# How To Gallop A Horse From Standstill?



## rideprosperously (Nov 19, 2015)

It's a skill for hunts and XC, but what are the aids to gallop a horse from standstill? How about from walk? I hope nobody asked this already. Thanks.

:runninghorse2:


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

LOL, you know I have never seen it as a skill, and I am totally embarrassed to say that I could not tell you what the aids are, I have always just let them down and stay with them.....especially when hunting I just went with the field:gallop:


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## saddlebred99 (Feb 19, 2015)

When on the trails or about to "race" someone, I usually stop, build lots of energy, and give my boy a strong canter signal (turning his head to the right and sliding my right leg back to tap his butt over) along with the word "canter." I usually cue him for his strongest lead. Once he picks up a canter, I give him full range of his head and neck by loosening my reins but still keeping very slight contact with his mouth so I'm still able to guide him if necessary then I squeeze and cluck until he's at the desired speed. 

**If and when you need to stop** I usually turn in big circles until he slows himself down if possible. If I don't have room to do this, I usually pull and release. If he still gives me a fit about stopping, I'll scissor his mouth.

Hope i helped


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Keep in mind for that type of riding the horse is "hot" and ready to go and knows the drill.. think of a barrel racer coming out of the chute, the horse is ready long before the rider say "go"


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

I lift the reins slightly and cue with one heel. Left if I want right lead. Right heel if I want left lead.

But there are also times that we need to jump into the middle of something, either to prevent a wreck and help a co-worker out with cattle. Or, get out in front of some cattle that have suddenly made a break for it.

I will pick up the reins, lift them, lean a bit, cue with both heels, all in less than 2 seconds for sure, and away we go! The horses always know when we really need to go as fast as possible.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

From whatever gait or a standstill, collect the energy from behind, position your body and legs for whichever lead you want, open your fingers and let the energy out the front.


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## rideprosperously (Nov 19, 2015)

*Thank you very much, everyone!*

Thank you very much for your contributions. Most of the horses I ride are cold, not hot; I still haven't figured out how to make them do it on the trails.

:cowboy::runninghorse2:


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

The horse needs to be fit and responsive before you can do it
From there its really about using the same technique that you'd use to create elevation - collection - the horse has to be like a coiled spring between your hand and leg. The legs and seat create energy (rear end of the spring) but you contain it with your hands (front end of the spring) and when you let it all go the horse goes forwards at speed into gallop rather than elevated as in piaffe or the more refined forward collected paces


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

Horses must be taught to run. People like myself that work cattle and sometimes have to move really fast, usually teach a horse to run at some point in training once we have good control. Many show horses, trail horses and recreational riding horse are never taught to run. It is not unusual for people to take race-bred saddle horses and try to make barrel horses out of them. If they did not go to the track or someone did not teach them to run at some point, some never learn to run full out and are complete failures as barrel horses or even roping horses. 

When I teach a horse to run, it is not from a stand-still. That always comes later. I first teach one to run from a gallop. I lean forward, boot it hard with both legs and smooch. If it does not move out fast, I will reach back and spank it hard on the butt with the ends of the reins. I have always found it most important that they learn to come back immediately to a slow lope and stay under complete control when I want them to. Speed goes to some horse's head very quickly. One hard run and you spend the next 10 rides getting the horse back to relaxed and slow.

When a horse runs from a gallop, it does not take long for it to learn to run from a slower gait or a stand-still. I just use the same aids -- lift my hands, move forward, put a lot of leg into it and smooch.


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

It is educational for me to see questions like this. I would never have thought of "what aids to use" to cue for a gallop, since the horses I've ridden for the past couple of decades do not need cues to gallop. They need cues to not gallop. :wink:

For awhile I rode with a group of riders and our protocol was that someone would say "Ready?" before letting their horse gallop. The horses got to where if they heard the "R" sound in ready, they'd bolt off. We'd call it the "launch," and prided ourselves on which horses had the best launch, or the fastest take off. 

