Tips on slowing down trot

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Cadbury

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Hi, I’m after a bit of advice re a horse I’ve started riding. When out hacking and we trot he rushes along and trots increasingly faster, to the point where it’s almost impossible to rise quickly enough, and will eventually just break into a canter. I’ve tried to slow down my rising and half halt but whatever I do I can’t seem to get a normal, balanced trot.

I’ve only just started riding this horse and will be doing some schooling and hopefully having lessons, but in the meantime does anyone have any tips?
 
Every time he trots too fast and doesn't slow immediately to the trot you want, downward transition to walk. Regain control and relaxation in walk, then ask for trot. Repeat as often as necessary.

Once you feel in control, try to feel what happens before he trots too fast, such as tensing the jaw, and work to stop the issue before the pace changes. You may find that the issue starts in the actual transition. In which case, ask for trot but, if the horse responds by tensing, stay in the place between walk and trot, in the transition, until he relaxes the jaw and only then proceed into trot. But then do as above.

You may find that the horse is uneducated in walk even, and never really relaxed the jaw and accepts the bit, in which case I would start right back on the ground, but you would probably need lessons for this.

The idea is that you never proceed with that horrid rushed feeling, and start to educate the horse that tensing and hardening to the bit is not the way to go.
 
Red-1 said:
Every time he trots too fast and doesn't slow immediately to the trot you want, downward transition to walk. Regain control and relaxation in walk, then ask for trot. Repeat as often as necessary.

Once you feel in control, try to feel what happens before he trots too fast, such as tensing the jaw, and work to stop the issue before the pace changes. You may find that the issue starts in the actual transition. In which case, ask for trot but, if the horse responds by tensing, stay in the place between walk and trot, in the transition, until he relaxes the jaw and only then proceed into trot. But then do as above.

You may find that the horse is uneducated in walk even, and never really relaxed the jaw and accepts the bit, in which case I would start right back on the ground, but you would probably need lessons for this.

The idea is that you never proceed with that horrid rushed feeling, and start to educate the horse that tensing and hardening to the bit is not the way to go.
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Thank you for the advice, I’m going to try these tips out. At the moment the trot is just horrible!
 
My Western trainer taught me to circle a horse that does (did) this. Small circles, disengaging hind end. Basically it's a bit like a one rein stop. As soon as they start speeding up, just turn on a tiny circle until they slow/stop. Once they relax move on again, but be ready to repeat several times. And then keep doing it consistently. Obvs you can only do this in suitable places. It worked with my boy.
 
Assuming the rushed trot isn't pain related.... I would do several transitions on a circle. Walk for 4 paces, trot for 2 or something like that and keeping changing the direction of the circle so the horse can't build up speed. Of course you will need to help him by staying in balance yourself on a circle.
 
Are you going out with others? If so, is he trying to keep up with them? If he'll go first, it might be a good idea to see if he does it when in the lead too. If you try walking or circling when the others are trotting ahead you could make it worse as he'll be even keener to catch up!
 
I rode my old Connie favourite in a Western jog which I taught her. Would asking for that jog stress a fit IS hacking horse who is very bumpy in both trot and canter?
 
It sounds as though he may be very unbalanced. Red-1 as always gives very good advice. Transitions would be your friend. Trot a few strides and come back to walk before he stats to rush and keep repeating and you should be able to slowly extend the number of trot steps you can do before returning to walk. You have already mentioned trying to slow your rise and I find that that generally is a great help as it is 'uncomfortable' for the horse to be out of sync with the rider. Try staying in the rise for just a little bit longer as that it is easier than trying to stay in the sit for longer.
 
Personally I would lunge before riding to remove some energy and relax the back

Then ride in a school around the track and into a few big circles, and leg yielding, then try to ask for gradual transition to walk and work on trying to get the neck to stretch forwards and lower

I see most forwardness as s gift to be used in training

I would not clutch at the reins, just ride into a contact that is quiet and consistent, it won't feel good some of the time but horse needs confidence to go into steady hands, when he is ready he will lower his head to seek the balance if given the chance, then it will be easy to regulate the speed and choose the pace

At the mo he is dipping his back, lowering the head and steadying the speed will help him raise his back, then you have control
 
How about asking for more precise control, e.g. walk 10 paces, then trot for ten, or walk between two telegraph poles and trot between the next two telegraph poles. Or return to walk before he starts to rush, so ask for trot and bring him back to walk before you get the feel of him rushing.
 
Transitions - tonnes of them.

Stay sitting so you can control the speed more through your seat.

Be quicker to react to the increase in pace - as soon as the horse speeds up even sightly, bring him back.
 
Good advice given so far but will add that not just slowing the rise but making the rise smaller has been very helpful for me. I was inadvertently rushing the pony on more by just allowing momentum to push me up into the air too much and upsetting her balance. Slower, smaller, controlled rise is comfier for everybody.
 
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