Sliding Stops?

AllThePrettyHorses · 02-25-2011, 05:28 PM

I don't rein...I like it, and I'm interested in it, but I don't think I'd ever be able to do it. Well, I was talking to my instructor about it, and she said that one lady she knows who reins teaches the sliding stop by running the horse into a wall. Not literally-you'd hope the horse will stop before it hits the wall, but I guess she points the horse there and runs them right up to it. The idea is to get the horse learning to stop correctly, but I'm failing to see the logic behind this. I guess it works for her, or else she wouldn't still be doing it, but wouldn't it teach the horse to stop only when it's being faced with a wall or fence? How would that apply if you asked the horse to stop in the middle of the arena? Can anyone explain this thinking to me? Is this the common way of teaching the stop?

myhorsesonador · 02-25-2011, 06:19 PM

A lot of trainers that I know use a shoot(pannels lined up) with a wall at the send. They start of at the walk and go from there. As they get beter they slowly widen the shoot and eventualy start to remove pannels.

There is a lot of training done before hand. The slide is one of the last manuvers they work on and should not be atempted by some on that doesn't have a trainer.

nrhareiner · 02-27-2011, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AllThePrettyHorses

I don't rein...I like it, and I'm interested in it, but I don't think I'd ever be able to do it. Well, I was talking to my instructor about it, and she said that one lady she knows who reins teaches the sliding stop by running the horse into a wall.

NO NO NO NO NO

Not literally-you'd hope the horse will stop before it hits the wall, but I guess she points the horse there and runs them right up to it. The idea is to get the horse learning to stop correctly, but I'm failing to see the logic behind this. I guess it works for her, or else she wouldn't still be doing it, but wouldn't it teach the horse to stop only when it's being faced with a wall or fence? How would that apply if you asked the horse to stop in the middle of the arena? Can anyone explain this thinking to me? Is this the common way of teaching the stop?

First it is called fencing and it is NOT used to teach a horse to stop. Before you ever consider fencing the horse must already know how to stop and slide. Fencing serves several things. One is to get the horse to brake better in the middle once he already knows how to stop.

However the big reason is to keep the horse from scotching. IE: trying to stop before they are asked. This keeps them honest and running all the way into the stop.

equiniphile · 02-27-2011, 02:05 PM

My uncle has an arabian breeding ranch, and their mane focus is on reining. They have NEVER run a horse at a wall to stop them. Instead they teach the 'whoa' from the start, making sure 'woah' always means 'woah' and not just 'slow down.' They will back the horse after every stop at first until they get it. The wall method is NOT the right way to do it, I have seen and heard of some pretty bad injuries from this line of thinking.

They do, however, clean up the stop sometimes by loping towards one end of the arena, and asking for the stop a few feet away. This is not to train the stop, it is to perfect it.

AllThePrettyHorses · 02-27-2011, 05:31 PM

So...that is not the common way of teaching the stops? I'm relieved...my instructor said we might get this lady over for a couple basic reining lessons. Of course, the sliding stop must be one of the more advanced/later-on maneuvers, and I realize it would take a long time before I get to that point (if I ever even do), but I'm still a little leery about running my horse into a wall. My instructor was thinking along the same lines I was-get the stop solid first from walk, then up to trot, then progressively faster, so we both were a little taken aback by this. Maybe my instructor just misunderstood then..

Tasia · 03-01-2011, 12:41 AM

Along with other posters NO NO! I did read that you understood that its something you should not being thinking about right now. I have ridden horses that have been DESTROYED by fencing done improperly. Just a while ago at the barn I was working at the horse stopped on his fore hand and smacked his head on the boards, there was a dent no lie.

mbender · 03-01-2011, 06:18 AM

I wouldn't mind learning reining. I would think before they do a slide the stop (woah) is drilled. Sitting deep in the saddle. When I taught my arab the stop (woah) I would back her as soon as I stopped. But she could only back when I asked her to. I don't know, but hopefully will learn some of this! Sounds like so much fun!
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addictedtoreining · 03-01-2011, 10:44 AM

In reining "whoa" means backup more than stop.....

nrhareiner · 03-01-2011, 10:48 AM

Actually whoa means stop stop now. As it is used at the end of turns as well. What most do is continue to say whoa when asking the horse to back. Which gets the horse in the mind set that they need to start baking once they stop. This is to get the horse to get their rear under them.

Silvera · 03-02-2011, 09:07 PM

Fencing is a viable training method and is not wrong. When you are fencing a horse it is very close to the end of the training of the slide. You don't run the horse at the wall and expect them to stop themselves, you run them towards the wall making sure they are straight and ask them to stop before getting close to the wall, the wall is only there to help them sit better and you also use it to help them from not expecting the stop. We will often turn before getting to the wall, after the point where we would ask for the stop so they don't anticipate the movement. Very often when I'm running a horse down if they start anticipating and trying to stop before I ask I will move them through the point of stopping and put them into a circle.

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