# help with loping



## Tasia (Aug 17, 2009)

Ok so I have a new riding teacher as of 6 weeks ago the improvements in his walk, jog, circles, and spins are spectacular . But some thing is off his lope he bobs his head and every stride feels like he is jumping into a hole of death and its so uncomfortable. I try keeping him round but he just jams aqainst my hands. I do lots of bending and practice of moving off my leg. I dont know whats wrong his lope has always been like this for awhile and I can stand it! What can I do?
Thank you
tasia
I might be able to get a video


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## Gidji (Dec 19, 2008)

A friend of mine had a horse who's lope was more of a canter. Slowly she tried collecting it into more of a lope. But her head was always bobbing and her stride was off.
I was told that it was because the horse was not used to the slower pace and was tried to balance. After a while, Lacey got used to it and her head no longer bobs and she lopes at a pleasure pace.
I'm not too sure if thats what your horse is doing, but that would be my guess. A video might be helpful


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## PechosGoldenChance (Aug 23, 2009)

I would probably say that it is a collecting issue, but I'm not sure. To get him collected, don't do the technique where you drive the hind end and hold back the front end because in the short run it works great, but in the long run, it will make your horse sour. Instead, walk him a few steps, and turn him 180 degrees (in the opposite direction) and walk a few steps and repeat the 180 degree turn. Do this at the walk, trot and lope. Bobbing the head is always a sign of being uncollected. But just incase, if I were you, I would rule out any health problems first, because that could also be the cause such as arthritis and what not. I hope this helps.


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

Is he actually loping? 

Im not sure what discipline you do, but I've rode the really slow WP type lopes that end up being tropes...They always felt like I was falling into a hole. 
It's a long shot, but thats what your post reminded me of.


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## Tasia (Aug 17, 2009)

Well I rein and do WP but I just want a collected lope. I don't think it is anything health wise but I will see next time.


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## PechosGoldenChance (Aug 23, 2009)

Try out the method I posted above. Thats the right way to get a horse collected.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Gidji said:


> A friend of mine had a horse who's lope was more of a canter.


A lope is western, a canter is english.

For reining patterns it's slow lope or fast lope.

The leaping sounds like he is not getting his correct lead behind.


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

mls said:


> A lope is western, a canter is english.
> 
> For reining patterns it's slow lope or fast lope.
> 
> The leaping sounds like he is not getting his correct lead behind.


 

Not really. A lope is very different than a canter. My horse canters, and it is no lope, I can assure you. It is not just a western/english difference in terminology like......chestnut and sorrel.

I would guess that your horse is heavy on the forehand and the bobbing head is his way of trying to pull up and lighten his forehand. A collection problem.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Allison Finch said:


> Not really. A lope is very different than a canter. My horse canters, and it is no lope, I can assure you. It is not just a western/english difference in terminology like......chestnut and sorrel.
> 
> I would guess that your horse is heavy on the forehand and the bobbing head is his way of trying to pull up and lighten his forehand. A collection problem.


Check the reining patterns.


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

mls said:


> Check the reining patterns.


?????


English horses don't have "reining patterns", nor do they "lope".

I am trying to point out that lope/canter are not interchangeable, that's all.


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## 5cuetrain (Dec 11, 2009)

Trope!!! Nice. Huge controversy in Western. Most judges miss it or overlook it. To get a nice slow lope--not trope--the horse has to be fit as a top and be collected for sure. One of the most physically demanding gaits in the biz-if it is correct.

Thats where the money is--both in winning and in trainin. If you want one prepare to spend some dollars.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

Allison Finch said:


> Not really. A lope is very different than a canter. My horse canters, and it is no lope, I can assure you. It is not just a western/english difference in terminology like......chestnut and sorrel.
> 
> .


Yes it is.


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## GottaRide (Dec 10, 2007)

To the OP...your horse is falling heavy on his forehand. When he is loping correctly, you should feel like you are almost being propelled out of the saddle by his hind end. Your trainer hopefully should see when the horse is on the forehand and have some advice to get him to lift his shoulders and shift his weight back to the hind end. For me, when I ride a horse like this, I imagine that my reins are connected to the horse's shoulders & I will lift my reins above the withers while encouraging the horse to move more forward with my legs. It's not necessarily an increase in speed I'm after, but an increase in energy. If done correctly & consistently, this will prevent your horse from falling on his forehand.


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## Tasia (Aug 17, 2009)

Ok I he is on the correct lead the problem is that he doesnt have the muscles to keep himself off the forehand. And no he doesnt "trope I have one many classes because he doesnt do that like some WP horses. And I will try the collection exercises from the above posts.


