# Training my horse to lope



## luvs2ride1979 (Nov 9, 2007)

What kind of bit are you using? My advise will differ if you're using a curb or regular snaffle (ring, no shanks).


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## Marecare (Jan 1, 2009)

I can pretty much guarantee that your horse knows how to lope.
YOU need to learn how to ask.
Riding and going for a ride are two different things.

Happy New Year!


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## luvs2ride1979 (Nov 9, 2007)

All horses know how to canter. A true lope is a slow, collected canter and takes some work by horse and rider, especially when first learning. 

A quality lope is NOT easy for the horse. The hind end is tucked, rear legs reaching, back is up and round, shoulders are elevated, neck and head are relaxed and low. Very few highly bred WP horses come born with a good lope, and even fewer "normal" stock horses are born with one.

If you only slow the canter, you end up with a horse tipped on the forehand and strung out behind, like so many of the WP hoses you see in the lower level of competition (and even some in the higher levels).


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

15 is pretty old for a horse to be and have never been taught how to lope. My best advice is to lope lots of circles and teach him to collect. If he starts to slow down to a trot, nudge just enough to keep him in a lope. If he starts to speed up, gently ask him to slow down a bit. It will take a lot of time considering his age but this should work. Good luck. Not all horses have to travel like a WP horse to have a nice lope either. No offense luvs2ride.


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## Marecare (Jan 1, 2009)

A lope is generally thought of as slower in speed than a canter or gallop.
A lope is a "natural" 3 beat slow canter,but the movement does not imply collection. lope is "generally" used to describe a western movement.

Now collection will help to lope but it is not required to lope.


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## Zab (Oct 4, 2008)

Crow was learnt to canter(kinda) by encouraging a slight canter-beat in the rack when asked for. 
But I don't think that will work for you


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## katieandduke (Apr 13, 2008)

thanks everyone..

luvs2ride1979- i ride duke in a curb(straight).. so you explained what it takes to do a lope.. but now exactly how can i teach duke to do it? thanks for your help!


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## katieandduke (Apr 13, 2008)

smrobs said:


> 15 is pretty old for a horse to be and have never been taught how to lope. My best advice is to lope lots of circles and teach him to collect. If he starts to slow down to a trot, nudge just enough to keep him in a lope. If he starts to speed up, gently ask him to slow down a bit. It will take a lot of time considering his age but this should work. Good luck. Not all horses have to travel like a WP horse to have a nice lope either. No offense luvs2ride.


 
i know duke is old.. but if you knew the horse like i did you would realize he doesnt act his age..lol... as it has been stated i know for a fact that duke has been taught to do a lope, i should have stated that if i did not.. but i am not sure how long it has been since he has done one.. i tried to do it again a day ago and he did good, he did about five strides of it but like i asked luvs2ride i am not sure how to correctly ask him to lope.. thank you for your help!


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## katieandduke (Apr 13, 2008)

Zab said:


> Crow was learnt to canter(kinda) by encouraging a slight canter-beat in the rack when asked for.
> But I don't think that will work for you


 
since i cant say thank you for your help; i'll say thank you for your opinion! haha!


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## katieandduke (Apr 13, 2008)

Marecare said:


> I can pretty much guarantee that your horse knows how to lope.
> YOU need to learn how to ask.
> Riding and going for a ride are two different things.
> 
> Happy New Year!


 
exactly.. that is what i am trying to ask! how do i ASK duke to lope? lol.. i guess i was messing everybody up.. i know duke knows how to lope but since he hasnt lope in like 3 or more years how can i get him to.. he is doing it for like 4 strides but i feel i am not asking him right...


can you explain the last statement you made... riding and going for a ride are two different things... i think i get it but just to clarify.. thanks for your help!


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I think what marecare meant is that when you "ride", you are teaching your horse things and actually doing work (if you want to call it that). When you "go for a ride", you are just riding for the pleasure and are not concerned about much else.


