Jessica Jahiel's HORSE-SENSE Newsletter Archives

Horse won't gallop

From: Lynda

My daughter has a horse who refuses to gallop. She can only get her to trot fast. If she uses a quirt or kicks the horse, the horse will start bucking. The horse does this with any person that tries to make her gallop, not just with a child. Can you please explain why this may be happening and how to correct it? Other than this problem, this horse is the sweetest and most gentlest horse I've ever seen.

Lynda

Hi Lynda! I think that it would be an excellent idea to have your veterinarian take a look at your horse's back and feet and mouth. A sweet horse that won't canter (I don't think your daughter really wants the horse to gallop) is probably a horse that isn't able to canter comfortably. This problem is often caused by a saddle that doesn't fit -- a saddle that hurts a little at walk and a little more at trot can be agonizing at the canter. It can also be difficult for a horse to canter if its feet are unbalanced and badly in need of a trim.

If your vet finds nothing wrong with the mare and nothing wrong with the saddle fit, then the issue is likely to be one of training and riding. I say "training" because I was once presented with this same situation at a horse camp, and the "problem" wasn't really a problem. The family in question had adopted a retired Standardbred, and the horse was so sweet and gentle that they never realized that he had not actually been trained as a riding horse. ;-) But since he had never been allowed, much less encouraged, to canter, he didn't realize that he could do it with a rider, and it took some months of retraining to convince him that it was not only possible but acceptable.

The best long-term solution will be to find a truly good instructor for your daughter. Using a quirt isn't really an acceptable "canter" signal, and neither is kicking, and especially if your daughter is holding the reins tightly as she does this, she is actually ASKING her horse to trot faster and faster. A good instructor will be able to help your daughter learn good riding techniques and horsemanship, and will also be able to advise you on saddle and bit selection.

It sounds as though you've got a very sweet horse -- don't take the chance of making her sore or sour. If you let your veterinarian and a good instructor help you, you should be able to keep her sweet and gentle, and your daughter should be able to go on enjoying her for many years.

Jessica

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