horse goes too fast

Question
Hi,I have an 11 year old Arab that wants to trot too fast and canter way too fast.I see-saw the reins in an attempt to slow her down and when I get her slowed enough I turn her in circles and and make her stop and back up.It doesn't seem to make any difference,the minute she begins to canter she begins to haul out again. She has a martingale and a kimberwick bit.She has been used as an endurance horse in the past.
Thanks
Diana

Answer
Hi Diana!

You sound pretty sporty and I'm not hearing any fear in your question which is great!  We can really get some changes for you and your horse!

Let's talk about some basic horsemanship stuff first...The reason you horse is not changing is that training is not meaningful to the horse.  When you see-saw in a kimberwick with a martingale it causes pain. Turning circles and backing up, the horse just becomes frustrated so when you go forward the whole cycle repeats itself.  Yikes!

Albert Einstein said:  "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."

So, let's make some changes!  First, go back to your snaffle bit.  Just a good "D" ring and no martingale.  We need to get to your horses feet and be able to bend in the body, this can't happen if you are restricting movement with a martingale.  Next, I want you to have riding with softness as a goal for you and your horse.  Many endurance horses just learn to go, go, go and not much else.  I consider your horse pretty green.  No more see-sawing on two reins.  I want you to be riding in one rein only.  If you pull on two reins, not only does your horse feel trapped, but he can brace against you and continue to run.  Also, your horse is lacking the basic respect and obedience you need to ride effectively.  For the next little while, it could be just a matter of weeks if your timing is good to a couple of months, I want you working at the walk and trot.  I know canter work will not be a problem for you and your Arab, so I want you to be very particular about the details of your training.  Your horse it seems is almost using the canter as a way to avoid some other real issues.  

I want you to teach your Arab how to disengage her hind quarters.  In your snaffle, while walking a 20 meter circle, I want you to comb down the inside rein until you are about 1 to 2 feet from where the  rein attaches to the bit,  draw your hand up and back toward the front pocket of your breeches or jeans, don't just pull your horses head, try and get him to follow a soft feel as you bend him.  At the same time, take your inside leg and bump with your calf back toward his flank area.  You may even have to bump further back and higher up to get your horse to reach with his inside hind leg and set it up and under his body.  Your horses muzzle should be close to your knee, bent deeply, the front feet should be stepping forward in a small circle, the inside hind foot should be stepping up and under the body with the hind moving a greater distance than the front.  When the hind has gone at least 180 degrees, release your leg, no more bumping, while keeping your horses head bent, wait for his feet to come still.  Release your horses head ONLY when his feet are still and his jaw is soft and he is still softly holding the bend. Now, just before you release him, reach up and rub him on the forehead, touch him with kindness and a feel that says you found the answer buddy.  Make it feel good to the horse.  After you release him, allow your reins to be really long, from the buckle!  As your horse steps off, rub, NOT PAT, rub him like his mother would do.  Be comforting. What you have just done is disengage the hind quarters and a one rein stop.  Make sure you are NOT pulling on the outside rein when you are doing this.  There should be no pressure, weight or pull on the outside rein at all.   

I want you to practice this every day until at the feel of combing down an inside rein, you horse starts to disengage on his own.  I want this move to be second nature to the both of you because this is your emergency brake and your tension relief button!  Rubbing your horse builds confidence and calmness.  Patting brings up the energy!  Look at your horses, they NEVER pat each other when they want to give comfort.  I want you to do the same thing.

I want you to be able to disengage the hinds from both the walk and the trot.  You will notice that as you do more lateral bending and your horse becomes more confident that her head will come down and she will drop her poll in a more natural and relaxed carriage.  What your are learning is the beginnings of soft feel or collection!  A round and correct frame comes from softness and not from the use of gadgets like draw reins or martingales.  

If you have a round pen, I want you to practice rubbing your horse to a stop.  Take off to the left or right, it doesn't matter, you can go any where in the pen, start at a walk and OH, DO NOT TOUCH your reins! Half hitch your reins over your horn if you are in a western saddle or tie them up with a piece of string if you are in your English gear, either way, no touching the reins.  Pick a place in the pen where you want your horse to stop.  Be consistent.  When you face up on this area start rubbing your horse on the neck, make it feel good to her, if she passes the spot, start riding a little ugly, bump a bit, flop like a sack of potatoes, just be a little disjointed in your riding, as your horse again starts to face up on the "spot" get smooth and quiet, rub her, send a message with your energy and body language that you want her to come still.  Keep up this pattern until your horse is really listening to your body language.  Pretty soon you will be able to pick a spot, ride to it and stop, relaxed!  Do this at the walk, trot and canter.  You will be amazed at the improvements in your communication, equitation, and control.  

Once all of these things are really working for you and you hit the trail again, ride with a loose and relaxed rein.  If your horse starts to FEEL like she will trot faster than you want her to, BEND her.  Go right back to hindquarters and the one rein stop.  When she feels like she can walk forward, relaxed and smooth carry on!  

Another great tool that you can use is called the "sage brush trail".  It is a series of deep bending "S's" that you are walking.  Make sure all four feet are stepping evenly and that you are not pivoting, but walking forward in this series of "S" turns.  Imagine that you are having to weave in and around cactus or sage brush with huge cliffs of both sides of the trail!  Your horse will have to stay collected, controlled and bending deep to survive!  This exercise will really change a horse.  They have to work so had and you will too to get it right!  Pretty soon your horse will figure out that walking relaxed on the trail is a lot better than having to do so much bending.  The horse has to work but is not pulled to a stop which causes tension and nervousness.  The horse has something meaningful to do with her feet and a job.  This will cause her to focus and relax!  When she lets down and feels good to you again, just allow her to walk out from the buckle.  Return to this pattern of sage brush trail, hindquarters, and one rein stops the moment you feel her become tense.  Soon, you will be able to walk, trot and canter relaxed and calm.   More fun for you and much better for your Mare!

If I have used terms or concepts that you are not familiar with, please let me know and I will clarify.  This is only the tiny tip of the iceberg of good horsemanship.  check out my teachers and some of the DVD's they offer.  They can really help you in your learning!

Smiles!  Denise