The “Hot” Horse—Energy, Tension or Confusion?

“She’s just a hot horse.”

“He gets so wound up.”

“She needs tiring out before I can do anything with her.”

The word “hot” is commonly used to describe a horse that feels very forward, reactive, tense or difficult to contain. However, it describes what the rider is experiencing—not why the horse is behaving that way.

Before deciding how to ride the “hot” horse, we need to understand what the horse may be trying to communicate.

What do we mean by a “hot” horse?

Different riders may use the word to describe very different behaviours.

The horse may:

• Rush or continually increase its pace
• Take short, hurried strides
• Struggle to stand still
• Anticipate transitions or movements
• Become tense through its neck, back or jaw
• React strongly to the rider’s leg
• Spook or become distracted
• Feel difficult to turn or rebalance
• Jog instead of walking
• Become stronger when the rider takes the rein
• Seem unable to settle or concentrate

Some horses naturally have more energy and sensitivity than others. That is not a fault. A responsive, forward-thinking horse can be wonderful to ride when it feels secure, understands the aids and can channel that energy effectively.

The aim should not be to remove the horse’s energy or personality. It is to help the horse use that energy without becoming tense, frightened or overwhelmed.

Why is the horse “hot”?

There is rarely one simple answer.

What appears to be excessive energy could be:

• Natural enthusiasm or sensitivity
• Physical discomfort or pain
• Poorly fitting tack
• Anxiety or fear
• Confusion about the rider’s aids
• Anticipation of a familiar exercise
• A lack of balance or strength
• Too much pressure without enough release
• Insufficient turnout or unsuitable management
• Excess energy influenced by feeding or workload
• A response to the environment
• A reaction to the rider’s tension
• A learned response from previous experiences

A horse that rushes is not automatically being disobedient. It may be trying to escape pressure, regain its balance, predict what is coming or respond to aids it does not fully understand.

Sudden or unusual changes in behaviour should never be dismissed as the horse simply becoming “hot.” Pain, health, teeth, tack, management and other physical causes should always be considered, with appropriate professional advice sought where necessary.

Energy is not the same as tension

A horse can be energetic while remaining relaxed, balanced and attentive.

Equally, a horse can feel fast without creating useful forward energy. Short, hurried steps produced by tension are not the same as active, purposeful movement from the hind legs.

This distinction matters.

If we treat all forward movement as something that must be stopped, we risk removing the energy we need for good work while leaving the tension behind.

Rather than asking only, “How do I slow this horse down?” ask:

• Is the horse genuinely moving forward or simply rushing?
• Is the rhythm regular?
• Can the horse maintain its balance?
• Is the horse listening or reacting?
• Does the horse understand what I am asking?
• What happened immediately before the behaviour changed?
• Am I adding tension through my own body or aids?

The answers will help determine what the horse needs.

The pull–rush cycle

When a horse rushes, the rider’s natural reaction is often to take a stronger hold.

The horse may then feel restricted, become more tense and try even harder to move away from the pressure. The rider responds by holding more firmly, and a pull–rush cycle begins.

The rider may feel that the horse is ignoring the rein. The horse may feel that there is no release or comfortable answer available.

Constant backward pressure can also give the horse something to pull against. Instead of improving balance, it may create more resistance through the neck and jaw while the horse continues to run through its body.

The reins still have an important role, but they should be used to communicate—not to hold the horse together continuously.

Ask, recognise the response and soften.

If the rider never releases, how can the horse know that it has found the correct answer?

The rider’s role

Sensitive horses often notice changes in the rider before the rider is aware of them.

Holding the breath, gripping with the thighs, becoming rigid through the back, leaning forward or shortening the reins in anticipation can all tell the horse that something is about to happen.

The rider then feels the horse react and may assume the horse created the tension on its own.

Before correcting the horse, check your own body:

• Are you breathing?
• Are your shoulders and elbows relaxed?
• Are you sitting in balance rather than bracing?
• Are your legs resting against the horse or gripping?
• Are your hands able to follow the movement?
• Are you shortening your reins because you need to—or because you expect a problem?
• Are your aids clear, or are several conflicting aids being applied at once?

Relaxation does not mean becoming passive or abandoning the contact. The rider still needs to provide clear direction, structure and support.

The aim is calm effectiveness, not physical restriction.

Why the “hot” horse may need more leg—not less

Riders often remove their leg from a hot or sensitive horse because they are frightened of the response. They hold the leg away from the horse’s sides and try to control everything through the reins.

Unfortunately, this can contribute to the problem.

When the leg is eventually needed, it may be applied suddenly. The horse reacts strongly, the rider removes the leg again and both horse and rider become increasingly worried about its use.

A hot horse will often need more leg rather than less.

This does not mean kicking, chasing or asking the horse to travel faster. It means allowing the leg to rest quietly against the horse and teaching it to accept a range of calm, clear leg aids.

