From One Extreme to the Other

LoveLarks · 05-02-2007, 01:52 PM

MY TB mare is off the track. Since I got her I've been working on almost everything. She is very trained e.g. leg yields, lope offs, etc. BUT I have one major problem--her canter.

When I first got her, it was either hold her or let her run. We have made a lot of progress. Now I have a nice slow lope without having to hold. Of course that is too slow for jumping, but when I let her get into a nice canter she sometimes wants to take off and run or she'll gradually get faster and faster.

So this is what I have been doing. Cantering large circles in the pasture without holding, if she speeds up I either slow her down by hand then release or bring her into a smaller circle until she slows back down then take her back to the bigger circle. I also dropped my jump course to ground poles and cantered them.

Some days are good, some are bad. I notice my biggest problem after the first jump in a line or after the second or third jump in a row (not in a line). I have tried stopping her in between, and letting her relax. I have also tried cantering a circle in between often in opposite directions. I have done gymnastics. I backed up to trotting cross rails, which she did perfect without rushing at all.

I have been working on this problem since February, and it HAS gotten better, but I wanted to see if anyone has any other ideas?

Oh I have even started taking her on trail rides and cantering her in straight lines in the field.

I'm open to the idea that I may have to continue what I'm doing, and that it may be this time next year before she is where she needs to be.

SunnyKS · 05-04-2007, 12:08 PM

It sounds like you have a good handle on things even if progress isn't as fast as you would like.

The only exercise I know that you haven't tried is for Western type horses so it may not work for you but it's a cantor 10 walk 5. You cantor 10 steps (sometimes 20 when first starting) and then walk 5, repeat; after awhile you progress down to a dead stop on a dime and pick up a cantor from a stop after standing quiet for 5 seconds.

But like I said that may interfer with what you need her to do for jumping. This is a move you need for western type horsemanship patterns. But I have used it to slow down a horse that speeds up the longer they walk or trot.

SweetPea&Sage · 05-04-2007, 02:08 PM

It sounds like your doing everything right so far... keep changing up the order of the jumps, throw weird things in, like the circles, don't go where she expects you to go... and the gymnastics are great, especially if you do some leading up to a line; it will help her collect herself as you have seen. Also maybe some ground poles before the jumps, especially if you are trotting cross rails...

just keep going, working on the transitions on the flat and on trail as well. I would do things like serptines at the canter... trot to change leads if she doesn't know how to do a lead change...

Overall you want to keep her on her toes so she doesn't have time to think about running off with you.. you want her more worried about what you are going to ask her to do next...

Good luck, have fun, it sounds like you are doing great with her.

cboling · 05-04-2007, 02:26 PM

Lots of Transitions is what you need.

Have fun with it !!

KatieMae · 05-04-2007, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cboling

Lots of Transitions is what you need.

Have fun with it !!

My thoughts exactly... Thats what I was told to do.. Mine used to canter like a freight train when she got off balance.. So we did transition after transition, and she's pretty good now.. Good luck

eieio · 05-04-2007, 02:37 PM

You are making progress and doing all the right things. You might try work on half halts and also try the ten step count down. Start on the flat with a pole on the ground. Have canter 10 strides over the pole (5 strides on each side). Halt, turn on the haunches or forehand canter back nine strides, halt turn on forehand or haunches, eight strides, halt and so on and so on. You can even do this starting with twenty or thirty strides over a small fence on a circle.

The biggest thing is for her to expect the downward transition and to reprogram her to NOT expect more forward motion.

She is still "falling back" into the racehorse way of once I get into to gear just lean on the bit and run. Keep trying to keep her waiting for the halt and she will be less inclined to lean and run.

Good for you! You have done all the right things...She will improve, have patience

LoveLarks · 05-07-2007, 11:28 AM

Thank you everyone so much. Great advice from everyone! I can't wait to go home and incorporate your advice into my training program!

instigatorkate · 05-07-2007, 01:31 PM

The biggest mistake I made when jumping the first horse I owned was doing my full warm up and Then jumping, always in that order. Well, as soon as she knew it was time to jump, off to the races.

My subsequent strategy has served me well with horses that rush.
Do your ground poles as part of your warm up every time, and pop small fences in there too. Even as soon as she walks out to the ring and picks up a decent trot. Pop over a fence and continue with the warm-up, trot a couple of poles, school the canter. Pop over a fence, practice walk trot transitions. Trot some poles, school circles. You get the idea.

When horses rush it's usually a combo of excitement/anxiety, so you need to make jumping a non-event.

