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  Discussion on S L O W walk
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New Member:
Briscosm

Posted on Friday, Feb 17, 2006 - 1:22 pm:

I've had my 12 year old gelding 2 years and am using/studying a Parelli natural horsemanship approach, which has done wonders. He's a GOOD trail horse at most things (lack of confidence in going out alone -- we're working on that -- but wonderful with other horses.) However he walks SO SLOW! He's half arab/ half QH, and only 15 hands, but quite fit and a dynamo when he WANTS to be. Walks plenty fast home, but going out, and his natural walk going anywhere -- even to eat, is just SLOW. He's quite mellow and it takes a lot to REALLY get his attention. I've done massage + chiropractic at times to help some back soreness, and it did help, but overall he's always just been a really slow walker. On normal trail rides he walks behind until a certain distance and then trots to catch up (now I try to make it MY idea when he does this, instead of letting it be his.) He likes to trot, as do I, so it's not really a problem, except when you're trying to maintain a distance in a large group, or converse to fellow riders. I hate to nag him into a faster walk, and don't ride with spurs (the previous owner / trainer basically MADE him to everything.) I'm trying to develop HIS confidence, as well as his confidence in me as a leader, of course. Any ideas?
Member:
Tangoh

Posted on Friday, Feb 17, 2006 - 1:55 pm:

Carol,
You've got a good start. Keep using the Parelli methods. Do you play the seven games? These will go a long way in developing confidence, in the horse and the rider and in each other.
Member:
Lhenning

Posted on Friday, Feb 17, 2006 - 4:10 pm:

Hi Carol,

My horse is pokey too. My instructor has me urge him on by bumping each of my legs alternately as his opposite leg reaches forward. I do this until he begins to move forward more eagerly. While I'm bumping, I also use my seat to push him forward. Remember to stop immediately when you feel him pick up his pace.

My instructor also encourages me to use a dressage whip. Ask for forward movement, if no response give a light tap with the whip on his butt. Always ask first before going to the next level, to encourage him to move forward with the lightest cue. Now all I do is move the crop and he gets going.

Happy trails,
Linda
Member:
Erika

Posted on Friday, Feb 17, 2006 - 4:14 pm:

An old cavalry colonel taught me most of what I knew about riding when I was a kid. He showed me a way to maximise the walk that a horse has. As the hind foot is in the air, bump the horse on the opposite side with your heel/spur. Then alternate on the other side. He will tend to take a longer step with the airborne leg, causing the walk to speed up without necessarily increasing the rate of steps. Does that make sense? It is a lot easier to do than to describe, and I hope I am telling you correctly. I'm trying to picture the action, not just the sensation... I'll bet someone else out there can correct me if I have told it wrong, but it is a well known way to get the horse to stride out better.
The walk is a very hard gate to improve, but the fact that you said that he CAN walk faster if he wants to tells me that you would be able to get him to make a habit of using himself more energetically. After a few bumps on the side when they get lazy, most horses will understand what you are asking of them. Good luck.
Member:
Maggienm

Posted on Friday, Feb 17, 2006 - 7:15 pm:

All above is good advice. What you want is the horse to respond to you. So, if you ask with your seat and legs and get nothing, ask with the crop. I tap just behind my leg. As my instructor says.....sometimes it gets ugly, after the horse pays attention to your leg then it will become smooth and fluid again.
Asking for a few steps of working trot then going back to walk can help.
This is a hard area to work on because in order for the horse to improve consistently you have to be very consistent.
Member:
Kthorse

Posted on Friday, Feb 17, 2006 - 8:38 pm:

Some horses walk will be slower than others even when they try. My horse on trails is always left behind as is yours and we have to trot to keep up. His strides are as good as we can get. As long as he is trying by using the above methods. You can tell if his hind is reaching his front tracks. At least that was what I was told. It is frustating when you always get left behind at a walk but hey we are all different. I used to think it was lazy ness but at his fastest walk we lag way behind. Now I accept it as I know he is trying.
Member:
Sswiley

Posted on Friday, Feb 17, 2006 - 10:27 pm:

I have been becoming much more familiar with the mechanics of gaits lately due to my recently diagnosed EPSM horse. The walk actually uses a lot more hind end muscle than the trot. I think out of the three gaits the trot is the easiest on the hind end muscles, they only have to rock their hips if they are being lazy and they can still cover a decent amount of ground. Of course I am not talking about a "good" trot. That of course uses the hind end muscle, I am only talking about the trail riding gaits. A good ground covering walk requires the whole hind end to really come under. Sometimes if your horse is being lazy at the walk you can encourage them to stretch their neck down, then use alternating legs like described above. Stretching their neck down sometimes frees up the back.
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