The leg may ask the horse to:

• Maintain the pace and activity
• Step forward into the contact
• Support the bend
• Move the ribcage
• Move away from pressure
• Control the quarters
• Remain active during a half halt
• Rebalance without losing the forward energy

The horse needs to learn that the rider’s leg does not always mean “go faster.”

A quiet, consistently present leg is often less worrying than a leg that disappears and then arrives abruptly. Begin with the smallest clear aid and remain calm if the horse initially overreacts. Guide it back to the intended rhythm without punishing the forward response.

With consistent repetition, the horse can learn to accept the rider’s leg and wait for the specific question being asked.

Give the energy somewhere to go

Trying to exhaust a tense horse is not always the answer. More speed, endless circles or prolonged work may create a fitter horse that is still anxious and has learned very little.

Instead, give the horse a clear, achievable job.

Useful exercises may include:

• Large circles and changes of rein
• Clearly ridden transitions
• Changes within the pace
• Polework at an appropriate level
• Accurate school figures
• Frequent changes of direction
• Short periods of focused work followed by a stretch or walk break

The exercise should create focus without overwhelming the horse.

For some horses, riding positively forward into a steady rhythm can be more helpful than continually trying to slow every stride. This does not mean chasing the horse faster. It means allowing forward movement while providing a clear rhythm, line and destination.

Structure can be reassuring. The horse knows where it is going, what is being asked and when the pressure will be released.

Keep the question simple

A tense or reactive horse may struggle to process several instructions at once.

If the rider asks for bend, changes the pace, corrects the shoulders, shortens the stride and worries about the horse’s head position simultaneously, the horse may become increasingly confused.

Choose one clear priority.

For example:

“Maintain the rhythm on this large circle.”

Ask the question clearly and keep it the same long enough for the horse to understand. If the horse rushes, return calmly to the rhythm rather than introducing a succession of new corrections.

Reward the smallest correct response.

A few balanced, relaxed strides are the beginning of the answer—not something to overlook while demanding perfection.

Exercise: Finding a rhythm on a circle

This exercise gives a forward or tense horse a predictable job without continually pulling it back.

Begin in walk. If the horse is already very tense or feels unsafe, remain in walk and seek appropriate help rather than progressing to a faster pace.

How to ride it

1. Ride onto a large circle and choose four clear points around it. These may be arena letters, cones or features around the school.

2. Establish a purposeful walk and concentrate on following an accurate line.

3. Breathe out as you pass each marker. Check that your shoulders, elbows, thighs and hands have not become rigid.

4. Think about riding from one marker to the next in the same rhythm.

5. If the horse begins to hurry, avoid holding continuously. Use a clear, brief half halt, recognise the response and soften.

6. Continue to ride positively towards the next marker.

7. When the horse gives you several more settled strides, acknowledge the change through your hand, seat and voice if appropriate.

8. Change the rein and repeat the exercise in the other direction.

The markers give both horse and rider a clear focus. Instead of thinking, “Do not rush,” the rider has a positive task:

“Ride this line, in this rhythm, towards that point.”

Taking the exercise into trot

When the walk feels settled and the horse is listening, repeat the exercise in trot.

Do not worry initially about creating a particular outline. Prioritise:

• A regular rhythm
• An accurate line
• Clear direction
• A rider who continues to breathe
• A contact that communicates and releases
• A horse that can move forward without being chased or held

If the trot becomes hurried, ride a clear transition to walk. Re-establish the rhythm, then return to trot when both horse and rider are ready.

The downward transition should not be used as a punishment. It is simply a way to reorganise and begin again.

Varying the circle and moving the horse’s body

The size of the circle can also help the rider influence the pace and balance.

A larger circle gives the horse more room and may allow it to travel more quickly. Gradually reducing the size of the circle can help regulate the pace and encourage the horse to rebalance, provided the circle remains large enough for the horse’s level of strength, suppleness and training.

The rider can then gradually allow the circle to become larger again without letting the rhythm increase.

Think:

Smaller circle—rebalance and organise.

Larger circle—maintain that balance and rhythm while allowing more ground to be covered.

The aim is not to pull the horse around a small circle or use the circle to exhaust it. The rider’s inside leg should continue to create bend and activity, while the outside aids control the shoulders, quarters and size of the circle.

Suppling work can be particularly valuable for a hot horse. Rather than focusing only on slowing the legs, encourage the horse to move through its ribcage and accept the rider’s leg.

Depending upon the horse’s level of training, this may include:

• Spiralling gradually in and out on a circle
• Leg yielding out to a larger circle
• Moving the quarters slightly in or out
• Riding a few steps of travers or renvers positioning
• Changing the bend through large, flowing figures
• Riding transitions while maintaining the bend and activity

These exercises give the leg a purpose beyond asking for speed. They also help release tension through the horse’s body, improve suppleness and direct its attention towards the rider.

