Ideas tips on working my new mare

[Gliderider]

Well I have been riding my new TWH mare. I am in love. She has improved some. She no longer prances and jigs when I first get on. I believe she was taught by an old style Walker trainer. She stands to be mounted but once your butt hits the saddle she is off. She does not want to stand around. When I mean off I mean at a good gait not a walk. She does not want to walk under saddle at all its all gait. I have only rode her a few times since I bought her home and only for about 15 minutes at a time because she has not been rode much in 3 yrs. I think she would gait under saddle till she just fell over from heat exhaustion.:doh: It has been so humid and hot here I am taking it easy with her. She gaits awesome and so smooth with a real nice head nod. I half expect any day too hear her clicking her teeth and smacking her lips. Like the old time Walkers. The thing is I am wanting to teach her it is ok to dog walk under saddle. What I have started doing is after I ride her a bit and let her go her speed then I start taking her in smaller circles to slow her down and figure eights. I am hoping with more riding and more circles and figure eights I will eventually get her to walk when asked under saddle. Also talk about riding the rail. This girl is all about that. I guess from her showing days. If you ride her anywhere near a fence she automatically gets on the rail and I mean on the rail. She likes the closer the better. So any ideas on how to teach her it is ok to dog walk under saddle will be appreciated. My kids had a racking pony years ago that was kinda like her and we just put a lot of wet saddle blankets on him and eventually he would walk under saddle when asked. I am hoping it will be the same with her. Once this humidity lets up I will ride her more and longer periods of time.

[WashingtonBay]

She just wants to go go go :)

[minskeep]

Try putting some poles on the ground so she has to slow down to walk over them. She shouldnt want to fly across them but instead take her time so she doesnt trip. This is also a good way to get them to stride better if you have the poles set apart at good lengths. Any other obstacles you can come up with that gets her mind to slow down and assess the situation would be good too. We used to have many walkers with all different types of personalities, some were lazy and some were speed demons. My grandma bought an ex show mare that only had two speeds, fast and faster. After a few months of riding on the trail that horse slowed down to ejoy the scenery. Another horse to ride with helps too especially if they are the slow type. It could make her relax or theres also a chance it could make her competitive and want to speed up but you will have to find out I guess. Oh and if you have any access to mudd or knee high water you could try working her in that. They have to slow down in elements like that. I had to try that as a last resort with one of our walkers and it did work, partly because it wears them out in a short period of time and partly because it teaches them to slow down and pay attention to what they are doing.

[WashingtonBay]

The interesting thing to me about this problem is she actually sounds more like a walkin' trail horse than a rail horse. I do have long-distance gaiting friends who 'gait' out of the gate, and gait nearly the whole ride, unless they need to rest! They perfect the gait and don't worry so much about anything else. Show horses, on the other hand, are shown in all their gaits, in Walkers: walk, running walk, and canter. So if she was a rail horse I'd expect her to know all three distinct gaits on cue. Unless she was one of the speed horses, but I don't know a thing about that.

[minskeep]

Yes she should know all 3 if she was shown. However if she feels like she still wants to go, like shes tense and short strided at the walk then it was probably due to how she was shown. A walk for a walking horse is normally faster than a QH for example but they should be able to exibit a "dog walk" as well. For that it must be relaxed and slow but since I dont know how this horse was shown previously I cant really say much else. I know from experience that some walkers change gaits from time to time. My mare that I had was very loose from 2-4 yrs old and she had a nice long stride but wasnt speedy. From 5-9yrs old she gradually got a little more tense and short strided. Partly because of how I rode her and how she filled out conformation wise. I started using her not only for rail work but also for barrels. So she tended to want to go go go all the time(not run but just gait off right away). I also switched her to racking classes instead of walking horse classes since we went to shows that had both types. Since her stride shortened up she did better in the racking classes. But since you said your horse has a nice head nod then shes still doing a running walk. Anyway, I kinda got off topic... I dont think you will have too much of a problem getting her to slow down. I guess when ever you work her just try not to get frustrated if shes not consistantly slowing down. End on a good note, if she walks for a few mins then end the session so both of you are relaxed and happy :)

[TheRedHayflinger]

I had a TWH mare that did the same thing yours did...she had not been ridden for 3 or so years when I got her...so I'd get on and stay on for the ride. I did pick my battle in the fact that I would ride later in the evening when it was cooler and we stayed in a fenced in area (her field actually as we didn't have an arena). I'd let her go at it, and then when I felt her start to get tired, we'd do circles and figure eights. Slow down, do lots of walking. Lots of praise and such went with this. Eventually she learned that she didn't have to zoom around and it was easier if she just waited for me to ask her. The plus factor was, I didn't push her into her gait hardly at all once I did get her to walk...we did TONS of walking...and after a few months, her gait actually improved with all the walk work we had done.

