How do you make a slow horse go fast?

Question

I started riding at a new riding school recently, and i fell in love with this Cremello called Bailey. I went on a beach ride, but Bailey was practically sleeping! I didn't have a crop, and i looked totally stupid trying to get the horse in just a little canter. I really want to ride bailey, because the instructor said, when Bailey isn't half asleep, he's a very fast horse(I'm used to fast horses!), and i'm wanting to enter showjumping and cross country. So my question is... How do you make a slow horse go fast????

Answer 1

Consistancy is key.  Keep at him until he does what you want and remember to praise him when he does.  It sounds like he's kind of lazy.  Work with your tainer to find out what you may need to prep before you get on him.  It could be anything from he's unsure to his surroundings or it could be him being tired from giving lessons all day.  It's hard to say when you're asking through here, your trainer will have the best knowledge to personally help you.

Answer 2

Use your aids, both natural and artificial.  Strong legs, and a crop, and maybe even a tomb thumb spur. But first you should try a strong steady leg, not necessarily kicking.  Then after that try the crop, then the spurs.  

Answer 3

Spurs usually do the trick, though i would not suggest harsh western spurs. Just use the little nubs and a crop. But if he is a fast horses usually, it sounds like he is taking advantage of you. WHo cares if you look stupid? KIck him as much as you need to to get him going to his regular pace and don't let him go any slower!

Answer 4

Don't nag, the horse will become resistant to your leg if you do. Keep your leg on for a few strides, then keep your legs really still. If she starts to slow down, put your legs on her again. If that doesn't work, give her a kick, then keep your legs still

Answer 5

Get a stick, just long enough for you to hold it and to reach past Bailey's head. Tie a string at one end about 18" long and tie a carrot at the end. Get on Bailey and holding the stick with the carrot in front of him, cluck to him and squeeze with your legs with a little kick. He should want to go fast to get the carrot!!!

Just kidding, I did this once to my "Pokey Pony". She was a fat little bay pony that wouldn't go faster than ssslllooowww.

Impulsion is hard to teach a horse. I'd ride him somewhere out in the open and just run. Make sure they area is safe & free of anything he can trip or stumble on and wear a hard hat. You can cluck and kiss a little and sit forward and run and run until he gets the jist of it that he can go fast, and enjoy. You shouldnt' even have to squeeze. He should automatically go fast once he realizes he's out in the open and there's no turns or walls in the way.

Once he learns to go fast on command and when asked, he will speed up gradually over time.  

Answer 6

He isn't slow, he just has you figured out.  Ask your instructor how to collect him, how to get his attention on you, I can tell you, but she knows the horse and could show you what she means...you just don't have his attention nor is he collected and ready to do what you want him to do when you want him to do it...looks like you have a winner there, hang on to him and learn how to get him to do what you want...it really isn't that big of a problem, carry a crop and ask your instructor how you put him in gear.

Answer 7

Well you have already said that he's NOT a slow horse so there must be some sort of a communication issue here.I think taking a crop ( or better still a schooling or dressage whip) is a very good idea.

If you've only ridden this horse the once then I'd suggest you take the chance to watch someone else ride him and see how they motivate him. Talk to the instructor - maybe there is a "trick" to this horse and you just need to find it.

Answer 8

How do you make a slow horse go fast???? Now there is a question racehorse trainers have been struggling with for an eternity. Some horses have rear engine impulsion that just won't quit while others are just relaxed, laid-back, and will ignore you altogether, not at all bothered by heels poked into their side. I suggest you just let the laid-back lazy horse be just what it is and move on to a horse with the energy and impulsion you want. A lot of people can appreciate a calm laid-back ride. Quite frankly, I think slowing down a fast horse is much less a challenge than speeding up a slow horse but if you overcome that challenge I am sure you will have racehorse trainers beating a path to your door for instruction. I wish you good luck with the challenge at hand but I think you will have more success at slowing a fast horse down.