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## onetoomany (Dec 10, 2008)

Allison Finch said:


> Not really. A lope is very different than a canter. My horse canters, and it is no lope, I can assure you. It is not just a western/english difference in terminology like......chestnut and sorrel.


Last I checked a canter and a lope have the same footfall patterns...


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## FireFlies (Jul 26, 2009)

I always thought a lope was a slow collected canter. I never looked it up or anything but watching--what I thought--someone lope and canter, that's what it looked like to me.


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## jesredneck98 (Dec 11, 2009)

I would say that it doesn't sound like a health issue but you may want to do a quick over view and make sure that nothing is wrong. Sometimes the smallest things can throw something off without you even knowing. But like everyone else has said it does sound like a collecting issue. He may be a bite upset with you trying to slow him down, and he might just be trying your patience. I would just re work him with his head set in a walk and trot and kinda start over and make sure that he knows when you ask you mean now not later.


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

kevinshorses said:


> Yes it is.




From the Merriam Webster dictionary;


Main Entry: 1lope 
Pronunciation: \ˈlōp\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English loup, lope leap, probably from Old Norse hlaup; akin to Old English hlēapan to leap — more at leap
Date: 1809
1 : an easy natural gait of a horse *resembling* a canter
2 : an easy usually bounding gait capable of being sustained for a long time


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## Tasia (Aug 17, 2009)

jesredneck98 said:


> I would say that it doesn't sound like a health issue but you may want to do a quick over view and make sure that nothing is wrong. Sometimes the smallest things can throw something off without you even knowing. But like everyone else has said it does sound like a collecting issue. He may be a bite upset with you trying to slow him down, and he might just be trying your patience. I would just re work him with his head set in a walk and trot and kinda start over and make sure that he knows when you ask you mean now not later.


 Yes I belive I just have to slow down my training a little I tend to have high expectations. I wonder if I have my cinch a little to tight?:?


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

Okay. Let me set this straight.

A lope is a canter and a canter is a lope. 

They are the exact same thing, just as Chestnut and Sorrel or any other vocab that differs from english to western.

It is in fact the exact same thing. If you disagree, tell me a differance. 

Let's not tell me "Lope is slower" because I can tell you any english trainer who tells me to "Slow the canter" better have their vocab checked, as with my western trainer who says to "Speed his lope" in my lessons.


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## PechosGoldenChance (Aug 23, 2009)

I agree with sorrelhorse. They are the same thing. If you don't think so, tell me how it is not the same thing cuz I would really like to know.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Okay guys, lets get back on point here.

To the OP, I think it would probably really help if you were able to get a video of it so that we could see exactly what the horse is doing at the lope. Just from the sound of your description, I am seeing several possibilities in my mind of what it could be.


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## Tasia (Aug 17, 2009)

K I will get one tomorrow thanks for keeping the thread on track


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## luvmyqh (Dec 10, 2009)

ok im following this thred beacuse im also trying to slow my horse down a little. in the round pen hes slow and collected but we get out and he gos faster.....and now im moveing him tomarrow where i have a big indoor and a bigger round pen what shoud i do to slower him in the big arena???? circles? diff. gates w/t/c/ then w/t/c ????


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## luvmyqh (Dec 10, 2009)

this is just a short video in the round pen a DAY after i got him. he dose great in there?? just to give ya an idea on how he is!!


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## Tasia (Aug 17, 2009)

It might help if you collect him and use your legs to keep him moving. Do you have a bridle?


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Most people underestimate the power of a few million circles at a lope. It will slow a horse down, level them out, and teach them cadence. I personally prefer doing my circles in a larger area like a large arena or pasture where the horse has to follow your cues instead of just following the fence. Teaching a horse to circle under saddle doesn't happen overnight and it will take time and patience on the riders side. The circles will be uneven and there are certain sides that they will be faster or slower on. Just keep at it and it will help with almost anything.


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## Tasia (Aug 17, 2009)

Those circles are a good idea


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

For slowing down, I suggest taking a few strides at the lope and then immediately breaking to the trot. This gets the horse thinking about trotting as soon as you lope. I learned this from several differant trainers, and then just recently on the Julie Goodnight show <3


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## PaintsPwn (Dec 29, 2009)

Circle, circle, circle! And a TON of counter cantering to help strengthen and balance him. At least, that's how I got my boy to stop doing that. It's very annoying, isn't it?


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