how do you teach someone to stop ??

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showaddy1

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My daughters mare has always had brake issues, we tried altering the tack but tbh we both felt that she is happiest in a snaffle. My daughter is thirteen, and her horse is a little under 16hh irish cob.
The mare only gets carried away on grass, and when asked to canter. Tonight my daughter went for a hack with two friends, her mare took off full gallop and basically scared the crap out of her. She is still crying.
How can I help her?
The mare doesnt put a foot wrong when hacking through lanes, or in a school... So im at a loss how to teach her to pull her up.
 
Five six, about ten stone... She's not a small girl but doesn't have the strength like an adult. She has ridden since little.
 
I am sorry to read this, your daughter must have been terrified. Thirteen is not as grown up as they like to think, especially when something goes wrong.
Hope she has not lost her confidence totally after this.
Cash you consider some other bit plus martingale for hacking only to give your daughter some confidence and control.
 
I guess if she was my daughter I would stop any activities that leads to the mare getting that strong and teach them the emergency stop in the school or enclosed field first.

I was always told to bridge the reins and give and release in time with the stride.
I'm probably not the best person to advise though as I rarely go faster than a collected canter!! haha!

It is serious though and she needs to practise this until she is confidant that she can if needed pull up!
 
Ime,bridging and give&release do absolutely bob all when a horse really wants to go...:( Pulling on one rein and trying just to turn&pull their head into the neck is sometimes marginally more effective.
Hope your daughter regains her confidence:)
 
The mare is probably 'happiest in a snaffle' because she knows she can get away with murder in it :p

I'd advise either a stronger bit, something like a pelham or kimblewick, or a market harborough, as she won't be able to get her head up in that. A running martingale is fine if you have the strength to keep a strong contact, but you said yourself your daughter lacks the strength.

Keep the snaffle for schooling, and the stronger bit for any faster activities, this is what I do and it works well. I'm around the same height and weight as your daughter (though I'm 25!) and I find that unless I ride out in a kimblewick I have no control whatsoever over my horse.
 
Oh no!! Thats awful - I hope your daughter's confidence hasnt been shaken too much? - I think given her age and that she has much growing and strengthening to do then perhaps a stronger bit for hacking only (in the short term) and work on the emergency brake. :)
 
It's difficult without seeing the girl and the horse
Is it that the horse likes to launch into canter which results in daughter taking a hold and then getting into a pulling battle? I know how easy that can happen, and sometimes all that's needed is to give the horse it's head for the first few strides before asking it to come back to you
Does the horse stick her head up and tank, or does she stick her head down and tank? depending on what she does would also depend on which kind of "stronger bit" others would recommend
Is snaffle single joint, double joint, rolled joint?
Does daughter have a neck strap and has she tried using that? It can help some horses to lift up and balance themselves
Does the horse know the voice command "woah!" I've taught it to my mare and we can go from canter to halt in a stride just by me leaning back and saying woooo-oah!
Might sound a bit random, but having western riding lessons has helped me so much with realising how much I do thus resulting in a horse that had stopped listening to me. By learning to do less and make my aids clearer she is now much more responsive.
After I had a pony that liked to take off in fields I would walk and walk and walk through fields until I felt confident to up the pace. Don't push her, providing she's still happy to get back on the horse let the progress back to full confidence take as long as it takes
 
A good friend is going to ride out with her tomorrow to see exactly what is going on. (I'm still lame). I will change the bit if needed. She has a running martingale, and was ridden in a three ring but seemed to fight the poll pressure.
I had such a lovely time with the horses when I was her age, I just want her to have the same. I'm so annoyed at myself, I knew I should have bought her a older, been there and Done it sort.
 
More work, much more work.
Most horses these days don't do enough and get above themselves. An hours hack or in the school 3 or 4 times a week is not work.
Also get an experienced rider to take her in as big a field as possible and let her go, without asking her to stop. Round and round and round. Then when she's had enough and starts to slow down push her on. Make her keep up her chosen speed even when she's had enough.
Obviously cool her down and walk afterwards before finishing.
Making your horse work enough to be tired on many occasions will solve a multitude of problems in many leisure horses. It's your leisure not theirs.
 
Ridefast... I think what is happening the mare is sticking her head up, which then turns into a pulling battle, which anyone would lose against 750kg! I told her tonight about allowing the mare her head for a few strides, then try to collect her up. She is ridden in a single jointed.
 
Ribbons.... I like your thinking. My mares are spoilt, I have allowed them to get away with murder. They think meandering around the fields is work. I just need to find my confidence to sort it out!
 
This has happened to me a few times, can be pretty scary especially for a young girl! A martingale would be a good idea if the horse puts her head up, after all it won't interfere until she does start messing about. I would suggest lots of transitions including those within the pace if you have somewhere suitable and a rider who is up for it, but would also consider noseband and bit combinations as it is only when hacking and I'm sure it would make you both feel better that she had more control. My friend's veteran ex racer runs away with head in the air when asked to canter (she also has a young rider who was terrified and couldn't stop, I rode her and could stop but it was very wall of death!) and now she is in a grackle with hanging cheek and martingale she works in such a sensible, collected and relaxed manner it is literally like a different horse... Obviously an ex racer has different motivations and issues but just to give you a little faith it could work!
 
Make sure she not hacking out with people who just have to canter or gallop at the first sign of grass. The horse has to learn that grass doesn't automatically mean= go fast.
 
As always, Thankyou for your advice. I will let you know what happens tomorrow. My daughter is now sleeping, the fright has worn her out. Right now, id like to sell the mare and wrap the daughter In bubble wrap. But that won't help either of us x
 
Poor kid I hope she is recovered by morning it is a bit scary being carted with bless her.
I agree with the others to a certain extent It is a lack of hard work and discipline Your daughter isnt strong enough to ride her when she carts off but then no one would be if it was strength that had to be relied on. She Needs to learn to relax, loose the reins and use her body to stop the movement if possible, so a few good lessons and a companion that can stop so the mare is pulling up not racing. Kids like to race but it can get out of hand a bit
I am sure you love your horse but she may well have been better off with a pony even a chunky one
 
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