[ItsAThought]

I exercise horses for a friend of mine and they are a blast to ride! Its so much fun! I usually take them for a walk/ trot on this trail which is several miles long that loops back around to the farm. But my friend said to just take this horse, Shegul, to this field and walk/trot/ canter him around, just for exercise. So I did, he was great... but he was sooo strong!!! Once I let him canter... man was he STRONG!!! I never lost control but my hands where hurting. He would take a hold of the bit and really push. I sat back and held tight. We went for a canter around the feild but when it came to stopping, I started circling and sitting back and whoaing. He leaned into his mouth and was pushing to the outside. I finnaly got him to stop but it was hard!!! I will ride him in a stronger bit but are there exercises I can do with him to help with this? There is not a arena avalible....

Thanks!

Gena

[Cavalier]

Look at the facts:

what is this horse being fed?
what training has this horse had?
how old is he?
is he in consistant work?
is he really fit or unfit?
is he strong in the other gaits (walk and trot)
what aids do you use to slow him down in the other gait and is he very responsive to them?
what bit is he using? sounds like more of a training issue to me than a bit.
what bit is he normally ridden in?

answer these questions and everyone should be able to help answer your question.

[cassidy]

umm you have to think this horse doesnt know you so maybe just taking the pis out of you

it happened to me when i first got cassidy scared the **** outta me but in the end i rode him an we got an understanding lol

does he fight by opening up his mouth as if so maybe a flash of some sort may help you

also how often is he ridden it may be that he dont get out much an be excited!

[ibsammy]

OOPS! DONT DO THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry, but my computers messed up and I thought this was another post. Sorry!!!!!!!!!!!!

[minnie_mouse]

Originally Posted by ibsammy

If he pushes into the bit, simply push back. Start out at a walk/trot, whatever slowest gait he does it in. Then close your hands and pull slightly, and if he pushes into the bit, pull a little harder and DRIVE him into the closed wall (your hands). .

NO!! please dont do this. this will create an EVEN STRONGER horse. dont fall into his trap....this horse WANTS you to pull back...to support him...but dont!!! just stay in walk and trot for now to get him used to you. dont give him a solid rein to pull againt. hold...sponge the reins and then drop him, as soon as he starts pulling again, play with the reins and drop. to stop...DONT pull back, but use your body, seat and voice. it doesnt matter if it takes you one lap of the WHOLE field to stop....just dont fall into his trap of pulling. once he gets the idea....things will improve, be patient or things will never get better.

[bay_blnd jmpr07]

Are you sure he's just not really heavy on the forehand at the canter? He could feel very off balanced at the canter.

BBJ

[Bruce Wiley]

Hello ItsAThought:
He is testing you,he want to know if you are afraid of his speed and he wants to take control of everythings- where,and how fast we go, and he can feel your hands and that not right.
Try this everytime you ride him.
Have him walk,don't pull straight back or up, pull back off to the right or left side under your wastline with one rein,then stop (whoa)and later after many times and you feel comfortable move to a trot and do it the same way.
Remember they learn thru routine so, many many times it need to be automatic.
Practice this so, he forgets that old bad habit and behavior.
I hope this helps and be careful and patient.
http://spaces.msn.com/members/bwnaturalhorsemanship
Bruce.

[PoochtheMighty]

Someone mentioned pulling back on the horse; that's a no-no. This will help in taking off; he can lean on your hands and ignore you completely.

Do not go up to a harsher bit. That will not help; this is a trainingg issue and bits don't train horses.

Is he strong only at the canter? My own horse, Apache, is learning dressage and he has been very resistant and strong (my arms are killing me as I type); and as tempting as it is to pull straight back and haul on their mouths, we simply cannot do that. Half Halt. Halt Halt. Half Halt. Halt- release. If he does not halt when you sit deep, brace with your back and inhale, and create a breif wall with your hands- this should only last within one stride, then release anyway and use a stronger cue, then release again. This will check and balance him and prepare him for a downward transition so he's not just barreling along and then suddenly "HEY OK STOP NOW!"

Also, trot-to-halt excercises will refine his responses to the aids, as long as they are done correctly, using half halts and releases. I work about 5-10 minutes on trot-to-halt, halt-to-trot excercises with my horse before anything else.

Be patient and never, ever pull.

[UnDun*]

You'll never physcially be able to stop a horse straight. They have wayyyy too much muscle in their neck and even face! You can do circles, taking a inside bend and holding it (sometimes rest it on your thigh to make sure it's STEADY). Apply leg pressure, and allow your outside rein to be loose, only there for support. Don't give him any room until he gives to you. When he accepts the bend, allow your hand to realease and give him rein. Take the bend back after a few strides and do the same thing. It works for both bends too, out can take an outside one as well.

Do these types of circles at the walk,trot and canter. What it will do is teach HIM he has to "ask" for his head/reins, not pull them away from you. The biggest thing here is to keep the Bending Rein STEADY. if your pulling, it's just going to teach him to pull harder.

[ItsAThought]

Originally Posted by Cavalier

Look at the facts:

what is this horse being fed? I am not sure I have to ask
what training has this horse had? I do not know, he is a foxhunter, this is the master of hounds horse.
how old is he? 10?
is he in consistant work? Very, he is riden almost daily, he goes raoding and and on fox hunts
is he really fit or unfit? Very fit! Vey muscular
is he strong in the other gaits (walk and trot) I ride him in that tail I was talking about and he was great at walk and trot. No pulling. I even cantered him a bit- he was great. It might have something to do with the big open feild
what aids do you use to slow him down in the other gait and is he very responsive to them? hands, seat- he seems very responsive on the trail, in the feild he was strong and didn't take much notice to them
what bit is he using? sounds like more of a training issue to me than a bit. what bit is he normally ridden in? I don't know the name, I'll find a picture....

answer these questions and everyone should be able to help answer your question.

Thanks for all your help, hope this little bit of info helps