How do I teach my english-trained pony how to do western?

Question

He's just a trail-ridden pony so we ride on a small amount of contact anyway. He knows weight, voice and neck-reining aids.

But how do I...

Begin to teach him how to jog and lope?? (Seems like an impossible task)

Make him back up faster?

Turn on his haunches faster?

I love western but I haven't done it before. I am hopefully going to lessons but I'm pretty sure you need at least a semi-trained western horse! Haha! So any step-by-step tips or a 'Teaching-a-horse-Western guide for idiots' would be awesome.

Thanks!

Answer 1

you could try the internet or western riding books if you have a riding stable near by you could see if the teacher their could hlep you or some one who rides western

Answer 2

If he truly knows neck reining then the hardest part of the job is done. You can use any book geared to finishing a western pleasure horse for the jog, lope and backing.  Turns on the haunches can be found in books/videos on training of reining horses. Check the internet by specifically requesting books on these subjects...you might get a deal.

Answer 3

No you don';t need a semi trained horse to do western. I had an insident when I couldn't ride my western appy, so the only otehr horse i had was my 13.2 Riding pony x, I saddled her up at teh show, no prep, and she won her classess. The judge lover her, and commented on how she wasn't sure how she would go buyt she was excellent. Quite a picture, a 13.2. mare up against 15 hand appys and Qh. But she was great.

Anyway, getting ahead of myself. A jog is simple when you can do a collected trot. Sit deep and push your legs forward, check your horse back, just like as if you were jumping (half halt), gradually you will feel him slow, after a while, you will feel the slow pace and then reward. Not too slow as this isn't desirable in western.

Lope, exactly the same. But at canter.

The key is the head carrage. When riding, lift teh reins as though you were lifting the shoulders. when the horse pulls them down then lessen teh pressure and continue, each time teh horse puts its head up, bring up reins again. It will hurt after a while for your horse, because the neck muscles are not used to the flat neck.

Backing faster, not so necessary with western, just a proper backing, clear and no pulling at teh mouth, speed will come with practice, legs slightly forward, slight pull on rein, and back as normal. pull your rein in towards and then up. Not towards your sholder.

Hanch turns, practice, practice practice. Practice using your legs to turn on fore and back hand. I use this image to help me when training young horses. Open the gate, push teh gate. You can't go through unless its opened, and to go through you need to open and then push it.

To turn right on the haunches. Press your left leg, open teh right leg, about 2 to 3 inches off side. The horse will side pass, now using your right leg, push it slightly back behind teh girth, this helps to turn teh horse. Your hands should be still, and be slightly over to the direction you want the head or back end to go depending on hind or fore turn.

I hope this helps, I have written a personal book on this for my own students. If you need any more help, just email me and i can try to explain it. English trained horses are faster at learning western than the other way around. An english horse easily go slower, but its often hard to get s slow horse to go faster.

Good luck and remmeber to give me a buzz if you need more help