Question: How do you teach a horse to dogwalk? (walk slow), my horse
tends to walk very fast, I feel like I'm in a race. He will
walk slow at home in pen. Thanks for your input.
From Panelist Liz
Hi,
One important factor in getting a horse slower is for a rider to be relaxed and just drop any leg contact you may have on the horse. Don't sit stiff. If you are relaxed they will relax. Also learning to use a half halt may be a way to slow the horse down.
Liz
From Panelist Steve
Well, I like Wintec saddles a lot but the one type that simply does not seem to work well on a Walker is their dressage model. The gullets seem to pinch the horse. By the way, this is true of most dressage saddles on Walkers UNLESS they are custom fitted or you get lucky.
So the first thing I would do is change saddles. Also, stay out of the horses mouth and relax when you ask for the DW. No contact at all is a signal for the horse to relax. If he moves out anyway, bump him in the mouth, ask him to stop, then relax, loosen contact and ask him to move forward with a sweet cluck or kiss. If he is not in pain and not trying to stay up with other horses or return to the barn, he should look forward to dog walking !
Steve Chasko
