How do I get my horse to drop his rear and slide?

Question

Okay well when I purchased my horse he already knew how to do a sliding stop. But, after 4 years of not being able to work with him, or ride him I think he might have forgotten the basic cues you'd give him to have him perform such a task. I know that when you do a gallop, you lean forward and lower your body closer to the horse, and when you ask for a sliding stop, you drop your weight into the saddle, and lean slightly backwards along with applying moderate pressure on the reins. I usually ride with a halter, so do you think the communication between me and my horse might be off?

Also how to I get him to do a sliding stop, because whenever I try he just plain stops and won't drop his rear. He is also very good at switching directions, like if I gallop him straight, slow down quickly, and turn to go in the direction I just came. I was just really wanting to learn how I can help my horse perform this task, and have him know what I'm asking for.

Answer 1

i think yourproblem is the halter riding..a bit clarifies the communication

Answer 2

For mine...pulling on the reins is going to cause the head to go up and they end up stopping on the front instead of dropping the hindquarters.

I do sit deep in the saddle, but I also put my legs forward.  This is dealing with the inertia. [think of an elevator, you get that funny feeling because your body is still going up, but the elevator is stopping.]

Same with stopping...your body weight is still going forward, but you need the legs in front of you to take the force of the forward momentum so you don't end up off balance or leaning over the saddle horn.

Anyways..Once I sit deep and my legs move forward...my horses know the stop is coming.  Your horse needs to get his hindquarters under him.  One way to get this, is to start at a walk...boring I know, but necessary.  Ask him to stop with your body cues.  Most likely you will need to use the reins too at this point.  As soon as the horse is stopped...ask for a back up.  Every single time...every SINGLE TIME.  

The horse will begin to anticipate the back up and get his hindquarters under him.  Once this is going smoothly...move up to a trot.  Do it all over again.  Work back and forth between a walk and a trot until the horse does it every single time.  Don't rush into a lope and have it done wrong.  This makes the training take longer.  

During this slow time...start to rely less and less on the reins stopping the horse.  The horse will learn that when you sit deep and the legs go forward...it's time to come to a stop.  Use the whoa word every time you ask him to stop.  And continue to back him when you stop.

Once the stopping and backing has been mastered...then move up to the lope.  If he does it wrong...go back to the trot and reinforce the stopping and backing.  Then give a few tries at the lope.  Remember to praise when he attempts to do it correctly.  Don't forget the back up.

You should reach a point where just your body language and the word whoa will stop him.  Once all this is going well, then you would learn to urge the horse forward at the same time he is stopping.  This is the sliding stop where the front legs are pedaling forward for a long slide.  That's more complicated and I personally like the way Al Dunning teaches this.

Sorry so long

Answer 3

I like black bunnie's answer.  As one who tried many times with many horses to perfect the sliding stop, and got this far in life without ever having gotten it just right, I think I now see the err of my ways!

Answer 4

Every time you stop lean back and back him up. Every time! He will eventually get in his mind to do this every time you stop, which causes them to slide. That is how I got my horse to do it anyways, hope it helps you.