Cantering/Galloping whilst hacking

[eden]

I've recently found a great place to go for 2-3 hr hacks on really good horses. This weekend I had a very lively, forward-going mare with jet-propulsion. The only way I could keep behind the 'leaders' slower horse was to aim at her backside which resulted in riding too close for comfort at speed.

Whilst not particularly a problem, I would have liked to have been able to keep a slower canter and a bit of distance between us. I tried all tactics I would apply in the school with no real result. Any advice please??

[Kiwismum]

Half halts are usually the answer, but if the horse is not responding maybe you need to talk to your trainer about it.

[Botanyman2]

I have this problem frequently. Half halts generally don't work well or for long -- I think it's hard to overcome the herding instinct -- although I do use half halts to keep my horse a little bit off the leader. Ulimately, I have resigned myself to faith -- I let the horse do its job and have faith that it will stop (I am generally rewarded with good behavior and I haven't had my head up the back end of the horse in front of me -- at least not yet). I think that many consecutive half halts eventually annoys the horse and may drive him/her on as they become insensitive to the constant attempts to pull them back. I usually put my knuckles on their neck and try to keep some rein contact without agitating the horse. I guess I just reached the view that the wonderful instinctual aspect of the horse is just very difficult to overcome when they are faced with a cantering horse directly in front of them, particularly when we are on a narrow path in the woods. When I have a little room to move my horse over, I try to keep her a bit off to one side of the lead horse -- that makes me feel better at least.

[SarahD]

I presume this was a hired hack out with horses that you have never ridden before? These horses are probably used to being ridden so close together as other riders have probably never bothered to stop them from doing so. You get the same behaviour with alot of 'trekking' ponies - they tend to ride right behind the leaders backside! It is all part of the herding instinct and I shouldn't worry about it, just enjoy. Whenever you go on a hired trek it is highly likely that the ponies/horses have been that way many many times and know all the places to gallop/canter and will stop without running over their pal at the front.