BUGGY HORSE ONLY TROTS.....HELP?

[RHR]

I recently purchased a horse for my buggy. She is a 5yr old morgan/app mare and is well broke to drive. I would like to use her in parades but she has one gear.....troting. Any idea's on how to teacher her to walk?

[Oldtimer]

[RHR]

I've only hitched her twice. Once we went 3 miles and the next time 5 miles and she never broke stride. If I would let her she would break into a lope. The road is at a good incline in places. Can you drive them to hard as she works up quite a sweat after a short drive?

[theHiredMansWife]

Keeping in mind I don't drive my horses:

Do some round pen work with her. Let her trot for a bit and kick her up to a lope to where she wants to slow down. Keep her loping til she's worked up a good sweat. Let her back down to a trot and kick her up to a lope again.
Do this a few times and try to let her come all the way down to a walk.
You want her to remember that walking is a good thing, too.

Put a voice command to slowing down, for example, "Easy girl..."

Just work her in the round pen for a while until you think you've got her to the point where she's listening to you and then try hitching her up. When she's already tired.

Like I said, I don't drive, but when you have a saddle horse that's forgotten their manners, you put them back to square one for a while. I would think a horse is a horse, no matter what their tack is attached to...

[OldDog/NewTricks]

good question - all my experance has been with harness race horses Teaching Them To Trot - The more presure we'd put on their mouth the faster they'd go - - I'd try giving them a slack rain

Commands:
I've found ONE word commands work butter with animals - Stop, Walk, Trot, etc.

[Denny]

Hook a large tractor tire full of fluid behind your buggy that will slow her down.

[Faster horses]

OK, I posed this question to our horseman friend that is like a son to us. Here is his answer: Let her trot until she is tired, or has the edge off. Then weave her back and forth across the road til she finally picks up the walk. Don't fight her, let her find it. If she fights you, she isn't tired yet and not ready for the weaving part.

You can do this when you are riding as well, but I wasn't sure this horse was broke to ride.

He said most all horses that pull buggies or carts are taught to trot, as you indicated.

Anyway, this will be a nice way to try. He always has such good ideas and has driven horses himself. Besides that he sees everything from the horses point of view and wants them to understand, not get abused over it.

Good luck!

[RHR]

Thanks for all the idea's. I plan on driving her somemore yet this week. I would expect it will take 6-7 miles before she slows down. I've driven her 5 miles without slowing down. I need to keep a tight rein to keep her from a cantor/lope. I appreicate everyones ideas and will give a report after the next time out. I don't think I'll try the tire behind the cart. Someday I would like to have her in a parade without the tractor tire behind.

[RHR]

After 10 miles of driving in about 45 minutes my mare found out she could walk. I've driven her once since and she is learning to walk. I think she may have been a horse originally trained on the track to trot so walking was something she had to learn. Thanks for all your help and ideas. O.T. gets the prize for the best idea.

[Oldtimer]

[Soapweed]

Do you know what is worse than a dog with worms?












A horse with a buggy behind.

[RHR]

Come on now Soapweed admit your jealous. My misses likes to sit close on the buggy........ now that has to be better than a dog with worms.