# stop please



## Tawny (Sep 20, 2009)

majustesen said:


> I bought a six year old green quarter horse mare about four months ago and since then have been able to do alot with her. everything I have taught her she has taken to very easily. The only problem I have with her is that when she is in a lope she takes the bit and I have a hard time getting her to stop. She won't collect and I have to pull to get her to stop. I am afraid I am going to make her mouth hard. I am using a small shank snaffle and have thought maybe it is the bit but she doesn't have a problem any other time. Can anyone help me?


My horse does the same thing if I don't have a strong enough bit. I use a Billy Allen snaffle and it works wonders. Don't do a steady pull on her mouth, that _will_ make her mouth hard. Keep your hands down between your hips and your knees and work them back and forth, see-sawing. That keeps her mouth soft. 
Is she sticking her head up and tossing it when she lopes?


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## majustesen (Sep 24, 2009)

yes that is exactly what she is doing. I will try the bit you reccomended. if you have any other advice please let me know . thanks.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

Teach her to one rein stop if she doesn't know how to do it yet. Vida had no "whoa" when I first got her and that was the only way I could get her to stop.
In the mean time, work her with a rail or fence line. Walk her up to the barrier, sit back in your saddle and say "whoa" or halt as she nears the barrier. Do it over and over till she figures it out. 
There are tons of ways to teach this, this is how I did it. It worked great.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

If she isn't good at the lope she probably isn't real good at the trot. Speed usually accentuates the problems. Go back to the trot and work there. I also disagree with keeping your hands low. Your hands should be at about saddle horn height and in front of your body. Give steady pressure untill you get the response you want (breaking at poll) then release. Horses get a hard mouth because they aren't getting the release. Changing bits is up to you but probably not needed although I really like the Billy Allen bit.


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## Tawny (Sep 20, 2009)

My horse had a huge problem with throwing her head. My trainer put her in a German martingale for the longest time. It helped a bunch. The bits weren't strong enough for my horse though, so once we got her to stop throwing her head we had to move into the Billy Allen. Since it's a snaffle make sure your hands are low, otherwise he will toss his head because of the incorrect pressure your high hands are putting on the various parts of the bridle. I would also recommend lunging him while he is fully tacked up in the snaffle. Thread the reins through the d-rings for the cinch on his saddle then thread one through the gullet and tie the reins securely together (does that make sense?). Make the reins short enough so that if he tosses his head he bumps his mouth, but not so short that he learns to push through the bit. When you put him into a lope while lunging, if he throws his head he'll bump his mouth and try to stop. Don't let him stop, at least keep him at a trot. He'll learn quickly to keep his head down!


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## Tawny (Sep 20, 2009)

kevinshorses said:


> If she isn't good at the lope she probably isn't real good at the trot. Speed usually accentuates the problems. Go back to the trot and work there. I also disagree with keeping your hands low. Your hands should be at about saddle horn height and in front of your body. Give steady pressure untill you get the response you want (breaking at poll) then release. Horses get a hard mouth because they aren't getting the release. Changing bits is up to you but probably not needed although I really like the Billy Allen bit.


Why not keep your hands low? In my experience it makes it really hard for the horse to toss its head with my hands in that position.
Also, a horse just pushes against steady pressure. And a horse's neck is stronger than your hands!


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## Tawny (Sep 20, 2009)

Tawny said:


> Why not keep your hands low? In my experience it makes it really hard for the horse to toss its head with my hands in that position.
> Also, a horse just pushes against steady pressure. And a horse's neck is stronger than your hands!


Ok, I was thinking about it, and I do partially agree with you, kevin. When you're not in a fight to slow the horse down that's where you should have your hands. But if I'm trying to slow my horse down I slide my hands down the reins and lower them to the height I described and see-saw. See-sawing is a lot harder for a horse to push against than a steady pull. 
How short do you have your reins with with you ride?


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

My reins always vary in lenght depending on the conditions. When you put a steady consistent pull on a horses mouth your not trying to force his head down you're only asking for him to put his head down. If he throws his head the pressure (which is not a lot) stays and when he breaks at the poll and softens then it goes away. It doesn't matter if my hands are high or low because he gets relief only when he gives the desired response. I would have done enough of this at the walk and trot that it would be a very short lesson at the canter. Incidently, and I'm not trying to offend, what is your experience (years, schooling ect.)? I do like the advice on lungeing I have often done that although I use a round pen and no lines.


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## Tawny (Sep 20, 2009)

kevinshorses said:


> My reins always vary in lenght depending on the conditions. When you put a steady consistent pull on a horses mouth your not trying to force his head down you're only asking for him to put his head down. If he throws his head the pressure (which is not a lot) stays and when he breaks at the poll and softens then it goes away. It doesn't matter if my hands are high or low because he gets relief only when he gives the desired response. I would have done enough of this at the walk and trot that it would be a very short lesson at the canter. Incidently, and I'm not trying to offend, what is your experience (years, schooling ect.)? I do like the advice on lungeing I have often done that although I use a round pen and no lines.


Hmm. I haven't thought about it that way. I haven't had my horse for very long, but my trainer is about the best trainer in Colorado. Her children are national champion riders. My horse has come a long ways since we got her. The only thing is her trailering...haha. 
I almost never use a line in the round pen. I don't see why I would need one.


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## Tawny (Sep 20, 2009)

kevinshorses said:


> My reins always vary in lenght depending on the conditions. When you put a steady consistent pull on a horses mouth your not trying to force his head down you're only asking for him to put his head down. If he throws his head the pressure (which is not a lot) stays and when he breaks at the poll and softens then it goes away. It doesn't matter if my hands are high or low because he gets relief only when he gives the desired response. I would have done enough of this at the walk and trot that it would be a very short lesson at the canter. Incidently, and I'm not trying to offend, what is your experience (years, schooling ect.)? I do like the advice on lungeing I have often done that although I use a round pen and no lines.


I also think that I have to have a heavier hand because my mare has a poor work ethic, and she doesn't really care about pleasing me. I have to work harder to make her do what I want her to do because she's so bullheaded.


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## SeabiscuitMustang (Sep 16, 2009)

Circles. Work on circles. Begin with a walk, then trot, and if she responds well to the trot, then lope. Bump and release to slow her down. Circles will allow her to collect herself and get her feet up underneath. I'm working on same and it does take time. My QH gelding goes from walk, trot, to zoom!


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## xEquestrianx (Aug 30, 2009)

Like said above, see-saw the reins back and forth, if she doesn't listen, one rein her. Cheyenne used to be very bad with this. She would grab the bit and take off, getting very challenging to stop and it worked for me. Now she is extremely soft. Also I reccomend keeping her in a really mild bit while learning.


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## majustesen (Sep 24, 2009)

Thanks for all the great responses. It seems to be like my husband says. It takes time.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

It might also help if you wait until she is ready to stop before ask her to stop. So if you're loping circles and you feel like she isn't ready to stop just keep loping circles until she gets winded and is ready to stop on her own then you can direct her toward the fence and ask her to stop. She will want to and if she is headed face on with the fence she won't have a lot of choice.


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