The best training is done when the horse thinks he caused the reaction. Salt blocks in a pack saddle is one of those reaction. The human is not in the equation of being the bad guy but the undesired behavior is immediately punished.
The problem with all but a rare few horses is that they don’t have enough to do.
I have always admired a horse with a “cow walk”. This is a very fast walk where the horse seems to be on a mission…just doing their job. Horses that have been ridden by cowboys working cattle and later sold are great finds. I have ridden with one of these cowboys who worked on a ranch for a number of years. He trains all of his horses this way. He told me that when the horse is young and just broken he trains it this way by bumping it up. The horse quickly learns that this is the way to walk. I understood it had to be trained to start with this way.
A ranch horse can go like this all day long. Trail riding along with these guys for me is continually trotting to catch up then falling behind and trotting to catch up again.
I have just gotten a horse that has a natural forward walk (not quite a cow walk though) and its such a pleasure to ride!!
There is a following seat - where your body mimics the horses movements as they walk, and your bunns are in tune with the footfalls.
Opposite of that, and yes, it does tend to slow the horse down, is where you simply stop following. Some horses are sensative and pick right up on it, flip their ears back and go “huh??” Others just keep tooling along.
If your horse is the first, let the slow down and ‘huh?’ happen a few strides, praise your horse and continue with your following of his motions with your seat.
If your horse plows through your halting of your following add a bit of rein - “you hoo, I’m talking here!” - get a few strides of the slower walk, relax, start following again.
Repeat the ‘stop following’ seat for a little bit - every 30 strides ask for 4 of slower walk in this method (stop following, THEN if that does not register add rein, get the few strides, PRAISE, then follow for 50 strides, etc.)
Pretty soon even the most stoic horse will feel it when you stop following.
Some horses are sensitive enough to it they will halt when you quit following.
My tb mare has an incredible extended walk on the trail. She can walk faster than some horses can trot. I think this came about because I worked on not allowing her to trot on the trail of her own free will (if you give her an inch, she takes a mile) especially on the way home. She eventually learned that it was ok to walk fast rather than break to a jiggy trot. I would love to take her to an endurance ride sometime because I think she would do really well.
My neighbor has mules. When he offered me one to trail ride, he warned me that my friends on horses won’t be able to keep up. Sounds like they’re known for their fast walks?
[QUOTE=LostFarmer;3323603]
Put the horse in the middle of the 2 mules and head for the hills. They soon learn to walk or they get drug. [/QUOTE]
just my 2 cents!
How is the footing where you ride? Is it rocky or uneven? Some horses are more careful about where they put their feet. Is he barefoot? Maybe he’s a little ouchy from the footing. I have 2 fillies I’m bringing along. One has rock hard feet and goes on. The other was taking teensy weensy strides and very, very slow on gravel & rocks. Very slow gaits. All that has improved GREATLY with shoes. I knew it was time and it worked. She walks on now altho’ her natural laziness needs spurs and an occasional crop tapping here & there when she’s being balky or lazy.
I also believe they have longer/faster striding when they get fitter. Young horses can be klutz’s!! Unfit ones too!
Too tight a girth with resultant saddle pinching can also cause then to walk short & slow IMHO.
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