How to stop a horse competing (with other horses)

J

jenmac_85

Guest
Post a few threads up about Tylers delight in tanking off at high speeds when out on a hack with other horses. This only really occurs when trying canter. Tyler seems to take it into his head that this is a race and he must win (regardless of whether mum stays on or not). It has been suggested that due to Tyler hunting past he takes it as a cue that he is off on a hunt so just does what he was essentially trained to do as a youngster.

Seeing as it was a fantastic day I took Tyler to the old railway track and wanted to see if he went into gallop when on his own. He didnt, instead produced a lovely canter which wasnt too fast or slow.

Question is, what do you suggest for training him not to race against other horses or is it going to be something that he always has. It would be handy to know.

I could start putting in gags, flashes etc, but dont really want to have to start that as when on his own he is perfect so want to try schooling him out of it, or am I just kidding myself on lol.
 
It sounds like Tyler is the exact opposite from Casper - C is an angel in company and will happily tuck in at the back with no desire to overtake - the only time he does is if the horse in front is faffing about and he gets fed up and will take the lead.

On his own however - he likes to go fast.

Does Tyler settle when he's taken the lead or does he still tank off even when he's in front?
 
Sounds like Joy.

Joy is fine solo but in company it can become a race. She loves to be in front and really strides out when hacking.

One of my greatest tools in controlling Joy is my weight. If she looks as if she is going to go into a faster canter then I pop my weight back into the saddle and make it more resistive for her. Once she slows I'll pop back into 2 point again. Reins are less effective on Joy than my seat. :)
 
He just keeps going lol. I think he was a racehorse in a past life

He is such a monster lol. As long as we stay in walk or trot with company everythign is fine. He tries to take over in trot, but usually we can control it. Canter is a different story lol
 
I tend to have this problem when in company too.....on his own jez will round down and bounce along nicely, but if there is another horse it is a different matter! I think it depends on who you are riding with as it is usually because he is getting wound up by other horse. I normally say to other rider, right this has to be STEADY and if we both give this instruction at the same time they tend to get the message. At the weekend we had a nice uphill canter on narrow track with mate in front - was v nice and steady - which frustrated jez enourmously so he started doing half canter half jump/buck strides as there was nowhere else to go but up!!
 
Archies the same, will happily do a gentle canter by himself but in company unless he's in front then he races. If i hold him back he bucks and gets in a complete tizz about it all. Once out front he's fine but will fight to stay there even if that means flat out galloping.

I think its just a competitive edge that they have, some are fine following but some want to be leaders. The only thing i can suggest is to take him out with a faster horse so he has no choice but to follow.
 
I think some horses naturally want to be leaders and want to be in front - does he settle once he is there?
My horse does this so I rarely ride in groups. If I ride with friends its fine as they know not to pass me out and all is good. Once someone goes in front its a race!
I have found that when i ride a good bit with a friend and her mare mine stops racing as much she seems to accept the other mare and is happy to be beside her now.
 
Tyler stops pulling once he is in front, but wont slow down. He will get ready to jump anything and there have been a couple of scary moments where a 3ft-4ft jump was heading my way. Probably would have gone for it except there was a road at the other side lol.

I wouldn't mind so much if it wasn't for the fact the brakes are gone when this happens. :eek:
 
Molly is the same too. She gets strong in company but will happily plod around on her own.

Im trying to overcome this at the moment and Ive noticed a significant difference in her since my riding instructor has been hacking her out in company for me. For the past 3 weeks I have been hacking her in company - at the back, and she is getting better. Although saying that, she tonked off at the speed of light last weekend through the woods and the only reason we stopped because the horse in front stopped and we kind of used her as a 'crash barrier'.

She is getting better though.
 
Misty's exactly the same. Even if we're on a single track, if the horse in front goes into trot she starts cantering sideways on the spot and tries to overtake, although I can have a lovely (but fast) canter on her when we're on our own. Would be interested to hear everybody's suggestions though.
 
I hope I don't get shot down for this suggestion but have you considered using a flash?

I don't advocate using stronger bits etc over schooling however my RI suggested that I use on on Casper just for a few sessions to stop him opening his month to evade the bit and it worked wonders.

I now very rarely use it - I don't use it in the school at all but I do use it intermittently when hacking if he's been a bit strong and it just helps him come back to me more quickly.

It just give me that bit more control and as I said, using it combined with schooling has enabled me to completely remove it when in the school and hopefully I'll be able to stop using it all together once our hacking is sorted.
 
Mine is usually good in company and tbh is quite lazy when others canter he never just takes their lead and waits for me to actually ask him....though today we had a different story.... on the way home! :-O lol always the case.... we hit the long canter track..horse in front tanks off at flat out gallop...rider asked for canter but the pony was having none of that boring stuff...so my lad...with the tiniest of cues..decideds waheyyyy and they are off...we had flat out gallop for about 100m then calmed down to a pretty fast canter.... only for me to realised ..crap...yes ...the brakes were no where to be seen... I had no brakes.... I tried to slow him to a trot...or even collected canter...no chance...so we carried on and on and on and on..with my mate behind me saying ..you ok? at least your safe on him!...lol...i tried to one rein stop him but he has a knack of cantering sideways which i am sure looks lovely but doesnt help!...we tried heading at the fence but he managed to overcome that and pull my reins back...so eventually I figured as I am pretty comfortable on him in canter....not flat out gallop...id get him there then give him a loose rein and ignore him and carry on chatting to my mate... eventually we slowed jst short of the railway sleepers at the end of the track...slowed to trot and jumped over then!! :-O eeekkk... i nearly pooped myself... though that was where the sillieness ended and he walked and trotted sensibly all the way back after that!!
that taught me that even when you think you have a ploddy cob with semi decent brakes...never underestimate the power of something with a mind of its own!! lol...one of my friends just said thats why they stick to motorbikes!! lol ...but give me my horse anyway...
on the flash note...i personally wouldnt bother unless they al.ways evade the bit...mine is in a flash and it matters not one bit if he doesnt want to listen!!! ;-)
 
hahahahaha Caught Jen!!!!

Esther Kias butt seems to be tylers brakes its just when Tyler gets in front that we have problems lol!!!!

I think that we need to find a long field/track that we can go round the outside Jen and just make tyler realise that galloping full pelt isnt as fun when your made to do it in company. I think he takes great pleasure in being held back seems to make him nuttier. Next time we are out I'll take you up that track I was on last night. Its the length of two fields so T can have a good run!!

Nikki xxxx
 
Oh well, I suppose the only cure that will work is an adequately charged dart gun and a mattress to fall into when the horse and you go down lol.

I suppose I will learn to live with it, as long as he enjoys himself (says with gritted teeth) lol:D
 
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