds use an attention getting bit one that makes him listen. then for just horse play use one that still works but let him have freedom in the bit.  also if you have spurs use them but dont. so when you are wanting him to pay attention just where your spurs but only let him know that you have them so he knows that you can use them if you need to. This should work but it will take time and you will have to stick with it.

Answer 6

He's doing what you trained him to do.  You might be able to counter the negative effects of barrel racing by doing a lot of slow work and staying away from the arena.  

Answer 7

Well he sounds like he has been a little bit over-worked on the speed events...it happens to even the best barrel racers...I'd say you need to trail ride the heck outta him...to let him relax himself...you dont want to force him to walk or slow down, it will make things worse & he will just tense up more.  Getting him calmed down will take a while, but it will be worth it in the long run. Also when you do get him back into poles & barrels, make sure to trail ride often and alternate your training... ie: 1 night of barrels, 1 trail ride, 1 pleasure & patterns (like horsemanship), 1 poles, 1 trail ride etc....dont keep asking for speed...sounds like hes got it..

For our guys, once they have the pattern down, we just trail ride them or work on the elements of the run sich as pivots, small circles, serpentines, lead changes etc.  most of this we do at a jog or a slow lope...we never gallop at home...we save that for the show ring....we do a refresher course for a couple weeks to get them in shape in the Spring (we only have an outdoor arena & typically get 5-6 feet of snow in the winter...so no practice happens then..) and then just trail ride & work on the components of the run when needed...

Our barrel horses are also our trail horses...it makes for a long lasting & safe career .

Good Luck