Stoping...

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Evil_Cookie

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And not lack off... The young mare is coming on nicely, she's now going forward from the leg and turning well. But stopping is a little bit of a problem. i'm used to the tb who stops in about five strides from you first indicating it. Not brilliant but you learn to think ahead, and she stops nicely at the end. But the youngster well... she stops the instant you ask. Allways square but so sudden, I'm left springing back and forth... nearly going over the front
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Now do I ask for a more subtle stop or is this ok and just something I need to get used to? Sorry not ridden anything like this before, I'm used to horses who don't want to stop.
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I pull my stomach muscles up (if that makes sense) and stop following with my hands, it's very subtle but she stops. I think she'd stop with a half halt too, as the woah response would over ride the go response. She's only been ridden 7 times, and we've been working on the go as she's quite laid back to the point of stuborness. Thats getting a lot better but when I apply the halt aid it's a bit too effective.
 
I think the best exercise to help this is to do lots of *almost* transitions in all gaits - it really does work and gets them sharp and listening to you. Also use absolutely NO hand, only thigh squeezes and slightly deepen the seat, as the transition almost comes lighten up and push on, works for me anyway!
 
you need to keep your leg on more rather than just stopping with your body and squeeze her into a halt. Try bringing in your stomach muscles and squeezing with your legs as a preliminary message before asking her to halt a stride later with your hands.
 
OK well you *may* be deepening your seat a tad too much (hard to say without knowing or seeing you and her!) I would be far more subtle with the hand, try and keep more elastic (although I do not doubt what you are doing is right, just throwing ideas around) and try the exercise I said above
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It's like riding into a brick wall, only way I can describe it, I use very little hand and not much seat either. I say woah before doing anything and sometimes thats it and she stops. The go aid is still being developed as it's not the most subtle
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But I will have a go tonight pushing her into the stops... I just don't want to confuse her if you know what I mean, I've been working on the walk and trot and not nagging, just being effective, but as soon as you ask for a downard transition you halt. It's the same on the lunge aswell, she'll go from canter to halt in 1 second. You don't have to constantly ride her if you know what I mean, your leg can be of her side and she'll go forward fine, so it's not stopping riding which causes the halt its just the 'woah' I think. (I'm making less and less sense aren't I
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) She's better out on a hack than in the school, she's much more go minded so doens't quite hit the wall but stops more comfortably.
 
No you make total sense! TBH she sounds fabulous and really trainable! Don't worry about the go aid having to be a bit of a PC kick, I have the same prob with P
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What I was working on today was going up and down gears in gaits and also halting then moving straight off (even if it took a good kick to ensure that happens, she can be a bit backwards). Five mins of this and she stopped trying to anticipate and became way lighter off the leg. I have also voice trained her now, so whoa means STOP, and I only use it if I really mean it, otherwise it is steeeeeady, or walk/trot/ whatever I am aiming for. As yours is such a baby, so long as she is doing what is asked when she is asked (stop, start, left, right, etc) then I wouldn't worry TOO much. Is there any chance of seeing any video of her - would be easier to offer ideas.
 
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she stops the instant you ask.

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All of mine are taught to do this. That is one thing that really bugs me about some horses that they take about 10 minutes to stop! When I ask for stop - I want it immediately .... no extra strides put in. I don't think it is difficult to sit to be honest however I have been doing this for years so I guess you do get used to it. You know that they are going to stop absolutely bang on your asking so you prepare yourself for it.

I have noticed though that when other experienced riders ride them, they do seem to almost fall off when they ask for woah! I don't think they quite expect it, although they do seem to learn very quickly
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I don't have a video camera, so can't really... may have a go with my phone tonight. She's a lovely mare and is teaching me so much, especially how to use my legs again
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haven't used those things since I had my first pony
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I've even noticed an improvement in the mad tb's way of going especially her stopping, since I've been riding C, could be jealousy or maybe that I'm using my voice again, haven't brought one on for a while so have forgotten about it. Deffinately a usefull aid to have even if you sound a bit mad talking to yourself (I have lengthy conversations now, seems to keep her calm) Anyway back to C, she's got a stuborn streak but is trainable, and has a natural talent for standing square, I'm just trying to get her walk more forward going as I hate the thought of nagging with my legs, but shes getting much better. I just wish I could keep that lovely forwardness that we get out hacking in the school, she seems to lose all life once she's in there. And its only early days in her schoolwork, mind you its hard to make things intresting when all your doing is turning and stoping with occasional trots. I tried to introduce poles to go around, to help us on straight lines, but she barely noticed them. How do I make life more intresting for her?
Thanks for your help.
 
So its something I want? I can't imagine getting used to it...
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She does it from trot though aswell, as soon as you ask for a downward transition you halt... and then have to ask for walk again, sometimes I can keep her going but it means combining woah and go at the same time which must be quite confusing for her, why is this riding lark so contradictory?
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hence why you should always ride 'FORWARDS TO WALK'. the amount of times this was drummed into me at pony club or at lectures is unbelievable. Legs are essential at this stage or they'll get more cconfused lated on in training.
 
Ahh....so you are not actually asking for woah? Sorry I assumed you were. Either the horse is lazy and wants to stop all the time, or your commands are not sensitive enough. If I ask for just downward transition, this happens....however I rarely do to anything other than walk, which they all do without coming to a halt. Each command is slightly different and perhaps he is getting confused as to what you are asking?
 
Yes she's probably thinking I'm asking for halt, will keep leg on during downward transitions and see how we get on, she's lovely but is so different for me, Ruby is so fast all the time and C just takes a bit of extra go, but I wouldn't say she was a really hard one to get going, so its probably confusion. I'll probably lunge her tonight and see if we can get some good trot/walks and walk/halt/walks before I try them on her again.

ETA: I know the transitions need work and are important to get her working from behind but how important is it to get the quality of paces at this stage, ie a good forward going walk? And finding the balance between nagging for a good walk or working on something else ie.. the transitions... (hope that makes sense?)
 
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