The STOP that isn't...

[Greentchr]

I am haveing a problem with a new horse (western discipline) I just started riding. Her "stop" leaves something to be desired: She "Whoas" for a split second, then walks through it without really coming to a balanced halt. What I have been doing is keeping with it until she comes to a complete, balanced stop, and then lots of praise. I pull on the reins, releasing as soon as she comes to a halt, but she aparently looks at that as her right to keep moving- she does not like to stand still very long (we have been working on that too by stopping and just sitting for several moments- lots of movement, however, thouigh I ask for standing still).

She is a 13 yo Arabian, formally a rodeo horse but she has had very little riding in the past two years. She is kind, well trained for the most part and seems like an excellent fit in our family, but this stopping issue needs some experienced advice!

Suggestions would be greatly appreciated! We need a name for her too... something 'arabian-ish' :) (The photo is of her with my daughter, and farrier)

[Grace O'Malley]

What pretty girls you have (daughter and mare) :) . I do love arabs. What one of my instructors would have us do if the horse didn't come to a nice halt was to have them immediately back up a few steps. Then forward, and ask for the halt again. Repeat with the backing until they halt nicely when you ask. If they halt nicely, no backing. Sooner or later they get the idea that stopping square is easier than stopping sloppy and having to back up.

Hope this helps

Grace

[Greentchr]

Thank you for the compliments :)

Your suggestion makes a lot of sense. She does have the habit of backing up when she does not want to do what she is asked (except of course, stopping)- not a lot, and she immediately responds to going forward again when cued, and she is getting much better with it after just 4 hours of riding. I will try this approach tomorrow and see what we get- Thank you!

[icnmary]

My horse had the same problem. I would just bring his head around when he wouldn't stop so that he was walking in a tight circle. He learned that he would rather stop than go around in circles........ :)

[NSCHMIDT]

I am haveing a problem with a new horse (western discipline) I just started riding. Her "stop" leaves something to be desired: She "Whoas" for a split second, then walks through it without really coming to a balanced halt. What I have been doing is keeping with it until she comes to a complete, balanced stop, and then lots of praise. I pull on the reins, releasing as soon as she comes to a halt, but she aparently looks at that as her right to keep moving- she does not like to stand still very long (we have been working on that too by stopping and just sitting for several moments- lots of movement, however, thouigh I ask for standing still).

She is a 13 yo Arabian, formally a rodeo horse but she has had very little riding in the past two years. She is kind, well trained for the most part and seems like an excellent fit in our family, but this stopping issue needs some experienced advice!

Suggestions would be greatly appreciated! We need a name for her too... something 'arabian-ish' :) (The photo is of her with my daughter, and farrier)

MY horse does this and what worked for me, is more moving, then try a stop. If she doesn't want to stop then keep going. when she decides to stop ask her to keep going and then you stop her. It's time consuming to do it this way but it worked for me. Good luck

[virtuallyhorses]

Back up. The better your horse backs up the better it stops... not sure who I stole that little piece of wisdom from :)

So try going from forward to halt and then immediately ask for back up, even ask for back up from forward and then halt. Mix it up so that your horse learns to wait for the next request.

Also remember that halt requires patience - so make sure that you practice patience often. When you mount, sit there for a while, fluff around with your gear or just look at the sky - but insist that the horse stand still. Repeat this 'doing nothing' often - when you go to your practice arena\area - stop and do nothing again before you warm up. Teach your horse patience and that it's ok to do nothing (halt for the formally minded). I remember having to teach this to mine when I first got him - he was so 'trained' he had no idea how to relax and just chill out.

[Greentchr]

Thanks for the help!

I just got back from a weekend clinic put on by Clinton Anderson (the Wahl clipper company sponsored it so it was free!), and got some good ideas there also. He is REALLY big on flexion (flexing the neck until supple and soft). The 'problem' horse that he worked with over the weekend also had a stopping problem, and the way he resolved it was constant flexing- from the ground initially, and then from walk, trot, and canter. He said he would normally do 5-7 days of ground work first, and THEN he would get on and work on the stop from the saddle, though since the clinic was only 2 days, he pushed it so he could show us the steps. He believes strongly in the 1-rein stop as a sort-of 'cure-all' for stopping problems.

