Related Wintec Western information

Breaking into a trot during free walk

*xeventer36xo said: During the free walk my horse is great! He stretches and lengthens but then at the end when Im gathering the reins he gets excited and breaks into a trot. This is NOT a pretty picture for the judges and scores usually a 5 or 6. I school free walks over and over again at home but he only gets excited and trots at shows. Does anyone have any advice on what I could be doing better to help?

*rizona DQ said: Are you anticipating and maybe giving him a subtle aid? I had this problem and found that I was starting to still my seat as I took up the reins and that caused my mare to pick up the trot.....;)

p*rplnurpl said: you are lucky. break of gait is an automatic 4 and should be scored as such. Horses break gait when there is too much pressure. what are your aids for walk, to free walk, to walk? then to trot? Just make sure they are VERY clear and different. And then make sure that your body is not anticipating the trot, or putting too much pressure on the horse for a more collected walk. Keep your arm moving forward and back, (the movement will be almost row boat like on a green horse) with the walk even though it's a working walk. I bet the moment you stiffen your arms and seat (asking for a more collected/round walk) is when your horse breaks gait...?

N*MIOMI1 said: Carl hesters has this on his master class. I do the same thing to fix, tiny steps with leg on and gathering reins whenever I come back from long walk or any movement where they break upwards.

P*ny Fixer said: I think the Carl Hester thing (I suggest you watch the master class--brilliant!), is to practice collected walk--tiny tiny steps--every time you pick up the reins at walk. So the horse anticipates collected walk instead of jig. Also he talks about getting them to accept the leg so that you don't have to be "afraid" to use it in case they jig.

H*mpton Bay said: Just an idea, because this is how I work on the issue at home. When the mare starts to jig a bit, we halt, and stay halted for a couple seconds until she chills her brain out. Then she is allowed to walk forwards again. If you are already being docked for the break of gait, it might not be that big a deal to just go ahead and halt, then continue the walk. Then you might not carry the issue into the next movement. Of course, I would do this at many schooling shows before I went to a recognized show with the horse.

S*llyHorse said: Sit deeper in the saddle before you start to gather the reins.

r*bicon said: My guys use to want to do this, what I figured out is when I went to gather my reins I was leaning a teennyyyyy bit forward. Not much at all but just a little. I have to remember to sit deep and gather them up without looking down with my head.

V*lentina_32926 said: Also do a HH so horse naturally brings head up - then when you shorten the reins it's to adjust them to the horses current (more upright) frame.

c*ddym said: 3rd vote for carl hesters master class - its in the fantastic elastic rein one. I believe it was Catherine Bateson-chandler on Dea that illustrated this point