WYOTurn-n-Burn - 2014-03-21 3:16 PM I fence mine. I'll start at a walk and push them straight up into the fence and stop, praise them, then go again. I'll build into a trot, lope, gallop, etc. If I feel them want to lean on my leg or take that step to start to circle I will shut them down completely, move them laterally in the opposite direction,  and then walk up into the fence and stop.



They've got to be comfortable moving up into the fence in order to want to stop straight into it in my opinion. It's what has worked for me:) 

BARRELHORSE USA - 2014-03-21 3:55 PM Doing a slow down to a stop circle is the best thing you can do to protect your horses stress on his hocks and stifles .... Why you want to continue a hard run past the timers and come to a screeeeeeching halt is a mystery to me!! Each pastern has an ergot on them ... once these are "burned or sored" especially on the rear feet .... the horse will refuse to sit down to stop which is impossible to do when running full blast .... The horse will give you a bouncing front end stop while protecting itself due to previous pain in the ergots or even hocks or stifles. It is a learned pain protection mode a horse has .. Teach your horse to slow down when you sit down and back deep in the saddle with legs forward and let him do most of the stopping himself ......... watch jockeys on the track ... they stand up when crossing the finish line and horse slows down ... some have stood up too soon and lost the race too ... lol And don't give me the reining horses do it routine ... they have slider plates on... done by a professional reiner farrier .... ... special dirt and have been taught to walk in the front during the slide ... Use some really good combination boots all the way around to start protecting his ergots and overtime his stops will improve as long as the rider learns how to sit and throw their feet forward and not lose their balance ..... these protective boots should be worn anytime you ride the horse .... preferably when started as a 2yo .... On closed pens you will be glad you know how to do a slow down circle and running one into a fence to stop is not real smart ... GOOD LUCK ..

euchee - 2014-03-22 9:06 AM I haven't read all the responses or watched the runs so sorry if this has already been said.  I have always had my horses stop in a straight line for my own reasons.  I start them doing that from the first time they see a barrel.  One of the biggest mistakes is to pull back on the reins, you don't want to be pulling on them having their head up in the sky.  As soon as I cross the timer I drop my hand down in front of the saddle horn and sit deep in the saddle and say whoa letting them see where the fence is and make a gradual stop.  When starting out at home might have to use two hands on the reins just to keep them straight but not pulling on them. 

BARRELHORSE USA - 2014-03-21 2:55 PM

Doing a slow down to a stop circle is the best thing you can do to protect your horses stress on his hocks and stifles ....

Why you want to continue a hard run past the timers and come to a screeeeeeching halt is a mystery to me!!

Each pastern has an ergot on them ... once these are "burned or sored" especially on the rear feet .... the horse will refuse to sit down to stop which is impossible to do when running full blast .... The horse will give you a bouncing front end stop while protecting itself due to previous pain in the ergots or even hocks or stifles. It is a learned pain protection mode a horse has ..

Teach your horse to slow down when you sit down and back deep in the saddle with legs forward and let him do most of the stopping himself ......... watch jockeys on the track ... they stand up when crossing the finish line and horse slows down ... some have stood up too soon and lost the race too ... lol

And don't give me the reining horses do it routine ... they have slider plates on... done by a professional reiner farrier .... ... special dirt and have been taught to walk in the front during the slide ...

Use some really good combination boots all the way around to start protecting his ergots and overtime his stops will improve as long as the rider learns how to sit and throw their feet forward and not lose their balance ..... these protective boots should be worn anytime you ride the horse .... preferably when started as a 2yo ....

On closed pens you will be glad you know how to do a slow down circle and running one into a fence to stop is not real smart ...

GOOD LUCK ..

jaydenw - 2014-03-22 11:17 AM I have to say, I disagree. I get that it maybe is easier on them to circle, but I don't recommend it. I've seen too many horses fall at the end because their rider turned them at the end rather than stop square. That's pretty much all I've been taught, too dangerous to turn at the end.

rockinas - 2014-03-22 12:35 PM

I agree jayden.  I would never turn a horse off or circle it to stop.  It drives me nuts.  My horses do not come to screeching halts.  I start rating them down as soon as the timer is crossed.  They ease into a stop.  I've never had one get burned, and I've never had problem getting them to stop straight. 
I have seen way more injuries to horses that were turned off on hard, slick rodeo ground, than ever from ones that stop straight.  The guy that starts my colts gets them all stopping very nicely for me so it's never an issue once I start running them, to get them to stop properly without risking injury to themselves.
Especially on crappy rodeo ground.

BARRELHORSE USA - 2014-03-23 2:20 AM


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oK guys don't stop now with just dissing comments ... this young lady is asking for details and is running/training in a small indoor arena and most times in bad weather with closed gates ..

Explain to her how you were taught to stop square ... do you have a magic bit, use of hands or feet or just sheer strength ?? And who was riding the horses you saw fall and at what shows ... ambulance needed or undertaker??
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Tell her how your trainer teaches your horses to stop so all you need to do is to rate down to a stop for you where you don't use the fence as a stopping tool ... .. Explain bits, feet, thighs, hands and how your trainer taught you to use the same cues he did ...
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It would be good if you would share what Connie Combs taught at her clinic on how she transitions one down to stop ... did she use a one rein stop or ?????
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Be helpful and share your knowledge since some of us can't afford advice from trainers, riding instructors or going to clinics ....
Thank You in Advance for Sharing!!

cheryl makofka - 2014-03-23 10:57 AM After the timer, I sit up, let my but sink in the saddle, and I allow my horse to slow down. I however also make them run a stride or 2 past the timer so they don't shut down before the timer. On closed gate, I let my horses circle, as in closed gate you don't have much stopping distance, and I don't want to wreck their hocks, as asking them to come to a screeching halt puts a lot of stress on the joint. When I circle my horses, I do have complete control, and I use the entire area before crossing the timer to circle them, this works for me. As for run out into an alley, I let the horses slow down and I still don't pull on their face. I haven't had a horse that hasn't stopped or hit the fence. It all comes down to if you trust your horse to stop. If you want to work on stopping your horse, I'm not sure you are going to get that at Ed Wright as he works primarily at slow speeds. I suggest going to a horsemanship clinic, or a reining clinic (basic) as this will help you learn the fundamentals. How I teach a horse to stop I sit first, say whoa, pick up the reins, then reverse to where I sat. I start at a walk and increase speed once they have mastered the gait previous.