"walk, not canter!!!" just walk..... please....

[horsepwr26]

my horse has a hard time just walking... he always wants to canter or trot, and he is 24 yr old... but full of energy... i have him in a snaffle bit... and i guess he just has a mind of his own...
any ideas? thanks
Jenna :)

[alliecatalex]

Maybe you could try lunging him before you ride him so that he could get some of his energy out....I dont know...just an idea.

[galadriel]

Lots of thoughts.

* Horses may jig or rush because the saddle pinches. On an older horse, you may have a prominent spine which is being rubbed by the saddle. For any age horse, there's always the possibility of the saddle pinching at the withers.

* A horse may have an excess of energy due to overfeeding. If your horse isn't in heavy work and can chew/digest his food well, he may not need much grain (just a lot of hay). If he's getting too much grain, it may be making him hyper.

* Horses may jig because you're accidentally bumping them with your ankles. You should rest your calves lightly against the horse's side at all times; you'll then squeeze your ankle to use your leg. More here:
http://lorienstable.com/articles/riding/300-toes/

* If you are tense, the horse may pick up on it and get anxious/rush. Even if that wasn't the problem at first, after a few experiences of feeling out of control, you may have begun to sit with tension. You may be leaning forward or sitting hunched. Be sure to open your ribcage (shoulders back, back straight), look forward--where you're going--and keep your head, hip, and heel lined up vertically.

* A horse who feels that his head is restricted will often try to evade the bit and rush around. Try to give him lots of freedom with the reins. Keep a soft contact, but don't keep pulling on them. More about contact here:
http://www.horse-sense.org/archives/200104201932.phtml

* Try to use your seat and legs to affect his speed, instead of the bit. More about that here:
http://newrider.com/Kinder_Way/The_Aids/seat_aids.html
and here:
http://lorienstable.com/articles/riding/900-half-halt/

Finally, it may be worth having some lessons with an instructor. Having someone experienced look at you from the ground, and make comments about things that you can't see, will often help.

[Tootsie4U]

As Gal suggested, check what *your* body is doing when he gets like this. Some horses are super sensitive and will take a "go forward" aid from just a slight shift in body weight forward. If you're leaning at all, he may be simply taking that as a request to go forward/faster.