RE: Re: Misbehaving horse

[Bernita & Jerry Barfield <barfield@primenet.com>]

Maureen;

We raise our horses and start them all with long slow distance, building up their trot, hence often in the begining they want to break as speed is increased, that's natural in the begining from our experience.  They need to build up their leg and other muscles also during this time before allowing them to trot more extended. Hence trot for a distance and walk depending on the condition of the horse, this also may calm your horse down.  Each time increase the trotting time. Also you can stop your horse to the walk just before you sense he is about to break into a canter. 

When we start our horses trotting, it is slow with the attempt to rate them at the speed we feel is safe and appropriate for the horse in the level of training. 

The important thing I believe is to keep the horse rated at the speed YOU choose.  IF the horse breaks from the trot you can pull the head left or right to slow down and circle if need be, then start again and repeat this until he sustains the gate/speed.  This is the same thing I do with the horse who wants to jig and not walk.

 If you are out with other horses, it is often hard to continue your training this way unless the others are willing to cooperate and work with you, hence I find it easier to do this alone or with my husband and that is the entire agenda for the training ride. As the horse develops and is trained in all gates at the speeds you want then a good rule of thumb is that The rider chooses the speed and the horses chooses the gate.  I heard that from Becky Hart and it makes sense once the horse has all gates and speeds mastered and developed.

If you use a heart monitor and your horse is trained in the trot at different speeds and canter and gallop, you will be able to determine at which gate your horse is most efficient.  Some horses are more efficient in the canter and tend to canter more. I believe this has been said of Rio.  The important thing is to make sure both leads are equally developed and both diagonals. 


Hope this helps,

Bernita Barfield
Southwind Arabians
Breeding Endurance Horses by Design
Sierra Vista, AZ

(home of SA Dust Devi+/  3000 plus miles)






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