Keep each question simple and appropriate for the horse. A few correct steps followed by a release are more useful than holding the horse in a movement until it becomes tense.

The goal is a horse that allows the rider’s leg to influence its whole body—not one that runs away from the leg or becomes restricted by the hand.

You can also add:

• A walk–trot transition at one chosen marker
• A few strides of walk between periods of trot
• A change of rein through the circle
• Ground poles placed at suitable distances
• A stretch break after several settled repetitions

Introduce one change at a time. Avoid turning the exercise into a rapid succession of demands.

What if the horse anticipates?

Sensitive horses often learn patterns quickly. The horse may begin to trot before the chosen marker or slow down because it expects a transition.

Anticipation is information.

It tells us that the horse has recognised the pattern, but may be responding to the location rather than waiting for the rider’s aid.

Do not punish the horse for trying to predict the answer. Calmly keep the current pace, then ask at a different marker. Make the pattern less predictable while keeping the aids themselves consistent.

The aim is for the horse to understand the question from the rider—not merely memorise where something happens.

When to stop

Do not continue until the horse is exhausted.

Finish an exercise when the horse has shown an improvement—even if that improvement is only a few calmer, more organised strides.

A successful session for a tense horse might include:

• Returning to walk when asked
• Maintaining a rhythm for one circle
• Waiting for the rider’s aid
• Stretching through the neck
• Breathing out or softening through the body
• Standing quietly for a few moments
• Recovering more quickly after becoming tense

Recognising these small changes helps build confidence in both horse and rider.

The horse is not giving you a hard time

A “hot” horse is not necessarily being difficult, naughty or deliberately disobedient.

The horse may be full of energy. It may also be anxious, uncomfortable, unbalanced, confused or responding to something the rider has not yet recognised.

Our responsibility is to look beyond the label.

We should ask what the behaviour is communicating, check that the horse is physically comfortable and provide clear, consistent guidance.

The aim is not to shut the horse down. It is to create a horse that can remain energetic while also feeling safe, balanced and able to listen.

When we replace restriction with understanding, structure and well-timed aids, the energy that once felt like the problem can become one of the horse’s greatest strengths.

Transitions: More Than Just Changing Pace

Transitions are often thought of simply as moving from one pace to another, but they are one of the most useful tools we have when training a horse.

I use transitions not only to improve responsiveness, balance and strength, but also to check obedience and identify weaknesses. A transition can tell us whether the horse is listening, staying straight, working evenly through its body and remaining connected to the rider.

A transition may happen between two different paces, such as walk to trot, or within the same pace by lengthening and shortening the stride. Both are valuable, and the quality of the transition matters far more than simply achieving it.

Why are transitions so useful?

Transitions can help to improve:

• Responsiveness to the rider’s aids

• Balance and self-carriage

• Engagement and activity from behind

• Strength and coordination

• Straightness

• Rhythm and tempo

• Adjustability of the stride

• Communication between horse and rider

They can also highlight areas that need more work. Does the horse respond promptly, or do the rider’s aids gradually become stronger? Does the horse remain balanced, or does it rush and fall onto the forehand? Does it stay straight, or drift through one shoulder?

The answers give us useful information about the horse’s understanding, balance and physical strengths or weaknesses.

Transitions between the paces

Transitions between paces include:

• Halt to walk and walk to halt

• Walk to trot and trot to walk

• Trot to canter and canter to trot

• Walk to canter and canter to walk

• Halt to trot and trot to halt, when appropriate for the horse’s level of training

A good upward transition should feel prompt and forward without the horse rushing, hollowing or pulling itself into the new pace with its shoulders.

A good downward transition should remain active and balanced. The horse should not collapse onto the forehand, lose the connection or simply grind to a halt.

Transitions within the pace

Transitions do not only happen when changing from one pace to another. Asking the horse to lengthen and shorten its stride within walk, trot or canter is equally valuable.

The aim is to change the length of the stride while maintaining the pace, rhythm, balance and connection.

Lengthening the stride should not mean simply going faster. Shortening the stride should not mean losing energy or slowing until the pace almost disappears.

Ask yourself:

• Can my horse shorten the stride while remaining active?

• Can my horse lengthen without rushing?

• Does the rhythm remain the same?

• Can we return smoothly to the working pace?

• Does the horse remain straight and connected?

• Is one direction easier than the other?

Transitions within the pace improve adjustability and help the rider discover whether the horse is truly responding to the aids.

Preparation makes the difference

A good transition begins before the actual change of pace.

The rider should first establish the rhythm, balance and direction, then prepare the horse with a clear aid. A half-halt may be used to rebalance and bring the horse’s attention back to the rider before asking for the transition.

