] Bob came to one of our clinics, and he lives close enough to us that he's been able to take lessons with Jesse.  [02:13] His question was about getting a controlled rhythmic lope that he's seen a lot of other people accomplish. Bob's lopes were frantic and even scary at times.  [02:35] Bob's main assignment was to lope more for longer periods of time.  [03:01] After increasing his time, his horse will now rhythmically canter. [03:41] Bob thinks that the horse was thinking that if he went fast he would get the stop. [06:10] Bob's question is one of the most common questions.  [07:19] The improvement has really made a difference in Bob's mounted shooting. He rides about three to four days a week. He works his horse for an hour. [08:26] He works on things in the outdoor arena and on trail rides. [09:26] Let's use the four square model and begin with the horse's body to talk about safety when working up to your lope or canter.  [09:36] You may need to improve your horses physical conditioning to improve his lope or canter. You can do this by lunging more on a lunge line or in a round pen. [10:03] You could also lunge over poles at a canter. [10:37] You also need to take a look at your horses mind. If you're unclear about your horse's body or mind, get a professional opinion to put you at ease. [11:39] Another square in the model is the rider's body. What is making you physically uncomfortable about writing more? [12:23] You should work on your trot to improve your confidence before you work into the lope. [13:47] You can also improve your physical strength outside of riding a horse. [14:06] When you go to the fourth quadrant of the rider's mind, a great exercise to do is write down all of your fears on a piece of paper. Then find a solution for each thing that is holding you back. [16:45] I believe in analyzing what is going on with the fear rather than just forcing yourself to work through it. [19:54] Michelle bought her horse when it had just turned three. Her horse was a healthy Tennessee Walking Horse. [20:35] When Michelle's horse was seven, she began having acute lameness. It took awhile to diagnose it as laminitis. [21:25] Some symptoms that the horse had included breaking out in hives then becoming acutely lame. She acted like her front feet were sore, but there was no visible injury. [23:47] With x-rays at the veterinarian, they were able to see the rotation and the sinking in her feet. [24:48] After treatment, every six weeks for a year. The horse fully recovered. She still wears special shoes and goes to the vet once a year.  [26:13] She also started medication to boost her metabolism. The lab work did indicate a metabolic issue.  [27:58] The horse is also on a special diet and takes supplements. She is 11 years old now, and she has fully recovered.  [30:23] Michelle followed up with lab work, because the numbers tell you what is working. [33:34] The horse is now on Metabarol and vitamin E.    Links and Resources: Stacy Westfall's Video Vault Episode 1: Fear vs Danger: Riders Can Improve If They Know the Difference Rood & Riddle Equine Podiatry Equithrive Metabarol  $50 Rebate Program Have you ever wondered what a live version of this podcast would be like?I’m hosting some live, online video calls that are like a live version of this podcast. I teach on a subject, answer questions and for those who are brave, I’ll turn your video on live too and you can join me for a conversation! If you want to learn more about this you can visit https://stacywestfall.com/live/ for more information!