Problem with the Lope

Question
Hi Jennifer

My AQHA mare breaks into a "pacer" like trot when I ask for
her to lope. She'll lope eventually if you really get after
her (and keep after her to maintain the lope) but she wont
go directly from a collected trot into a lope. She does the
same high speed trot in the round pen and on the lunge line
with or without a saddle/rider. I've had her vet checked
and had the chiropractor out for her, so I know it isn't
pain causing her behavior. She was "started" when I
purchased her (I have no idea what they did because she
didn't know much other than "whoa") and I've spent 2 1/2
months on ground work, basic suppling exercises, moving off
the leg and collection. She tries really hard, she's very
athletic but she almost seems fearful of the lope. How do I
teach her that trotting at breakneck speeds isn't what I
want? How do I help her become confident in the lope?

I appreciate your help
Shannon

Answer
Hi Shannon, My first question is does she actuall pace, meaning do her legs on the same side move in unision or is it just a really fast trot with diagnol strides? If she indeed paces, she may just be one of the few horses, that while not bred to be gaited is. I have a friend with a very nice Warmblood who was bought to be her dressage horse and he paces naturally, neither his sire or dam does, but he's not comfortable in the canter. However if she does a fast trot, I'd check all your tack, be sure everything fits right, nothing pinches, confirm her teeth are in good condition and her feet are trimmed and balanced. Some horses grow out of balance and require shoes to carry themselves level and be comfortable in all gaits. Next watch her lose in a pasture, does she lope out there, does she look coordinated? I assume your vet checked her eyesight and did some basic neurological testing as well, as that would be my next concern. After you have ruled all that out, I'd start doing some ground work over poles. Something to get her using her body and paying attention to her feet. Start with some basic walk, trot poles set two strides apart. Then when she can easily go over those, start varying both the distances and the height. Your goal is to get her rounding her back, lowering her head and adjusting her stride naturally. You want to be able to do these sort of exercises both directions at the walk, trot and canter, both on a lunge line and then with a saddle. When she's comfortable doing those exercises, you should see some increased cadence in her gaits. Then I'd ask her to lope, if she only proceeds to get into a faster trot, make that hard, ask her to do some quick rollbacks and drive her away from you, with some confidence, the very second she takes one stride in the lope, stop her and praise her. You want to reward her and show her that doing the right thing (loping) is easy and doing the wrong thing, trotting faster, is harder work, therefore wrong. Keep your lessons short, as she'll be using new muscles and reward her often.

Best Wishes,

Jen