Gonna Lope for the First Time

[rodriguezpoultry]

Whelp...I've decided I'm going to try and lope Max for the first time ever (with me on him) today.

Not loping seems like an "easy way out" to me and I would like to at least practice with him on it.

Is there anything you can think of that I need to do before loping him? He's going to get a nice workout in walk and trot until he gets used to the "new" field we're going to be in and then we'll be working on the lope once he's loosened up. He's so large that we've never loped in the small arena or roundpen. It just didn't seem safe for either of us.

 

[LauraM]

Try to ask for the lope going up an incline (not too steep). This will help him to naturally set back on his haunches and push off better during the transition and help him maintain his balance all of which will help you to feel more comfortable. Same with the downward transition out of the canter, which is often quite ugly at first,......it will help both him and you to drop down easier and without the bumpiness and loss of balance that can occur the first few times.

This will give both of you greater confidence in just doing the canter.

 

[w c]

He seems like a very quiet horse so I don't think you will have much difficulty. Does he know the voice command to canter? Does he longe? Some people swear by teaching it on the longe line first.

I usually teach it on the longe first but I still don't like to overdo longe work.

Asking on a slight incline is an old trick, so is asking right after the corner in an arena. Some people will say a horse that is more green, should be asked on a straight line, others will say a circle will help you to stay in control and keep the horse in the canter.

With some horses, they tend to just get into a flat, off balance trot and don't get what you want. Others will canter one stride and then go ker plunk into a trot. Staying calm, trying a couple times and not being in a hurry are good.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

We weren't able to get out there until after 7:30. I knew I'd be rushing him so I just decided to play with his mind a bit. I put the saddle on him, longed him, then took it off.

I could tell he didn't know what to think. He knows the saddle means work so when I didn't get on him, he was confused as all get out.

No, he's never cantered except for in the show arena when I was trying to get his jibblies out of him on the longe line.

The barn arena is simply too small, IMHO. Seeing as the only time I've ever sen him canter was when we were purchasing him and he did a small jump with the owner on him.

The trainer said he worked on loping him and I saw him perform it fairly well, I just haven't attempted it yet. I may longe him out in the pasture so that he can understand what I'[m wanting instead of "Oh? You mean trot faster???"

 

[w c]

Well then he's already been taught to canter under saddle, how convenient, you won't have any problems.

Many people have their own little trick cue to canter, a kissing sound or a cluck-cluck.

Friend of mine got in the habit of taking a huge, noisy deep breath every time she cantered. The horse got so it just cantered whenever she took one of those huge, deep noisy breaths. As she said, 'he reads my mind!!!!'

Only one problem. No one else could get the horse to canter. She asked me to watch what was going on and give advice.

I about wet my pants I laughed so hard. I thought it was terribly funny - til the same basic thing happened to me, LOL.

Enjoy your cantering. Nothing like a nice lope on the trails. You feel on top of the world.

 

[ducks4you]

RoPo, cantering (loping) is no big deal. I want to reassure you that you are doing a wonderful job with your horse, Max.
First, you should look into available training tips that are online. Among the many trainers, I would recommend that you read what Julie Goodknight suggests:
http://www.ridemagazine.com/horse/article/breathe-life-training-part-3-3
Don't get hung up on the "breathing thing"--it's just a suggestion, since we all breathe when we ride!
She is quiet and her advice is friendly.
That being said, you'll want to teach Max to take a standard canter cue, which a cluck, cluck is not.
Here is a little primer re: gait cues.
Walk on: squeeze both calves, tip body slightly forward, give some rein to encourage him to move out.
Trot: (from a walk or halt): Squeeze both calves, tip more forward than for a walk. When you are teaching this cue, pick up a posting trot, so as not to confuse the horse with the same cue as for a walk.
Canter: Your body slightly forward, Max in Haunches in, which points the lead foot forward, YOUR outside leg slightly back (to maintain haunches in), and YOUR inside leg slightly forward (to push shoulders slightly out), best cued at a 90 degree turn, so that the horse will pick up a natural lead.
Halt: Stop following motion with your body by squeezing butt muscles, leaning slightly back, squeeze calves to push horse into the bit, and stop following motion with the reins. Sit up, stop squeezing and give with your reins immediately after a full halt.
This brings me to...
Half-Halt: Same as halt, EXCEPT this is just to slow the horse down, and to collect him (compress his frame.) It is similar to softly pumping your brakes of your car, although we usually do not perform numerous half-halts in a row. When you and Max become adept at a half-halt, you can use it routinely to slow down from a lope to a trot, a trot to a walk, and a faster gait to a slower form of same gait.
When (and if?) you lunge Max, I would teach him the English for what you want. Since you love Max, I think you should trust your "gut" with his training. Hope this helps, PM me anytime!!

