Working On A Sliding Stop
- October 16, 2024
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- Anna Foulger
Posted in: Featured, Horse Training
Every reining pattern, whether you are in reined cowhorse, reining, or ranch reining, you will see multiple sliding stops. Sliding stops are something you can start working on in their two year old year and continue perfecting through the bridle work years. A stop from cowhorse to reining to ranch reining will vary a little on what a judge expects, but the basics are all similar. There are also a few exercises, that no matter what your style is, will help further your sliding stop. A few key components to a solid stop are: forward momentum, straight lines, shoulders picked up and drive from the horse’s hindquarters. I don’t like to work on making a horse really slide until they are able to navigate these components with ease.
Forward momentum: This element is fairly simple. A horse in order to be capable of a sliding stop with their front feet moving and their hind feet planted must be moving forward freely. Meaning you should be able to ask them to speed up and move without a significant amount of encouragement, easily. A good way to practice this is to work on speed control. You can do this by doing circle work (this will also be important for your large fast and small slow circles for reining patterns). On a large circle, you ask your horse to run freely, giving them their heads and asking them to move out. This movement should be significantly faster than your small slow circles and should feel very free underneath you. After a large fast circle, pick up your hands, asking the horse to get soft and bring the horse down to a slow, easy lope. Also, working this on straight lines. Once you know your horse can run freely, you have one part of the stop ready to go.
Straight lines: This aspect plays into the first part, working on forward momentum. Straight lines are super simple and easy to master. The easiest way to work on this is to run a straight line, seems easy, but most horses don’t run truly straight. When working a straight line you want to be aware of even the slightest leaning your horse makes and correct it. The way to correct it is, if you’re working that line and you feel your horse lean right, pick up your reins and push him to the far left corner (or whatever arena you are riding in), your straight line will now be a diagonal line. Keep working this until your line feels perfectly straight, without you touching the reins and directing your horse.
Shoulders picked up and drive from the hindquarters: Now I combined these two because they go together effortlessly. When the shoulders are picked up correctly and your horse is driving from behind, without pushing on your hands, you will feel his back lift underneath the saddle. This lift is very important, without it, you cannot truly tell if your horse is collected correctly. A great way to work on this is to do small circles, holding the reins somewhat tight while using your feet to push the horse up from behind. You will see his shoulders lift, feel his but drive and feel the lift through his back. You will know this is correct when you can ask the horse to stop and (even from a walk) he melts underneath you into the ground.
Now put it all together. When asking for the stop you will: ask your horse to move freely, gradually building momentum every quarter of the arena you travel, making sure your horse is in a straight line and building up from his hind, shoulders lifted and asking your horse to stop with a deep seat. Hopefully, with some practice you will perfect the sliding stop and plus one at every event!
Posted in: Featured, Horse Training
About Anna Foulger
Hey there! My name is Anna Foulger, I am a young mom of soon to be two; a toddler daughter and little boy on the way! Me and my husband ranch in Eastern Montana with his family and we love every minute! My background is in...