control!

[amylou_84]

i was reading the thread going solo in the training of a horse section and feel i have kind of the same problem! the difference is i dont own my own horse. the problem i am referring to is that the horse always heads towards the gate when i am trotting/walking him or her! i dont always have the same horse but it nearly always happens. i understand that horses are pack animals(and there are usually horses roaming just outside the gate) but shouldnt i have some control over where he goes?

amy x:D

[Venus]

My understanding is that they are trying to go home. I notice this when going aroud the ring, my horse picks up speed down the long side as he is "heading for home".

When you say he "heads towards the gate" is this when he is already heading in that direction or will he cut through the arena ang go a completely oposite direction to what you are telling him?

[Ange]

i sometimes have the same problem with one of the ponies i ride - he is usually very forward going but sometimes tends to slow right down or even try to stop by the gate that takes him back to his stable, as soon as we're past the gate he's fine again. given that i know how he might behave going towards the gate i make sure i really keep my leg on when approaching it, with a half halt beforehand to get him to pay attention to me. i also find that if i am doing lots of transitions and circles with him i.e. keeping him listening and interested, he's less likely to pay attention to the gate. but basically, if you know how he's going to behave, use your aids to try and avoid the pattern.

obviously sometimes the pony completely ignores my aids and slows/stops anyway, but sometimes it does work!

[amylou_84]

well some times he will completely ignore me and cut through the paddock and go straight to the gate! if i manage to control that and get him to go round the outside of the ring he will spead up as i approach the gate. if im doing a trot he will quickin to either a very fast trot or a canter! then he stops dead at the gate !

amy x :D

[kedwards]

I think it's almost a universal phenomenon that horses will react a bit differently going "home" versus "away." As Ange said, the best thing to do is anticipate his reaction and try to correct it before it happens (e.g., give a little half halt before he gets a chance to speed up and give a little leg before getting to the point where he stops). If you don't catch it before it happens and you can't correct it immediately, you could try overcorrecting. In other words, if he tries to speed up, halt him. If he tries to slow down, transition to a faster gait. Also mix up the routine by the gait. Sometimes ask for a halt about halfway toward it, sometimes do a few circles right by it. Anything to break up his normal pattern.

Finally, when you get ready to dismount, always go by the gait before halting, so that the "gait-halt" pattern is not reinforced.