Tips to stop a horse jogging in the walk

[Breagha]

I am looking for recommendations on exercises we could try with my husbands horse that likes to jog instead of walk. We got him as an 11 year old (now 14) with very little done with him (ex stallion) and his training has been a little start stop with him having a hoof imbalance which is all sorted and took a good year.

We think he has got himself into a habit as when we can get him to walk long and low, he really tracks up and relaxed but its still a bit 80/20.

Any suggestions on what we can do to stop the jogging? He does it on hacks and on the lunge also. Back, saddle, teeth, feet and everything else is all up to date.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I used to ride a jogger and what worked with him sounds a bit mad now that I'm typing it out. I used to make sure that I was really relaxed, but still sitting tall, kept a light contact on the reins, gently wrapped my legs around him (the temptation is to take the legs off completely but that never helped) and to think of walking. I mean really imagine it... I would focus on the hip swing and rhythm of the walk and he would match it. The thoughts must have made a change in my body that he could feel, I don't think I'm completely batty.

 

[Breagha]

I used to ride a jogger and what worked with him sounds a bit mad now that I'm typing it out. I used to make sure that I was really relaxed, but still sitting tall, kept a light contact on the reins, gently wrapped my legs around him (the temptation is to take the legs off completely but that never helped) and to think of walking. I mean really imagine it... I would focus on the hip swing and rhythm of the walk and he would match it. The thoughts must have made a change in my body that he could feel, I don't think I'm completely batty.

Thanks - I will keep this in mind for when my husband rides. We will need to try a few exercises to see what he listens too. He is a very bouncy lad too which doesn't help.

 

[NinjaPony]

Agree that you should keep the leg on, and take it off when he walks as a release/reward. Mine used to jog sometimes as an evasion- easier to jog than to walk out properly! My instructor told me to keep my leg on and ask him to step sideways with his hindquarters, which is harder work and disrupts the jogging, then take the pressure off as soon as he walked. I think it’s important to make it really clear when he does walk that it’s what you want, so take off the leg pressure, relax the contact, give him a scratch on the nexk. That said, my Welsh was a serial jogger and I never got him completely out the habit; for him, lowering the head and neck tends to stop it.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

I used to ride a jogger and what worked with him sounds a bit mad now that I'm typing it out. I used to make sure that I was really relaxed, but still sitting tall, kept a light contact on the reins, gently wrapped my legs around him (the temptation is to take the legs off completely but that never helped) and to think of walking. I mean really imagine it... I would focus on the hip swing and rhythm of the walk and he would match it. The thoughts must have made a change in my body that he could feel, I don't think I'm completely batty.

Definitely doesn't sound mad or batty.




I often use shoulder in for this and leg yield. It keeps the leg on and the horse moving, but in a different way. The leg yield can also help unlock their topline if they are stiff or bracing (make sure the rider is not stiff or bracing )

My horse went through a phase where everything had to be fast. So I would put him in shoulder in, then go back to "normal" walk, and when he sped up again, it was back to shoulder in. He eventually relaxed and slowed down and his walk then became more "cat like" as in ground covering, stretchy, and slow.

I've also done it where I halt, wait for the horse to relax (give/soften/breath out), then walked on. Wash, rinse, and repeat. This exercise I don't recommend so much because you need to have a good feel and could make some horses hotter or make them feel trapped which could result in worse behavior. But for one, it made him think "listen, wait, relax, then respond to the next aid" instead of rushing or wanting to be 10 steps ahead.

Also, reward and reassure. This can be linked to a confidence and/or insecurity issue. Then also note if this is an evasion to your leg, and make sure the horse accepts the leg.

 

[P.forpony]

Give them two choices, walk or canter.
In the school invite them to walk nicely and relax, but don't try and stop them jogging, when they do, straight into canter and keep going until they're relaxed in canter. Offer them the chance to walk again and repeat.
This puts the responsibility on the horse, they can walk nicely which is easy, or they can canter round the school which is harder.
Very easy for them to understand what the options are and works a charm. Great for those that won't stand still too!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Definitely doesn't sound mad or batty.

Thanks. I found this worked with him because he always wanted to jog rather than walk during dressage tests and I needed a way that got us the most walk strides possible to at least not throw away too many marks.

 

[Breagha]

Agree that you should keep the leg on, and take it off when he walks as a release/reward. Mine used to jog sometimes as an evasion- easier to jog than to walk out properly! My instructor told me to keep my leg on and ask him to step sideways with his hindquarters, which is harder work and disrupts the jogging, then take the pressure off as soon as he walked. I think it’s important to make it really clear when he does walk that it’s what you want, so take off the leg pressure, relax the contact, give him a scratch on the nexk. That said, my Welsh was a serial jogger and I never got him completely out the habit; for him, lowering the head and neck tends to stop it.

i think its habit/evasion, so will get him to try this when he rides. The horse would canter all day long. Asking him to lower his head makes him want to jog again cause he has freedom from the rein.

Definitely doesn't sound mad or batty.




I often use shoulder in for this and leg yield. It keeps the leg on and the horse moving, but in a different way. The leg yield can also help unlock their topline if they are stiff or bracing (make sure the rider is not stiff or bracing )

My horse went through a phase where everything had to be fast. So I would put him in shoulder in, then go back to "normal" walk, and when he sped up again, it was back to shoulder in. He eventually relaxed and slowed down and his walk then became more "cat like" as in ground covering, stretchy, and slow.

I've also done it where I halt, wait for the horse to relax (give/soften/breath out), then walked on. Wash, rinse, and repeat. This exercise I don't recommend so much because you need to have a good feel and could make some horses hotter or make them feel trapped which could result in worse behavior. But for one, it made him think "listen, wait, relax, then respond to the next aid" instead of rushing or wanting to be 10 steps ahead.

Also, reward and reassure. This can be linked to a confidence and/or insecurity issue. Then also note if this is an evasion to your leg, and make sure the horse accepts the leg.

Will put this on the list of things for him to try. Thanks.

Give them two choices, walk or canter.
In the school invite them to walk nicely and relax, but don't try and stop them jogging, when they do, straight into canter and keep going until they're relaxed in canter. Offer them the chance to walk again and repeat.
This puts the responsibility on the horse, they can walk nicely which is easy, or they can canter round the school which is harder.
Very easy for them to understand what the options are and works a charm. Great for those that won't stand still too!

Murphy will canter all day long - its his favourite pace. He is even good at doing very small circles in canter. We will give it a try. Thank you