Training Tip: One Rein Stops With Hot-Blooded vs. Cold-Blooded Horses

Since a hot horse is always going to be thinking ahead of himself, you’ll want to shorten him mentally by not letting him go very far before doing a One Rein Stop. This is especially true at the lope. Don’t let him build up to 100 miles an hour before you shut him down.

If you’re working with a cold-blooded horse, you’ll want to lengthen him mentally and get his feet moving. In other words, you’ll let him go farther before shutting him down with a One Rein Stop.

The horse’s personality will determine how much pressure you have to apply to get him to move and how long you let him go before shutting him down.

Once you’ve completed the Fundamentals level of the Method, both types of horses should be acting more or less the same. They will become what I call “lukewarm,” meaning they will go as fast as you ask them to go, but no faster, and they’ll stop and fall asleep as soon as you ask them to.