What is the proper transtion going from a walk to a lope?

Question

The horse I am working with is a 4 y.o paint gelding. He is not lazy but whenever I ask him to lope he just breaks out in a hammering trot! Its so annoying, I squeeze with my outside leg. Am I doing something wrong? If any of you have any tips please share! thanks! : ]

Answer 1

The most important thing is to keep him collected. If you ask him to lope out of a big, loopy, lazy walk, how is he supposed to get his legs under him and get the implusion he needs? So ask him from a working walk. When you ask for the lope, put your outside leg back a bit and keep your inside leg on, and then ask more from your inside leg. If he does start trotting out, immediately bring him back to a walk and ask again. If he puts in a few small trot steps, though, that's probably okay or now since he's still learning.

Answer 2

I have a few ideas for you that have worked with my horses. I too ride Paints, and often their relaxed and calm attitude can make for some difficulty in good upward transitions at first.

First, does your horse know how to lunge? If so, that is a way to start teaching them a good walk/lope transition. The horse can learn to lope off without worrying about the rider's weight and cues. I would get quite firm with the lunge whip if they are being sloppy, soon they perk right up when I make the "kissy" sound, and lope off. Once they can do it while lunging you're ready to start trying it when you ride.

If you are a youth or beginner rider it may be worthwhile having an experienced horse person to work with your horse a few times. They can evaluate whether the problem is your horse's atheletic ability, his quiet disposition, his soundness or the way your are cuing and handling him.

If your horse can do a walk/lope transition, but just doesn't want to, you will have to get a bit creative. Many riders use a "halt" as a punishment for a poor transition. They walk the horse forward with collection, then cue for the lope. If the horse trots off wildly they halt the horse, back or pivot him, and then walk off again and ask for the cue again. Don't be rough or harsh, just don't allow a bad transition. If your horse lopes off promptly allow him to go forward even if he's taken the wrong lead, otherwise he won't understand when he's done things properly! Don't expect him to be perfect at first, just look to see that he is steadily improving with less and less trot strides.

And my last tip is - work on your walk to trot transitions faithfully. If you set up pylons and do a circle and ask for an upward transition at the same place all the time, soon your horse begins to realize he is going to speed up at that spot. Then try doing a lope transition there instead of your normal walk/trot transition. Your horse will be thinking "I've got to speed up" at that place, and it will make your job alot easier!

Good luck.

Answer 3

First, you need to have him collected up. While you are teaching him to take the left lead, say, force him to do so by pulling the right reign toward the fence. Que him with that same leg so he moves away from the pressure, and into that left lead. And que him verbally as well, with "Lope" or whatever you use. If he starts to trot stop him immediately, and start over. Do NOT let him trot. When he gets the idea what you want, you will be able to cue him with just your leg, and the voice command.

Answer 4

Practice figure 8's.

From a stand still in the middle of your 8 ask the horse to canter. NO WALKING NO TROTTING. If he doesn't do it ask again, again and again. He should not be allowed to trot for one stride. At shows they NEVER as you to lope/canter from a trot. ((% of the time it is from a walk and if they see your horse trot first you will be penalized. Practice practice practice.

Your cue to your horse going to the right is a very slight body shift in weight and VERY slight raise or pressure on the right rein ONLY. while using only your left leg to squeeze his body, just behind the girth. Your Right leg should remain in place even if you have to use some more pressure.

Do not be afraid to use a crop or stick, but make sure that if your going to the right the crop is in the left hand..and visa versa ect....You must know the commands and do not deviate from them nor let your horse. Again Use A Crop

Answer 5

He may find it hard going from walk to lope, especially as he is quite young. You need to make sure his walk has loads of impulsion (not speed), he needs to be going forward and feel quite springy as though he is about to break into trot/lope. Sit up, put your outside leg back and keep your inside leg on the girth. Look up and give a gentle squeeze to ask him forward. If he breaks into a hammering trot, slow him up a bit, but keep the impulsion and ask him forward into lope. Take things slowly and gently. Good luck

Answer 6

OK, it sounds like your horse is NOT listening. But your doing the right things



When you ask for jog, make it slow but with forward movement (impulsion not speed).

When you ask for lope, prepare before you ask. Prepare teh following:

Legs: Outside back ebhind girsth, inside on girth

Hands: Inside rein lift and outside hold

Body: Sit staright and level, dont lean in or out



When you ask



Legs: out side leg sqeuuze and inside squeeze, the out side may have to really kick.

Hands: Still and lift, dont pull



If teh horse jogs faster, slow again and ask again. If he doesn't do it after a few tries, just make him lope, forget about teh speed and where your sitting, he isn't listening, so make him. Remove your outsid leg from teh stirrup and bash his side, and kick with the insiode too. You need to make him do it.



Alternatively, do teh first way, and incorporate a jump, about half a foot high, even though he may not know how to jump, he will go over, make him jog over a few times, then just before he goes over ot, ask for canter, he should land on teh stride and then lope away. Start using apole, then go higher if he doesn't do it.



I hope this helps



You may need to use a pair of rowler spurs.

Answer 7

My friends horse is also very lazy. When i ride him, i have long reins tied in a knot. For my first time around the ring, I tell him to canter, and i lift up my body and kiss. I f he goes into the fast trot, i stop him. I make sure that he doesnt take another step and make him back up really quickly. I walk, then try again, this time doing the same thing but grabbing the knot in my reins and slap him on the butt. Not super hard! You can also try stopping in the middle of your arena, and from the stop make him canter. Go around once and make him stop in the middle. Do a figure eight while doing it and stoppin in the middle to make him take his right lead. It will make it sooooo much easier for transitioning!

Answer 8

Try out with a trott from a lope first. Squeeze with your outside leg, and a little trick is either slightly pull on your inside hand, not enough to turn, but enough so that he feels it. Or some people might think its mean and its not, take your rains and snap them together to make a little noise.

Answer 9

Use you outside leg to ask for the lead, if he doesn't go strait in a lope, then use a whip on his butt. Do it again but this time use your leg and whip until he goes strait into a lope. Repeat until he gets it that if he doesn't go in a lope when asked then hes going to get a sting on the butt.

Answer 10

It sounds like it may be you or not. Im not sure. But first try using your seat a little more. If he trots off frantically, lean back and dont pull hard, but kind of tug him a little. Also try lunging a little.

Answer 11

Well, just walk then use impulsion and put your outside leg back. Sit perfectly square and make sure to be balanced.

Answer 12

Collect his head first, then squeeze to let him run, so that his head doesn't extend, Don't pull him back as such just collect his head back so he doesn't get into the habit of stargazing.

Answer 13

your best bet is to go back to ground work. try teaching him verbal commands. also you do need to keep his attention on you and not what he wants to do. you can also try long lineing him first. But i would go back to a round pen and make him do it on the ground first cause if he wont do it on the ground he wont in the saddle the ground is where it all starts.

Answer 14

Yes,you are making many mistakes. i may be a kid but i learned from he best and my horse lopes just fine. are you exercising your horse properly. first you have to trot your horse for a while and then if you canno get your horse to lope after that . you might have to use a whip. whipping your horse is not abuse,however it just helps to get the lead out your hrses butt.

Answer 15

try to not be so aggravated becase he can feel it