What helpful advice would you give this rider to help his horse stop better? Post your answer below. This month we are giving away a German Martingale from http://aldunningsadtack.com
i WOULD TELL THIS PERSON 3 THINGS. 1) MAKE SURE YOUR HORSE IS STRAIGHT. 2) DON'T ROCK YOUR BODY BACK TO PREPARE FOR THE STOP BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO THROW YOUR HORSE OFF BALANCE. 3) STOP RIDING SO THAT YOUR HORSE WILL KNOW WHAT YOU ARE ASKING...OK 4 THINGS! 4) USE YOUR BODY NOT SO MUCH YOUR HANDS.
I would tell this rider to first soften their hands. Then in preparation for the stop to lift their inside rein. To stop sit down in the saddle and then lightly pull the outside rein - gently sliding the bit through horses mouth.
Get the horse traveling straight, cease "riding" the horse by using his seat to let the horse know we're stopping, sink down with his seat - don't lean back, and rather than jerk on his reins, use appropriate pressure. Don't know if he gave a verbal "whoa" or not.
First of all he needs to make sure his horse is nice and straight before asking for his halt. Then instead of pulling back with both reins at once he should alternate hands during the stop, sliding the bit back and forth across the bars of his mouth. This will encourage the horse to give at the poll and drop his head through the stop instead of throwing his head and gaping his mouth.
I would say he needs to drive the horse up under himself a little bit more and staying more out of the horses face. Brace less in the stop and let your body "die" in the saddle when you ask him to stop and if you are going to have to help him in his stop with your reins then I would rock them back and forth rather then steady pressure which gives him something to lean on. Tabitha Smith
The problem here is that the horse is not set up for a stop and the rider does not know how to ask for a smooth stop. Hard to fix both with one tip. So here are tips for both the horse and the rider. For the rider to cue his horse to stop he has to quit riding and allow the horse to stop under him. But to do that the rider needs to learn the rhythm of his horse so he can ride in rhythm so that the horse understands when the rider has quit riding. He also needs to have slower hands when asking his horse to stop as well or the horse will never learn to stop when he quits riding.
The horse is on his front end and if you look at how far he is reaching forward with his hind legs there is no way the horse can stop from this frame. The horse needs to drive forward more but it does not look like the horse has the basics to be taught that yet> First I would get the horse to accept the riders hands by educating the rider about how to pull on a horse without making them heavy (some time a martingale will help with this) But I prefer a massaging type pull on the indirect rein with a steady pull on the direct rein (using an arc one way or the other so the horse can not lean on both reins at once) Second the horse needs to accept the riders legs so that the rider can soften his rib cage allowing the horse to round its back and raise its shoulders, allowing the hind legs to drive deeper!
In my opinion Lots more suppling and softening exercises need be done before this horse can learn to stop softly from light cues.
So to answer the question I would so go back to basics for both the horse and rider and when they both have the basics of collection and extension at the trot then work on them at the lope and stopping will be easier for horse and rider!
By watching this video, it looks like he didn't prepare this horse for the stop. His upper body leaned back and he pulled on his reins and his horse stopped on his forehand. I agree with Rod regarding going back to the basics with his horse. He needs to be round and not hollow and pushing on the bit with his nose out. My advice purely by what I have seen, is to collect this horse, build up more speed, travel straight, and sit down and say whoa! If you are in the correct position, your horse will respond correctly and stop square, getting his hocks underneath him. If you are not balanced and centered, there is no way you will have a good stop. Using your reins should be the last thing you use and should be used to reinforce the stop que.
The first thing the rider needs to do is giver this horse a chance to stop on it's own by saying 'whoa'. Next, the rider needs to 'slow their elbows down' (Not mine: Lee Elbel told me that a million times) and lastly the rider needs to not throw themselves back so hard- he needs to sit 'down' in the saddle. Hard for a horse to round his back in the stop if the rider doesn't.
My advise for this rider would be that he was to blame for the poor stop. Dont be upset with your horse.Everything leading up to the stop was wrong.And I would tell him it only takes a few times of this and we will have a huge problem because horses only know what we teach them....Good or Bad.....
#1- Lets work on the rider slowing his hands and upper body down.He needs to understand what is required for a proper stop.His horse must be able to be collected with a rounded back moving forward freely without pulling on the bit.
#2- I would ask him why he never released his legs.I would tell him that his hands where saying stop while his legs where saying go.This is why your horse flipped his nose up and pulled on the bit causing him to be hollowed out.Thus causing a horrible stop...
First thing I would say is to learn the timing of the stop. The rider asked the horse to stop when the hind feet were on the ground rather than when they where first leaving the ground which is when the stride is it's longest and gives the horse the opportunity to prepare to stop. If he timed his "whoas" to when the outside front foot was on the ground and got in time mentally with that timing his hands and body would soften on their own a lot. Consistently stoping "in time" can fix so many problems and the nice thing is the "lope" never has more than three beats. Making it exactly the same every stride! Cody M
Be in tune with your horse. Think stop, sit deep, and sit soft. Use your feet as a platform for balance, and imagin the momentum of the stop flowing into the heels of your boots. If you get your upper body leaning too far forward or too far back, you will not allow your seat our feet to absorb the momentum of the stop. You want to be relaxed but confident about your stop. Any rigidness will cause a pogo stick affect.
i WOULD TELL THIS PERSON 3 THINGS. 1) MAKE SURE YOUR HORSE IS STRAIGHT. 2) DON'T ROCK YOUR BODY BACK TO PREPARE FOR THE STOP BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO THROW YOUR HORSE OFF BALANCE. 3) STOP RIDING SO THAT YOUR HORSE WILL KNOW WHAT YOU ARE ASKING...OK 4 THINGS! 4) USE YOUR BODY NOT SO MUCH YOUR HANDS.
