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Lope/Canter Training
Loping for the first time in the
Arena...
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Your
horse will still be fairly new at carrying you, dealing with the extra
weight, added top heavy balance and trying to coordinate his movements
with your wishes. And loping is one of the hardest things for a young
colt to learn. So when it comes time to introduce loping in an arena, I try to make him as comfortable as possible. Also, I try to be aware of the fact that this is not an easy feat for the little guy. 2 things will happen... |
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On the lunge line
- First time loping - Outside the arena - The correct Lead - Dropping a shoulder - Hard to catch Lead |
#2-- he will want to run/lean for where the other horses are, like the entrance of the arena. We will call that the south end.
I try to both use those 2 facts and be careful about them.
Step 1 After doing several walk-trot transitions, I ask for the lope in the second corner of the north end. That would be the corner, after which he will be headed straight back for the other horses/gate. The advantage of that is that I won't have to convince him quite so hard to pick up the lope. He will already be wanting to hurry back to the south end of the arena. I urge him into the lope, let him lope a few steps and gently pull him back to a trot, then walk. Then I praise him for loping a few steps in a calm manner.
I repeat that a few times, till he clearly understands that loping is what I want. I then change directions and do the same thing to the other side. It'll be easier then. And that is usually all I do that day.
Step 2 The next time, I will ask him to pick up the lope heading away from the south end, and urge him to stay in the lope coming around then north end. This doesn't sound like much, but staying in a lope around a semi circle like that is actually pretty hard. Again, heading back to the south end, I will ask him to come back to the trot. I mainly do this to prevent the possibility of a run-off, and therefore a bad experience. I repeat this a few times, then do it to the other direction.
Step3 The third day, I will ask him to lope in a circle on the north end of the arena. You will really have to talk him into staying in the lope on the south side of the circle. And for right now, just getting it done any ole' way is going to be fine. Usually I just barely get the colt to turn the corner away from the long side, and then he'll slow down to a trot. It takes a few times of practice before the colt will actually turn a complete circle. Depending on the horse, I try to keep at it for another circle, or I transition down to a walk at the north end, and praise him. Again, depending on the colt, I change directions, or I wait for the next day to go the other way.