Of course, having good horsemanship, no one would say "ready," unless they had a pretty good idea that we were in a good gallop spot and that all the horses were lined up fairly well for a run. All the riders were experienced and wanted to gallop. The horses also were expecting to hear that word when they knew we were approaching one of the spots where it was safe to run. It's conditioning, just like how barrel horses know and anticipate that they will be doing a pattern shortly.


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## rideprosperously (Nov 19, 2015)

Cherie said:


> Horses must be taught to run. People like myself that work cattle and sometimes have to move really fast, usually teach a horse to run at some point in training once we have good control. Many show horses, trail horses and recreational riding horse are never taught to run. It is not unusual for people to take race-bred saddle horses and try to make barrel horses out of them. If they did not go to the track or someone did not teach them to run at some point, some never learn to run full out and are complete failures as barrel horses or even roping horses.
> 
> When I teach a horse to run, it is not from a stand-still. That always comes later. I first teach one to run from a gallop. I lean forward, boot it hard with both legs and smooch. If it does not move out fast, I will reach back and spank it hard on the butt with the ends of the reins. I have always found it most important that they learn to come back immediately to a slow lope and stay under complete control when I want them to. Speed goes to some horse's head very quickly. One hard run and you spend the next 10 rides getting the horse back to relaxed and slow.
> 
> When a horse runs from a gallop, it does not take long for it to learn to run from a slower gait or a stand-still. I just use the same aids -- lift my hands, move forward, put a lot of leg into it and smooch.


The only way I can currently get a horse to gallop is upper transition from canter.


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## Boo Walker (Jul 25, 2012)

It takes a lot of muscle for the horse to do this. I build it into my arena work in both up and down transitions. Halt to walk, halt to trot, halt to canter, back down, mix it up, etc. If your horse is in fairly good condition but still hesitant to go right into that canter you can start from a halt at one end of the arena, use your slight forward body cue ("get ready, we're going to move out!"), lift your reins and give a cluck, bump with your legs, or a pop with the reins or crop- all depending on what your horse needs. Get a good gallop down the arena, halt, turn and let him settle a moment then do it again. Once your horse gets the hang of what those cues mean, you will be able to use fewer cues. 
It is a skill so you may not get it done in a day but it's really worthwhile for developing an energetic response and also closing back down at the halt without dancing around.
Once the skill is learned, you can use it in your transitions -good luck!


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Cherie said:


> When I teach a horse to run, it is not from a stand-still. That always comes later. I first teach one to run from a gallop. ........
> 
> When a horse runs from a gallop, it does not take long for it to learn to run from a slower gait or a stand-still. I just use the same aids -- lift my hands, move forward, put a lot of leg into it and smooch.



Sorry I'm not understanding this, a gallop is as fast as you can go, so what is a run?


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

A gallop is that speed in between a canter/lope and a full out run. In race horse terms, a gallop is what horses do almost every day. It is usually defined as a speed between a canter and a '2 minute mile'. It is the speed that horses are legged up at and gotten fit enough to run. 

When you go faster than a 2 minute mile but not full out race speed, you are 'breezing' a horse. 'Working' a race horse is practicing full racing speed. Horses have to put out a lot of effort to actually run. Some never get into running and never make good roping or barrel horses much less race horses. They never get past a gallop.

In show horse terms (rail and English classes) it is a 'hand gallop'. This means it is faster than a canter but under control or 'in hand' and not wide open speed. The rider either leans forward or stands in the stirrups in 
2 point'. In western classes, it would be the fast circles in a reining or reined cowhorse dry pattern. It would be considerably faster than a lope but certainly not full out running.

If a horse will not go faster than a good gallop, you can try smooching and using an 'over and under' spanking action. If that does not get more speed, the horse is just not inclined to run. Gallop is all you are going to get.

