Slow down, horsie! Help!?!?

Question

My mare Millie has a few issues slowing down lately. Especially recently. I normally ride her in a 2 acre pasture out in front of my house but just got permission from my neighbors to ride in the big 7 acre pasture down the road. I went down there today and though it was a lot of fun, she was moving pretty quick. There weren't any big problems, she listened, but she was going WAY too fast when I wanted her to go a little slower. I think she was just excited and happy to be in such a big, open space. I tried pulling back on the reins and squeezing her sides so her strides got shorter to bring her down to a trot, but I didn't try to slow her gallop to a canter that way ... Should I?

Any other ideas on how to slow her down out there is fine. Also, just a note. She was calm. She didn't buck or get too excited, she just seemed to be having a good time. I don't want her to get bored, but is there anyway I can slow her down? Dumb answers will be ignored. Merely a waste of your time. Thanks

Answer 1

first off lunge her to get excess energy out, and make sure shes listening to you.

When she starts going too fast, stop her, back her off a few steps, and then continue with what you were doing.

everytime she starts to go to fast do this again.

switch it up every once in a while and turn around.

this might be kind of hard because your just in a big open space but try.

Soon your horse should be going slower and using her but really well, itll get really big from all the backing and shell look good(:

so two good things come out of this.

Hope This helps!

Answer 2

Try some direction changes, lots of transitions, and patterns when you first get her out there to get her calm and focused on you.  

Once you have her warmed up that way, have fun, and if she starts getting too fast again, work in more directions and patterns.  

Also, be careful about sending conflicting aides.  When you squeeze with your legs, you tell her speed up!  when you pull on her mouth, you tell her slow down!  what's a girl to do?

If you want her to slow down, sit on your pockets.  make your seat nice and deep, and bring down the "energy" in your body.  (you know how when you are riding and encouraging a nice, fast gallop, you move your seat to bring up her life - that's the energy you want to bring down.)

When you pull back on a horse's mouth, and don't get the response you need, you end up having to pull harder and harder and harder.  it teaches the horse to pull agaist you, and he will become heavier on the bit over time.  

To keep the horse light, circle tighter and tighter until you get the speed you are after, then reward the change by releasing the pressure (rein) and allowing her to travel in a straight line.  Repeat as necessary, and don't be offended if it takes a little while.

Pattern ideas can be figure eights, cloverleafes, serpentines, or just circle some trees.  Work in some squares so you have a tighter direction change and don't forget those transitions.  You can't do too many.  Practice until she is nice and light.

Answer 3

If you ride in large pastures, the horse loses the sense of confinement that an arena represents, so you have to teach her that she is still working under you.  I'd segment a small area of the new pasture and work her in it like an arena.  Just do that a few times, then move to another area and do the same.  Until you've pretty much done that all over the area, she will not be able to settle herself down in large spaces.  Don't let her gallop at all until she is listening to your cues and completely responsive every time you ride out there.  When you finally do allow her to gallop, be sure it is never coming back toward home...that can lead to a runaway problem.  good luck...take your time.

Answer 4

I have to agree totally with AKdraft7's answer.  You don't want to punish your horse by constantly pulling on her to slow down.  It is nice to have a horse move out safely.  Circles are the best way to slow your horse down to a controllable speed.  If you are walking and your horse wants to trot, take you horse in circles until she slows down and walks, then move out straight. If she speeds up do the same thing again. By squeezing on her sides and pulling back on the reins you are confusing her and giving her conflicting messages. Do you ride in a snaffle? If so, you need to hold one rein and pull the other to stop.

Answer 5

I would ride her in circles, varying size. They are consistent and after a few times, your horse will go "Ok, I've seen all this scenery a few times, why am I going so fast to get back around to see it again??" Circles really slow a horse down, scared or not.

Answer 6

My pony gets like this on trails. Make sure to half halt, sit deep and talk to her. If she is pulling on you and dragging you, stop her and back her up each time she does this. This way she will learn to listen to you and respect your hands. Circling a lot will help this too. Do lots of sitting trot. Get her mind off of going fast.

I understands why you wanted to shorten her strides by squeezing but she probably mis took this for speeding up. Try to use no leg aids unless asking her to change her gait. Also, time may be the one thing that will help. She may just be excited.