ReplyDeleteI would tell this rider to first soften their hands. Then in preparation for the stop to lift their inside rein. To stop sit down in the saddle and then lightly pull the outside rein - gently sliding the bit through horses mouth.
ReplyDeleteGet the horse traveling straight, cease "riding" the horse by using his seat to let the horse know we're stopping, sink down with his seat - don't lean back, and rather than jerk on his reins, use appropriate pressure. Don't know if he gave a verbal "whoa" or not.
ReplyDeleteSit on your pockets; let your weight drop straight down; don't lean back when trying to stop
ReplyDeleteFirst of all he needs to make sure his horse is nice and straight before asking for his halt. Then instead of pulling back with both reins at once he should alternate hands during the stop, sliding the bit back and forth across the bars of his mouth. This will encourage the horse to give at the poll and drop his head through the stop instead of throwing his head and gaping his mouth.
ReplyDeleteI would say he needs to drive the horse up under himself a little bit more and staying more out of the horses face. Brace less in the stop and let your body "die" in the saddle when you ask him to stop and if you are going to have to help him in his stop with your reins then I would rock them back and forth rather then steady pressure which gives him something to lean on.
ReplyDeleteTabitha Smith
The problem here is that the horse is not set up for a stop and the rider does not know how to ask for a smooth stop.
ReplyDeleteHard to fix both with one tip. So here are tips for both the horse and the rider.
For the rider to cue his horse to stop he has to quit riding and allow the horse to stop under him. But to do that the rider needs to learn the rhythm of his horse so he can ride in rhythm so that the horse understands when the rider has quit riding. He also needs to have slower hands when asking his horse to stop as well or the horse will never learn to stop when he quits riding.
The horse is on his front end and if you look at how far he is reaching forward with his hind legs there is no way the horse can stop from this frame. The horse needs to drive forward more but it does not look like the horse has the basics to be taught that yet>
First I would get the horse to accept the riders hands by educating the rider about how to pull on a horse without making them heavy (some time a martingale will help with this) But I prefer a massaging type pull on the indirect rein with a steady pull on the direct rein (using an arc one way or the other so the horse can not lean on both reins at once)
Second the horse needs to accept the riders legs so that the rider can soften his rib cage allowing the horse to round its back and raise its shoulders, allowing the hind legs to drive deeper!
In my opinion Lots more suppling and softening exercises need be done before this horse can learn to stop softly from light cues.
So to answer the question I would so go back to basics for both the horse and rider and when they both have the basics of collection and extension at the trot then work on them at the lope and stopping will be easier for horse and rider!
Rod Miller
By watching this video, it looks like he didn't prepare this horse for the stop. His upper body leaned back and he pulled on his reins and his horse stopped on his forehand. I agree with Rod regarding going back to the basics with his horse. He needs to be round and not hollow and pushing on the bit with his nose out. My advice purely by what I have seen, is to collect this horse, build up more speed, travel straight, and sit down and say whoa! If you are in the correct position, your horse will respond correctly and stop square, getting his hocks underneath him. If you are not balanced and centered, there is no way you will have a good stop. Using your reins should be the last thing you use and should be used to reinforce the stop que.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing the rider needs to do is giver this horse a chance to stop on it's own by saying 'whoa'. Next, the rider needs to 'slow their elbows down' (Not mine: Lee Elbel told me that a million times) and lastly the rider needs to not throw themselves back so hard- he needs to sit 'down' in the saddle. Hard for a horse to round his back in the stop if the rider doesn't.
ReplyDeleteMy advise for this rider would be that he was to blame for the poor stop. Dont be upset with your horse.Everything leading up to the stop was wrong.And I would tell him it only takes a few times of this and we will have a huge problem because horses only know what we teach them....Good or Bad.....
ReplyDelete#1- Lets work on the rider slowing his hands and upper body down.He needs to understand what is required for a proper stop.His horse must be able to be collected with a rounded back moving forward freely without pulling on the bit.
#2- I would ask him why he never released his legs.I would tell him that his hands where saying stop while his legs where saying go.This is why your horse flipped his nose up and pulled on the bit causing him to be hollowed out.Thus causing a horrible stop...
First thing I would say is to learn the timing of the stop. The rider asked the horse to stop when the hind feet were on the ground rather than when they where first leaving the ground which is when the stride is it's longest and gives the horse the opportunity to prepare to stop. If he timed his "whoas" to when the outside front foot was on the ground and got in time mentally with that timing his hands and body would soften on their own a lot. Consistently stoping "in time" can fix so many problems and the nice thing is the "lope" never has more than three beats. Making it exactly the same every stride!
ReplyDeleteCody M
Be in tune with your horse. Think stop, sit deep, and sit soft. Use your feet as a platform for balance, and imagin the momentum of the stop flowing into the heels of your boots. If you get your upper body leaning too far forward or too far back, you will not allow your seat our feet to absorb the momentum of the stop. You want to be relaxed but confident about your stop. Any rigidness will cause a pogo stick affect.
ReplyDelete