This ‘passenger exercise’ trains your horse to maintain a relaxed lope as you learn how to trust him and ‘let go.’
Do you micromanage your horse, especially at the lope? It’s common, particularly for riders dealing with confidence issues. The lope feels like the most precarious gait, so we want to check our horse often to make sure he’s not going to rush off or do something silly.
This is the wrong approach. Instead, we should train our horses to maintain their relaxed cadence at the lope without constant interference from us. In other words, we should ask for a nice lope, and our horses should maintain that gait until we cue him otherwise.
This “passenger exercise” will teach your horse to do exactly that. In the process, it also schools you to avoid the urge to micromanage.
Ride this exercise in a secure arena with safe fencing and good footing. Outfit your horse in a snaffe bit or hackamore.
Why It Works
Esta historia es de la edición January 2018 de Horse and Rider.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición January 2018 de Horse and Rider.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
A Horseback High
Riding vacations can be found around the world, and here are five bucket list rides in the United States
JOIN THE CLUB!
Riding clubs of all forms can be found across the country. What should you look for when choosing—or starting—a club of your own? We asked three club leaders to share their insights
Help Is (Sometimes) Only a Phone Call Away!
Do you depend on over-the-phone advice from your veterinarian? Here's what you need to know about telehealth to help you understand what you can, and can't, expect
REPLACING FEAR WITH CURIOSITY
Horses have both flight and investigative behaviors but not at the same time. Learn how to help your horse switch to curiosity when his flight instincts kick in, and how to put the brakes on when he's already gone
Ranch Riding Mares
Evaluate and place these performance mares. Then see how your choices compare to our expert judge's.
An Empty Stall
The loss of a horse leads to a new landscape of managing emotions and moving forward
Strengthen Your Mental Game
Prepare your mind for peak performances with your horse by implementing these tips from reining trainer Shane Brown
Burning Off the Fresh
Whether your horse has gone unridden due to a health problem, the weather, or your schedule, a thoughtful process can keep everyone safe during his return to work
Return to Exercise Slowly
If you’ve been turned out to pasture for a while, as the result of injury or just a busy life, return to exercise in a safe and steady way
Ground Tying for Ranch Trail
There are many reasons to teach your horse how to safely ground tie
