How to Perfect the Horse Riding Sliding Stop
A well-executed sliding stop will earn many points in the show arena. It is one of the hardest maneuvers for horse and rider to do well. A sliding stop involves halting from a lope, the horse bringing both hind legs up under itself with front legs straight and parallel. Follow these steps to perfect a sliding stop while riding your horse.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Learn to keep your horse's body in straight alignment. Fix your attention on a point at one end of the arena and ride toward it. If your horse isn't going in the direction you are looking, his body isn't straight.
-
2
Look down at the reins you are holding in one hand as you lope down the arena fence. If one rein is touching his neck, the horse is leaning to that side. The horse's body needs to be very straight from poll to croup for a good sliding stop.
-
-
3
Ride down the long side of the arena fence, picking up speed as you go. If the horse is in correct alignment as you near the end of the fence, ask your horse for a stop, but if he is out of position, just go on riding around the arena until it is in the right position.
-
4
Sit tightly in the saddle and pick up on the reins slightly, giving the voice cue, "Whoa." If the horse doesn't stop correctly, reach down on your reins and pull the horse in a circle opposite the shoulder they were leading with.
-
5
Lope back to the other end of the arena and ask for another sliding stop. Whenever the horse does a good sliding stop, reward the animal by letting it stop to rest for moments while you pat its neck.
-
6
Repeat this drill about ten minutes a day a few days a week until your horse has perfected his sliding stop, then practice it occasionally while riding.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Don't pull back hard on the reins. Trust your horse to stop before he hits the fence.
Don't over-school your horse on sliding stops. They are physically taxing, and horses can become sour with too much unpleasant work.
Always wear protective headgear and boots or shoes with a pronounced heel and keep your tack in good condition.
Resources
More Like This
Comments
-
Horseman2 is right, if you are having problems stopping, back her up soon as she is stopped. Normally easy at the walk, trot is ok, but needs to be done for a long time before progressing to the lope. But yes some bits help the horse by engaging pressure in different area's. Unless you are reining, a sliding stop is not mandatory, and if she just rides in a hackamore, I would not put a bit on her. I have a reining horse that likes to blow through the stops, but I don't tap on her shoulder because training is NOT about speed, it is about perfecting the technique.
-
horseman2
Apr 14, 2010
a bit should not make a diffrence in a horse tucking its butt , start by backing it up right at the end of the stop do not wait make it back up right at the very end about 7-8 steps this teachs your horse to tuck as it stops if the horse blows through the stop tap its front shoulders with your boots to make it back faster this will let him know he cant blow through a stop hope this helps -
saddlebredgurl
Dec 04, 2008
I've never been able to get my QH's hind under her enough to do this. She goes more forward, sometimes until her hind end comes up. I've never had any trouble with other horses- only her. She's ridden in a hackamore, and I'm wondering about using a billy allen or reining bit? Supposedly they're supposed to encouage the horse to get theitr butt under them? Is this true? I'm just never had any trouble with the hackamores before.
