Horse keeps jogging!

[Amaretto]

Baby horse (4 a couple of weeks ago) goes hacking in company and is well behaved with traffic etc.

But, he likes to jog as he is a giddy character and I am forever asking him to walk. Sometimes he takes of and I really don't want to get hold of his mouth, but at times it has been necessary.

He's on good grass, small night haynet and a handful of alfalfa with lo-cal balancer, so he's not on a high energy diet.

Any ideas on how I can train him to stop jogging?

 

[Ezme]

I found the best way is to just let go of everything and (almost) slump in the saddle, deep breaths and all that too. The combo of relaxing breaths and heavier weight seem to help most. Although I do tend to be working with chunks/backwards thinking types

 

[teddyt]

Check saddle, teeth, bit, rider are not the cause. Then ditto ezme.

 

[Amaretto]

[ QUOTE ]
Check saddle, teeth, bit, rider are not the cause. Then ditto ezme.

[/ QUOTE ]

Doesn't do it when schooling though, works lovely. Thinking it might be because his babysitter is 17.1 compared to his 15.3 and he just struggles to keep up...

However, would still ilke to train him to walk when asked!

 

[Peacelily]

yup just let your reins go and stay really calm and ignore what he's doing - see if you can encourage his walk to be bigger when he does walk by emphasising your seat in the walk - I'm guessing if he's jogging his walk is quick and short?
with a good companion thats nice a calm is he any better or worse? what about on his own?
and ditto teddyt (and ezme too!)

good luck!

 

[teddyt]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Check saddle, teeth, bit, rider are not the cause. Then ditto ezme.

[/ QUOTE ]

Doesn't do it when schooling though, works lovely. Thinking it might be because his babysitter is 17.1 compared to his 15.3 and he just struggles to keep up...

However, would still ilke to train him to walk when asked!

[/ QUOTE ]

You may have answered your own question! Of course he will jog if he cant keep up with his nanny! You need to change the nanny, or get the big one to walk slower and make frequent halts so they stay together. It is unfair to expect your youngster not to try and stay close in the early stages of its training

 

[Ziggy_]

Ditto the above. Mine was a terrible jogger out hacking. I haven't 'cured' it totally but I have improved it.

I always walk home on the buckle/on a very light contact, as if I hold onto her it makes her worse. When she starts to jog I 'slump' completely, let everything go and sit like a sack of spuds - just make it really uncomfortable for him to carry you. As soon as they return to walk you sit lightly again. If you find he's still getting faster you might need to pick up a rein contact briefly and remind him to walk but relax it again immediately when he comes back to walk.

You do have to be consistent but they do get the message that power-walking is OK, jogging is not. You are right to want to avoid taking hold of his mouth as that's when you will start a real battle.

ETA have read further posts and agree that you may need to change the nanny, or at least the speed the nanny travels

 

[diggerbez]

with rocky rocket (king of the joggers) i try to have longish reins and sit heavily if he starts jogging and i also make him turn circles if he really won't stop it and then he will usually walk for a while...he's prbs just excited!