# Horse has a lot of "GO!!" and not a lot of "whoa"



## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

How long has she been under saddle? Sounds like she could be nervous and unconfidant. How does she go when you work her on the lunge/roundpen? Is she still quick? Do you have a good basis of groundwork onher?

What I would start out doing would be circles, serpentine's, and transitions. In my experience, circles and such get them paying attention to you. If you are rising to the trot, slow your self down so he has to match your posting. 

Otherwise, sit deep. You could also try to do one rein stops and have her disengage her hindquarters, flex laterally, back, etc. Get her really paying attention to you. I wouldnt jump her or even canter her until you can get her solid at the walk and then trot.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Spastic is right, lots of circles and serpentines. Unless she has excellent flat work manners, I wouldn't even consider jumping her yet as that can make the problem so much worse. I think you need to go back to the basics and remember to keep yourself slow and usually they will follow suit. I like to do small circles and keep their neck constantly bent, that will cause them to slow their gaits and keep their head low. Also, one other thing you can try is take her on a trail ride. Ask her for a jog then after a few strides, stop her. This will also get her more responsive to your cues. It won't take long for her to start travelling "with her brakes on" and will help control her speed and drop her head. Do you ride her on direct contact or a loose rein? Has she been properly introduced to contact? I would start her back at the beginning as if she was a newly trained horse and work your way back up. Good luck.


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## banjiny16 (Feb 24, 2009)

Couldnt agree more, lots and lots of circles, start small and gradually get bigger if she speeds up go back to smaller circles. it just takes a lot of repetition until she is comforatable you may do this for 2 weeks, it just depends on what it takes for her to be comfortable


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## Whiskey Lullaby (Feb 24, 2009)

I bought her back in May and she didn't know a whole lot. I usually ride her on a tighter (not super tight) rein. If I give her too much freedom she goes! (doesn't take off though). I don't know a whole lot about training but haven't found a trainer who I really like or respect. 
We ride trail a lot so I will practice the walk to a jog then back down.

I have no idea what a serpentine is or flexing laterally. And how do I do a one-reined stop?

Lunging her she is still fast. I never use a whip because she becomes a crazy beast if she see's anyone holding one, but she always seems so panicked (that may be a little harsh of a word) when I ask her to move forward. I always stay slow around her and relaxed but maybe I am sending the wrong Que?
I don't know how long she has been under saddle.


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## LacyLove (Feb 12, 2009)

what a coincidence! lol i ride a 4yo QH too! Im going to lease her starting this sunday actually, but shes not nearly as crazy as your horsey sounds! she can be naughty....but does get quick when shes excited. try taking her in really really small circles but keep your inside leg on. and some of inside rein but keep your outside rein firm. this tends to slow down my pony(sort of my pony,lol) hope i helped a bit! =]


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

Serpentine: 
















Lateral Flexion: 










Get your horse to give to pressure and bring his nose to your knee. As soon as he relaxes, release and PRAISE. 


One Rein Stop: 











I don't have any sound right now (Im at work) so I dont know how well his lecturing part was. The second guy kind of showed it in work but I didnt really like his hands sometimes but you get the idea..


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Whiskey Lullaby said:


> I have no idea what a serpentine is or flexing laterally. And how do I do a one-reined stop?


 
A serpentine is like an extended figure 8 where you weave to each side while moving down the arena and then back. Lateral flexion means that she bends her neck to the side when you tighten one rein. That is also how you achieve a one rein stop. When she starts to speed up, tighten one rein and let her move in circles until her feet stop. Don't ask for forward movement at any time when you do this because that sends mixed signals. If she has not been taught this before, sometimes she will turn in circles for what seems like forever before she stops. Just use your balance to help keep her balanced when turning tight circles. When her feet stop moving, then release the pressure off of the bit and just let her sit there for a minute before asking for forward movement again. Also, change up the direction of the one rein stop, don't always turn the same way. Turn her to the right for a couple times and then to the left for 2 or 3 then back to the right. Also, you might want to just spend some time with her on the ground working on desensatizing her because it sounds like she is pretty skittish and doesn't really trust you yet.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Okay, I was typing when the above videos were posted. Those are very good videos. The guy that was lecturing, there are some things that I don't agree with but that is just a difference in methods. It is still a good video to learn from.


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## happygoose123 (Jan 19, 2009)

Chucky use to be the same!!!! I did everything to try and slow him down but nothing worked! He wasnt nervous or anything, he just liked going fast!! Once i got so sick of it i just went for a full on gallop without slowing down at all to try and get it out of his system. I just kept going until he wanted to stop. We went for a full 3.5km before he started to slow!!! He was slow until he caught his breath then he jsut wanted to go again!!! lol! The only thing that slowed him down was to go for a ride every single day. after a month of riding him nearly every day and doing exercises with him he started to go slow. and a couple of months after that he was the perfect horse! I almost had him ready for beginners to ride him then he developed corronitis!! That was about 5 months ago and i havent ridden him since. I can start riding him again in a few weeks. so back to the start for me!! lol!!!


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## onetoomany (Dec 10, 2008)

This sounds a lot like my mare. I agree completely with Spastic and smrobs. I would like to add that I would completely throw the reins out. When she goes too fast, channel her in another direction (circles, serpentines etc.). I personally like to keep the feet moving instead of stopping. When they move out faster than I like I usually either circle or pull them into a rough roll back using just one rein. I avoid pulling on both reins as it encourages bracing and nosing out of the bridle. Also most horse's associate a loose rein with going faster.


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## Whiskey Lullaby (Feb 24, 2009)

HappyGoose, that is exactly how she is. She is nervous on trail, but thats when she goes slow. She isn't nervous at all in the arena!!

With the serpentines, what exactly am I looking for when I do them? There has to be something I need to be doing and a result I am looking for. Can someone please explain?


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

You want to be asking for bend in the corners, and trying to keep him calm in between. He should be between you, not rushing or making the straight lines you want wiggly. It doesn't have to be perfect at this point, it just gives him something to do. Bending exercises generally keep your horses mind on the work and on you. You just want to channel his energy into performing a task instead of him just running around with you trying to haul on his mouth to slow him down. 

What kind of feed is he on?


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

Double post! 

Does she stop when you sit down in your seat? If she does, try and channel this. Try and sit deeper in your seat, relax and slow your body down. Don't ask for a stop, but almost. If she wants to stop, squeeze her on so she keeps walking forward. You could do this when working on the serpentines. In the middle, you could ask her to one rein stop, bend to you, disengage her hindquarters, then go foraward. 

Another thing you could do would be to be walking down the rail, then bring her to stop at a 45 degree angle to the wall. Have her stop, back up a few steps and pivot so she is facing the opposite direction, then walk off. This should get her using her hind end.


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

Here are some more exercises you can try. They are taken from 101 Dressage Exercises which is a great book if you can get your hands on it: 








Shoulder in. Walk down --> do a nice round counter clockwise 10m circle in the corner and get back on the wall. While you are walking up the wall, ask for shoulder in for a few paces, walk off. My barrel horse likes this and gets him moving off my leg.











Variation of Serpentine (Pear Shaped)







(Pear shaped serpentines | Equimania)


(Middle line is groundpole)






















Maybe some of these may help. (The brown coloured ones are from Equimania)


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## Whiskey Lullaby (Feb 24, 2009)

She gets hay cubes and is on Platinum Performance. I'm riding tonight so I will practice the serpentine's and see how that works for us.

Thank you all for such good advice!!!!


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