--- In bitlessbridle@yahoogroups.com, "woutersjennifer" <woutersjennifer@...> wrote:
>
> Hi, I have a 5 yr old mare, that I have been riding in the BB. She is
> for the most part pretty responsive with it when were in the arena, but
> the last few times I've taken her out on the trail especially with
> other horses she can be difficult to stop. She is constantly trying to
> trot off mostly to catch up to the horse in front of her and she wants
> to trot going down steep ditches but I want to teach her to go slow and
> walk calmly down. When she goes to trot off I immediatly reach down and
> try to flex her head but sometimes she will turn her head and just keep
> going forward and then she sometimes will stumble because her heads
> turned to the side. Is there anything that I can do in her training to
> help with this??


Yes I agree to work in a quiet area to teach the one rein stop.
It needs to become an automatic reaction not only for you, but your horse as well, when she becomes soft, and non resistant she will set up her hind end knowing you will be asking her to halt with her head flexed.  Without practice it would look similar to a first time driver to opperate a cluch, no fluidity about that. But once it's practiced over and over it becomes automatic. When your horse is out on the trail he can only think about catching up, not learning something new like that. The trail is a great place to teach other things such as leg yeilds, moving side ways with a lite touch, as you already have forward working for you.
One big mistake I see when teaching riders this one rein stop is they hold the outside rein preventing the horse from bringing his head to ther boot. Let go of the opposite rein, I always demonstrate to people the wrong way, so they can see what happens when they are holding the opposite rein too tight, they don't realize it.
Most horses will spin at first as they think you want them too even though you are not asking them too, or you would be touching them behind the girth on the same side as you are asking them to bring thier head, then releasing rein and heel pressure at once, (amazingly sometimes these same horse don't want to move thier hind quarters over when you ask them too) so you just keep holding, sitting deeply like you are not in an active riding posture, and EXHALE, as soon as the horse gives a little, let go and ask for a little more, giving mini releases for every try. Once they know what you want I hold till they flex all the way to my boot.

Hope this helps. Oh as far as the hill only work with a quiet trail horse you lead (horses behind always want to catch up) take one step down hill, and  slowly say a-n-d- w-o-a-h -  sit deep rocking you fanny side to side then squeeze  and release your reins after you get to the end of you command to halt, then walk a few steps as soon as she takes two steps then repeat command to stop. Just keep stopping her as soon as she's started so she takes his time, a hill his not the place to use the one rein stop, she needs her head and neck to balance and negotiate it. You halt's should be perfect at home to advance to work on the trail.