Where are your "brakes"?

tallyho!

tallyho!

Following a strict mediterranean diet...
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Another thread prompted the question above... I didn't read all the responses.

There are lots of discussions on bits for "brakes" in here and I have read many sensible and thought provoking responses on the term ranging from the training of the horse, gentle seat aids to using an amazing array of metal & bridle-work.

So, where are your "brakes"?

Does it reside in your hands (e.g. equipment used and upper body strength)?

Or, does it live somewhere else (e.g. in the training of the horse or another body part)?
 
in the brain. I ensure my horses don't get wound up or upset where possible- so they listen to the bit and aids rather than hit the panic button and switch off.
 
Deceleration should be about taking your foot off the gas first (making steps to calm the horse like hoof prints mentions) then you use engine breaking (seat and training) and my breaks are the last resort and rely on upper body strength and equipment.
 
It depends upon the situation with my mare. Out hacking alone we could be galloping flat out on the beach and all I have to do is sit up a fraction and breathe "woah" to her and she comes to a steady stop. However, I do 'bit up' for hunting and xc. I would rather have an extra 'safety net' and maybe not have to use it, but my girl can get quite hot and silly, so the second rein on the bottom ring of her dutch gag is there for both of our safety, should I need to use it :)
Yours truly, Unashamed-dutch-gag-and-grackle-user (albeit with double reins) :D
 
Mostly in my mind. I think slow/stop and usually it happens :)

I spend the first 10 minutes in the school riding without reins, turning off the leg/body position and stopping from the seat/thigh.

I wouldn't have dared do this on my previous horse but it has worked well with my current mount :)
 
I was at a Charles de Kunffy clinic the other week and he was saying that the hand should never be "retro active" and emphasising the role of the seat for control - "the authority of the seat". I entirely agree.

However, if I'm going cross country at speed (amusing thought on my wee man!) or out hunting or something, I reserve the right to back up my lack of authority from my seat with a bit of curb action and a bitting safety net. Currently I can stop from a gallop out hacking with just a weight shift, but I wouldn't count on that in a busy field of galloping horses!
 
Not going to lie, if I'm in a group gallop, the other horses are my breaks. I don't mean running into the back of them, but I have no hope in hell of stopping him by myself.

By myself, I just need to sit up and he'll slow and then a "Aaaaaand waaaaalllllllkkkk" to get him to walk.
 
In the early days of mare and me - often in the next parish - through or over everything in between - not bad for a horse I called an "old podder" when my wife used to learn on her!

In later life she used to take off just the same ( the mare that is) but all I had to do was stand out of the saddle, lean and find an ear and say "how long do you think you can keep this up?"
 
In my mind, my lungs, which then leads to my buttocks. I think slow, I breathe slow, I relax down... unless I'm in a group of galloping horses, then I just wait for the rest to stop :)
 
where i want them to be, and sometimes where i need them to be

but they're always there and i guess that's training:D
 
For me, I rely on one large half halt, I sit and use my seat, wrap my legs around and tighten my fingers around the reins. Works without fail, often I can go without my reins completely (as in, they're on her neck) but I try not to as she often falls into walk/halt.
 
My voice and seat cannot touch my mares mouth much she's very sensitive (snaffle all the time) I've always used voice as main command but when needed a little twitch on reins n voice
 
Voice and seat.. Tess used to be driven and does really listen to voice commands one quick "and woah" she will slow down then the shift in seat to bring it back makes her stop rather quickly. She is the same with other horses i always got told "it takes two to pull" :)
 
I wish I knew :D :D ;)


I attempt to slow down by using my seat, breathing slowly and using my voice - which is what she responds best to if she's in the mood! She's ridden in a NS team up bit on an everyday-basis, so very gentle.
However! - if we're going anywhere "fun" (fun rides / XC) where she turns into an absolute demon and no amount of seat/voice will make a difference, I do "up" the bit and add a grackle, or we have no hope in hell of stopping and I don't want to be responsible for causing any accidents! x
 
Usually a mix of voice and reins. I have her in a pelham with double reins because in that I can gently squeeze and she listens whereas in a eggbutt (same mouth piece) we end up fighting which I hate. We are still working on the training and I hope to get her back to an eggbutt with the same lightness as I have in the pelham
 
In my voice - 'whoa' means stop dead in the next stride, not several strides later or whenever takes your fancy; and in my feet - when I release my feet, horse stops. Ideally it stops and also thinks about going backwards. The only peril of being so reliant on voice cues is that I have been known to 'cluck' to my car when wanting to speed up on a motorway (I've never failed yet though to use my foot to activate the brake - so at least there is some consistency there!)
 
All of above really.

Usually I can stop my guys by voice and seat, when excited then bit and noseband comes into play when other aids are ignored.

Horses have a mind of their own (which people seem to forget ;)) and different circumstances mean different aids to me. What I can do with my horse in 99% of occasions means nothing in the other 1%, you need t have a back up plan, horses for courses after all :D
 
Seat and voice mainly, as Annie has quite a soft mouth. It's amazing how much horses have to teach you about being as in control of your emotions as possible. As corny as it is, they really are a mirror of yourself. For the most part, if you're chilled, they seem to be.
 
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