The reason you 'smooch' at the same time is so that once the horse has learned to associate the smooch and leaning forward with the spanking and request for more speed, you can eliminate the spanking before the horse learns to resent it.


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## klstarrs (Dec 8, 2015)

#in uk we play pony games wich is similar to barrel racimg events as well as doing xc and racing... All are trained differently!

If you want gallop but controlled, start with transitions.. halt to walk.. walk to trot etc. then try halt to trot, halt to canter and the reverse!!! When you want gallop the horse needs to be warmed up or already be a hot head (which you don't want) but leg and voice for transitions plus some time and effort will help you achieve halt gallop in a safe controlled way without having to push them into it.. voice aids training can work wonders! When you can do halt to canter then you want to work on light/hunter seat/2-point so horse knows you really mean forward and not collected but please take your time learning and teaching your horse, rush things and you're going to have a problem! x


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Cherie said:


> A gallop is that speed in between a canter/lope and a full out run. In race horse terms, a gallop is what horses do almost every day. It is usually defined as a speed between a canter and a '2 minute mile'. It is the speed that horses are legged up at and gotten fit enough to run.


Well that is a new one on me, nearly 60 years old and I never knew that there was a pace above gallop, never ever ever heard or read it before now.


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## klstarrs (Dec 8, 2015)

Golden Horse said:


> Sorry I'm not understanding this, a gallop is as fast as you can go, so what is a run?



I've never been on a horse that runs either!

nearest to that I know it the trot but most horses I know walk, trot, canter and gallop with steps being 4 time, 2 time, 3 time and four time in that order, only difference I found was the 4 time loape? and El fino's? weird marching 4 time walk/trot thing.

I must admit I've been on a few badly schooled/green horses that almost run into trot from canter due to bad balanced and ability but don't think this is the same thing??? 
lol:runninghorse2: canter (running horse! lol) :gallop: (gallop!)


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

If you ever rode a horse that actually ran, you would know the difference. You can barely open your eyes; Your butt hits the back of the saddle like he was standing still before; It is like riding a motorcycle at 40+ miles per hour that is on a rough dirt road and not a highway. Quarter Horses are running over 50 MPH at the finish line of a 1/4 mile race. A horse at a gallop is usually not going more than 18 to 20 MPH. It is like 2nd or 3rd gear in a 4 speed transmission.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

We are going to have to disagree on that one I think. TB's have galloped at 30 + miles an hour in the track for years
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

Yes, but that is a trained race horse on a flat surface. A '2 minute mile' is exactly 30 MPH and that is the dividing line in TBs. Slower than that is a 'gallop' (usually about 25 MPH) and a 2 minute mile or faster is a 'breeze'. If an exercise boy wants to get chewed out by a trainer, just let him do a 2 minute mile when he was only supposed to be galloping a horse. 

Horses in a reining pattern or 'hand gallop' at a show (the kind of horses people here are riding) are doing good to go 20 MPH. They are more likely to be going 17 or 18 MPH. 

Maybe someone here can tell us how fast Xcountry horses are going in a point to point or between fences making up time on a Xcountry course. I doubt they are going faster than 25 MPH.

The whole thing is that there is a HUGE difference between a gallop and a run.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

