How do I speed up her walk???

[Fruit Loop]

I need help. I have a cob type mare who walks nicely but not very fast. In the school she can keep up a purposeful walk for a bit and then just goes back to normal. I have hacked out previously with another rider who has an ex polo horse who is fit and speeds off in walk and we get left behind which isn't fun really.

I know I need to get onto her a bit more but is it just a case of keeping on and getting her fitter? Will she speed up a bit eventually. Just feel stupid that I can't even get her walking out properly!

I'm having a moan! I will get up early and lunge her ... and keep up with it.

[Skyhuntress]

Umm, carry a whip? And give her a tap every 4th beat of the walk? - that's assuming you've tried applying leg.

[Herbie's mummy]

Do lots of walk to trot transitions, that should work well :)

[SA rider]

My instructor made me pass the reins into one hand, use leg and use the whip firmly behind my leg to ask for walk. once walk was achieved then reins in both hands and continue. Then repeat. After a while if I as much as moved to put the reins in one hand the pony would speed up. Eventually he wouldn't wait for me to move my hands and would respond to the first hint - use of the leg.

[Scarlett 001]

One book I own says to apply the leg aid when the corresponding hind leg is moving forwards (which is when your seat is kind of going backwards and dipping on that particular side). So you can alternate the leg aid by putting pressure on each side in turn as described. Works well on my horse.

[alwaysfallingof]

If she's walking nicely, then pushing her any faster will only make her rush and fall onto the forehand.

I have exactly the same problem when hacking out sometimes because I have a 13.2 pony with a short-striding walk. Remember it's as much of your friend's responsibility to slow down for you as it is for you to speed up for her, and lots of walk-trot transitions can help you to keep up - and will improve your pony's responsiveness.

[SupaTania]

Apply leg aid with the sway of her body.

When her body sways left, your left leg is applied, when her body sways right, your right leg is applied. This encourages her to go faster, as it exagerates the sway. As you know the faster they walk, the faster they sway, so by helping to exagerate her sway, you are encouraging her to pick up the pace.

[Lili & Morgan]

A couple of thoughts :

1/ maybe it is her natural pace, the one she can easily maijntain for long distance. All horses have a different walk speed.
My friend's TREKKING horse ( not hacking) is quite slow but he will walk for ages. So maybe it is your mare natural speed.

2/ make sure you absorb her movement well with your seat. If you really follow her well, she will find easy to keep a faster walk. An article by Heather Moffet on her website explains it all
http://www.enlightenedequitation.com/public/library.html

Hope it helps and have fun

[Brandy Snap]

I was thinking the same as lili & morgan, perhaps that is just her natural speed in walk, as you say she walks nicely, just not fast... maybe she just doesnt have a fast walk.

With my pony I have to make him walk out as he has stiffness in his hinds, if he ambles along, trailing his legs it makes him stiffer. So what I did was ride out with a schooling whip for a few weeks, making sure that he was walking out from the word go, and whenever he went to ambling, leg and then leg and stick. He now walks out more without me asking, especially in the school! And I dont carry the schooling whip on hacks anymore.