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Whelp...that did NOT work out very well. Went for a VERY fast/hard trot...

 

[w c]

Aw no big deal, at least he tried to do SOMETHING! You'll get there, don't worry.

 

[michickenwrangler]

Though it's usually not the best way to make a horse canter, you can run them into it from a trot. But ... once you start doing that you need to take steps to refine your canter depart.

With my mare, I get her a little worked up with half halts before asking for a canter, although if I give her a big boot at a steady trot she knows it means to go up to the next gait.

 

[patandchickens]

IME most of the difference between getting a fast trot vs getting a canter/lope is in the TIMING of the aids. Unfortunately this can be difficult to learn on a green horse so if you could get a few lessons, aimed specifically at this issue, it would really be helpful (the best possible thing would be if you could get someone to come out there a coupla times and work with Max on it and then put you up and help YOU get it too)

But, if you are stuck with working on it by yourself, the thing to remember is that striking off into a canter (or lope or whatever) involves the horse stepping "down" onto the inside foreleg while coming "up" behind, especially with the outside hind. (This is not a perfect description of the actual mechanics but IME it works pretty well from an instruction viewpoint to tell the rider what to look/feel for).

So the thing to do is to get into a nice stable trot -- or even walk (see below) -- where the horse is really listening to your aids and will turn or increase his speed without hesitation when you ask. Then sit there for a few strides in that trot (or walk) and feel the "hidden canter". IMAGINE that each stride you feel him coming up in the outside hip and going down onto the inside foreleg that will become the leading leg. Try to feel each leg moving and PRETEND he's striking off into the canter. Then give your cue, staying within the rhythm/timing of his movement. If it works, big praise for him. If it does not, do not worry, just reorganize his gait back to that very attentive trot (or walk) and re-feel your way into his movement and when you're ready ask again.

(Training him to canter on cue on the longe is also VERY VERY useful when both you and the horse are somewhat green. Then you can have someone else stand in the middle of the ring and give the cue to help the horse figure out what you're asking).

BTW if you are having trouble getting the canter from the trot, it is worth trying at least a half dozen times or so from the walk. Some horses (or riders ) find this to actually be much easier. Again, it needs to be an energetic, at-the-aids walk. You can more easily feel when the outside hindleg is swinging forward (outside hip is rising) and when the inside fore is starting to come forward... that is the "shared point" where the stride can either become another walk stride or become a canter stride, and it is the time to give your canter aid.

(edited to add, b/c it's been so long since I last taught riding that I forgot when I was initially writing this: A very good way to practice the aids is to canter ON FOOT, yourself. You probably did this when you were a little girl -- running around "cantering", you know? Well, that is how your body (as a rider) has to move when you are sitting the horse's canter, and it is also more or less how your body (as a rider) has to move when you are asking for the canter, unless you have "installed" a more-arbitrary cue for it. So canter around on your own two feet a bit, to remind yourself what it is like. Then when you are riding, and have got that attentive stable energetic walk or trot, try to feel your way into that cantering-on-your-own-two-feet movement WITHIN THE CONTEXT of the horse's movement. It is hard to explain but actually pretty easy to do. And typically is quite helpful in eliciting a canter. Or lope or whatever)

Good luck, have fun,

Pat