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## katieandduke (Apr 13, 2008)

smrobs said:


> I think what marecare meant is that when you "ride", you are teaching your horse things and actually doing work (if you want to call it that). When you "go for a ride", you are just riding for the pleasure and are not concerned about much else.


oh ok.. lol... thats what i thought but wasnt sure.. thanks for the help!


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## Marecare (Jan 1, 2009)

Hi katie,
Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to your good questions.My computer as been having trouble.

I have a 22 year old mare the had babies(someone elses) and then got EPM.
I got her about a year ago and I lope her for reconditioning and general health.
A couple of things that you need for a lope.

1.You have to make sure that the horse is picking up the correct lead(front and rear).
2.You and the horse have to be as balanced as you can be.
3.You should give correct leg cues and if the horse was trained western, a loose rein.
4.You as the rider should be familar with the concept of "Rating the horse".
5.You should have a large flat area with good footing.
6.You as the trainer should be familar with conditioning the horse for the slower lope as the mucles need to develop.
7. It always helps to have an extra set of eyes around or trainer.
8. the horses feet should be in good condition and trimmed.

I always start conditioning and straight line work before I ask the horse to make circles at the lope.
A nice long straight away where I can put the horse into some kind of canter/gallop.
Get balanced,settle into a rhythm and have your helper check for you if the front and rear legs are in sync.
You can not make the problem too complicated at first for the horse and don't expect that the horse is going to just know all the cues to slow,stop,lead change,turn.
This is called lining the horse out.
All of the other cues have to be brought into play SLOWLY.

As the horse gets more relaxed at higher speed ,you must start to feel the speed change with your weight shift.

This is a lot to think about so let me know what else I can help you with.

Thanks


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## katieandduke (Apr 13, 2008)

Marecare said:


> Hi katie,
> Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to your good questions.My computer as been having trouble.
> 
> I have a 22 year old mare the had babies(someone elses) and then got EPM.
> ...


 
um... all of it.. haha... i kind of know about leads and diagonals.. but i have forgotten.. when in a trot does the outside leg lead or the inside and when in a canter does the outside leg lead or the inside leg.. the loose rein thing i got but he can be better so we have been working on that.. i have read many things about rating the horse but what exactly does that mean? what other cues do you mean must be brought into play slowly... whenever i am cantering in a circle i sometimes do change direction and he does a flying lead change.. he sometimes misses it but usually gets it one cue.. he was injured last week and i still rode him( he only had a cut on his leg) but he was favoring it.. so i let him walk the entire time... what do you mean as the horse gets relaxed at higher speeds.. as you can tell i dont have a trainer which is why i have so many questions.. i also dont have an arena so i guess a pasture will do 
thanks for your help!


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## Marecare (Jan 1, 2009)

Katie,
If I put a 25 pound backpack on you and asked you to walk,trot and run across a field,what would happen to your balance?
Now let's put a 25 pound child that is kind of moving around a bit.
There is a difference between static weight and moving weight,but the moving weight is the hardiest to balance.
So your horse has to get his balance in a straight line first then a circle,in that order. You are trying to evenly load your horse.
Rating happens after balance is achieved.
A weight shift back and a touch of pressure on the bit as a cue and the horse should start to slow a bit.
You should have three speeds for each gear you are in.
very slow walk,walk,fast walk.
very slow trot(jog),trot,extended trot. etc.
You are looking for very even foot falls in rhythm and as you walk back over your hoof marks then look to see that they are in line.
A lot of horses have a hard time running straight.

Running in a pasture is fine.


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## toosexy4myspotz (Oct 7, 2007)

What I do with Poco is keep a little bit of pressure on my reins as well as squeezing a little. This seems to push his rear end under him and to drop the head and neck which pushes him into a lope not a canter.


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## katieandduke (Apr 13, 2008)

ok thank you both i now understand marecare,, i will try this next weekend..


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