# Teaching an impatient horse, patience.



## touchofsleep (Mar 9, 2011)

I am starting to believe that my trainer never really covered the basics and just jumped right in to western pleasure training. Now that I have him home and i'm riding him everyday, I have noticed a big issue with patience. He is only 3 so of course I am putting that in to consideration, but I definitely need to tips on working on his patience and just relaxing. As soon as we start riding he is okay, but once I get him running its like he can't go back to walking. He constantly breaks out into a jog and I have to ask him with voice and cues to come back to a walk. As soon as I release he breaks right back in to a jog. Today I had him walk and eveytime he start to jog I would WHOA and sit for about 10 longggg seconds and then ask again. He did catch on, but I want some different tips. I've tried different bits, and i've also went back to the round pen. I've also lunged him till he was very tired. Still doesn't change anything.

Help! Thanks


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

Well, teaching a young horse patience takes....patience. Just keep showing him what you want and eventually he'll get it.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Darrin said:


> Well, teaching a young horse patience takes....patience. Just keep showing him what you want and eventually he'll get it.


 
Seems to make sense. Do you have any concrete steps for her to take? I mean any so-called "tricks".? better to say training techniques ? I know I've heard some people will do a lot of tying and making a horse wait tied for long periods of time. I don't have any such personal experience to offer, tho.


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## x Bustie and Alli x (Jan 15, 2011)

When riding and hes come back to walk make him walk for 5 strides then ask him forwards again. Then back to walk and hold it for 6 strides, eventually he'll work out that if he waits for you to let him forward it will be much easier and nicer cz you'r not asking him to come back to walk all the tim when he does trot


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

How about everytime he breaks into a jog you circle him until he walks? Then go out and start him over. He will eventually connect jogging when you don't want him to becomes more work.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

I found that mine were much more patient under saddle after they learned patience alone. 

No, I do not leave my horses tied in their stalls for hours and hours and hours. I did start tying them alone in their stalls when I got tired of herd bound issues and my pony being way too impatient.

Worked amazing. 

Started with a short time. Eventually worked up to slightly less than an hour. 

Best thing I ever did.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Alwaysbehind said:


> I found that mine were much more patient under saddle after they learned patience alone.
> 
> 
> Started with a short time. Eventually worked up to slightly less than an hour.


Yes and Yes. I have a saying with my horses "Patience is a virtue" when they start fussing. It's as much to settle MY nerves as it is to settle them.

touchofsleep - many trainers that teach a specific discipline expect the basics will be there. However, as a trainer riding multiple horses, they know exactly when to push and when to hold. How did your horse do at the trainers?


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## touchofsleep (Mar 9, 2011)

mls said:


> Yes and Yes. I have a saying with my horses "Patience is a virtue" when they start fussing. It's as much to settle MY nerves as it is to settle them.
> 
> touchofsleep - many trainers that teach a specific discipline expect the basics will be there. However, as a trainer riding multiple horses, they know exactly when to push and when to hold. How did your horse do at the trainers?


 I ALWAYS say "patience is a virtue" to Riley lol. He did okay with the trainer. The jigging and patience was still the biggest issue before I took him home. We never really worked on that though when I would come to train. It would just be wp practice. So I don't really know what to do with it since I have no clue what she was doing to him to work on his patience... I will try what you guys have said so far. I just don't like fighting with him. It's so hot and it gets very aggravating.


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## touchofsleep (Mar 9, 2011)

mbender said:


> How about everytime he breaks into a jog you circle him until he walks? Then go out and start him over. He will eventually connect jogging when you don't want him to becomes more work.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


 How big should I make the circles? Are you talking nose to knee or just normal wide circles?


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

Not nose to knee but just quick circles kind of tight. Both ways.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## touchofsleep (Mar 9, 2011)

mbender said:


> Not nose to knee but just quick circles kind of tight. Both ways.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


 Okay perfect. Easy enough thanks i'll try this


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

Not nose to knee but just quick circles kind of tight. Both ways. But make him trot. Work is what your looking for. If he wants to trot then make it your decision to make him trot. But those tight circles will be more of a distraction and get his attention on you and he will associate his jogging with a negative response he won't want. Work. If he realizes that every time you let him relax and walk he may quit wanting to jog so much knowing it makes him work harder. I hope that made sense. Tried to type what's in my head.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

mbender said:


> Not nose to knee but just quick circles kind of tight. Both ways. But make him trot. Work is what your looking for. If he wants to trot then make it your decision to make him trot. But those tight circles will be more of a distraction and get his attention on you and he will associate his jogging with a negative response he won't want. Work. If he realizes that every time you let him relax and walk he may quit wanting to jog so much knowing it makes him work harder. I hope that made sense. Tried to type what's in my head.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I read an article from John Lyons and the money quote has stuck with me. Use their lungs against them, pretty soon they figure out it's easier to do what you want rather then do what they wanted.


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## touchofsleep (Mar 9, 2011)

mbender said:


> Not nose to knee but just quick circles kind of tight. Both ways. But make him trot. Work is what your looking for. If he wants to trot then make it your decision to make him trot. But those tight circles will be more of a distraction and get his attention on you and he will associate his jogging with a negative response he won't want. Work. If he realizes that every time you let him relax and walk he may quit wanting to jog so much knowing it makes him work harder. I hope that made sense. Tried to type what's in my head.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


 If he tries to break, should I continue to make him trot or stop the circles as soon as he breaks to show him I just wanted him to walk?


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Keep in mind that a green horse that does not have a good sense of balance might actually get more frustrated by doing small circles.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

touchofsleep said:


> If he tries to break, should I continue to make him trot or stop the circles as soon as he breaks to show him I just wanted him to walk?


A more structured approach would be to set cones up on the inside of your track. Think rail on outside and cones on the inside. As you are walking/trotting down the rail, use the cone as a focal point for you. When you come to the cone, circle in at the same gait around the cone and then back onto the rail. 

The cones will help you focus on the bend. Pick up your inside rein, push with your outside leg and bend him around your inside leg.

We frequently use this method with chargy horses. When they THINK they know the plan, we switch it up and skip a cone or cross the arena to another cone.

Basically you need to keep him busy and thinking. If they are not sure what the next move will be, they tend to start waiting for the cue instead of making it up as they go along.

I think too much forward is an easier problem to fix than not enough go!


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## Doe (Jun 21, 2011)

I don't consider this impatience.
There are several likely triggers for this behaviour;

1) the horse has been trained recently in WP. Many trainers get onto their horses and train them in the same things constantly as they are obsessed with the quality of the lope. As such your horse may well simply not be considering any other option for what you are asking.

2) the horse is anticpating - they do that a lot as they are very co-operative creatures by nature.

3) balance - it's a young horse

4) nervousness/insecurity.

I'm not a fan of working the horse to settle it. If you want him to lope easily and nicely then making him associate that as work will go against you later. Also it's adding further confusion to the signals if later you want to focus on impulsion again. (unless you are a very precise and exceptionally well seated rider)

Ive worked with some reining horses for example that have never been allowed to trot. To try and teach them to trot in the arena is harder because their association is only the lope but at varying speeds. If find it easiest to ask away from the arena for example on a trail ride ,then they pick it up more easily because they figure it's not 'work' and they won't get jumped on for doing the wrong thing. This is the issue with very negative or drill based training. The horse doesn't feel able or confident to do anything other than he's been drilled to. A push button horse is fine when that's all you want, but in turn creates problems when and if you want anything else.


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