ANYBODY who has trained their horse to race around doing Any sport, doesn't think much about the cues. I could ask "Corporal" (Arabian, 1982-2009, RIP) to tear out, and all I'd do is lean forward, give him his head, and cue and OFF we'd go. We did YEEEAAAARRRRRSSS of CW Reenacting with the two of us delivering messages and that's how we did it. At one event, I was breaking in an OTTB for my DH, so HE rode Corporal. He just giggled, because MY horse, Corporal, was point and go. He knew his job and he'd gallop to the commander that you pointed him to and then slide stop when he'd get there.
I'm sure that barrel racers would do the same thing for you.
Once we were just walking cool and riding on a rural dirt road next to a corn field in Indiana, and realized that we had gone something like one mile out, what with our talking and such. I was on Corporal, DH was on our OTTB and my DD was on our Appendix (racing) QH, "Ro Go Bar." We decided to race back to camp. Ro Go Bar kept with us for awhile and then faded. Corporal and "Prime Time" were neck and neck, until the TB gears kicked in, and then he pulled ahead, and gained more distance and more, and then...we ran out of road.
It was similar to this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMqS9ad-1xM
A TB has no ability to run full tilt the first stride out and cannot quickly stop, either. Remember this, if you buy one, because your TB isn't being difficult, he just can't do it.
A QH has shorter legs and is a sprinter, super fast, first stride and last stride.
You don't want to "train" your horse to do this. A green horse will just get heady and you'll have NO brakes! It just comes with many, many years of working with your horse.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Golden Horse said:


> Well that is a new one on me, nearly 60 years old and I never knew that there was a pace above gallop, never ever ever heard or read it before now.


It's not a separate gait persay.

I was watching my friend gallop around the field having fun on her OTTB. All of a sudden she really let her go and let me tell you, that mare made that gallop she had been doing look like moving in place. It was incredible to watch. When she finished I commented how her inner racehorse came out and how you really could see it  It's that "whole new gear" Cherie is referring to, not a different gait, some horses have it some don't. Also similar to a racehorse that is running "flat out" but is still able to put in the sudden burst of speed at the end.

So think "gear" not "gait".


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Cherie said:


> If you ever rode a horse that actually ran, you would know the difference.


Hey thanks for assuming I haven't...

I was raised not that far from Newmarket in the UK, and TB's both from the track and not, were at every yard, so I have ridden many horses at the gallop...



Yogiwick said:


> It's not a separate gait persay.
> 
> I was watching my friend gallop around the field having fun on her OTTB. All of a sudden she really let her go and let me tell you, that mare made that gallop she had been doing look like moving in place. It was incredible to watch. When she finished I commented how her inner racehorse came out and how you really could see it  It's that "whole new gear" Cherie is referring to, not a different gait, some horses have it some don't. Also similar to a racehorse that is running "flat out" but is still able to put in the sudden burst of speed at the end.
> 
> So think "gear" not "gait".


LOL, an extra gear I do get, but it is still a gallop, but that moment when they hit that 'good' gallop is just something else, completely different to the bone shaking gait that is a TB bolting with you, no idea of relative speeds, but a 'top gear' gallop is indeed something else, but it is still a 4 beat gait, and a gallop, same as a canter is a canter be it, collected, extended, working, or any other form.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Yes, that is my understanding of what Cherie was saying, that "extra gear" and not an "extra gait faster than a gallop". It is definitely defined and can clearly be seen as different but is still a 4 beat "gallop", correct?

I think Cherie just said "run" vs "gallop" to help give a perspective of the different speeds, as you say there are plenty of different canters out there!


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

With some horses, the run is the same gait as the gallop. 
However, some horses actually do what is called a "rotary" gallop. The rotary gallop is faster, and the legs move in a different sequence. 
Some horses like Secretariat could also do a double suspension gallop (it would be very interesting to know what it felt like to ride that). Horses that are athletic enough can apparently do a double suspension in either the transverse or the rotary gallop.

Although I've not had anyone video this in slow motion, I believe I've ridden a couple of horses that did a rotary gallop. You can normally feel when the three beat canter changes to the faster, four beat gallop. It is still possible to sit a gallop pretty well with minimal or no rise off the horse's back. 

When horses find another "gear," many times it feels like you are stretching out more or lowering more as you go faster, but the motion is essentially the same. However, on some horses you suddenly feel like you're going around a washing machine and you have to get completely off the horse's back or it feels like you'll get tossed out of the action. From what I've read, this is what the rotary gallop feels like.