Try to think:

1. Establish the rhythm.

2. Prepare the horse.

3. Give one clear aid.

4. Allow the horse to respond.

5. Ride forward in the new pace.

Avoid giving a constant background aid. If the leg is squeezing with every stride, or the rein is continually restricting, it becomes difficult for the horse to recognise when an aid has a specific meaning.

Coaching tip

Think of the preparation as saying, “Something is about to change,” and the transition aid as clearly explaining what that change should be.

Stay present and assess the response

Every transition gives the rider information, but only if we remain present enough to notice it.

Rather than simply deciding that the horse was disobedient or “did it wrong,” consider the whole transition:

• Was the horse properly prepared?

• Was the aid clear and given at the right moment?

• Was the rider balanced?

• Did the rider unintentionally block the movement?

• Was the horse physically able to answer the question?

• What changed in the rhythm, straightness or connection?

Very often, the horse’s response reflects something the rider has—or has not—done. Recognising this is not about blaming the rider. It allows us to make an adjustment, ask more clearly and help the horse succeed on the next attempt.

The rider’s role

The rider needs to remain balanced and clear throughout the transition.

In an upward transition, avoid throwing the body forward or suddenly releasing the contact. This may encourage the horse to rush, hollow or fall onto the forehand.

In a downward transition, avoid pulling backwards or becoming rigid. The rider should stay tall, use the seat and core, and support the transition with a quiet, consistent contact.

Your position should help the horse to find its balance, not make the transition more difficult.

Exercise: The transition ladder

This exercise can be adapted for almost any horse and rider. It allows you to assess responsiveness and balance while gradually increasing the difficulty.

What you will need

• A safe, enclosed arena or suitable riding area

• A horse that is warmed up and comfortable

• Four markers or arena letters to help you plan each transition

How to ride it

1. Establish an active, regular walk.

2. Choose a marker and ride a walk-to-halt transition.

3. Remain in halt for three seconds, checking that the horse is straight and attentive.

4. Ask clearly for walk again.

5. At the next marker, ride from walk into trot.

6. Maintain the trot until the following marker, then return to walk.

7. Repeat the sequence on both reins.

8. Once this feels settled, begin adding transitions within the trot by riding several shorter strides followed by several longer strides.

9. Return to the working trot before repeating the exercise.

Do not rush through the sequence. Give yourself time between each transition to re-establish the rhythm, straightness and connection.

Things to notice

As you ride the exercise, ask yourself:

• Did the horse respond to the first clear aid?

• Did the rhythm change before the transition?

• Did the horse rush into the upward transition?

• Did it fall onto the forehand in the downward transition?

• Did it remain straight?

• Did the contact stay consistent?

• Did I tip forward, pull back or hold my breath?

• Was one rein or one transition noticeably easier?

• Could I change the stride without changing the tempo?

The aim is not to perform as many transitions as possible. Each transition should give you information that helps you decide what to work on next.

Common problems and useful tips

The horse rushes

Check that you are not chasing the horse with your leg or tipping forward. Re-establish a steady rhythm and ask again with a quieter, clearer aid.

The horse is slow to respond

Avoid repeatedly squeezing or allowing the aid to become background noise. If the transition does not happen, abandon that attempt, re-establish the rhythm and balance, and prepare to ask again.

On the next attempt, make your aid slightly more proactive and ensure it is given at a clear moment. The aim is not to make the aid stronger and stronger, but to make it easier for the horse to understand and respond to it.

Also check whether the horse is physically balanced and able to perform what you are asking. A slow response may indicate a lack of understanding, strength or preparation rather than disobedience.

The horse falls onto the forehand

Prepare earlier. Use a half-halt to rebalance before the transition and make sure you continue riding the hind legs forward rather than relying only on the reins.

The horse hollows

Check that the transition is not abrupt and that your hands remain steady. Keep the leg supporting the horse into a soft, consistent contact.

The horse anticipates

Vary where you ask for the transitions. Avoid always changing pace at the same arena letter or after the same number of strides.

The horse loses energy when shortening

Think of containing the energy rather than removing it. The stride becomes shorter, but the hind legs should remain active.

Making the exercise more challenging

As the horse becomes stronger and more responsive, you can:

• Place transitions closer together

• Ride transitions on circles and curved lines

• Add walk-to-canter and canter-to-walk transitions

• Ride a set number of shorter and longer strides

• Ask for transitions away from the arena markers

• Include transitions before and after poles

• Use transitions as part of a dressage test or jumping exercise

Only increase the difficulty when the horse remains confident, balanced and able to understand the question.

Quality over quantity

Transitions should improve the horse, not simply tire it. Repeating an unbalanced or unclear transition will not automatically make it better.

Ride each transition with a purpose. Prepare carefully, give a clear aid, assess the response and then decide what needs to happen next.

A transition is much more than changing pace. It is a conversation between horse and rider—and one of the clearest ways to check the quality of that conversation.