Hope I helped, good luck! =)

Answer 7

I have been having EXACTLY the same problem with my gelding. He isn't bucking, rearing, tossing head, or totally disobeying. He just kind of goes to quick for what I want and he goes slow then back to quick. I just give lots of half halts and if he behaves for a few strides I give him a good praise xD It should work for you since it sounds like an identical problem.

I think the reason for my geldings behavor is because I was riding him 5 - 7 times a week and knwo that it is summer and VERY hot and no shows I ahve only been riding him about 3 - 5 times a week xP so a few days lacking makes a diffrence.

GOOD LUCK XD

Answer 8

First of all I would start with some groundwork, to make sure that your horse really respects you as a leader. Pulling back on the reins is not the best way to communicate with the horse-you should incorporate one rein stopping into your riding. But I would start with groundwork. There are groundwork exercises that you can use to build a communication line to slow down gaits or stop. Start by putting your halter and lead rope on and just lead her. As you lead her, stop and turn and face her and raise your hand and exhale loudly. After you do this over the course of a week or two you will be amazed at how the horse will associate an exhale with stopping. This works because horses are in tune with energy levels and exhaling is associated with decreasing energy.

Now practice this when riding in a controlled situation like a round pen. I would start by first walking the horse out. Then to stop, instead of pulling back the reins lift one rein straight up and exhale. If you have gotten the horse to associate your exhaling with stopping while leading, she will come to a stop when you perform this exercise in the saddle. Next, move to a trot and exhale and lift the rein or bump once, and she will come down to a walk.

After you have put some time in this you will be surprised at how responsive your horse becomes. I can drop my horses down from a canter to a trot or from a trot to a walk simply by exhaling out.

I want to say its great your horse was having a good time, horses do like to get out and run. However, it should be OUR IDEA for the horse to run and not hers. Otherwise its not safe. A horse that isn't bucking isn't necessarily safe, I knew a lady whose horse ran her into a tree and killed her. Sure she wasn't bucking and was running calmly, but she was not paying attention to the rider as a leader.

So you want to go out in this larger pasture and have her run when you ask her too and not when she wants. And don't be pulling back on the reins. A rider pulling back on the reins is one who is stressed out and worried about what is happening, not a skilled rider. Practice the exercises I mentioned and you will find your communication with your horse will improve drastically.

Also, I have to ask if you are well practiced with flexing the horses head around for a so-called emergency stop. If not you need to practice that as well.

David

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

Answer 9

While I also agree with david, a solid groundwork basis is a given, You also need to teach your horse to "RATE" All my WP show horses can move anywhere from a slow lope to a good gallop. Its all just a matter of seat position and collection. Having good lateral bending and having a horse following his nose with a well rounded body will help you to work on your circles. Circles help a horse learn how to slow down and collect. If you have a big enough area, you need to be working on all different size of circles, figure eights, simple transitions, one rein stops, backing, impulsion, and rating speed. There are no easy answers, it just sounds like your horse and you have missed a few crucial steps in the training process.

Answer 10

Your horse is just excited, after a couple of trys she will relax.

Answer 11

She does just sound really eager and excited to be somewhere different, going there often will get her used to it.

For now know, lots and lots of half halts, telling her lots to slow down, until she gets fed up with them and does.

Squeezing on her sides probably won't help. Like using your heel or a kick, it tells her to "go!" which you don't want. To slow her down, use half halts, and stop moving with her. Like when getting a horse to halt, you stop your movement with them so they stop, do the same now, stop moving fast with her, and she'll slow down too.

Another thing, make her walk when you first get there. If she's not going crazy, let her trot (if she does go crazy at a walk, halt, then try again), but if she gets crazy, slow to a walk again.Keep doing this up until you are galloping. Then she'll learn that craziness won't let her run, which is what she really wants to do!

Really though, after you go there a few times, and do lots of walking and trotting and halting, she'll get that it's not that big of a deal. It's just a new big place, so for now it's amazing, but she'll calm down after you go there a few times.

Good luck! :)

Answer 12

I am sure if she had been in a confined area, she would be excited about having room to run. I have a mare that after winter when we let her out into a a bigger pasture in the spring, she ran to one corner. She then ran at a full gallop to the opposite corner and came to a sliding stop inches from the fence. She did this about six or seven times before she stopped. This could be all it was. If this continues though, I would think about some retraining. My guess as i said is pent up energy.