How Good are Your Horse's Brakes?

The most important thing a horse needs to know is how to stop. It’s one thing getting him to go, but if you can’t stop him, you’re in big trouble.

Like any other move you teach your horse to do, the stop should be as soft as possible. This can take a bit of work, especially in off-the-track race horses, who generally know little more than to go forward in a straight line at top speed.

The fundamentals to achieving a good stop are of course Pressure and Release with crisp timing as described in an earlier article and also the One Rein Stop (also in an earlier post). To be able to do a good One Rein Stop, the horse must first be able to flex – have some good lateral flexion and a lateral mouth. Once the horse has that, you can then start working on improving a controlled and relaxed stop, which will incorporate a back-up. If you can get your horse to stop as softly as the horse in the following video by Clint Depew, you will be proud....