Teach My Horse To Walk Slower…

Wet collars is the real solution.

In the short term, yes, you could try a jerk line. You could put a set of single lines on Speedy Gonzales, in addition to the team lines. You could use a buck-back from the halter to the evener pin. You could put a leverage bit on the fast one and drop down the shanks one notch.

If Speedy gets out in front, though, the other’s lines get slack and you are really just driving Speedy. So any contact through the lines is only affecting the offender.

You may want to have her teeth checked, or evaluate the bit, as it may be giving her pain. This can often lead the increased fighting behavior.

Working alone will also be good for her, as I have found horses often display this behavior as a result of the dynamic between the two animals. This horse may be disturbed by the other horse’s behavior, and working her alone will help her to focus on you and not the other horse.

Also remember not to “hold” her back. She needs to realize that she can walk without significant line pressure, and as long as you are keeping the pressure on she will not feel reward for slowing down, all she’ll feel is the pain of the bit constantly.

Pulse on the lines, or pull hard to get her to slow her pace, then allow her to walk freely. As soon as she picks up the pace put on the pressure again, but in pulses, because if she gets ahold of the bit she will just fight against you again.

Pulse, pulse, possibly a slight sawing to help prevent her from turning her head, but this way she will feel the bit pressure, and not constant pain. She will also feel the release of pressure, as long as her teeth or the bit are not causing pain.

When she learns to equate the release of pressure with the speed of her gait then she will eventually learn that it is much more comfortable for her to walk then to keep speeding up. It will help speed this up for you if you are pulling some weight like disc harrows on a couple of acres.

This is really a confidence issue for her. She needs to believe that she can walk comfortably when hitched. There is something that is causing her to become nervous, possibly body language from the other horse, possibly she gets tired too easily and is trying extra hard, possibly her mouth is in pain and she is trying to eliminate it by fighting.

I know from personal experience that this behavior can be very frustrating, but if you can maintain a sense of humility so that when she gives just the least indication that she is getting the picture, then you can reward her by speaking calmly to her, “easy”, or even when she begins to walk comfortably, stop and give her a rest. These things will go a long way toward success.

Carl

One of the most interesting items I learned at the doc hammill workshop this summer was his demonstration of a defined method to drive horses.
Doug says it far better, but the premise is that horses want to know their parameters, and once known, they can perform better; more relaxed, efficient, safe, etc. He illustrated this with us when he ground drove the students blindfolded…..I hit a post….

The main method to do this; after proper groundwork is done- is what he calls “alternating pressure” of the lines. Most times using a slight, but sometimes when needed using exagerated alternating line pressure between the right and left lines, the team gets a reading that the driver is totally in charge. This method is used to steer, but also send other messages to the team. Apparently he became in tune to this method while watching his mentor drive. Doc said he noticed his mentor, a phenomenal teamster, using almost imperceptible pulses on the lines to send messages to the team.

For example, we were working with two mares, a 5 year old suffolk quite stubborn and alpha who was not quite confident in her abilities; she came across as lazy. She was paired with a 23 year old Clyde mare, who had been everywhere, done everything; also an alpha. The mares were “archenemies” who were always separated when not working…. Anyways, at different times, by pulsing the lines right, left, right, left the message would be given to speed up or slow down, in a way that does not desensitize, or make a “hard” mouth. When heading to the barn, the team would quicken the pace, so we were instructed to use longer, slower “seesaw” The team would slow, without bending their necks or us forcing any pressure. When the team was performing well, but a quicker pace was desired, a slightly “go quicker” message was sent through the lines, by basically squeezing the lines with increasing frequency between thumb and forefinger alternately right left right left. The team would sense the energy and step up.
Again, I am sure I am butchering “the seesaw” but after being completely self taught on our last team, I was glad to have this teamster theory explained, and as a result I hope to treat our future team(s) with even more respect by using this method.

When watching some Clinton Anderson demos I see he is also huge on “flexing” ; one line/rein control of the horse so we don’t cause hard mouths. Turn the head, control the horse, without pain.

I have a bunch of Doc’s videos, we’ve traded them out right now with another new team owner in WA, but when we get them back we would be glad to loan them to whoever is interested.

Kevin