How Well Does Your Horse Stop???

[Cara]

For the most part she is turned out on just pasture, when she's kept up at the house she gets alfalfa hay and Strategy. We have some real consistency issues with her. Her pasture is about 1000 acres and rugged, so it's not practical to turn her out and catch her every day. There are days when we can't even find the horses without going out horseback. However if we keep her penned her attitude gets progressively worse. Usually about three days is the limit before it becomes a losing battle.

She's also pretty wise about when to pick a fight and when not to. I took her to a clinic last Saturday to work on her reining, and she didn't put a foot wrong. I thought someone had switched horses on me. We'd agreed to sell her on the way there ( a major breakthrough with DH!), by the time we were done I didn't want to. The following day she was back to her usual self.

She won't refuse to stop if she's somewhere I can run her until she wants to. She'll try it on if it's too dangerous to tune on her though (e.g rocky or steep), or we're in the middle of something.

I always round pen her before I ride to gauge her temperament. I won't get on her until she's behaving herself. Our round pen is quite deep too, so it helps to take the edge off her!

 

[Oklabarrelracer]

For the most part she is turned out on just pasture, when she's kept up at the house she gets alfalfa hay and Strategy. We have some real consistency issues with her. Her pasture is about 1000 acres and rugged, so it's not practical to turn her out and catch her every day. There are days when we can't even find the horses without going out horseback. However if we keep her penned her attitude gets progressively worse. Usually about three days is the limit before it becomes a losing battle.

She's also pretty wise about when to pick a fight and when not to. I took her to a clinic last Saturday to work on her reining, and she didn't put a foot wrong. I thought someone had switched horses on me. We'd agreed to sell her on the way there ( a major breakthrough with DH!), by the time we were done I didn't want to. The following day she was back to her usual self.

She won't refuse to stop if she's somewhere I can run her until she wants to. She'll try it on if it's too dangerous to tune on her though (e.g rocky or steep), or we're in the middle of something.

I always round pen her before I ride to gauge her temperament. I won't get on her until she's behaving herself. Our round pen is quite deep too, so it helps to take the edge off her!

Just a thought. May-be think about changing her diet. Alfalfa & stragity can be a hot feed combination. If I had to feed alfalfa, I would feed straight oats with a good mineral / vitamin supplement. Sometimes a hot diet gets a horse to hot that they don't consintrate as well as one who has a less protien diet.We feed bermuda hay with a custom grain that has no molassas or surger. I know of some pro barrel racers that will feed straight oats with alfafla & still win a pro rodeo. Anyway just food for thought.

 

[2468herdsrgr8]

Hey Country Mom ...Just came across this post.....and it made me chuckle because i heard my trainers voice .."Say it like you mean it ".... " Sit back"

 

[Paintingpheonix]

Id proberly rate my mare from a 1 to a 4 depending on the situation. Say we're in the arena, her necks curled and head down, jogging in small circles, she'd stop the moment i thourght it, mainly cause shes actually listening to me and jogging in circles, it gets very boring after a while, so i like to keep it a little interesting. But if you've got her out in a padock cantering around, shes a defenet 1, unless shes got something stopping her neck going all billboardish (when they put there head up in the air and nothing you do will get it down short of spurring them around in tiny circles for the next half hour) like a tie down or a martingale.:/

 

[Dreaming Of Goats]

I would rate the mare I ride on as a 4.... Sometimes, since I'm a beginner, she just won't respond to my cues.

Here's a pic of me stopping her

 

[Horsiezz]

My mare stops pretty well but it depends where we are. If were in the outdoor roundpen working then she will stop but take slow steps towards the gate and it really irritates me! Were working on it. She will stop at a 5 but then walk so in the round pen probably a 4 or so? On the trail a definite 5!

 

[PatchiePonie]

Dodge (thats his name dont actually dodge your horse!!!). It's simple. if he doesnt want to stop he wont, and here comes round one of the fight, free to watch!!! BUt to be honest I would Definitly rate him about a 1-3 like every other horse it depends on the situation at hand

 

[chubbydog811]

My pony stops dead in his tracks if you even whisper the word "ho". I did a TON of ground work with him as a foal, and made sure voice commands were understood. He now responds to walk, trot, canter, ho and we're working on back. Ground work helps more than people give it credit for! Made training under saddle SUPER easy!

*ETA: Should have added - he stops without jacking his head up - he keeps it down like it is when we are working. When I first started training him last winter, it only took me maybe 4 rides before he figured out how to pick up his back and use his back end

I wouldn't recommend using the "technique" of alternating tugs on the reins - all that gets you is a hard mouthed, not actually balanced, ticked off horse. Learning balance and the correct place of your body to get your horse balanced is better than hauling on your horse's mouth.

 

[TexasShepherdess]

This is my older mare stopping..
I'd say her brakes are good..

To acheive a good stop..simply takes consistency and time...I use the word whoa and encorporate alot of backing up after stopping to maintain the correct frame. I dont ever want a horse stopping on his front end and "hopping"..I want that horse to round his back and put his hind legs under him.

 

[Teeah3612]

I'm no expert, but the first thing we taught my green broke 3 year old QH was to stop when told. Last thing I wanted was to be flying across the field without being able to stop my horse. We kept a lead rope on him until we were sure that he would respond. I have had him for 4 years now and he can be a pain in the butt when he wants to, but he will stop on que even when he has decided to play with his bit. I can tell him to "Whoa" and "Put that tongue back where it goes!" He does just that and then we continue.

One thing that is strange is he only plays with the bit when we are on the field. If we are on a trail he leaves it alone. Aside from tying his tongue, does anyone have any ideas how to get him to quit playing with his bit. A harsher bit does not work. A friend was trying to ride him with a harsher bit and ended up pulling him over on herself when he reared.