Since I asked this question a few weeks ago and started using some of the ideas given here, she (I named her at last - Neika) is stopping much better. My daughter has been on her several times for a safe ride. We even went on a short trail ride. The back-up-if-you-don't-stop method has been very effective, as has been standing still ("Patience"!) for two or three minutes frequently. I will add flexion to our morning groundwork and see how the one-rein stops work.

I learned a lesson on horse-buying also; I took her in for her pre-purchase exam (though after I paid for her) and found out that not only is she 18-20 years old instead of the 13 I was told, she has at least 7 melanomas (skin cancer) that I will need to have removed. I was a bit unhappy with the seller. I decided to keep her anyway, as the vet said that melanomas are not too serious in a horse (very different story in a human!), and as she seems to be a good, steady ride, I may have a great riding companion for up to 10 more years. So, We decided that thought the seller was not honest, it still worked out alright. I know now to make the pre-purchase exam a condition of sale in writing though, and not verbal! Ah well, all's well that ends well... Now on to the Holy Grail of the perfect stop!

[cvb]

Back up. The better your horse backs up the better it stops... not sure who I stole that little piece of wisdom from :)

So try going from forward to halt and then immediately ask for back up, even ask for back up from forward and then halt. Mix it up so that your horse learns to wait for the next request.

Also remember that halt requires patience - so make sure that you practice patience often. When you mount, sit there for a while, fluff around with your gear or just look at the sky - but insist that the horse stand still. Repeat this 'doing nothing' often - when you go to your practice arena\area - stop and do nothing again before you warm up. Teach your horse patience and that it's ok to do nothing (halt for the formally minded). I remember having to teach this to mine when I first got him - he was so 'trained' he had no idea how to relax and just chill out.


Mark Rashid ? He's certainly big on this. Do watch that you don't always back for X steps, or they learn that too ;)

Mark proposes backing til you get the softness you want. I think the "circle" suggestion would also fit with his approach - he talks a lot about redirecting the energy into what you are asking for. Although you are asking for "stop" you are also asking for softness and relaxation, and the lateral flexion in the circle would ask for this as well ;)

[benjixchorse]

Sorry i dont no anything to do with western riding and how youstop but what about Zaphy or Xsanthe (i think thats how you spell it but its pronounced zanthe) as a name or something?

[Cool Rider]

How about:

Alaska

[Greentchr]

Thank you for your suggestions! We finally agreed on a name: Aneika, though we call her "Neika" (pronounced Nee-ka).

An update on the stopping: she does fantastic in an arena! We trailored her to a local arena for lessons with my children, and they had the opportunity to spend some free time on her, as they both wanted to trot (which I do not allow around our house yet as it is all mountains and rocks). Neika was a pro- she stopped and stood, she changed gaits with the tiniest prompting, she did the ground work like an old-timer( :D thats because she is one). The previous owner had told me that she had been a rodeo horse for an earlier owner and won a number of saddles (this is American western rodeo, saddles are awarded to the teams with the top points in competition). After seeing her in the arena, I have a tendency to believe him- at least about this! She is doing better in the mountains also, but I have not been able to ride her much during the past several weeks. She is definitly a keeper- we may need to move out of state, and the one thing I told my husband is that I will move, but the horse moves with me! :)

[Sunshine*]

This may sound funny:

My horse used to do this aswell.... I'm a trail guide, and one day on an extreamly exhausting ride(with a lot of novices and ignorant people) I had to get off him to give a 16yr old instruction on how to steer for the 6th time. Dakota is a very impatient horse and when I tried to get back on he would start to walk.... it wouldn't have been as bad if I had had my foot in the stirrup already, but he would walk away before I could even get my foot close.

As a rule, as lead guide, I have to have a lead rope with me at all times. It is attached to my horses halter(which we leave on during all rides). I was VERY angry and annoyed so I stood infront of him, gave a quick, light tug on the lead rope and said "STAND" VERY loud and firmly.

Ever since then Dakota is the best horse to use on rides like that. I loop his reins around the horn of his saddle(loosely ofcourse!) and jump off not having to worry about him walking away. He just stands there for everything!!!