Jogging horse - how to ride...

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LizGooch1

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Have had my new horse three weeks and very evident she is insecure in hacking out on her own, however most of the time i have to hack on own and when i tried her she went out fine so think she needs to get used to surroundings.
However she jogs constantly as soon as i leave yard until i come back. How shoudl i ride her? Do i push her forward and trot to wear her out, do i calmly sit there with no legs on but reassure her??
I found my self getting quite wound up and kept halting her to get her listening but i dont think this is helping as she wants to go forwards again and i dont want to get in a battle or she will learn to be spooky
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My mare used to be terrible for this, but doesn't do it at home so much now. Last time she did it was on a sponsored ride and like you I was getting quite annoyed. So I turned her neck and rode her sideways, in the end she worked out that if she just walked in a straight line, life was easier, however this took a few miles
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Halting may make it worse, try to relax keep your legs still but on the horse[they do become used to them] Try to stay on a longer rein , but be safe. Sometimes pinching a piece of skin near the withers and twisting it can take their mind off jogging
 
Make sure your bum, pelvis and thighs are relaxed in the saddle and try useing a neckstrap to slow her; everytime she jogs ask her walk by pulling on the neck stap and release as soon as she slows.
My boy can occasionaly (if he can muster the energy!) be a bit like this, I've found that using the neckstap stops him from hollowing against me, and means I'm not nagging at the bit to slow him.
 
Hi - I definitely wouldn't take your legs off as the problem with a jogging horse is that they don't accept your leg and they need to get used to it, like Carthorse said just have them gently on his side. With Eric I used to push him sideways a bit to stop the jogging and then as I walked forwards try to drop the contact so he'd give over his neck and walk forwards more freely and realsie it's more comfortable doing that than getting tense and jogigng . I know how frustrating it is though and it's never an easy thing to correct!
 
I was always taught legs on, have a light contact but don't pull, and sit like a sack of potatoes! I have a habit of coming out of the saddle a bit when they jog which doesn't help!
 
My previous mare used to jog a lot and bounce around...she was just energetic about life in general, all the time.
I was told keep legs on - well, wrapped round but not hard on...sit deep in saddle...give and take with each rein alternatively.
It can be a bit frustrating as they seem to be away with the fairies a bit when jogging...so we also used to make my mare work out hacking (at least for some of the time) so she had to think as well ie. shoulder-in, always getting good bend when not going straight etc.
People used to say they didnt really hack out with me...as we would be over there somewhere bouncing and joggin around!!!
 
My mare has started jogging since I have gone from a pelham to a hackamore (long story!). She is far happier in the hackamore but is taking the mickey a little bit and as I have a bad back I can't be doing with it. Keep your legs on and imagine dropping all your weight down to your feet, like you are pinning her to the ground with it (but without being a sack of spuds on her back) - that usually works for me.... for a few minutes anyway! Also don't hang onto her in anyway, let her stretch her neck forwards if you can so she can relax and walk freely. Good luck!
 
Keep your legs on, don't haul on the reins and sit up tall (if you feel like you're leaning slightly back then that's all the better).

Try singing
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. Honest, I do it with all the horses that might get slightly tetchy or nervous and it does seem to work with some!
 
tis no good for your bladder either!!!

I ride an anglo arab that jogs no matter how i ride. (legs on sitting deep and back etc...)

If i ask for sideways i get a sideways canter on the spot and then he tries to shoot off when i turn him straight. If i relax the reins he will drop his head but still keeps jogging.
 
My mare used to do it. I did pretty much what everyone here has suggested - sit still, tall and deep, legs on, but mix in lots of transitions, shoulder in, turns and circles (if the road is quiet!) and also turning back on our tracks for a few hundred yards - more if you can be bothered - so the horse realises the jogging gets her nowhere. They soon learn if you get the timing right!
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That is sooo true, mine does exactly the same, just been reading these posts going hmmm nope none of that works for me, maybe my mare is just one in a million...........YAY, she's not alone!!!

Drives me potty, got to the point the other week when she got told very grumpily ok will you just pack it in now your not funny and I've got stich!!!! It worked
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when jay does it i either push forward into trot if safe to do so then bring him back to walk or if not sit deep & half halt, he comes back within seconds
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God, horses jogging all the times makes me want to go to the loo !!!

A pony I used to ride was a terribly excitable jogger.

The only thing that worked was to sit up, feed the reins out until I was virtually on the buckle and concentrate on slow breathing!

Initially he used to take off as soon as I loosened the rein, but after a few false starts he got the idea. It seemed to be the breathing that did it - or if you can hum a slow song, that helps!

He wasn't a spooker though, just very strong. Wouldn't hold the buckle with a spooker, I'd do as everyone else says!!!
 
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