Mastering Speed Control with Ken McNabb: Build Better Transitions at Every Gait with Your Horse

Today we’re going to work on rating your horse’s speed and developing true speed control. One of the most common problems I see is that horses either don’t go fast enough at the lower speeds, or they go way too fast at the higher ones. So we’re going to focus on picking a speed we like—and staying there. I’ll start at a walk, but we’ll work our way up through the trot and into the lope. At the walk, your horse’s pace should match the energy in your body. One of the things I talk about often in clinics is developing an energetic walk. I want to be able to add speed without having to constantly kick, kick, kick. I want to look where I’m going, feel my horse underneath me, and have her respond with forward movement. And when I take my energy away, I expect my horse to slow down to match that change. If she doesn’t, I’ll pick up my reins and back her up for two or three seconds, then ask her to walk off again. I’ll repeat this process until she’s responding to my seat and energy, not just my hands. Ultimately, we’re trying to build “gears” within each gait. I might start with a slow walk for half a circle, then ask her to pick up speed. If she doesn’t respond, I’ll use my legs to drive her forward—thinking about getting her hind end up underneath her so she can power forward. If she accidentally breaks into a trot, don’t panic. I’ll just bring her back to a walk and ask again. She’s learning, and a few trot steps during the process of learning to walk faster are okay. Once I’ve built that responsiveness, I’ll relax my seat, and she should immediately lower her head and slow down again. That’s exactly what we want. Then I’ll turn and go the other way. Always stay relaxed—because when your body tenses up, your seat changes, and your horse feels that right away. Once you and your horse have mastered transitions within the walk, it’s time to kick it up to a jog. I’ll ask for a little more speed, and then a little more, until we reach an extended trot—where my horse is reaching out with her front legs and driving from behind. Just like at the walk, I want her to respond to my energy, not rely on my reins. If she anticipates a slowdown before I ask, I’ll ride her through it for another circle or two, then give the cue. If she slows all the way to a walk when I only wanted a jog, that’s okay. I appreciate that she’s listening. I’ll let her walk a few steps, then gently ask her to go back into the jog. That helps show her what I wanted, without punishing her for trying. We’ll repeat this process through the different gears of the trot, until my horse becomes comfortable and smooth in each transition, in any direction, and in any order. Finally, we’ll move into lope transitions. And again, we’ll use the same process we used at the walk and jog. When I’m ready to ask her to slow down at the lope, I sit deep in the saddle and hum a single note—not the whole Star-Spangled Banner, just one note. This helps release air from my diaphragm and relax my body, signaling my horse to do the same. At first, my horse might think it’s a cue to stop. That’s okay. I’ll let her stop, then calmly walk her forward and go right back into the lope—showing her that I’m asking for a slower lope, not a stop. I’ll keep repeating that until I get a consistent lope-to-lope transition—no breaking to a walk or trot. Once she gets it, I give her a little break, let her catch her breath, then change direction and go the other way. This isn’t something you’ll master in a single day. But if you stick with it, day by day, you’ll start to see big changes. And before you know it, you’ve completely transformed the way your horse rides. Until Next Time, May God Bless the Trails You Ride ~ Ken McNabb kenmcnabb.com dmhorses.com