How do you slow your horse's walk on the trail?

[Huntertwo]

This is kind of an off shoot from the post regarding jigging on the trail.

I have that problem solved, NOW a new problem has arisen.

My pony won’t jig or take off at the trot anymore due to our training, but now she walks super fast!

Luckily for a pony, she has a very smooth walk, but I want to enjoy the surroundings and make the ride last longer.

The little critter out smarted me…lol Yeah, she is now walking, but at her speed.

Any ideas how to slow the walk down?

I ride Western, loose rein with a Combination bit if that makes a difference.

Thanks…

[saddleup]

I had a gelding that walked so fast no one could keep up with us. I started putting him in the middle or the last position, and that helped a little bit. What made all the difference was going for 4-6 hour trail rides as well as shorter 2 hour rides. He learned to pace himself, since he never knew if it was going to be a short or long ride. After only a handful of outings he settled down to a reasonable pace.

[Huntertwo]

@saddleup;3099819

I had a gelding that walked so fast no one could keep up with us. I started putting him in the middle or the last position, and that helped a little bit. What made all the difference was going for 4-6 hour trail rides as well as shorter 2 hour rides. He learned to pace himself, since he never knew if it was going to be a short or long ride. After only a handful of outings he settled down to a reasonable pace.

Unfortunately, we trail ride entirely alone. I board at a small back yard barn where I am the only boarder.

Otherwise, that does sound like a good solution…just wouldn’t work in my case…

[Petstorejunkie]

Well to engage a horse at the walk you actively follow with your pelvis, while keeping your leg draped along their side. to shorten the stride you use a retarded leg, ie you are lessening the amount of “follow” of your pelvis and leg, your lower body is saying “dont swing so much horsey”.
All this is well and good (and highly effective) but on the trail if she wants to stride out, you may very well just have to accept her for who she is and how she enjoys the surroundings.
My horse is highy tuned to seat and leg, and sometimes on the trail you just gotta let them stride it out.

[ChocoMare]

Half halts work well…mostly. When Penny mare wants to go home for dinner, Penny mare MOVES out. :lol: I don’t let her get away with it, though. I tuck my butt under, open my hip angle to sit deeper and squeeze/release on the reins to keep her slow. If she gets too fast and won’t listen, then I’ll halt and make her back up or side pass.

[chicamuxen1]

Shame on you! Don’t slow that pony’s walk! If you want a longer ride then ride further!
Bonnie S.

[pandorasboxx]

[QUOTE=chicamuxen1;3100410]
Shame on you! Don’t slow that pony’s walk! If you want a longer ride then ride further!
Bonnie S.[/QUOTE]

LOL! Absofreakinlutely! Many would kill to have a fast walker versus a plodder. I despise a plodder.

Just do 2-3 circuits rather than 1. :winkgrin:

[Diamond_Jake]

[QUOTE=pandorasboxx;3100528]
LOL! Absofreakinlutely! Many would kill to have a fast walker versus a plodder. I despise a plodder.

Just do 2-3 circuits rather than 1. :winkgrin:[/QUOTE]

Oh my! I must agree! Mine goes into pony-ride-at-the-park mode if I do not keep at him.

[jazzrider]

I have to agree with Chocomare – half halts are the thing to do it you want her to slow a bit. When I used to ride my OTTB out on trail, I did sort of a half-half halt with just my butt, that he eventually learned was my way of saying slow down for a while (though about 3 minutes later he would speed up again!).

[Shadow14]

[QUOTE=Huntertwo;3099851]
Unfortunately, we trail ride entirely alone. I board at a small back yard barn where I am the only boarder.

Otherwise, that does sound like a good solution…just wouldn’t work in my case…:)[/QUOTE]

I think you are lucky to have a good walker. I wouldn’t discourage my horse from walking out a good clip. If you want the ride to last longer pick a longer trail or double over it a few times.
Alot of longer rides would slow her down. they do learn to pace themselves and if all your rides are X amount of distance and not too long for her she will walk fast.
AGain a good strong walk is a pleasure.
I spend alot of time at a good working trot or a lope and my horses all learn that when they start out they don’t have a clue if it is 1 hour or 3 hours and start at a conservative pace just in case they have to hold it for a few hours.

[patti]

Ditto …

… on the “don’t squelch that big walk” posts.

My 100-mile horse has an amazing walk and it is absolutely one of my favorite things about him.

Am in the midst of teaching my younger guy to walk just like his big brother.

[DairyQueen2049]

Walk ON!!!

