trainer101
Posted : 8/27/2009 7:14:42 PM
Is he soft at the trot? How long is your lounge line?
Some horses have a very hard time loping in a small circle because it is difficult to balance themselves and you. If they are soft on the halter and bent around you then they have an even harder time moving into the lope because they are overbent.
Other horses can canter the circle but try to run off or run sideways. This is mostly a nervous thing. They are not comfortable moving that speed that close to you for fear of hitting you. Also their adrenaline starts kicking in the moment you ask for the lope so they over-react and take off too fast pulling you around the circle.
What I would try is try and find a 16-20ft lead line so that your horse has the needed space. Next start off in the round pen with him. Ask him to trot, stop and change directions, trot off, change directions, then ask for the lope. Let him stride out a bit then stop him and bring him in to rub. The round pen prevents them from pulling you all over but also gives them a sense of security in that they know their bounderies. Ask him to move off again and have him lope once again letting him stride out 4 or 5 times then stop him and rub him. Let him know that he isn't going to have to lope all day and when he does it right he gets to stop. When he doesn't take off like a bullet then you can have him move out a bit more and let him relaxe at the lope. From there ask for transitions but always watch to make sure he isnt getting frustraited. If he does go back to what he was doing right before, something he understands.
Once you have got him relaxed and understanding that if he does it he gets to stop and be rewarded, then take him out into the open or larger arena. Do the same thing there. If he starts pulling on you move to a corner of the arena. Use the 2 sides to give him a boundery for him to understand. If he still pulls just follow him around but make sure he is hustling at a fast trot with his head really bent to you. You want to make sure that doing the wrong thing is lots of hard work. You'll know when he realaxes again by his body and eyes. When he does stop him a give him a rub and let him settle a bit. Now give it a go again.
Its not much different than when he lopes undersaddle. It probably makes him nervous. Shadow was like that when I first started asking him to lope. It would scare him to death. What I had to do was ask him to lope then stop him after two strides and flex him and let him calm down. Then I would have him trot a bit, then walk, and only then go back to the lope again stoping him after only a few strides. It really helps teach them slow down and relaxe.
Hope this helps some. Have fun and be safe.