We are always moving so quickly, and in a show they require a quick transistion from hand gallop to collected canter and I really have a hard time gathering my horses head. She's not headstrong usually, but she gets a little testy. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get her head back quickly.
Answers:
I agree with the poster above me who said a more severe bit is not the answer. Top riders and judges like George Morris and Geoff Teall say that bigger (by which I mean stronger and more severe) bits just mask problems and they don't correct anything permanently. The solution to this problem has its root in good, classical riding.
You're going to want to practice lots of transitions at home, especially the downward ones. Remember that when you make the downward transition you need to close your leg around your horse and ease your upper body weight down and back. You may want to lift your hands slightly to accommodate the horse's natural motion: her head WILL come up slightly as she adjusts her stride and pace. Keep a firm contact on the reins, half-halting slightly while keeping your leg on her. Practice this method on all downward transitions until she relaxes and comes under control.
try a different bit...like a double-ring snaffle.
I would practice alot of up and down transitions at home. Start with your trot transitions. Do a medium trot along one side of the ring and then increase to an extended trot. Use your half halt cues and bring him back down to a medium trot. Then use your legs and hands to collect and slow down the trot for a circle, then move up a notch. With time and practice your horse will improve their quality of transitions.
Then you need to take the transitions to the next level at the lope. Do the same things as you did with the trot. Collect up your canter and then along one side of the ring push her up to a working canter. Bring her back down and collect the canter for a circle. Then push her up to a hand gallop and circle once and bring her down again.
If you try these basic excercises and it doesn't help, the one other thing you might want to do is set up pylons in your ring and do alot of up and down at the same spot. Start at the trot until your horse begins to realize that when you reach that pylon you are going to slow down. Then do the same excercise at the canter. Your horse will learn to expect to slow down at that location and it makes your job alot easier.
Repitition is often the key to problem solving in the ring. If your horse gets frazzled when you do pivots, that's a sign that you need to do more pivots until they can relax through them. And I would say the same thing applies to your hand gallop to canter transition.
If the double ring doesn't work, try a twisted wire snaffle. Work on hand gallops with your mare. Oscillate your hands to get her head back more quickly, then she should slow more easily and more quickly.
A more severe bit is not the answer. It may cover up the problem for awhile, but then you'll need a bigger bit still, then another. Fix the problem once and for all and stop the resistance where it starts. The mare needs basic work on control-- if she were truly supple, soft, and willing, you would not be having this problem. A supple, willing horse can be controlled in an open field surounded by hundreds of galloping horses and work in harmony with it's rider. I see far too many English riders who allow (and even expect) this type of resistance in their horses. I worked several years on a ranch where a horse with your mare's problem would be dangerous when driving a hundred other horses down off the mountains. Western-style riders of performance horses (reiners, cutters, reined cow horse) are usually wonderful examples of soft, supple horses that can be controlled on a loose rein. Look into the training methods of Clinton Anderson, Craig Cameron, Chris Cox, Pat Parelli, and Dennis Reis to help you learn some valuable exercises and techniques that work on ALL horses, regardless of your riding discipline.
Work your mare on upward and downward transitions. Teach her that a hand gallop is not a big deal. She gets excited with the other horses with her, and needs to learn that you are in control regardless of what horses next to her are doing.
Go back to the basics with your mare in a smooth snaffle. If you are having problems gaining control and gathering her head, she is resistant to the bit and you need to go back to square one. Work on flexion, transitions, balance, turns on the forehand, turns on the hindquarters, leg yields and sidepasses. Don't gallop the mare again until you have control at all levels and gaits up to the hand gallop. Then, work on your hand gallop downward transitions when the mare is relaxed and a bit tired. Turn her out or longe her for awhile, and work on them after a schooling session. Teaching a fresh horse to relax and come back to you without resistance takes a lot of experience and being 100% comfortable on a galloping horse. Teach her to WANT to come back down and settle and relax into her canter. Once her downward transitions are good at the lower gaits, let her hand gallop more than just the lap or two of the arena you would do at a show. Let her relax into her gait and wait until she wants to slow down-- it may take awhile, just go with her and let her gallop out until the excitement of it wears off, then gently bring her back into the slower speed for a few strides, then let her stop and rest. If you tense up and worry you will lost control, you are making the problem worse. Let someone else who has more confidence work your mare if this is the case, and practice the hand gallop on a calmer horse until you are comfortable at speed on any horse.
Work this mare around other horses as well. Teach her that just because the horses around her are excited and galloping, that she can still relax and trust you.
Really half halt her. Not very hard, but it is to get her attention. Or sit back in the saddle and just pull. Then she will no what you are asking a little better. Just dont get mean or harsh.
start over at a slower spped untill you gain FULL control then start galloping her. the faster your are going the harder it is to control. maybe take a step back and just work on some fundememtals and basic stuff.
Try to do a little bit of walking before you Gallop, then try a canter and a soon as she's going to break into a gallop, break her down into a walk. :>)
Try a slightly harder bit
Try a running martingale.
u need to practice at home. my sis and I train me wild mustangs her everthing, she has alot of problems with this. all horses are different try to get someone to ride with u when u go to stop get the other person to cut in front of u. if u are going in shows u will need to try to get ur horse to stop with oter horses around. u can try different bit need to use a different method. {this may sound harsh }
All the peopel that are saying use this and that use a stronger bit use a martingale use blah blah blah, should think first. If you just use "aids" instead of teaching the horse, then your just making matters worse. He's gonna learn to resist all of your aids and then what are you gonna do? He's gonna be this wild horse that you can't handle when you could've just taken the time to train him a little.
i dont want to sound stupid but i have owned horses for years and just recently started hearing the term "hand gallop" what is it. this question confuses me more because what was explained to me was that it IS a controlled gallop. what other kind of gallop would you want? and this rider seems to not be in a "hand gallop" please someone with knowledge respond. thanks!
I had a similar problem with my saddlebred while trotting. In a group, he wasn't so bad, because he knew he could not always pass. At home, I started riding with only one other horse in the ring. I'd get in front of the other horse, ask for a strong trot, then begin asking him to slow and collect as we came up behind the other horse. I would aks him to slow before he would have done it on his own. Sometimes, I would not ask him to slow, in order to get him listening to my commands instead of working on autopilot. After several weeks, I could rate him at the trot without depending on another horse to block him. After about two months, we had the canter under control.
To Chris G: "hand gallop" is an extended, controlled, four-beat gait. From the three-beat canter, the horse extends until each foot makes contact with the ground separately. Arabs and some other breeds are shown at the walk, trot, strong trot, canter and hand gallop in open english classes.
Sink your heels way down (if you're doing english) and bring your outside leg way forward, half halt and keep your reins way tight.
try double ring snaffle bit, but if that doesn't work try a twisted wire snaffle bit
when you are riding her do hold back on the reins any if you do it is going to take more to stop her. It's also a possibly that it might be the bit. A d-ring snaffle bit is what I use on my horses.
It all depends on the situwation.
You Should Be slowly working your hands wile in the hand gallop just playing with the bit .. and then go a little stronger when you are going down to the canter when she gives you your head release a little bit and talk to her.Remember to keep leg pressure on the horse so you can work your hands but still have her moving out in a canter not slowing to a trot. You can also use a Martingale or you can go to a little Stronger Bit like a twisted wire snaffle for more control.Keep I had this problem with my horse and that seemed to work for me!
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