Rolling

If your horse has a tendency to roll either all the time or at a certain speed begin with checking that nothing is bothering it. Check the saddle, that the feet aren’t sore (especially the soles), that the mouth isn’t hard or the teeth soring the mouth. Teach the horse collection. Usually what is happening when a horse rolls is that one side of the horse is weaker than the other, so that the horse has a tendency to take larger steps with it’s stronger side, thereby rolling. Shortening the rein on the stronger side and lengthening the other rein often helps the horse tremendously. Of course this means that you have to teach the horse (in a pen or using a road side etc.) that it is meant to go straight even though it is bending in the poll to one side. With some horses it is enough to shorten one rein an inch and do small fluffy movements with the other rein to stop the rolling. Riding the tolt like this helps build up the weaker side of the horse, so that this bending in the poll can be redused as the horse gets in better shape. Strengthening the weaker side using all exersises you can figure out also helps. Examples are if the right side is weak, sidestepping to the right and riding in circles to the left help. What I often find with 4-gaited horses is that it is more difficult for them to tolt when doing a bend (on the other hand it is more difficult for 5-gaiters to trot through a bend). So ways to help your horse to do this are for example these: Try to find your horse's weaker side, is it more difficult for it to tolt to the right or to the left? Do exersises like sidestepping, turning on the forehand, trotting in sircles etc to strenghten that side, if you find much difference in how strong the sides are. Find the speed that the horse can manage when doing bends. Often it is easier for them to tolt slow through a bend than fast. Find how much bending the horse can manage, if he can only do a soft bend, tolt him in a soft curve, gradually making the bends more difficult as the horse gains balance (can take weeks). Do this often. Set the horse up for success, doing things gradually more difficult. Try different supports with the hands, that is to say if it is easier for him to tolt in bends if you shorten the right rein one inch, or the other rein, or give him more rein in either side. Also it can help to encourage him a bit with a leg or touch of a crop in the side where you are giving the extra inch of rein. This is to encourage him to use one side a bit more, the other side a bit less. Let's take an example: You are turning to the left, tolting. To do that, the horse has to bend a bit in the poll and through all his body, and take bigger steps with the right legs, smaller steps with the left legs. Very often it helps the horse then to shorten the left rein one inch, touching the right shoulder with a crop (so the horse doesn't shoot out the right shoulder, and to encourage bigger steps), do a tap-tap-tap with your right leg to encourage the right leg to take bigger steps, and give the horse an inch more of rein on the right side, all at the same time. BACK TO TÖLT

If your horse has a tendency to roll either all the time or at a certain speed begin with checking that nothing is bothering it. Check the saddle, that the feet aren’t sore (especially the soles), that the mouth isn’t hard or the teeth soring the mouth.

Teach the horse collection. Usually what is happening when a horse rolls is that one side of the horse is weaker than the other, so that the horse has a tendency to take larger steps with it’s stronger side, thereby rolling. Shortening the rein on the stronger side and lengthening the other rein often helps the horse tremendously. Of course this means that you have to teach the horse (in a pen or using a road side etc.) that it is meant to go straight even though it is bending in the poll to one side. With some horses it is enough to shorten one rein an inch and do small fluffy movements with the other rein to stop the rolling.

Riding the tolt like this helps build up the weaker side of the horse, so that this bending in the poll can be redused as the horse gets in better shape. Strengthening the weaker side using all exersises you can figure out also helps. Examples are if the right side is weak, sidestepping to the right and riding in circles to the left help.

What I often find with 4-gaited horses is that it is more difficult for them to tolt when doing a bend (on the other hand it is more difficult for 5-gaiters to trot through a bend). So ways to help your horse to do this are for example these:

Try to find your horse's weaker side, is it more difficult for it to tolt to the right or to the left? Do exersises like sidestepping, turning on the forehand, trotting in sircles etc to strenghten that side, if you find much difference in how strong the sides are.

Find the speed that the horse can manage when doing bends. Often it is easier for them to tolt slow through a bend than fast.

Find how much bending the horse can manage, if he can only do a soft bend, tolt him in a soft curve, gradually making the bends more difficult as the horse gains balance (can take weeks). Do this often.

Set the horse up for success, doing things gradually more difficult.

Try different supports with the hands, that is to say if it is easier for him to tolt in bends if you shorten the right rein one inch, or the other rein, or give him more rein in either side. Also it can help to encourage him a bit with a leg or touch of a crop in the side where you are giving the extra inch of rein. This is to encourage him to use one side a bit more, the other side a bit less.

Let's take an example: You are turning to the left, tolting. To do that, the horse has to bend a bit in the poll and through all his body, and take bigger steps with the right legs, smaller steps with the left legs. Very often it helps the horse then to shorten the left rein one inch, touching the right shoulder with a crop (so the horse doesn't shoot out the right shoulder, and to encourage bigger steps), do a tap-tap-tap with your right leg to encourage the right leg to take bigger steps, and give the horse an inch more of rein on the right side, all at the same time.

BACK TO TÖLT