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how to stop crowhopping and smooth out trot?

4K views 12 replies 7 participants last post by  Tatiana Jade 
#1 ·
I have a 6yo QH mare. She is a sweetie but she had the worst trot and when I lobe her she seems like she is only trying to crow hop! I even had a friend ride her and she confirmed whet I thought. What is going on and how can I get het to stop!
 
#3 ·
For the trot, if she does have physical problem, it's likely to be lack of training and the more you trot the better her trot will be! As for crow hops, as soon as she hops- get off and lung her at a lope, let her figure out that its just more work to fight it. And then if that doesn't work you can one rein stop her and disengage her back end, then send her off into a lope again.
 
#4 ·
For the trot, if she does have physical problem, it's likely to be lack of training and the more you trot the better her trot will be! As for crow hops, as soon as she hops- get off and lung her at a lope, let her figure out that its just more work to fight it. And then if that doesn't work you can one rein stop her and disengage her back end, then send her off into a lope again.

Id have to disagree with that part only.. that is why in he first place she is crow hopping..

maybe try lunging her before you get on:)
 
#6 ·
Have you tried lunging her with a saddle to see if her trot looks off and if she crowhops at the lope? If she does, I would think the problem is a physical or balance issue. If not, it is likely a rider issue.

Are you holding her back too much when she lopes and blocking her forward momentum? It sounds like she is jamming up in the front. Check your saddle fit and make sure she is not getting pinched in the shoulders / withers. Also, check your position to be sure you are not leaning too far forward or restricting her forward movement.
Open your hip to allow her to move and ask for a good working, forward trot where she is reaching out. See if this makes a difference in her balance and the quality of her trot. If she crow hops at the lope, sit deep and tall, open your hips, lift your reins up slightly(not back) to lighten her front end and ask for forward movement. If you are worried about her running off, do it in a smaller space such as a large round pen, or arena.
 
#7 ·
If her gait is choppy at the trot, check for front hoof soreness. Walk her on the lead and make a tight turn first toward you the away. Watch how she does it. If she seems to shuffle or make a very small hop, that's usually an indicator of soreness. If she's not sore she'll step around, maybe not smoothly if not accustomed so do it 3 or 4 times. If sore, the crow hopping is her way of telling you. Let's hope she's not sore.
 
#10 · (Edited)
That's a nice-looking mare.

It sounds to me like you need to continue her (and your) training at a walk and trot before you start cantering. Horses are like people. If you've ever watched someone start learning how to jog for the first time, you can plainly see they lack coordination of a real runner. It takes time for their body to gain the coordination and smooth things out. Horses are the same. Too many people, particularly novices, just want to get on a horse and feel the exhilaration of galloping around the arena or across a green field, etc. Some people will say that horses run all around when they are foals and know how to do it. That is true, except that they weren't doing it with an extra 150 lbs or so on their backs then. The have to develop the coordination to get all their muscles working together to handle the weight of saddle and rider. It takes time. Some horses longer than others. Some horses are just more coordinated than others.

While we're on that topic, you also need to learn to move with the horse. If you learn to keep your seat at a trot, you will be able to handle the canter better and your movements won't be fighting against the horse.

Be patient with her and with yourself. Spend a couple weeks at a walk, just getting her used to your cues. Teach her and make her obey your cues at the walk. Then move to the trot. Make her trot at the speed you choose. Teach her to hit that nice easy jog that is so comfortable. It will take a while to get there. Once you have got her coordination and her obedience up to speed at the trot, then go to the canter. It will take her a while to smooth out at the canter. Hit the canter and make her slow to the speed you want without dropping into a trot. It will likely be quite rough at first. It will eventually smooth out as she learns.

Be consistent with your cues and commands. You have to be firm with this. A horse will only learn to do things as precisely as you make them perform. You must be firm and consistent. You have to know what you want the horse to do and you must have a definite and consistent cue to tell her what you want.

Now, another thing that will affect her smoothness at the trot and canter is collection. That's a whole other topic. A horse that will give to the bit and bend at the poll for you will be smoother than a horse that will not. Bending at the poll and lowering the head to about the withers level causes them to pull their rump under them a bit and move in a "collected" manner, as opposed to "all strung out." That takes some good training and many horses, particularly those used only for trail riding, will never learn it.

Now about the crow-hopping. If she hasn't bucked you off by now, she's not serious about it. Just ride her through it. She'll eventually give up on it, because it wastes energy. Horses don't like to waste energy if the effort gets them nowhere. I'm sorry to be argumentative, in my experience and opinion, getting off when she crow-hops is the worst thing you could do. Just ride her through it. You'll gain confidence and riding skill and she'll realize it doesn't get you off or benefit her in any way. She'll eventually get over it.

Remember, horses are a lot like a two year-old child. They will learn every button you have and push them as often as they can. If you don't react to the buttons, or if they have an uncomfortable experience when they push them, they stop doing it. Firmness and Consistency are the keys.

By the way, the mare in my avatar is a 7 year-old I bought last year as a green-broke and have been working her through the same thing. I started working with her regularly in July. I worked her at a walk for two months or more before starting the trot. I graduated to the canter last week. She's smoothing out already.
 
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