All I Got On Stops II

Back on Dee Dee’s question about stopping. This balanced ride stop I’m showing you guys will get your horse stopped, now, and he will be nicely balanced over his hocks with his butt tucked under him. The rider will push on the horse’s neck with her rein hand if she rides one handed and with her dominant hand if she rides with two.

This is a western stop. If you want your horse to stop square and evenly balanced over front and hind we’ll have to get a dressage person to guest blog, because I don’t know how to do that one.

The balanced ride stop is not going to give you a 20 foot slide either. But it will develop the base to get one and will give the rider the feel and timing needed to create a slide stop on the horse.

We were talking about knowing where each foot is while the horse is moving. By now you should be tuned in to the four beat gait of the walk, the two beat side to side and forward reach of the trot and the three beat of the canter. If you have gone to the four beat of the gallop you need to quit having so much fun.

I’ll start you off at the walk. Walk along the rail of your arena or in a flat spot on the trail or pasture. Count out loud. If you are mocked so be it, your critics will hush when they see your cool stop.

As the left hind foot leaves the ground I want you to call out “Now, Now, Now.”

When you are sure you have it right say “Now” at the beat and push on your horse’s neck right where the neck joins the wither.

With the next beat you pull back until he stops.

When he stops relax your reins and be still.

Yes, it’s really that simple.

The key is all four feet must no longer be in motion.

All of them.

No leaky feet.

I prefer the horse completely stands still and relaxes. BUT I am also aware there are jiggers and fretters and boogerbrains out there. If you have one of these then let him walk after you get all four feet stopped even if it’s for a split second.

Offer to let him stand still by relaxing your reins once all four feet stop moving. Not one, not two, not three, but all four.

If at all possible give him a cue to go forward before he thinks of moving. This will eventually get Boogerbrain to think your in charge of moving forward and he will begin wishing he could stop. But that’s another day.

Now call out your right hind leg as it leaves the ground.

Say “Now” and push on his neck as the right hind leaves the ground and on the next beat pull until he stops.

When Boogerbrain beats you to the stop (with all four feet), before you can pull on him, relax your reins, give him a big hug and be done for the day.

Remember this one. When he stops before you pull, then don’t pull. If he gives half a try then starts up again pull him down without warning. Then start the exercise again.

Next day take a few practice runs at the walk. Find your rhythm and just push on the neck instead of saying “Now.” Don’t say “Whoa” yet, that comes later.

Remember to pull on the next beat unless your horse stops before you can pull.

Now move up to the trot.

Watch your horse’s shoulders. Don’t lean! Just watch.

Because the trot is a two-beat gait you can push on your horse’s neck when the left shoulder goes forward and know he will be stopping on the next beat or when the left hind leg is coming forward.

When you can get a solid stop with all four feet no longer moving at the walk and the trot you can quit for the day.

You don’t have to count out loud anymore and you’re still not saying “Whoa.” Your horse is stopping at a touch on his neck. Pretty cool huh?

Day number three dawns and we’ll warm up at the walk and trot using our touch on the neck, without conversation.

Now move up to the lope. I would like to think you guys know your leads, but the beauty of this stop is you don’t have to. You will understand leads better by learning this stop though.For the timing on this stop you can go either of two ways. I guess you can do both, but keep the brain exploding thing in mind.

As you lope along you will feel your butt rise in the air and then slide down into the saddle, rise and slide, rise and slide.

We’re going back to calling out here. Call out slide, slide, slide, as you come down in the saddle.
Or, if you’re fond of the,"Now, now, now,” you can call out when Boogerbrain’s outside shoulder is forward.

Either way, you want to give your horse the stop cue as your butt slides back into the saddle or when the outside front leg is forward.

Give the cue and if he doesn’t stop by the next beat pull him down until his feet aren’t moving.

That’s it. Go play with it for awhile. This works for new riders, or riders who know what’s up. It works for sour, rotten horses, colts and broke horse.

It just works. Go play and we’ll talk about adding a “Whoa” and fancier stops next time.

Let me know how this works for you….