Training Tip: Expect Your Horse to Initially Behave Worse Outside the Arena

When you first practice trotting and especially loping your horse on a loose rein outside of the arena, expect him to be worse than he is inside the arena. It’s normal for his gait to be inconsistent. It’s normal for him not to go the exact speed you want. He’ll go too fast, and then he’ll slow down, and then he’ll speed up again. Let’s say your horse lopes at 9 miles per hour in the arena. When you first ride him outside, he might lope at 12 miles per hour. You have to let him go through it until he finds a rhythm, and when he does find a steady rhythm, don’t stop right then. Keep going until he completely relaxes and you feel as if you’re having to push him a little bit.