My pro horse slides like a reining horse the moment she hits the alley way without you even touching her mouth.  Most of the horses I train are very ratey and slide to a stop like that when they get back to the alley and know their job is done.

and scream like a little girl. That's right, I've seen you run...

Wait, I think I have heard that one. Does it go something like "She looks so young but she smells so old..."?

It depends on the arena, but I try and let my horse stop as naturaly, on his own as possible.. The less wear and tear on his legs, the better.. He doesnt mind stopping at all though, actually, he cant wait!!!

It took me two years to get mine to not plant her right front foot, pivot and stop on that foot.  I call her my little GM wannabe cuz she used to be as union minded as you can get.  Not one foot over the line would she go, get to the timers and WHAM you better be grabbing that horn ready to spin. 

I have no idea who or why she was taught that, but I can still even now see her checking out the timers and knowing where they are whether they are inside or out, marked with cones or not, she knows. 

I have been methodically working at both mentally and physically pushing her past those timers.  I have her now where if the gate is open, she rates way down but will canter through and then stop, or if the gate is shut I force her to the left and make her make a circle.  It has been hard, but that bone jarring one footed pivoting stop was gonna get one of us hurt.  I wonder why anyone would teach a horse to stop that way.  Especially one who is smart enough to know when and where the line is everytime.

Actually, I got ol'Yella trained to run right up to the pretty ones.. I just sit up there and act like "hes outa control".. Then when he finally stops, I say, its a good thing you where here, then "grin a little bit", and go from there !!! LOL