|
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 452
 
Location: Texas | Beyond frustrated. Have a well bred 8 yr old gelding. He will not lope for me. Not in a line, not in a circle, not up a hill, not down a hill, not in a arena, not in a pasture... Starting to sound like a dr Seuss book. You get the drift. This sucker is irritating the bejeezus out of me. Spurs, riding crop, dressage whip, hand whip, no. Just will not break over. He's in awesome shape since we extended trot everywhere, no lameness issues, etc. Anyone have any tips? I've never had this problem before. Usually it's the opposite!!
Thanks in advance |
|
| |
|
 Buttered Noodles Snacker
Posts: 4377
Location: NC | I had the same problem with my 4yr old. I literally would have people chase me with a whip while I was on her to try and get her to lope!!!! it was crazy. I sent her to a trainer and he thought it was because she was started later and was set in her ways and lazy. I don't know exactly what he did but I know he started off doing ALOT of lounging, said if you can teach one to lope lounging it is much easier to get them to undersaddle. good luck, I KNOW how fustrating that is! |
|
| |
|
 Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
 
| How long have your had this horse? |
|
| |
|
  That's White "Man" to You
Posts: 5515
| You could try having somebody else on a horse that will lope and see if he will try to keep up. |
|
| |
|
 Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | Ruling out pain first, I would get in the round pen or on the lunge line and reinforce the verbal cues for lope. Be consistent in how you're asking and expect to get a lope within 2-3 strides max. I kiss and raise my whip for a canter. The rest of the time, the whip is down. Only after he got good on the ground work would I ask for the canter under saddle. Then I would ride in the round pen and have someone round pen you and do the same thing you did on the ground. As you ride, have that person ask for the lope at the same time you ask with your cues. Same thing, be consistent and get the canter 2-3 strides. I kiss and squeeze and sit sit deep and push all the same time. I use an over and under by the 2nd stride.I make sure my hands are very forward too. Horses learn good or bad by repetition. Giving specific signals and being consistent is what gets a horse loping when you ask. |
|
| |
|
 More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
Location: Riding Crackhead. | I would bet he's got your number. |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 452
Location: Texas | Thanks for the ideas everyone.
Streakysox he's been with me since Nov so it's not a new thing. It's been a ongoing thing. |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 452
Location: Texas | CYA Ranch - 2015-03-18 2:52 PM
I would bet he's got your number.
I'm thinking that too. I need to dig in deep to my more aggressive "we ain't Pullin this bs" rider. He was well broke when he came to me, just had been turned out awhile. So it's there. |
|
| |
|
Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| About 50 years ago, my dad bought me a nice registered mare for a barrel horse. She came through a registered sale. The information said she was off a ranch and had been broke by their Mexican guy. Her spirit was broken. Nothing could make her go. We tried working cows on her and she would be way behind--no go. My brother decided to ride her with spurs one time and she definitely went-- straight up. She could definitely buck. She still would not go faster than a trot. She was retired to the broodmare band.
How long have you had this horse? |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1561
| I should start charging for all my good info...
 |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 452
Location: Texas | streakysox - 2015-03-18 3:14 PM
About 50 years ago, my dad bought me a nice registered mare for a barrel horse. She came through a registered sale. The information said she was off a ranch and had been broke by their Mexican guy. Her spirit was broken. Nothing could make her go. We tried working cows on her and she would be way behind--no go. My brother decided to ride her with spurs one time and she definitely went-- straight up. She could definitely buck. She still would not go faster than a trot. She was retired to the broodmare band.
How long have you had this horse?
His spirit is not broke. If you knew him you wouldn't think that. Just lazy. But that's sad about your mare. I've known a few like that you can see it in their eyes. |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 452
Location: Texas | Itsme - 2015-03-18 3:20 PM
I should start charging for all my good info...