05-02-2007, 01:52 PM
LoveLarks Halter broke Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 60	From One Extreme to the Other MY TB mare is off the track. Since I got her I've been working on almost everything. She is very trained e.g. leg yields, lope offs, etc. BUT I have one major problem--her canter. When I first got her, it was either hold her or let her run. We have made a lot of progress. Now I have a nice slow lope without having to hold. Of course that is too slow for jumping, but when I let her get into a nice canter she sometimes wants to take off and run or she'll gradually get faster and faster. So this is what I have been doing. Cantering large circles in the pasture without holding, if she speeds up I either slow her down by hand then release or bring her into a smaller circle until she slows back down then take her back to the bigger circle. I also dropped my jump course to ground poles and cantered them. Some days are good, some are bad. I notice my biggest problem after the first jump in a line or after the second or third jump in a row (not in a line). I have tried stopping her in between, and letting her relax. I have also tried cantering a circle in between often in opposite directions. I have done gymnastics. I backed up to trotting cross rails, which she did perfect without rushing at all. I have been working on this problem since February, and it HAS gotten better, but I wanted to see if anyone has any other ideas? Oh I have even started taking her on trail rides and cantering her in straight lines in the field. I'm open to the idea that I may have to continue what I'm doing, and that it may be this time next year before she is where she needs to be. __________________ \"The biggest challenges we face are almost always self-made. The escape, therefore, must not be from the trap but from the dangerous process of building the trap for yourself.\" ~Paul Belasik Riding Towards the Light

05-04-2007, 12:08 PM
SunnyKS Greenbroke Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Kansas Posts: 3,516	It sounds like you have a good handle on things even if progress isn't as fast as you would like. The only exercise I know that you haven't tried is for Western type horses so it may not work for you but it's a cantor 10 walk 5. You cantor 10 steps (sometimes 20 when first starting) and then walk 5, repeat; after awhile you progress down to a dead stop on a dime and pick up a cantor from a stop after standing quiet for 5 seconds. But like I said that may interfer with what you need her to do for jumping. This is a move you need for western type horsemanship patterns. But I have used it to slow down a horse that speeds up the longer they walk or trot.

05-04-2007, 02:08 PM
SweetPea&Sage Weanling Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: OHIO Posts: 420	It sounds like your doing everything right so far... keep changing up the order of the jumps, throw weird things in, like the circles, don't go where she expects you to go... and the gymnastics are great, especially if you do some leading up to a line; it will help her collect herself as you have seen. Also maybe some ground poles before the jumps, especially if you are trotting cross rails... just keep going, working on the transitions on the flat and on trail as well. I would do things like serptines at the canter... trot to change leads if she doesn't know how to do a lead change... Overall you want to keep her on her toes so she doesn't have time to think about running off with you.. you want her more worried about what you are going to ask her to do next... Good luck, have fun, it sounds like you are doing great with her. __________________ "KINDNESS MATTERS" MUSLOVEDOGS.COM : Rottweilers, Mastiffs, Cane Corsos and Mastweilers

05-04-2007, 02:26 PM
cboling Weanling Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: canada Posts: 407	Lots of Transitions is what you need. Have fun with it !! __________________ "If you like a horse at 4 months you'll like him at 4 years. Don't look at him in-between." ~ Hank Wiescamp

05-04-2007, 02:37 PM
eieio Greenbroke Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: South Carolina Posts: 3,138	You are making progress and doing all the right things. You might try work on half halts and also try the ten step count down. Start on the flat with a pole on the ground. Have canter 10 strides over the pole (5 strides on each side). Halt, turn on the haunches or forehand canter back nine strides, halt turn on forehand or haunches, eight strides, halt and so on and so on. You can even do this starting with twenty or thirty strides over a small fence on a circle. The biggest thing is for her to expect the downward transition and to reprogram her to NOT expect more forward motion. She is still "falling back" into the racehorse way of once I get into to gear just lean on the bit and run. Keep trying to keep her waiting for the halt and she will be less inclined to lean and run. Good for you! You have done all the right things...She will improve, have patience __________________ There is no such thing as a always or never in the horse world. Say that one time and some horse some where will prove you wrong!. Visit us at www.woodfoxfarm.com

05-07-2007, 11:28 AM
LoveLarks Halter broke Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 60	Thank you everyone so much. Great advice from everyone! I can't wait to go home and incorporate your advice into my training program! __________________ \"The biggest challenges we face are almost always self-made. The escape, therefore, must not be from the trap but from the dangerous process of building the trap for yourself.\" ~Paul Belasik Riding Towards the Light

05-07-2007, 01:31 PM
instigatorkate Long Yearling Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,197	The biggest mistake I made when jumping the first horse I owned was doing my full warm up and Then jumping, always in that order. Well, as soon as she knew it was time to jump, off to the races. My subsequent strategy has served me well with horses that rush. Do your ground poles as part of your warm up every time, and pop small fences in there too. Even as soon as she walks out to the ring and picks up a decent trot. Pop over a fence and continue with the warm-up, trot a couple of poles, school the canter. Pop over a fence, practice walk trot transitions. Trot some poles, school circles. You get the idea. When horses rush it's usually a combo of excitement/anxiety, so you need to make jumping a non-event.