How do I get a weanling colt to slow down when free lunging?

Question

I recently started working for a stable that wants me to help train a weanling colt. I have had much previous experience with horses but this is my first true encounter with training a foal. I am supposed to be free lunging this colt in a round pen trotting with as little cantering as possible so as to not overstress his joints. However, as soon as he gets in the round pen he takes off and gallops around. I try using a nonagressive stance and saying easy/whoa but he doesn't seem to mind. Once I am able to get him trotting he will only trot about halfway around the pen before breaking into a canter again.

How am I supposed to get this colt to slow down??

Answer 1

why would you even think of free lunging your colt if it is a weanling it is why to young.  

Answer 2

For starters you should put him back online. Use online to teach and liberty to test. Second include many changes of direction, this gets a horse thinking and focused on what your asking. Also match the horses energy, the worst thing you can do with a horse is try and  stop it from exploding. Horses don't care how much you know till they know how much you care.

Answer 3

Since he is probably to young to put on a line what i would do is teach him a command to slow down. this is what i do for my mare when i free lung and she decides to be a pill and wont listen to my voice command and i dont have a line.

What i do is i stick my opposite arm out (if the horse is going left, the right arm) and i half way cut her of until is gets down to the gait i want her at and i use my voice also to tell her the gait i want her to be at, then i retreat to the middle of the round pin. after awhile she gets the idea and i can just use voice commands. be careful not to over do it and make him reverse though.

I would say use a line and give him little tugs until he is at the gait you are telling him to be at but since he is still fairly small and weak you dont want to risk throwing him off balance and such.