It's not a race - honest!

[Daffy Dilly]

Daffy is so so strong cantering behind other horses. He gets stronger each time as well, to the extent that it can hurt my arms to hold him, and I don't like what it must be doing to his mouth.

It's never been an issue before as we used to hack on our own, but now I ride out with someone frequently, and her horse also pulls when behind. The difference is, Daffy doesn't mind having the mare up his backside.

Obviously I could change his bit up to his pelham, would've preferred a hanging cheek but can't find the right one, and I'm not sure changing his noseband would be beneficial.

We don't have this problem in the showring, or indeed the school (although he's very forwards cantering in the school) but is there anything I can do to ensure I have control from the offset, rather than fighting for it once in full flow?

[KateWooten]

Did you read the thread where I was having this exact problem with joePony ? It really freaked me out because joe is such an angel 99% of the time. We'd gotten ourselves into a cycle where we were just pulling on each other - and I had no idea how to break it.

It was when neen was over here, and I'd promised her a bombproof horse to ride - and she's looking round seeing only this puffing grey steam-train powering away and rearing and bucking if he didn't get to gallop out ahead of everyone.

This went on just about a week. In the end, I had to take a huge dose of my own advice. Because he wasn't just pulling in canter - he was jogging and pulling the whole time, not listening at all to me, just desperate to keep up with the others. I had to steel my nerves and ask him to walk forwards on a loose rein and trust him to do it... and of course he'd take off ... and I'd have tom immediately put his feet to work, bending, turning, disengaging ... really engage his mind in those exercises that stretch him, but we both know he can do in his sleep. Then I'd bend him to a halt and wait for him to soften.

And offer him the chance to walk forward quietly. Of course, within half a stride he was off jogging again - but half a stride of softness is better than none. A few more minutes of this and he figured it was better to walk. We did a couple more rounds of this, but the very next canter, he came right back to me ! We should have had the video right there, because it was way cool to be galloping alongside the others again, rather than tearing off ahead, on a loose rein, cheering :)

Can you find some trails that are wider and flatter for a little while, so that you can work this out with him ?

[Daffy Dilly]

I am in the process of teaching him the ORS, it's just a very slow one, and he appears to be regressing, so going to try bending him even further so it's a bit harder and he wants to stop. I do feel sorry for him, all he knows is that he's walking and then being asked to turn, and here I am pulling the bit through his mouth and making him go on tiny little circles, when all that's wrong really is that he hasn't grasped the concept. :o

It doesn't even seem as though he wants to be in front, because I have to keep him cantering in front, and at the slower paces he'll go in front or behind, occaisionally power walking to be in front again, but certainly not pulling (unless I pull back) or jogging.

Will see if we can keep at a walk behind, or maybe even a trot to start with, as even if he is trying to catch up I can get him to extend his stride, so I still have more control than in a tanking-canter. One track is fairly wide, and as an added bonus it's flat or uphill, so will give it a go.

[KateWooten]

Plus when you've got all that power and drive to play with - you can really play ... put it to use with some lengthening ... and how about working on that leg-yield in trot ... and shoulder-in :)