Seven Steps to Slow Your Horse Down Without Sacrificing Movement STEP SEVEN. Take your time. If you want your horse to slow down, you may have to slow down. Often we don’t realize how fast we are sending our cues to our horse. Get fast-thinking out of his mind by taking it out of your mind. A basic principal that I train with is to encourage my horse to wait for me. If his mindset is always thinking wait, he will be less likely to make his own decision to speed up. When you slow your cues down, you project confidence and patience to your horse. This will give him confidence. Walk a moment in between each maneuver. After you do an exercise, stop, release the contact, let him think a moment, then slowly go back to it. Evaluate if he wants to step or rush off or if he’s willing to stand or walk slowly. See where he is mentally. He may need to be walked or stopped until he’s ready to focus. Also, try to soften your leg and hands as he gets more responsive. If you give more cue than he needs, it feels like a punishment to him. Only give as much cue as it takes to get the desired response. Talk softly through your hands and legs. This information is demonstrated in great detail on Dana’s Winning Strides Training DVD’s “Maximizing Your Western Pleasure Horse” Vol. 1, 2 & 3. These DVD’s include more ideas and exercises to help improve your riding skills. This set is now 25% OFF for a limited time! To learn about these training tips and more, purchase Dana Hokana’s Training DVD’s at westernhorsetrainingvideos Be your best and ride like a champion!
Posted on: Thu, 26 Sep 2013 18:32:48 +0000
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