It is understandable that in the Thoroughbred world the types of gallop or run are rated by speed. However, I feel this is relative, and a smaller horse such as an Arabian might be changing gears at different speeds, but still you could say they were doing their version of a gallop, or a run. A small horse might be hitting their top speed and using their body to its full extent, but the MPH might be different than a Thoroughbred's. 

Also in my personal experience, some sprinter type stock horses have less gears than many Thoroughbreds or even athletic Arabians do. I'm not talking about trained speeds within a gait, but about the ability to go up through speeds at the gallop instead of only having a "fast twitch" all out muscle response.


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## rideprosperously (Nov 19, 2015)

Boo Walker said:


> It takes a lot of muscle for the horse to do this. I build it into my arena work in both up and down transitions. Halt to walk, halt to trot, halt to canter, back down, mix it up, etc. If your horse is in fairly good condition but still hesitant to go right into that canter you can start from a halt at one end of the arena, use your slight forward body cue ("get ready, we're going to move out!"), lift your reins and give a cluck, bump with your legs, or a pop with the reins or crop- all depending on what your horse needs. Get a good gallop down the arena, halt, turn and let him settle a moment then do it again. Once your horse gets the hang of what those cues mean, you will be able to use fewer cues.
> It is a skill so you may not get it done in a day but it's really worthwhile for developing an energetic response and also closing back down at the halt without dancing around.
> Once the skill is learned, you can use it in your transitions -good luck!


Is halt to canter just applying canter aids when the horse is standing still? Or is there some prerequisite? Thanks.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

OP the key is really the feeling as much as the cue. Think of a beginner trying to trot. They aren't really sure and are thinking walk, their body is saying walk, but they are obediently tapping with their legs as the instructor said. Think the horse will trot?

If you want "go" you need that energy of "run!". The energy is the most critical part. On my horses I really just think "ok trot" and they know me so well that they pick up on all those tiny things and it almost feels like they are reading my mind. On a horse I don't know as well it's still more about "thinking" than a cue, though I may give a light squeeze. It's really only a very dull school type horse that will need me to really encourage it.

So for run, you need that x100.

Here's a random youtube video, just watched the start as it shows it perfectly:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l_Cb7aRopc

While the horse clearly isn't running yet the horse is clearly ready to run!! Having a horse jig a little getting ready is ok in this situation, you really need that energy. Think walk, slow, strolling along, then bolt full speed, it's much more of a mental transition than a physical one.

If your horse is lazy you need to get them excited about it. It will be more difficult than a naturally forward horse.

Now the disclaimer that this can be dangerous and is something that needs to be thought of as training as it's easy for a horse to get carried away. For a lazy horse they may just not want to do it and I think that is just fine. It's not something I would focus on.

If I were to teach a horse to "go" from a slower cue I would probably just go out on the trail pick a spot and have him canter from whatever gait is easiest for him at that same spot. I would encourage him to go fast once he's cantering. Repeat. He will start to just pick up a fast canter and then when he is jumping into a canter with minimal cues I would start asking him from slower gaits. walk *energy think run, get him ready* then cues to run. Once he has that I would do it at different areas. I would also make a point of NOT running in that specific area to show that it is only when cued.

With any training, ESPECIALLY with something dangerous or that may sometimes be undesired it is VERY important to reinforce that the animal is to ONLY do it on cue.

I had a large well trained dog who knew not to jump and NEVER jumped and had the trainer come out to give him his CGC test. Well I was teaching him to jump on cue and while I had "jump" down he hadn't quite figured it was only on cue yet. Trainer came out and he flattened her. I was so embarrased "he IS well trained I promised you must think he's a nut case!!" lol.

