# My horse's trot is too fast. I've tried everything.



## LoveIsTheAnswer (May 27, 2012)

Can anyone help me?


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## Clava (Nov 9, 2010)

If you are riding English, then the best thing is to slow your rise with a strong seat and the horse will fall in line with your rhythm.


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## LoveIsTheAnswer (May 27, 2012)

Clava said:


> If you are riding English, then the best thing is to slow your rise with a strong seat and the horse will fall in line with your rhythm.


I have done that alot. She either 1) Keeps trotting fast. 2) Her forehand is trotting but her hind is walking.
She is wayyyy slower in her hind.


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## ChristineNJ (Jan 23, 2010)

I don't think a horse can be trotting up front & walking behind! LOL LOL


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## Clava (Nov 9, 2010)

LoveIsTheAnswer said:


> I have done that alot. She either 1) Keeps trotting fast. 2) Her forehand is trotting but her hind is walking.
> She is wayyyy slower in her hind.


 
Sounds very odd and not something the horse could do fast. Got any video?


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## LoveIsTheAnswer (May 27, 2012)

ChristineNJ said:


> I don't think a horse can be trotting up front & walking behind! LOL LOL


Well, something like that. That's how my instructor described it.


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## EdmontonHorseGal (Jun 2, 2013)

sounds like she is not using her hind end like she should be, and is 'pulling' herself with her forehand instead of using impulsion from her hind end to get and keep herself going.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

I suggest either talking in depth with your instructor, or posting a video or at least a picture. Maybe I'm dense, but I cannot visualize a horse moving as described.

As a general rule, if the horse is trotting too fast, I'd either start a turn, tighten the turn, or bring them to a stop. There are some other options, but it is hard for me to understand the problem.


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## amberly (Dec 16, 2012)

If he does too fast, slightly pull back on the reins. Don'r yank his face, just slowly apply more and more pressure until he reaches the speed you want. That is what I do with my horse and it seems to work pretty well.
My horse has like, 16 different speeds of trot. haha!!


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

sounds like you got a gaited horse trying to foxtrot. Used to get that same description from endurance ride vet, hes trottong up front and gaiting in back and looking all wonky,


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## QuietHeartHorses (Jul 31, 2012)

Oh lord, I thought I was the only one! My horse loves going fast, once I ask him to trot, he goes all out. I can get him to slow down by slowing my rise when I post (like Clava said), or by talking to him in a calm voice, asking him to take it easy or slow down. It just takes practice to keep it under control. Try shortening your rein, too. You don't need to be in your horse's mouth, but just keep gentle control of her head. That way, when she gets too frisky, you can just apply a tiny amount of pressure and she will get it right away instead of being on a longer rein, pulling back, and getting in her mouth.

Best of luck!


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

Video.

Honestly the best thing to do would be to work on it on the lungeline. Sometimes you think you're slowing your seat but really you're being thrown around up there.

Allow her to trot only if it's a nice rhythm. If it gets too fast, shorten the lungeline to make a smaller circle. Once she's fine again give her more line.

Remember that horses do not speak English. They learn from consistency. If you are allowing her to trot like a loon, she thinks that is acceptable.

Adding poles a stride apart will help her to learn to balance herself. Start at a walk, work up to a trot. 

Remember, a nice big circle (lot of line that IS NOT dragging no the ground) when she gets it right. When she is too fast, shorten the line till she slow down, then feed it out again.

Assigning vocal cues to speed up (cluck) or slow down (easy) will help to make it easier for her to tell what you are looking for.

~~~

Now if you aren't interested in lunging, you can apply the same principal under saddle. Start with a large circle and slowly spiral to a smaller circle. If she slows down, make the circle bigger. You can also do this with serpentines (making them tighter when she is too fast, versus wider and more loopy when she is at a good rate. You can also do this with figure eights. 

Be sure it is not just your hands riding her, but more your seat and leg. Tighten your core to restrict movement as you sit deep to add resistance.. don't just yank back on the reins (a huge no no anyway)

Change it up. Don't just drill circles, or she won't learn anything.


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

Also best to keep in mind that the pressure you use to cue with may just be too much. You might be asking for a BIG trot, so she delivers. What happens when you lightly close your legs, like a whisper?


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## RezaluteSupreme (Jun 15, 2013)

My horse is way to fast at a trot, so there's no way that I can post; every time I try posting she changes her speed. Eventually I realized that she always felt that she was being rushed and I wanted her to get somewhere really fast, so I simly worked with her on the lounge line. It all worked out in the end


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