RHR
Active member
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?
BUGGY HORSE ONLY TROTS.....HELP?
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Anonymous
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RHR said:
A few 20 mile buggy trips.......
RHR
Active member
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
Well-known member
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...
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
Well-known member
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.
Commands:
I've found ONE word commands work butter with animals - Stop, Walk, Trot, etc.
Faster horses
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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!
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
Active member
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
Active member
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.
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Anonymous
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RHR said:
A few miles and wet blankets take care of a lot of "problem" horses.... :wink:
Soapweed
Well-known member
Do you know what is worse than a dog with worms?
:???: :???: :???:
A horse with a buggy behind. :wink:
:???: :???: :???:
A horse with a buggy behind. :wink:
RHR
Active member
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.
Team1roper
Well-known member
Raising horses and breaking colts we go on many unplanned trail rides to let the horse figure out that walking is not so bad.
I agree 20 miles is good for the horse and she will learn to slow down and look at life in a different way
But you have to stay after it, don't buggy her 1 time then put her up for 3 weeks.
if you could in the beggining buggy her 3 times a week
I agree 20 miles is good for the horse and she will learn to slow down and look at life in a different way
But you have to stay after it, don't buggy her 1 time then put her up for 3 weeks.
if you could in the beggining buggy her 3 times a week
Faster horses
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I think the recommendation to weave back and forth across the road was to make it MORE WORK for the horse to trot, therefore he/she wouldn't need to go as far.
"Make the right things easy and the wrong things difficult" sort of thing.
"Make the right things easy and the wrong things difficult" sort of thing.
RHR
Active member
I have been driving her about 3 times/week. 6 to 10 miles @ time. I drive her into our little town with barking dogs and other distractions. I also am checking cows with her. It is a good experience for the horse and cows. Next item is getting her to quit throwing her head to the left. She does not like the bit. I appreciate all the advice everyone has given.
Faster horses
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If she is throwing her head to the left, you migiht check her teeth. It could very well be a problem tooth.
A painful tooth can cause a lot of things; none of them good.
A painful tooth can cause a lot of things; none of them good.
Curly
Well-known member
RHM,
Did you get her from the Amish?
My Mom got her a nice little buggy horse from the Amish at a sale in Denver about 5 years ago. The Amish train them to have just one speed-- fast trot! Mom uses that horse near everyday for about 8 months out of the year; Its a dandy.
The way I trained it to walk for her was to work it under saddle for 60 days; a lot of those buggy horses don't get much quality saddle time.
Did you get her from the Amish?
My Mom got her a nice little buggy horse from the Amish at a sale in Denver about 5 years ago. The Amish train them to have just one speed-- fast trot! Mom uses that horse near everyday for about 8 months out of the year; Its a dandy.
The way I trained it to walk for her was to work it under saddle for 60 days; a lot of those buggy horses don't get much quality saddle time.
I have no experience with wagon horses.
Having said that there is no reason the horse has to be hitched up to be driven. Example a snaffle and two long lines with you on the ground preferable in a 40 foot round pen at first.
Okay start your horse, cluck or whatever for it to go. Stay in the center of the pen while your horse is circleing you.
Get the horse to lope circles around you, first the one way and then the other until its looking to slow down. Dont allow it to break gate out of the lope until its good and tired.
BTW To turn your horse I would say "easy" then I would apply pressure on the rein that will bend your horse towards the corral or wall of the enclosure you are working in. So in other waords the horse is turning away from you because you are in the center of the corral and the horse will be turning towards the fence away from you.
Anyway lope your horse in both directions until its good and tired. Dont allow it to break gate or slow down. Then when its wanting to slow down say easy and bend the horse towards the wall to change directions.
When the horse bends and turns you should now have the next slower gate. The trot.
Allow your horse to trot some circles and then do the same thing. Say easy and bend the horse towards the wall to change directions. When the horse bends<disengages his hind quarters> and turns he should be in the next slower gate"the walk".
Now before you start all of this make sure you have your basic groundwork done with the horse. Make sure its halter broke. Make sure you can bend the horse and disengage its hind quarters! Get your horse mentaly hooked on to you. You should be able to disengage those hind quarters without physically touching that horse in any way. Make sure the horse is not braced on either side.
But anyway do what I said and after a while you wont have to disengage its hind quarters or bend the horse to get the transition. You will only have to say easy and or only send a signal down the ONE REIN like you are going to bend the horse. Just keep building on it. Offer the horse the good deal. Example say easy, if that doesnt work send the signal down the one rein, then if that doesnt work double the colt. Keep trying to do less and less. Do everything in stages until the colt responds. After a while you can do less and less or should I say after awhile you will only have to say " easy" and your horse will respond and slow down. You wont have to use all these other stronger stages. But be consistant.
Having said that there is no reason the horse has to be hitched up to be driven. Example a snaffle and two long lines with you on the ground preferable in a 40 foot round pen at first.
Okay start your horse, cluck or whatever for it to go. Stay in the center of the pen while your horse is circleing you.
Get the horse to lope circles around you, first the one way and then the other until its looking to slow down. Dont allow it to break gate out of the lope until its good and tired.
BTW To turn your horse I would say "easy" then I would apply pressure on the rein that will bend your horse towards the corral or wall of the enclosure you are working in. So in other waords the horse is turning away from you because you are in the center of the corral and the horse will be turning towards the fence away from you.
Anyway lope your horse in both directions until its good and tired. Dont allow it to break gate or slow down. Then when its wanting to slow down say easy and bend the horse towards the wall to change directions.
When the horse bends and turns you should now have the next slower gate. The trot.
Allow your horse to trot some circles and then do the same thing. Say easy and bend the horse towards the wall to change directions. When the horse bends<disengages his hind quarters> and turns he should be in the next slower gate"the walk".
Now before you start all of this make sure you have your basic groundwork done with the horse. Make sure its halter broke. Make sure you can bend the horse and disengage its hind quarters! Get your horse mentaly hooked on to you. You should be able to disengage those hind quarters without physically touching that horse in any way. Make sure the horse is not braced on either side.
But anyway do what I said and after a while you wont have to disengage its hind quarters or bend the horse to get the transition. You will only have to say easy and or only send a signal down the ONE REIN like you are going to bend the horse. Just keep building on it. Offer the horse the good deal. Example say easy, if that doesnt work send the signal down the one rein, then if that doesnt work double the colt. Keep trying to do less and less. Do everything in stages until the colt responds. After a while you can do less and less or should I say after awhile you will only have to say " easy" and your horse will respond and slow down. You wont have to use all these other stronger stages. But be consistant.
Team1roper
Well-known member
I agree with having the vet or someone check her teethRHR said:
she may need to have a tooth floated
RHR
Active member
Curly, I'm not sure who had the horse before I got her. She is 5 this spring and the guy I got her from had her for about a year. She could have come from the Amish or was trained on the track to trot. She is getting better about walking but needs a few miles before she likes to slow down. I do plan on having a vet look at her teeth as she DOES NOT like the bit and will either throw her head to the left or hold her head to the left while driving her. Thanks again for all the ideas. We are making progress.