The worst thing would be to have a horse just taking off on the trails or so hyped up you can't just walk when you want to. On a horse that is already prone to being like that I would make a point NOT to do it. On a super lazy horse that just doesn't have it in them I would also not do it. I would do it with a well trained/behaved/responsive eager to please horse.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

I've had two horses that would step from the walk into canter. They have to built momentum in order to gallop. Both horses were relaxed when asked to do this. I gave a small signal to the bit which the horses recognized as a change of pace. At touch with one rein to the lip then one leg on lightly and momentarily and voila. Horses do have to be trained to be responsive when you ask, not when they feel like it.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

rideprosperously said:


> Thank you very much for your contributions. Most of the horses I ride are cold, not hot; I still haven't figured out how to make them do it on the trails.


A horse does not need to be "hot" to be able to lope from a standstill or a walk. 

A good example is a western pleasure horse. They routinely make such a transition, and they are anything but "hot". Granted, they aren't going as fast as you would for hunts or cross country, but the principle is the same. 

You need good training on your horse, good response to your aids, and you need the horse to be collected. 

When my own horses, I have very specific cues that I give them, based on what we are doing. 

To ask for a walk, I squeeze gently with my calves. 
To trot, I squeeze with my calves (more than I do to the walk) and I also give a "cluck" sound verbally. 
To lope, I cue with one leg (slightly back) based on which lead I am asking for, and I give a "kiss" sound verbally. 

I can ask for these things from any other gait (moving up to a faster one, that is). If I am asking for a lope from a standstill, I may use more body energy than I do if I ask for it from a trot. But the cues are the same. 

I'm consistent and so my horses know what I want when I ask for something.

I am also a barrel racer and the cues for my horse to start running is NOTHING the same compared to "regular riding". My horse knows his job and he knows what is expected of him. I don't have to cue him for the lope or a lead, because he's trained to know his job. So it's different. ;-)


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## rideprosperously (Nov 19, 2015)

Saddlebag said:


> I've had two horses that would step from the walk into canter. They have to built momentum in order to gallop. Both horses were relaxed when asked to do this. I gave a small signal to the bit which the horses recognized as a change of pace. At touch with one rein to the lip then one leg on lightly and momentarily and voila. Horses do have to be trained to be responsive when you ask, not when they feel like it.


I have done walk to canter on lazy horses before. I find it hard to get on a hot horse basically because "there's a conspiracy against me riding them" LOL


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## rideprosperously (Nov 19, 2015)

beau159 said:


> A horse does not need to be "hot" to be able to lope from a standstill or a walk.
> 
> A good example is a western pleasure horse. They routinely make such a transition, and they are anything but "hot". Granted, they aren't going as fast as you would for hunts or cross country, but the principle is the same.
> 
> ...


Don't barrel horses go on auto-pilot? All you have to do is stay on? That's what I heard, I watched that even the rider lost her reins the horse went from start to finish by himself.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

rideprosperously said:


> Don't barrel horses go on auto-pilot? All you have to do is stay on? That's what I heard, I watched that even the rider lost her reins the horse went from start to finish by himself.


:icon_rolleyes::icon_rolleyes:

Far from it. 

While there are horses that are easier to ride than others, it's certainly not auto-pilot. 

I find my horse Red to be particularly challenging to ride. He's very, very broke and that become a double edged sword. I am able to adjust his body position in the middle of a high-speed turn if I need to, but that also means if my timing is off by a fraction of a second, he's going to listen to me and do what I ask. 

Some barrel horses are free runners and need reminding to turn, and other horses are ratey and need pushing up into the turn. And yet others can be a combination. You certainly don't ride every horse the same.

The good riders make it appear like all they are doing is sitting there. But of course, they aren't. Yes, the horse knows which barrel it is going to go to next because they've memorized it and learned it, but it takes a lot of effort from the rider to make a WINNING run on a barrel horse. 

Same goes with a good dressage rider. Looks like they aren't doing a thing. When of course, they are sending tons of signals to their horse.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

rideprosperously said:


> I have done walk to canter on lazy horses before. I find it hard to get on a hot horse basically because "there's a conspiracy against me riding them" LOL


I don't really get that but for the first part if you have done it why do you ask? lol.

Start with the walk to canter than add the "oomph" for "running".


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