Advice on a horse that always wants to run?

Question

I have a horse that i board at a public barn. The barn owner asked me if i could work with this 1 horse because nobody rides him. They just don't really have time because they r giving lessons and he always wants to run so hes not a good lesson horse. He was breed for speed and hes a really good barrel horse. I said i would and i was just wondering if thier is any good suggestions on how to slow him down a little and make him less hot. the horse is not good at stoping or collecting so if there is any thing i could do 2 teach him how do these things please let me no thanks a lot.

he dosen't respond well when i pull back he just keeps going 4 a while and i do walk him a lot its only when i ask him to trot and canter.

I have known the barn owner for a long time and i know this horse. hes not a bad horse at all he just loves to run. Hes not like the kind of hot where u tell them to stop and they start bucking and rearing he just loves to run. i just want to teach him how to collect all of his gaits and slow down.

we don't grain him he has a big pasture. We use an o ring for his bit.

Answer 1

Lots of walk to halt transitions- over, and over, and over, and over, and over again. Lots and lots of them. And when you're sick of them, do more, or vary them with a turn on the forehand every once in a while. When he will stop off of your seat aids (all you should really need to do is squeeze your buttock muscles slightly and you should have a halt immediately) then begin to add in the trot- but think only ONE step trot, then walk, or halt if needed. Stay on a circle and don't give him the opportunity of a straight away to build up speed. Frequently change directions. When his transitions are impeccable, start trotting for a little bit longer, then back to walk or halt. If he gets over excited and wants to take the bit and run, smash his face into a wall. Don't let him get away with it. Let him stand there quietly a moment and calm down. When he doesn't feel like he is trying to escape anymore, quietly walk off again and go back to walk halt. When he remembers that, go back to trotting. When he is totally fine with trotting, then you can add small bouts of the canter keeping the same thing in mind as the walk and the trot. Anything that you do on him needs to be your idea, not his. He needs to know that he can get away when he needs to and is not being attacked, but that what you say goes. When you do walk, trot, or canter, the gait needs to be there- not half way there. The gait needs to have energy- not quickness of pace. The hind leg needs to come up under his center of gravity. If you say move forward that will set his mind at ease that if some monster were to come and try and eat him, you would allow him to get away from it. Don't constantly clamp down with your aids, but give gentle breathing aids (weight, leg, and hand). You can only influence a horse's movement when the hind leg is about to leave the ground. Any other moment is wrong. You will know when to apply your leg aids because the horse's rib cage will swing out against your leg.

I would also recommend 5-10 minutes of lunging before you get on. This will help to get rid of some of the excess energy that he has and get his focus and attention on you.

On a side note, you may want to look at what kind of a program you are in and how knowledgeable the barn owner is, because it is a HUGE liability risk to put a client on a horse known to have some training issues without supervision. Not smart at all. I came from a barn like that. I rode there for 8 years and thought it was great. Then I went to college and discovered they knew absolutely nothing, and most of what I had learned was wrong. Just a word of caution- don't fall into the same trap I did and really find out if these people know their stuff- and not based on what they say. Do some research. When you don't have the knowledge of what is right, you can't determine the difference between correct and incorrect.

Answer 2

Barrel horses are alot like race horses in the way that they only know how to do one thing!
Firstly, you need to be commited to this horse for at least a year, what you are trying to do is re-train him, that will take alot of time and patience. It is a good idea to spend time with an instructor for this horse. He will need lots of work in a round yard for control purposes, also, teaching him some dressage discipline will make him use his energy while remaining in your control. Avoid any jumping or fast trail rides, take him out on the trail at least once a week, preferably with a quiet horse for company, and only walk and trot him until he stops rushing everywhere. Also, feed him a bland diet with no hot' additives, theres nothing wrong with an overly fresh horse being a little on the lean side for a while.

Answer 3

Go back to the basics of getting him to turn lightly, using a ring snaffle bit. Work on bending his head around towards your leg when you're riding (not tight, but just so he bends and gives to the pressure). You may have to work on this a lot, since he sounds like he's headstrong. But if you can take just one rein and pull his nose, either direction, you have a good start. Then when you're riding, anytime he goes faster than you want him to, you pull just one rein. You can make him turn a complete circle, which will help slow him back down, then release and let him walk on. If you're in a trot, and he goes to break into a canter, pull him in a circle. It will help him listen to you and be lighter in your hands. You don't want to let him run at all, unless he's in an arena or round pen, as he could really get worse. Does he have a lot of open pasture to run in, when he is turned out on his own? That could help. Also, before riding him, longe him for fifteen minutes or so, to take the edge of his energy off. He will be happier to go slowly with you riding, if he has had a chance to move out a bit first. Good luck!

