Running in trot

[mushroom]

What is the best way to tackle a horse who runs in trot? I know that forward is good but running isn't.

I've had an instructor who tells me to bring her back to halt every time she runs with me; another tells me to push her on. The latter certainly doesn't work as she just gets faster and will then break into canter.

I'm sure lots of transitions are the ultimate answer to get her off her forehand and listening, but is there any initial technique/trick I could try to break the habit as at the moment stopping and starting are getting her very agitated and frustrated leading to spooking/bucks.

Btw, she has had a physio and chiropractor within the last three months and nothing was found to be wrong with her back.

 

[be positive]

I don't think either instructor is helping, by halting you are going to make her stressy, pushing on is compounding the issue and she will end up even more on her forehand.
I usually use half halts in combination with lots of different movements around the school to keep them thinking, listening and waiting, the use of leg yield before transitions can help get them thinking more about you and less about rushing about, poles can be useful if they are placed so the horse looks at them, on a circle they can really help you establish a rhythm but enable you to still ride forward towards them, place on on each 1/4 point and aim to ride a true circle over them. Another useful exercise is to ride onto a 10m circle at B or E in trot, transition to walk as you come onto the circle, transition to trot as you come off, you use the start of the circle as a half halt then they tend to be waiting and come back to walk quietly once you have done the exercise a few times.

I would also suggest looking for an instructor with more ideas that will help you, if something is not working they need to have further tools available to use.

 

[mushroom]

Thank you so much be positive. I really like the circles idea, and the poles will make her drop her head (hopefully!) to look where she is going and possibly therefore get her to relax. I'm sure tension is at the root of the problem, although she does run in trot when out hacking as well as in the school; in canter she is more prepared to listen to aids and is therefore reasonably well collected.

Thank you so much for helping me

 

[be positive]

Most rushing is due to tension, therefore the exercises you use need to be geared towards reducing the tension, if she relaxes more in canter it will do no harm to canter to get her well settled then do your trot work, many horses work better once they have cantered and got rid of any excess energy they will then be more willing to listen.

 

[PaulnasherryRocky]

my horse used to (and if i'm not "on it", still will). To tackle it my instructors gave me a few options-

1- lots of half halts and masses of praise when the horse stops running, they do try and speed up again but another half halt to bring them back
2- the horse runs when they believe they know where they're going- so change direction alot, lots of transitions
3- leading on from 2- my horse ALWAYS runs round corners, because he knows he can't go any other way than round them. So an instructor told me to just trot at the fence, keep trotting straight at the fence, and stop at the fence with no room to spare (and hope to god the horse doesn't jump it), turn the opposite way (toward the fence again) and trot to the other end of the school and repeat until your horse is expecting the stop, then do the corner as normal and it will hopefully not be a run. (though don't do this if you think it will encourage your horse to stop at actual jump fences!)
4. Just lots of serpentines, small circles etc!

 

[Annagain]

My boy used to do the same. Using my seat and position (think up and back, rather than sitting deep as this can drive them on) to slow him down rather than starting a pulling battle and slowing the rising really made a difference to mine. Slowing the rising is a lot harder than people think as the quick rhythm of the running pushes you back out of the seat at the horse's pace, so it takes a lot of practice but just really think about moving your body as slowly as you can. He'll still run if he gets his knickers in a twist, but he's much quicker to get back now. Bending him round my inside leg really helps to get him back, so maybe your one instructor means you should keep your leg on rather than pushing him on?
He could also be running to 'chase' his balance? Again something my horse did so if he's leaning on your reins as well as running, throw them away (not literally but don't get into that battle!) and make him find his own balance - again by bending round your leg and slowing him with your seat.

 

[Under-the-radar]

lots of changes of direction, half circles, serpentines, shallow loops - basically lots of things so that you never keep going on the same line for more than a few paces. By doing this your horse will learn he needs to listen to you. The loops and serpentines will also help with suppleness and hopefully ease the tension he seems to be experiencing.

Also practice "thinking" slow. You will probably find that thinking slow will have little to no effect to start with, but as he starts to get more attuned to you, and paying more attention, just thinking it will make it happen

 

[mushroom]

Really helpful replies everyone and lots to work on. Thank you

 

[mushroom]

Btw can anyone remind me of the distance between ground poles (for a horse stride) please - I'm hopeless at getting them right!

 

[Tnavas]

lots of changes of direction, half circles, serpentines, shallow loops - basically lots of things so that you never keep going on the same line for more than a few paces. By doing this your horse will learn he needs to listen to you. The loops and serpentines will also help with suppleness and hopefully ease the tension he seems to be experiencing.

Also practice "thinking" slow. You will probably find that thinking slow will have little to no effect to start with, but as he starts to get more attuned to you, and paying more attention, just thinking it will make it happen

Great answer, best yet.

Your horse runs because he is unbalanced. Schooling as above will increase suppleness and balance.

An instructor once said, NEVER go around the arena more than once without doing something different.

An example, trot 20m circle, go large and do a 5m shallow loop on the next long side, followed by a 20m circle, ride a 3 loop serpentine, go large, shallow loop, 20m circle, change rein across the diagonal and ride the same pattern on the other rein.

Vary how you change the rein. You have long diagonals FXH, MXK short diagonals, FE, EF, KB, BK down the centre and at D or G head to a long side marker.

Transitions within the pace also help.

One exercise that helps most with horses that run on, and especially those that are very mouth sensitive is for the rider to slow their rising. Rise a little higher and sit a little longer so that the horse eventually slows to meet the riders rhythm.

If you can remember when you were learning to rise to the trot the horse would keep falling back to walk because you weren't able to stay in the horses rhythm. Now you can use that to your advantage

 

[blitznbobs]

Rather than halting I'd think a millimetre shorter in the length of stride and praise this then ask to go on a bit and slower a bit within the pace. I find within the pace transitions work the best for this. If he canters no biggy let him canter for a but and ask for a downwards transition. Equally the ' almost walk' transition is good for this. Think walk ask for a very slow trot with your body rather than your hands and just before you get the walk ask to trot on again. This gets the horse listening and sitting more so the trot becomes more balanced but doesn't get the tension issues as the horse can move forward.