Haha!! This would probably have the best outcome. But a bucket of cookies. He lives for those. Think they'd allow that at a barrel race? Hehe |
|
| |
|
 I Chore in Chucks
Posts: 2882
Location: MD | have you ponied him and had the horse you're on lope? could get a little questionable but worth a shot?
maybe other people loping or even opening up around him might bring out a competitive side? |
|
| |
|
Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| lzysranch - 2015-03-18 3:39 PM
streakysox - 2015-03-18 3:14 PM
About 50 years ago, my dad bought me a nice registered mare for a barrel horse. She came through a registered sale. The information said she was off a ranch and had been broke by their Mexican guy. Her spirit was broken. Nothing could make her go. We tried working cows on her and she would be way behind--no go. My brother decided to ride her with spurs one time and she definitely went-- straight up. She could definitely buck. She still would not go faster than a trot. She was retired to the broodmare band.
How long have you had this horse?
His spirit is not broke. If you knew him you wouldn't think that. Just lazy. But that's sad about your mare. I've known a few like that you can see it in their eyes.
I would have to agree with others. The horse has your number. I would also say that this has no grit and you have better use of your time and training on a horse with a little more heart. |
|
| |
|
The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Does he run barrels?
Have you spoken to the previous owners?
Did the previous owners have any problems like this?
If the owners had no problems, then it will say it is something you are doing, you may be unbalanced in the saddle, you may be on his face too much, it may be your body position. He may not have the confidence in you to go any faster. |
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 725
| Have you lunged him yet? |
|
| |
|
| Sounds like he is 18 instead of 8 and been used on a tourist riding string at some rent a horse trail ride outfit ... or he is trying to live up to your posting name ...
Do you have papers on him and know his pedigree or just a word of mouth type thing..
Edited by BARRELHORSE USA 2015-03-18 9:36 PM
|
|
| |
|
Boot Detective
Posts: 1900
| Your saddle doesn't fit him and most likely, it is too narrow and pinching his withers. I had a lady bring a nice young gelding to me that someone else had trained and she could not make him move out. I thought she was kidding me but she put her saddle on him and rode him around while I rode another colt. I could see from 30 ft away that saddle was killing him. I got on him with her saddle and he refused to move out. I pulled her saddle off, massaged his withers and back for about 15 min, then put one of my wider saddles on him and he rode like a world beater. When she drove up that day, he was FOR SALE!! Before she left, his price went wayyyy up. |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 452
Location: Texas | quickdraw - 2015-03-18 9:48 PM
Your saddle doesn't fit him and most likely, it is too narrow and pinching his withers. I had a lady bring a nice young gelding to me that someone else had trained and she could not make him move out. I thought she was kidding me but she put her saddle on him and rode him around while I rode another colt. I could see from 30 ft away that saddle was killing him. I got on him with her saddle and he refused to move out. I pulled her saddle off, massaged his withers and back for about 15 min, then put one of my wider saddles on him and he rode like a world beater. When she drove up that day, he was FOR SALE!! Before she left, his price went wayyyy up.
THATS A AMAZING IDEA. LIKE A LIGHTBULB MOMENT. THANKYOU!!
And he's 8. Sixarun & Streaking Six. Never patterned except for what I started |
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 600
Location: Oklahoma & Texas | I've run into horses being reluctant to move out - lope like that.. usually its because they are new/green to loping with a rider on their back... to them its a foreign concept - and probably feels wrong because everything to tha tpoint has been real controlled and collected... I am with the others - lunge the horse at a lope fully saddled - would even suggest having a helper and progress to lunging with you on thei rback w/a bridle/reins on - and them on the ground so the horse understands the concept of what you are asking that having a rider on their back isn't any different then not.. i have a Corona Cartel gelding that i bought as a weanling - and i swear that horse has more run in the pasture or anywhere for that matter then any horse i've been around but when i started him as a 2 yr old he was great at a walk and trot - but lope/canter to him was like whaaaaaat !!! He was scared to lope with a rider.. i guess it felt wrong to him .. .anyway just took a lot of encouragement and i didn't have to resort to a helper in the round pen but i almost got to that point which is comical considering his breeding. To this day he is one that you have to ask (push style) for speed - but if you'd see him in the pasture or his papers you'd think the exact opposite lol. (also make sure your balance is centered and also that he's not being pinched by the saddle - that could cause one to balk at moving out more). |
|
| |
Folks on-line