Answer 9

well typically enegry levels are determined by the type of training and diet program they r on so he must not be on the right 1 if he is too slow...but since hes a school horse and u have no control over that then do lots of transistions and start out at a very fast walk with little bumps of ur leg but no in any particualy pattern cuz then he will get dead to ur leg so at randon times squeeze ur leg and getting him going very forward and then wen u trot relax ur body and do lots of walk to trot transistions to get him thinking forward.

and i normally discourage using crops and spurs but since hes not ur's then use a crop if u have too but not spurs.

Answer 10

id suggest using a hand crop for sure and maybe some different feed. usually bermuda is for slower horses and alfalfa is for more energy and maybe some energy supplements. talk to your trainer about it to :)

Answer 11

You can either use a hand crop or some spurs. Spurs are more severe and you have to be very careful when riding with them so you don't hit the horse at the wrong time.  You also have to make sure that the spurs are not too long and are not too severe for your use.

If you want to enter show jumping and eventing you need a very fast horse, so maybe you should switch to another horse.

Answer 12

spurs might help if it takes a long time to get him to go into a canter or such

if i were you, next time you ride him, use a lot of leg. squeeze every couple steps

Answer 13

Bobbi is right, he has you figured out. You need to be more assertive. If the horse isn't going as fast as you like, get after him and MAKE him go faster. When he figures out you mean business, he will get going as fast as you like. But you have to convince him you mean business.

This is best done on the ground first. Take him to a round pen a couple of times and lunge him like there is no tomorrow. I don't mean lunge him for a long time, what I mean is get him to follow your commands. Make him walk, then trot, then walk again, then canter. If he won't canter you get after him and MAKE him canter.

Do the same when riding. So what if you don't have a crop. Use your reins. Something I have found works on most horses is taking your reins in one hand like a cowboy and alternately slapping one side and then the other of the neck. Do this rapidly, left-right-left-right doing it firmly as if you had a crop. They usually get the message, and then next time you ask him to canter he will do so on the slightest touch of of your legs.

Final comment: don't worry about how you "look". Most people are afraid of horses, so you don't look stupid riding a horse in a little canter on the beach. And who cares how you look anyway. Worry about yourself and nobody else. Worrying about how you look riding is only going to hamper your abilities.

David

http://gentlenaturalhorseman.blogspot.co...

Answer 14

Use a crop, add some oats to his feed. If you have experience and ONLY if you have experience, you could also use spurs.

Answer 15

Feed him oats. That'll give him a little more pep in his step. Also whip and spurs always do the trick for me.

Answer 16

Don't just keep kicking him, he won't respond to that.  He has obviously tuned you out.  Putting on spurs will just make him more dead sided.  This isn't an issue of more power, it's an issue of respect and attention.

You need to make him pay attention.  With a horse like that I really like to engage his mind by doing lots of transitions, get him really thinking, really having to pay attention because he never knows what's coming next.  Also do lots of circles, serpentines, just constantly change direction to get him thinking.

If you ask him to canter, and he doesn't, bring him back down, make him stop and back up (backing up is hard for horses, they don't like to do it if they don't have to), and then ask him for the canter again.  Pretty soon he'll decide he'd rather canter than back.  It might take a little while to get through to him, so be patient, but it'll be rewarding in the end!

Answer 17

You can use dull spurs.  also if you don't have any crop or spurs. just spank the horse. do something different with your legs. something the horse would not be sure of. just do something like that and keep trying different things.

Answer 18

hmm.. well give it some time to learn the horse and have the horse get used to you.  once in a while it may just be a 'sluggish' day for your horse...

try using a crop or spurs.  keep your cantering/galloping short to begin with, and reward her so that she learns to associate it with a positive thing.

it may be that if she used to be fast people would pull on the reins a lot  to slow her down so now she doesn't go fast in fear of that... make sure you have very light rein contact and it will change on it's own if you ride her often.

although you said you went for a beach ride i don't know if this applies.... but she may be "ring sour" and sick of riding in the same area.  try going to a new area to ride!

ride with some friends, but be careful as your horses might get out of hand as they naturally will want to race... you could also try doing some jumps or something where she HAS to speed up in order to get over the jump.

also ask your instructor what he gets for feed-- he may benefit from more grain which gives them energy.