Answer 4

Sometimes horses need to run. Let him run. Get on him and let him run around. He will get tiered. Then you make him keep running for a bit. Then let him drop down to a trot and work him there for a bit. Then walk him out for as long as you need to. Once they learn that running fast doesn't get them out of work they will be more responsive to doing what you want. I have done this with many horses off the track and it does work, it is just a lot of work for you too. Since it is not your horse you may not want to put that much it.

Answer 5

While all the training advice is valid, also check into what he's eating.

I started my TB cross mare on Omolene when I first got her and that was a huge mistake! She was constantly wired. It wasn't until I talked to the previous owner and discovered that she'd done best eating nothing but crimped oats that she calmed down.

It was like I'd gotten a whole different horse.

So, I would talk to your vet and the barn owner and see if maybe there's a possibility of adjusting his feed.

Answer 6

Personally I would give this horse HOURS of lunge work, preferably in an indoor school as this will not provide too many distractions. This will improve his responsiveness to your voice; in addition it will improve his suppleness and teach him to collect and balance himself. You can use poles on the ground to get him to watch where he's putting his feet.

After you have gained control of the horse, continue working in the school and teach him some dressage; this will improve his responsiveness and control.

Once you are confident that the horse is listening to you and obeying your instructions, then you can allow both of you some freedom and re-engage the "speed" gear!

The absolutely last thing you want to do is turn him against humans by using strong bits and a heavy hand.

Answer 7

I would add in ALOT of obstacles and sirpentines into your workouts, and plenty of transitions. I dont want to go into a whole bunch of detail here, but the solution toa rushing horse is simple - keep their mind busy all the time. Horses rush out of slight boredom and avoiding thought. Do lots and lots and lots of circles, wide hands to guide his contact and put in some poles and cirpentines with pylons to keep him busy. You'll find that the busier to you keep him, the less he's going to have time to think about whats harder than your asking him in the first place. It may take some time, but be patient, have nice quiet hands and a nice quiet seat, and just work WITH him, not against him.

Good Luck : 0)

Answer 8

The horse I ride was this same way when I first got him. In fact he had been sold five times because no one wanted to ride him and several people got hurt on him because he had no brakes. I have to add, I was in a wheel chair at the time recovering from a broken back from a riding accident.
What I did was work him in a round pen in a biting rig and teach him my words...like walk, trot, pick it up , whoa. We worked on this for several months. Emphasis on the Whoa.
Then I rode with a friend who I kept in front of me and when he started to speed up again , we both would say whoa and both of us stop.
I would let him move out at a gallop when it was safe once in a while as his reward . But he had to stay collected as long as I wanted him.
I have ridden him several 100 miles , but I am the only one who rides him. Seems we have an understanding.

Answer 9

One rein stops!
First, practice flexing his neck from side to side on the ground, until his nose can almost touch his side. Then do that while sitting on him.
Turn the flexing into a one rein stop by asking him to walk, then flexing with NO leg pressure. His head will come around so far he will have to stop or trip.
But remember, don't rip his mouth up.
Do one rein stops to both sides until you are sick of them at the walk. But only do about 10-15 min of them at a time, so the horse doesn't get angry. Come back the next day and practice them. Once you only have to use about one ounce of pressure to get his head around and stop, [but make sure he knows the difference between steering and one rein stop] try it from the trot.
Do the same thing with the trot.

Add in what some other people have said. Go over cavaletti/ground poles. After you get over those, one rein stop. Go over them the other way, one rein stop the other way.

After a few days, you don't need so many stops. Trot at a nice, slow pace as long as you can, and if he gets fast, one rein stop. When he will trot as long as you want him to without needing a one rein stop, THEN you can ask for a canter. But if he tries to take off, one rein stop before he gets too fast!

Its going to take awhile, but it can be done! Good luck! Hope it works out well!

Edit: Oh, yes. Snaffles for the one rein stops! And also practice in small circles. Pull him in and out of different sized circles. Do serpentines. Cut across your circle at random places. Switch it up so much he HAS to pay attention to you.

Answer 10

Your buddy is actually just doing what he was trained for - running.
You will have to retrain him, do not allow him to run when you get on him, you will have to keep him walking until he learns that's all you want from him, it will take some time, so don't lose patience, and praise him for every step he makes in a walk.