I concur - big walks are big bonus!!! Keep that hustlin’ walk going!!! :yes:

[katarine]

There’s only so much you can carve out of a horse’s intate personality.

I’d leave her walk alone. If you ride out with a pal, you can work on circles and halt/back three steps/walk off here and there to accommodate a slower walker. But I wouldn’t discourage a good walk. and has been mentioned, long rides may moderate her pace. Too many horses don’t get ridden hard enough to fathom ‘conservation of energy’ or moderation of pace, and they suffer the consequences. Not passing judgment, I have a bottomless TWH with the same affliction

[jazzrider]

I do think it depends upon the horse. I would never try to slow down my TWH’s big ol’ walk, or my QH’s walk (because his “fast walk” is almost as slow as his polky walk ;)), but my OTTB used to do this rushing walk that was his way of getting around my not letting him prance and pace. It was not a nice, fast, active walk. It was a rushing, this-is-how-I-can-be-in-control-at-the-walk, walk. That, I think, should be discouraged and could be easily turned into a nice active walk with a little more work. Huntertwo hasn’t said, but I get the impression from her first post that she thinks the current fast walk her pony is doing is more the latter, not the former.

[Huntertwo]

Light bulb went off today!

Thanks guys for making me feel guilty for trying to slow her down… lol

BUT, I realized today what the problem is… She is herd-bound…

Normally, she is kept in her own separate pasture, but shares a fence line with the B.O. 3 horses. (2 geldings and a mare)

The BO has been giving the pastures a rest for about a month now.

Geldings are kept in a round pen. Twinkie and another mare share the ring. Twinkie is the top mare between them two.

When I ride, I bring in the BO’s mare and put her in her stall. Then my mare who is still outside, whinnies, paces…hmmm
Usually she is VERY independent which makes her a great trail pony.

Her behavior coincides with being put together with another horse.

Our normally nice pleasant trail rides have turned - jittery, very looky, tense, and edgy.

Is this because she no longer sees me as her leader? As her protector?

She seems to have totally tuned me out… and is looking out for herself.

Opinions?? Could this be it?

[katarine]

bummer, that’s the nail on the head right there.

Ok, work on it Make her work- not punitively- but make this anxious behavior your cue to put her to work- sidepassing, or turns on the forehand, etc. Or whoa and work on lateral flexion til she’s soft and listening- whatever will best suit her persona…

good luck it’ll get better.

[Mtn_trails]

I sympathize with the OP because I can see where you would want your horse to slow his walk at times. What if she rides with a friend and her horse walks away from friend’s horse? You end up riding by yourself and having to stop and wait constantly. My trail horse, Woodrow, is similar to the OP’s horse; he likes to really step out and while that’s great at times, I often find myself holding him back because whomever I’m riding with can’t keep up without trotting. I like to be able to rate his walk so he’s going at an appropriate pace for the group and since I’m the one usually leading, it makes it difficult.

[ReSomething]

I’m trying to remember just how things worked for my very herd bound mare. She was tolerable when ridden alone until she learned the route, and then the trip out was full of spooks and the trip back was the best imitation of a run walk she could muster (our compromise between my desire to walk and hers to run home). She was better in company but would pitch an unbelievable fit if left by, or asked to leave, the “herd”. Basically I’d have to say she wasn’t a good trail horse because she didn’t like the job - it didn’t really suit her personality. And that feeling of being “ignored” I remember quite well. It frustrated me immensely that we hacked to lessons and a great deal of the concepts and work that was taught in the arena basically went out the window once we headed for home.
That being said, if you can ride in the arena in a crowd and obtain her focus, then surely you can begin to do some of those trail exercises with a group like the leap-frogging exercise. Jessica Jahiel’s website has some good examples. I can’t say there is a miracle cure though, and your trail rides will always be a work session for a while rather than a relaxation.

[Huntertwo]

Kinda of good news… I found out today from the BO that the other mare is sold and leaving in a few weeks.

Her behavior really threw me for a loop. She was never ever attached to another horse. Very independent little mare. Never has problems leaving the barn area at all. In fact, she loved nothing more than discovering new trails with enthusiasm.

Isn’t that true ReSomething…lol Going out…:eek::eek: Coming back…:)

[Maria_Wachter]

My pony is the same way! He outwalks every horse I know and he’s half their size! I always thought my arabian was a super fast walker, but this little guy walks a mile a minute. I like it though because we get to where we need to go faster. I put him in front, my arabian second and my quarter horse third since he walks sooo slow.

Maria