Speedy mare on hacks - change bit?

SaffronWelshDragon

SaffronWelshDragon

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Hi everyone,

Just musing here, I've had my girl for 7 years and she's perfect for me. However she's quite speedy on hacks. We don't really have many off-road rides (well not many that you can canter on), but on the occasions that we can canter she gets so excited that she'll tank off rather than cantering nicely. Now, she's not bolting or scared, just excited. She knows which bridleways we can canter on, so gets excited before we start. I've tried tricking her a few times by not cantering at all on that bridleway, but it is nice to have a canter every now and again. The problem is she'll shoot off at at very fast canter and it takes a lot of pulling to get her to slow down at all.

She's fine in the paddock when schooling, although did used to really run into a canter (very fast canter and I'd have to pull her back), but she improved with schooling (walk to canter etc.)

At the moment she's wearing a basic eggbutt snaffle and caversson which she's happy with. Are there any techniques I can use to train this out of her, or is a change of bit a possible answer?

Thanks in advance!
 
when she canters are you constantly battling to bring her back? I've found with some horses it's best to let them go for a bit and then bring them back.....my pony tanks but if I half halt her she comes back, if I haul on her mouth she gets faster!
 
I have just had this conversation with my instructor as my youngster is ready for canter and she has suggested i start this out on hacks as she is not yet balanced enough in the school.

Now my mare is a standardbred trotter and goes from trot to fast galllop (no inbetween pace lol) so my instructor has suggested that i take her out with a steady horsey friend and in an area big enough ask for canter, when she goes fast i have not to try and bring her back but to sit calm and wait until she settles, once settled and going at the speed i want then i am to try an obtain a contact and praise her, also when she starts to slow i am to kick her on and keep the pace i want and for her to stop when i say.

I suppose if you only canter in certain places and for short periods your horse will get excited, do you have anywhere you can go where you can just keep going in a safe environment so that your horse can learn that canter out on a hack does not mean whooo hooo !!!
 
Thanks muchly
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There is a bridleway opposite the aforementioned one which leads into a field, so it sounds like an idea to take her in there and let her chill out. The other bridleway is in a woods, the ground is nice, but it's not great if she tanks off as there's not a lot of space. Thanks for the suggestion.
 
What does she do to evade you? Some sort of noseband/bit/martingale change might help you regain a bit of control, as would working on your technique for stopping her so you are sitting and half halting rather than hauling her back and giving her something to lean on.

Trying to not let her get in the habit of cantering in the same spot will help too. If it really is the only place could you make her walk along the canter stop, canter back, then walk in the same direction again (although better not to canter while heading for home). Cantering up hill will help with your brakes too.
 
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