Calming a Hot Horse

 round pen your horse before riding. Both give him a chance to buck and play before he has to go to work.

Training Tactics

Have you recently changed the way you ride or train your horse? If so, your horse’s high spirits could be a sign that he’s stressed out. For example, a horse may start rushing at jumps because he’s afraid. This can happen when a horse is asked to jump higher than his level of confidence is prepared for.

Working your horse at speed too often can also teach him to get revved up. All he can think about is being pushed and chased to go faster. Keep that in mind if you practice a lot of patterns for timed events. Instead of constantly galloping, focus on perfecting your patterns at the walk and trot.

Finally, it’s important to know that some hyper horses are hurting. Prancing at the walk and a rapid canter can be signs of pain. Common areas of pain are the back, hocks and front feet. A sore horse learns that the faster he finishes his work, the sooner he gets to stop hurting. If this sounds like your horse, it’s time to ask your vet for help. Once your horse is feeling better, he may be back to his old, quiet self.