There are some horses that are naturally really hot and nervous, and even after they’ve been taken through the Fundamentals groundwork and riding exercises and the foundation trail exercises, they still have a lingering desire to be in a hurry everywhere they go.
“This is the off-the-track Thoroughbred that starts and ends a 20-mile trail ride at a power walk. Or the ex-barrel racer that swings his head from one side of the trail to the other, constantly eyeing up his environment, just waiting for a mountain lion to jump out of the brush. Or he’s the Quarter Horse that’s a saint as long as you’re training on him, but the minute you put him on a loose rein, he speed walks down the trail and chomps on the bit,” Clinton says.
These horses require a little extra training and patience. The fix is not to force the horse to calm down and relax, but to turn your idea to slow down into the horse’s idea.
In the training guide, “Chilling Out a Busy-Minded Horse,” Clinton explains how to help a busy-minded horse focus and relax. Read the article on the Downunder Horsemanship website.
