365 Days in Horse Country – The Perfect Whoa
Stopping may be the most important skill to teach your horse. If your horse doesn’t have a reliable stop, he’s not a safe horse to ride.
Even if your horse is already adept at stopping, it’s a good skill to practice periodically just to reinforce it. Your horse should be so responsive to your requests to stop that he will stop immediately when you ask him and in any situation.
Practice the following exercises at a walk to perfect your horse’s stop.
If you are riding Western, ask your horse for an extended walk. After a minute, say “whoa” as you put tension on the reins while moving your rein hand back toward your belly button.
As you do this, sink deep into the saddle and release any leg pressure you were applying to keep your horse at the trot. When the horse comes to a stop, release the reins. If your horse stopped immediately, praise him.
If you are riding English, ask your horse for an extended walk. To ask him to stop, sink your weight into the saddle, and then increase tension on the reins. When he stops, release some of the tension on the reins and praise him.
Perform these stopping exercises first at the walk, then at the trot, and finally at the canter. When your horse stops reliably at each gait, his stop has been perfected. Continue practicing periodically to reinforce this skill.
Michael