Tips on Teaching the Lope?

Downward transitions. Canter to walk, canter to halt... canter to halt and then a few steps back. Then back into the canter.

When I trained western pleasure horses, I rarely transitioned from jog to lope or lope to jog when I was working on slowing down the lope. It was much easier to establish the collection and engagement when transitioning to and from the walk or halt.

Circles and semi-circles also helps as does simple lead changes (again bring them down to the walk).

People may disagree, but it's been a successful tactic for me.

Good luck!

Many riders forget to teach their horse a collected walk, as well as a collected trot and a collected canter. I have found that the simplest methods are the easiest for the horse to understand, So, it doesn't matter if the horse is only walking, if he/she isn't walking collected, stop smoothly, sit, wait and back...using good light hands. Then walk...this make take several times before the horse gets it. Then, do it at a trot...with the same patience that you did at a walk...then graduate to a canter, same thing, quiet and easy, with light hands. With all three gaits, you will want to support your horse with your legs to help him to keep his hind end up under him. If done often and long enough, this will become a part of all of his gaits. The main thing that you are doing is lifting the front end of the horse and transferring the weight to his hind end...the back up is accomplishing this.

I particularly like to use a fence line, preferably wooden, to walk beside, stop, turn into the fence and walk on...this teaches your horse to get off his front end. When you accomplish this, proceed at a trot, doing the same thing...then at a canter...this keeps your horse's attention, and get's his propulsion coming from his rear end, thus making it physically possible to slow down as slow as you want.

I have had several off track horses and brought them down to quiet, relaxed canter on a slack rein.

The best way I have found is to just get prepared for a long, long ride and be determined to just out ride the horse a few times till he will slow down on his own without you hauling in on the reins.

I make the horse circle the and just a give and take on the inside rein,( not a steady pull, you want him to keep his head to the inside with out you holding it there) Vow that you will not take up on the outside rein to slow him down, if he gets speedy just tighten up the circle. If you are a wussy quitter do not even try it, you would have stick with it till he slows down, then let him straighten out, if he speeds circle again. He will slow down if you are tough enough to stick with it.

I do hope you can fix him.

I completely agree with Tama on the downward changes, she explained it a lot simplier than I could have. I don't agree on the circles. With your dressage background, you might be able to hold your horse up from falling on his forehand, but a lot of people let a horse drop his shoulder and dive onto his forehand while using circles to slow a lope.