I Need Some Speed!

[Sungold]

I need some help with getting my driving gelding to speed up in the trot. He's still quite green, I've only been driving him steadily for a few months (usually 3 times a week for about 45 minutes), though he first started driving last summer. He's about 38" at the withers, 10 years old, has wonderful manners, walks, slow trots, stops, turns and backs very nicely, he just won't go fast! He is driving in an Ozark carriage harness with breeching, a very loose side check, mullen mouth snaffle, no martingale, and a Houghton cart in a level short-cropped grass field and on trails. I've worked him on the lunge and in long reins with voice commands and he has 2 distinct trotting speeds, he's no slowpoke there, but they are not transferring to cart work. I use the same voice command and a whip cue and he basically ignores it. Do I just need to increase the intensity of my cue until I get some speed, or what? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Heart of Gold Minis]

I'll be interested to see what others say, but since he does fine with an extended trot on the lines, I would guess that he is simply being lazy. Have you had his teeth checked lately? I would get his teeth done if you haven't and make sure nothing on the harness is bothering him in cart. If nothing is wrong, then just make him listen to you, probably using the whip and your voice. Some more information would be great, like if he drives Western, Country, or Single, or if you do CDE's... anyways, this is just what I would do if he was on of mine

Good Luck!

 

[LazyRanch]

I need some help with getting my driving gelding to speed up in the trot.

I had the same problem both with my green horse and my "made" show horse. I discovered they had much the same issues as my ridden horses, so I tried the same things on the drivers as I do with the riders, and it really worked. Here are a couple things to try:

Make sure your horse has the physical muscle to extend his trot. Hill work - as much as possible. And make him walk up the hills. At the walk, the horse has to use each leg individually; working them at a walk, uphill, builds them up.

Make sure your horse is balanced at both speeds of the trot he now has. Is he working off his back end? Lots of transitions walk/halt/walk, then walk/trot/walk, then finally walk/trot/halt/trot/walk. Also work both trots and the walk on turns, circles and serpentines - both directions. These exercises teach the horse to work with his quarter under him, help him learn to balance on his quarters - both front to back and laterally - and build a muscle structure from which he can extend.

Trot down hills. Once he has physical structure and balance, he will have more faith to lengthen the trot and downhill work will build confidence. BUT!! When working downhill, don't just let the reins loose and tell him to yahoo along. Maintain a feel on his mouth. If he feels like he's just hanging on the bit - balancing on his forehand and your rein - give him little checks back. If you can, check back in the rhythm of a hind leg, and at the same time continue to encourage him forward. The idea being that rather that falling on his forehand, you are now bringing his quarters (that you have worked so hard to build up) back under him and into gear. If you check too hard, you discourage the pace, so consider that.

My "made" horse has shown for about 7 years as a pleasure horse. He had very definite ideas about what was "correct" which meant we had to tear down some walls. This was impossible in his EE cart, I believe because it was what he had been trained in. I put him to my HyperBike (which he considered absolutely NOT "correct) and he was more willing to try new things - like an extremely extended, but very cadenced and rhythmic trot. We have worked on his extension now in both the 'Bike and the EE, and he will work equally well in both. A couple weeks ago at a local show, we went in an open driving class. The class had 4 minis, a Quarter, another horse, and a Friesian. The judge asked for us to "Show them OFF!" and the arena was large. Rascal gave her not only an exceptional transition from road trot to rhythmic extension, he actually passed the Friesian - TWICE! People on the rail started yelling and cheering him on. I know the Friesian driver was a little miffed at placing 2nd to a mini, but even had to laugh. He told me, if you didn't see anything to give scale, Rascal looked like an 18h steam locomotive - and he hoped it would shame his Friesian into picking up his extension.

Take your time building up the speed, get a good foundation and built confidence. The speed will come, you will be awesome, your horse will be - and look - uber powerful!

 

[RhineStone]

In short, it may take a year or so of consistent work for a horse to develop balance enough to speed up. When they first start with the cart, they "pull" it with their chest, and eventually they learn it is easier to "push" it with their butt. Once they learn this, then they may speed up. My present show gelding wasn't overly fast for the first couple of years, placing around 5th of 8 or so in obstacles. But now he is rarely not in the top.

Myrna

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I agree with Cheryl and Myrna but at the same time, if you ask him to do something and he doesn't give you so much as a single stride of effort then you're teaching him to ignore you. This horse is 10 years old, not a baby, a big powerful boy at 38", and has had enough work that while he isn't ready to lengthen with the cart he ought to be able to at least speed up a bit when you ask! We aren't talking a 29" horse pulling a big guy through deep sand and giving his all just to move the load.

My trainer taught me that asking for speed or lengthening is a two-part process with driving horses- first of all, don't ask for something they aren't physically capable of doing.

We want to set them up to succeed and if they can't do what we request it sets both parties up for frustration. The second part is that when you do ask, they MUST give you at least an effort. They don't have to succeed, they don't have to do it right, but they have to at least try to do what we asked. If I say "walk on," by God that horse better at least give me one energetic stride. I may set my standards very low and praise the daylights out of him for one tiny little spurt and a slight tightening of the neck or flicking of the ears if he's used to being allowed to laze along, but he needs to give me at least that much. If he ignores me I will half-halt, repeat the command with a firm warning tone and then back it up with the whip. Nagging does not work- don't just repeat the command over and over and hope the horse will eventually do it. He won't.

Especially not if you throw away your contact and flap the lines at him like giant noodles as so many people do.

Getting more energy requires CONTACT. Lots of it!

The first time or two I may have to be a little stricter than I prefer but when he finally does it (even if it's just startling forward when he gets tapped with the whip) I will praise him to the skies and make the contrast very clear. Then I follow up immediately by asking again and building on his success.

As the horse gets fitter and his work ethic gets more developed through this discipline, I go from being happy with a tiny effort to expecting a full stride, then two, then three or four and so on before I have to ask again. The goal is to teach the horse to move to that faster pace on command and stay there until told otherwise. The trade-off for his obedience is that you must be sensitive to his capabilities- when he begins to tire, bring him back down before his muscles begin to strain. Thus does one build a willing and obedient partner.

Leia

P.S.- I agree with just about everything Cheryl recommended except perhaps the trotting downhill. Maybe it's just because my boys have weak stifles (*sigh*) and are only A-sized, but trotting downhill with a cart behind them makes them very nervous and is not something I attempt until the horse has developed a lot of strength from walking downhill in collection and doing lengthenings on the flat. Then perhaps I'll ask him to trust me and hold that cart back at a jog. The first big trot down a hill is sort of a graduation exercise and a great cause for pride! I'll do it earlier in long-lines with a green horse, but not with the cart.

 

[targetsmom]

This sounds a lot like what I have been going through with Princess. I decided to work with my dressage trainer who helped me with a lazy dressage horse and she has helped immensely!! In our case, lots of transitions, but also just lots of work in the cart to get her stronger and more fit. Check out our videos on You Tube:



They are dated so you can see the progress in about one months' time, one lesson a week. Princess is only about 32".