[Gliderider]

Thanks all for some ideas. Oh minskeep I don't get frustrated at her. I do like my gaited horses to be forward. I just want to help her to realize it is ok to dog walk so when we trail ride with others. I think her biggest problem is she hasn't been rode hardly at all for several years. The guy I bought her from is not the owner that shown her it was her owner/breeder before him. The guy I got her from had her around 4 yrs. He used her to have babies. I was told by a friend we have in common that my mare was lucky if she was rode once or twice a year while he had her. He is the one that rode her gaiting only under saddle the once or twice a yr he rode her in a corral. She gaits great and really smooth. Right now her slowest speed is a running walk with her head nod which she doesn't stay in long then she racks which she and I prefer and from there she will canter. Which I have not asked her to do but my son did canter her the last time we rode. I told him not to anymore till we get her to walk some first. She does seem happy to speed. She is faster then my other 2 walkers at gaiting.

Redhayflinger Are walkers sound a lot alike. I have been doing like you. I ride her in the evening but it is still very humid here. I let her pick her gait which a fast rack is her pick and I just sit there for the ride. Once she works up a sweat and is more relaxed then I take her in figure eights and circles. I have been riding her in a pasture for now. I do have a riding ring we just made but we have not got it fenced in yet. I think she just needs lots of wet saddle blankets. She seems to like us messing with her. She pretty much self loads and hauls great. She stands great to be tacked and takes her bit well. She does seem happy to be rode. She stands great for you to climb on and stands good for you to get off once she realizes you want off. lol !! Oh forgot she just turned 10

[Buckpoco]

As we have walkers, we bought Clinton Anderson's DVD's on gaited horses. He uses two walkers that belong to the same girl. One is pokey, the other never wants to stop. It might be worth seeing the DVDs...he mostly works with the one that wants to go, go, go. What he does is lets her go on a loose rein, when she gets fast (which is immediately) he does a one rein stop...over and over and over again. He works with her a month...what a difference.

[Gliderider]

Thanks Buckpoco I just ordered that DVD set from giddyup rental. :) Can't wait for it to arrive. Not sure she will do a one rein stop. I will give it a try though. My QH I just sold was a pro at the one rein stop at all gaits. I love C.A. I use his foal,weanling,yearling set to work with my colt. He shows and words thing so it is easy to understand. I am just wondering if I do the one rein with this mare over and over again she might blow up and be more then I want to handle. I will wait on the DVD's to arrive before I try. :)

[Buckpoco]

Thanks Buckpoco I just ordered that DVD set from giddyup rental. :) Can't wait for it to arrive. Not sure she will do a one rein stop. I will give it a try though. My QH I just sold was a pro at the one rein stop at all gaits. I love C.A. I use his foal,weanling,yearling set to work with my colt. He shows and words thing so it is easy to understand. I am just wondering if I do the one rein with this mare over and over again she might blow up and be more then I want to handle. I will wait on the DVD's to arrive before I try. :)

I hope the DVDs give you some support Gliderider. I love CA...you can understand everything he wants you to do...he's such a good teacher, unlike some of the others. Keep me posted on your progress!

[gaited07]

Thanks Buckpoco I just ordered that DVD set from giddyup rental. :) Can't wait for it to arrive. Not sure she will do a one rein stop. I will give it a try though. My QH I just sold was a pro at the one rein stop at all gaits. I love C.A. I use his foal,weanling,yearling set to work with my colt. He shows and words thing so it is easy to understand. I am just wondering if I do the one rein with this mare over and over again she might blow up and be more then I want to handle. I will wait on the DVD's to arrive before I try. :)

I hope the DVDs give you some support Gliderider. I love CA...you can understand everything he wants you to do...he's such a good teacher, unlike some of the others. Keep me posted on your progress!


Your going to love using these DVD's for your over gaiting mare. And yes, you can teach them to dog walk to trail ride with QH's and etc:)

Just remember to start her in a snaffle so you can apply the one rein stop on her. A shank bit would be too much.

[Gliderider]

LMBO !! We sound like an advertisement for CA.. LOL !!

I am going to start some CA ground work with her tonight as I am sure that is where the DVD will start. Duh ! not sure why I didn't start there already. I was just excited to ride I guess. lol ! My other 2 walkers will dog walk with the best of QH. lol ! I have hopes with some work she will be a nice trail mount. I like how calm she is on the ground and she is not a spooky type. :)