My paint horse?

Question

So yesterday i decided to lease a all black paint. she is a great horse but the problem is that she was a cart horse for the amish so when ever she would canter they would punish her. So now she won't canter. i have seen her do it once but only for a short burst. because she thinks she is doing something wrong.The owner of thunder (the horse) said she has come a long way because when she first got thunder you couldn't even touch her face. but now she loves all the attetion. so all i want to know is how to train and teach her that it is ok to canter.

Answer 1

I would start working her on the lunge line. First teach her voice commands at the walk, trot, and halt. remember that its about the tone of voice not what you say. for an upward transition use a click and a short quick "walk" or "trot". for a downward transition make the word longer and lower like "waaalk". once she's gotten the concept of the voice commands start introducing the canter cue. use a click or two and give a quick "canter" cue. you can also use a lunge whip to help encourage her into it. reward any kind of forward movement even if it is just a faster trot.

once she does finally break into the canter reward her immediately with praise and allowing her to stop. don't push it the first time. if does good let her stop and try it again the next day. once she learns that cantering is ok and the voice commands for it, you can start trying it under saddle. the voice commands will help a lot so all you'll have to do is give the voice commands at the same time as your leg commands. it may take a few tries but your horse should pick it up pretty quickly. good luck

Answer 2

You'll have to work with her.

No offense, but of all horses, why would you choose a horse previously owned by the amish?

When you're riding her, I would ride her on a loose rein. Encourage her to canter and when she takes one or two strides, praise and reward her with your VOICE.

When she hears that you're happy, maybe she will think that its a good thing.

I don't really know, sounds like a tough situation. But anyways, good luck!

Answer 3

give her lots of love.

Try putting her on the lead and running with her for a short time then praise her and give her treats.

im not to sure about that.

My horse loves to canter so i have never delt with it.

good luck!

She sounds like a lovable horse!

Answer 4

When riding a horse and asking it to move to the next step of your riding pattern(whether it be jumping, cantering, or whatever), the horse must be mentally ready.  You are leasing a horse that comes with some baggage and before you move to the next step you need to lift that baggage.  When you are asking your mare to canter it is obvious that she is having flashbacks to things from her past.  The best way to work with her is to start from the ground and work your way up.  Consider some natural horsemanship, this will strengthen your bond with the mare and help her learn to trust you.  Make sure when you ride her that you give plenty of praise and don't make a big issue out of things she does wrong.  Before you start to canter you need to make sure that she is ready to handle it, prepare in all ways you can and when she seems like she is extremely prepped at the walk and trot then prepare her for the canter.  Act like you are training a green horse who knows absolutely nothing about cantering, because virtually she doesn't.  Go from there.  Teach her by asking her in the corners, dramatizing your aids, etc.  Good luck with her.

Answer 5

Yeah when she canters even when she breacks praise her like she just one a race. maybe just hop right off give her a pat and loosen her girth. its going to take a lot of time.

i hope this helps

Answer 6

Yea, i agree with many of the other answers, even if she only canters for one stride or a half of a stride, as long as you feel the  canter, reward her immediately, even the littlest canter, you have to teach her that it is not only ok to canter but that it is good.

Answer 7

praise every little effort. If she canters even if its the shortest canter praise her and build up from there.

Answer 8

all the other answers are good, but i would add that you should get her to do a VERY extended trot before you ask for the canter (its easier for a horse to canter that to do such an extended trot... so this should encourage her to pick up the canter) then praise right away

Answer 9

You should try an extended trot and pretty soon you will be cantering all over the place! But don't forget to encourage her alot! Give her lots of love and soon she will do anything for you!

Answer 10

Okay, first what you need to do is get her to trust you. If she doesn't trust you, you will never reach that goal. To get her to trust you, follow these steps...

1. Put her on a lead and make her follow you. Remember, if you let her go infront, that won't do you, or your horse any good.

2. Over a period of time, get her to come with you without a lead.

3. Still over a period of time, get her to stop when you stop walking. Don't be cruel, be diciplined with her!

4. Mount her, and take her in a walk, each day go a little faster...(Walk, extended walk, trot, extended trot etc)

5. YOU MUST BE DISIPLINED WITH HER! DONT LET HER GO INTO CORNERS, OR GO SLOW. MAKE HER GO THE SPEED TO WANT HER TO!!!

I hope this helps!

P.S. Treats will help her understand, or perhaps a word to calm her if she gets skiddish, like woah!

Answer 11

maybe try her favorite treat as positive reinforcement

Answer 12

Work through all problems you encounter with her with care and compassion.  

Start slowly asking only for small amounts of whatever the problem is.  If a horse is afraid to let you touch their ears, it's likely they've been mishandled before.  You just approach her ear area slowly, retreating when she acts like she's afraid and talk quietly to her.  Not doing too much in a day but waiting until the next and trying again.

The horse should be worked with until you get her acting as you wish at the walk.  Keep things new and changing - do not ever ask her to do something over and over and over again - that's not fun for her, that's work.

Move to the trot next, her starting and stopping at the trot should be what you desire it to be and she should be readily controllable at both the walk and trot.  when these gaits are covered and well controlled with her in a happy mood, ask for the Canter.  When she starts to canter, allow her to do this for a few steps and slowly ask her to stop completely and praise her.

The horse's reward is stopping whatever you are doing.  when she does what you want her to do, immediately stop requesting anything, drop the reins to neutral, and pet and talk soothingly to her.  give her a minute and then decide whether to move to something else or not.

You should not ask her to canter, canter a short ways, then stop for praise and rest, then ask for a further canter, stop for rest and praise, then ask again for a longer canter.  This will become work.

The first day ask for the canter and allow her to go as far as she desires at the canter - if you must "push" her to keep going, only go a short distance THEN stop and rest and praise her and move on to someting else fun for her.

Horses think on what's happened before later on - many times I've worked and worked to get mine to perform a movement then come back the next day and she responds more quickly to what I ask her the next time - not as if today she doesn't get it and tomorrow she's perfect, it takes small steps.  

If you go about it this way, you'll be amazed at the progress she'll make.  You will be telling her you wish a certain action, rewarding her when she does that action, then allowing her the time to think about it.

A main thing to remember is to end on a good note - when asking for something new that's difficult to make happen, start with a small request and go back and do something you know she does well.  If you request and have to fight to get something to happen, the only thing that will happen is you'll both get frustrated - both will view the session as a failure and bad work which won't teach the horse you can have fun together.

Also remember that if this horse has always been an Amish cart horse, she likely hasn't developed the balance to canter well or in a collected fashion as you may think she has.  Just as a young horse hasn't got the knowledge about how to carry a rider into and through a canter, this mare may not have that knowledge or ability as well.  My young mares are not accustomed to "cantering" while carrying me.  They can run around the pasture and play tag all day, but get on and they don't seem to know how to use the same gaits.  They don't know how to collect, which is a component of cantering - they only know how to all out run, so you must teach them the collection required for a good canter.  It might take allowing her space to run to teach her the gait, then work on slowing the gate down to a nice, collected canter.

Good luck!