Asking for faster or slower tölt

If you horse only masters one speed of tölt, or only has a narrow speed range, this is what you can do to increase the speed range: Work on asking her to go from walk to tolt to walk again, without falling into trot or pace on the later transition, so the horse knows that it's supposed to stay in gait. It often helps trotty horses to stay in gait to always do the transitions walk-tolt and walk-trot, and never walk-tolt-trot, because the horse knows then that it's not accepted to go from tolt to trot, and will then not take the reins from you and demand trot. If the horse demands the trot as you do the transition tolt-walk, see if you can prevent it by holding the reins a bit higher as you do the transition. Work on increasing the speed range, by doing much of the speed of tolt that is easiest for the horse, and some of a bit slower tölt and a bit faster tölt. If you go for 40 minutes ride, use maybe 5 minutes on trot, 5 minutes on walk, 20 minutes of the easy tolt, and 10 minutes (divided into many small sessions) of the fastest or slowest tölt the horse can handle. Work on a straight road to begin with, and when the horse has got more balance you can work on tolting while doing bends and circles. When asking for faster tölt, concentrate and find exactly the speed that the horse can handle, and exercise that. It's better to ride 10 yards of good, fast tolt in the ride than a mile of tolt that consists of rolling, pacing, falling into trot or other faults. It often helps the horses to keep the balance when going faster, to ride with one rein an inch shorter than the other rein, if the horse is crooked, and use your leg to ask for more speed on the side where the rein is longer. It depends on the individual horse whether it's better to do this with the right or left rein/side. Ask for fast tölt for short distances to begin with. If the horse manages to go at it's fastest tolt for only 10 yards before falling into trot, ask it for slower tolt and then walk just a second before you know it will give up in the fast tölt. Set the horse up for success. Give it a break (walk for half a minute) after doing the best fast tölt. Then the horse will try to do well so it can get a break. If it fails doing a good fast tolt and falls into trot or pace, slow it immediately to walk and ask for tolt again, then faster tolt. As you get more and more successes, you can start to increase the speed range, ask for a tiny bit longer distances, and a tiny bit faster tolt. This takes time, but gives good rewards to the rider. BACK TO TÖLT

If you horse only masters one speed of tölt, or only has a narrow speed range, this is what you can do to increase the speed range:

Work on asking her to go from walk to tolt to walk again, without falling into trot or pace on the later transition, so the horse knows that it's supposed to stay in gait. It often helps trotty horses to stay in gait to always do the transitions walk-tolt and walk-trot, and never walk-tolt-trot, because the horse knows then that it's not accepted to go from tolt to trot, and will then not take the reins from you and demand trot. If the horse demands the trot as you do the transition tolt-walk, see if you can prevent it by holding the reins a bit higher as you do the transition.

Work on increasing the speed range, by doing much of the speed of tolt that is easiest for the horse, and some of a bit slower tölt and a bit faster tölt. If you go for 40 minutes ride, use maybe 5 minutes on trot, 5 minutes on walk, 20 minutes of the easy tolt, and 10 minutes (divided into many small sessions) of the fastest or slowest tölt the horse can handle.

Work on a straight road to begin with, and when the horse has got more balance you can work on tolting while doing bends and circles.

When asking for faster tölt, concentrate and find exactly the speed that the horse can handle, and exercise that. It's better to ride 10 yards of good, fast tolt in the ride than a mile of tolt that consists of rolling, pacing, falling into trot or other faults.

It often helps the horses to keep the balance when going faster, to ride with one rein an inch shorter than the other rein, if the horse is crooked, and use your leg to ask for more speed on the side where the rein is longer. It depends on the individual horse whether it's better to do this with the right or left rein/side.

Ask for fast tölt for short distances to begin with. If the horse manages to go at it's fastest tolt for only 10 yards before falling into trot, ask it for slower tolt and then walk just a second before you know it will give up in the fast tölt. Set the horse up for success. Give it a break (walk for half a minute) after doing the best fast tölt. Then the horse will try to do well so it can get a break. If it fails doing a good fast tolt and falls into trot or pace, slow it immediately to walk and ask for tolt again, then faster tolt.

As you get more and more successes, you can start to increase the speed range, ask for a tiny bit longer distances, and a tiny bit faster tolt. This takes time, but gives good rewards to the rider.

BACK TO TÖLT