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3–6 Week Training Plan

Fixing Lope-Departure Attitude on a Finished Ranch Versatility Gelding
(7½ years old, correction bit, trained through the bridle)

Phase 0 – Rule Out Pain (48–72 hours – do this first)

• Vet flexions + hock/stifle imaging if any suspicion
• Chiropractor / bodyworker
• Professional saddle fit check while loping
• 14-day GastroGard trial if any history of cinchiness or sourness

Phase 1 – Re-Boot the Foundation (Week 1 – 4–5 rides)

Goal: Every walk & trot transition instant, round, and soft before any lope work.
Daily (30–45 min):

1. Show-day warm-up routine
2. 10–15 min perfect walk–trot–walk every 6–8 strides
3. Heavy lateral work: leg-yield both ways, shoulder-in, haunches-in, counter-arc circles
4. NO lope until everything is butter-soft

Phase 2 – Clean Lope off the Walk (Weeks 1–2)

Start as soon as Phase 1 is flawless.

• Lope departures ONLY from a marching walk
• 15–20 perfect departures each direction per ride
• 100 % clean expected every ask
• Any attitude → immediate hustle feet or disengage hindquarters, then re-ask within 30 sec

Phase 3 – Trot-to-Lope & Versatility Proofing (Weeks 2–4)

• Return to normal trot-to-lope work
• Extended trot → lope, simple changes, rollbacks, speed transitions
• Proof in new arenas, on the ranch, after cattle work
• Zero-tolerance for any attitude

Phase 4 – Maintenance (ongoing)

• Once a week: lope off cold (first thing out of stall/pasture)
• Once a week: big extended lope one lap → immediately ask quiet, round departure
• Lateral suppleness work in every warm-up forever
• Any relapse → drop straight back to Phase 1 work for 5–10 minutes

Follow exactly for 2–4 weeks and the head-shaking/mini-buck disappears and stays gone as long as you never get lazy again.