Anticipating...

[LMSmith]

How do you all go about making sure your horses dont anticipate?

My pony is just to clever, she had been out of work for over 2 and a half years and yet she is still trying to anticipate what I am going to ask of her. It is not just the normal things either like trotting across the diagonal and thinking I want canter. Its trotting round in a circle and me thinking Ill ask for canter in the next corner (currently working on her canter transitions as it is something she struggles with) and as soon as I think it she knows! She will try and canter there and then rather than waiting for me to ask.

Now if I dont think about when I plan on asking her I have no time to prepare and it ends up rushed and all wrong

Any help or tips you guys may have are very much appreciated as my other pony dosnt do anything like this as he always waits to be asked before doing anything.

It feels like she is just trying to please but when she does something before I ask and then it ends up wrong she gets herself all in a tizz as its not what I wanted and she just wants to please me

[FF]

Sounds like my boy, He can read my mind I swear but only for up transitions. I onlyhave to think that we'll canter in this corner and were doing it. Haven't got any answers for you though i'm afraid. My instructor can't say the C word because he canters before I even ask him. He's just keen. lol

[LMSmith]

That sounds very much like me mare FF! I only have to think something and she is trying to do it...

[nia2311]

All I can think of is variation - vary your schooling activities, mix it up with some hacking out, some trotting poles etc and hopefully she will start to listen rather than make assumptions!!

[LMSmith]

Jun 17, 2012 22:32:47 GMT nia2311 said:

All I can think of is variation - vary your schooling activities, mix it up with some hacking out, some trotting poles etc and hopefully she will start to listen rather than make assumptions!!

She is not really suitable to hack out unfortunately and I am planning on doing some pole work with her however this is not as simple as it would sound (she does not like poles or cones etc)

[GinaGeo]

You could try Dressage? If you vary the tests she won't be able to anticipate

[sageandonion]

Sadly even the clever ones cannot read our minds. What she is reading is your body. When you think of canter, you are preparing yourself physically, possibly the smallest of signs but they are there. Nothing wrong with that IMO.

However, if she is remembering movements previously and looking to replicate those, then you must vary and different dressage tests are a good way to do as GG has said.

[abcd]

Try to vary your riding. For example, when schooling; do your normal trot across the diagonal but walk when your pony would think your going to canter.

[choppytrotty]

My pony uses to do that- circle and circle and circle in trot, until he gives up. If he still anticipates, put loads and loads of leg on, until he takes it.
Do you shorten your reins, or correct your position just before your about to canter? If you do, then try to sit still and then he wont expect the transition.
Some of you won't agree, but my pony is now cured!

[dappledgreypony]

If they go to anticipate, change what you were going to do. They will soon get bored with trying to be clever and start having to listen!

[LMSmith]

I have been doing the whole trotting round and round until she settles down again however this seems to make her get her knickers twisted as she knows that I did want canter then changed my mind!

I have not yet started on any lateral work as she has not done a massive amount of work since she came back. When would be an acceptable time to start asking a bit more of her? I have to be very careful how much I ask of her as when she has had enough there is no amount of asking or telling that will make her do as asked lol

[reachforthestars]

I have the same problem. I ask for canter in different parts of the school. If he trys to anticipate I do circles or some lateral work to get him thinking and take his mind off. Also asking him to walk when they think canter! I do lots of leg yielding and asking for canter from that because a) he can't rush and he doesn't know that is what I will ask and b) it gets his front legs underneath him to give him a good transition and help him to balance himself.

Hope that helps

[gooogle]

I get my students to ride several three loop serpentines in trot then when working well at this exercise, to then ride 5 m loops down both the long sides, concentrating on rhythm and the changes of bend. Once established and soft move to sitting trot for these loops and again once soft and rhythmical simply pop into canter as you return to the track when you have inside bend again at the end of the loop.
Canter the short side back to trot ( sitting if they stay soft ) and repeat the loops, back to serpentines if get dizzy again! Vary riding short sides between loops in either canter, rising trot , stay in sitting or walk ( get a helper to shout out and choose so you can't anticipate either) to reduce this dizziness.
Try practising doing a few counted strides of sitting trot and reurning to rising so that sitting trot does not equal automatic change of pace and that it can just be an alternative trot that you choose to do sometimes!
If this is all dutch to you then it is possible that a good instructor may be needed. Sometimes we all need fresh eyes, techniques and general ideas to help. You are never above good lessons or clinics, its what they are for! I teach but I still go to my trainer to keep me on track.
Good luck.

[brookviewequine]

as sage and oninon says, youre giving out a subtle message before you ask which is why shes making the transition marginally before you ask. We all have a "tell" in what ever we do, whether its riding a horse or playing a game of poker. our bodies do things without even thinking about it.
while reading this put your arms out in front of you. say the word "woww" very slowly and pull your arms in at the same time.
now do it again saying the word "woww" very fast. what happens with your arms.
it has nothing to do with this problem but i m highlighting you do things without realising.

key is..... find your "tell" and as gooogle says another pair of eyes will help

[vikki85]

What S&O said - as your mind is thinking it, your body will start to prepare for the transition subconciously and it is this that your pony is reading. Instead of just trotting continuously to settle her down why not go in the complete opposite direction - back to walk. When she jumps into canter before you ask to her to bring her back to walk. When you've got a few good strides of walk from her, ask her to trot again, and repeat the process. When she finally canters off your aid and not before, lots of praise.

[iluvmyponies]

As S&O said, it's your body language that she is reading. You might not even think you're doing anything differently than a split second ago, but if she still anticipates then chances are you are! Try & just think (for example), when you're trotting across the diagnol, trot trot trot trot. Then only when you're ready, that is when you think 'canter'.
I have a very sharp, quirky, mind reading worker! She anticipates everything! Someone once suggested, as cloppytrotty did, trot a circle until she did what I asked without anticipating. But she got wound up & just did it worse so I started bringing her back to walk/halt when she anticipated, & give her a few seconds to gather herself back together. But this will only work if your pony, as mine is, is quite quirky & clever (which, by the sounds of your post, she is!).

[rubydoo]

you could try working through a dressage test x

[sarahp]

I had one that would do this if in the right mood - but I considered it an asset! Rather than anticipating, I just had to "think" it (obviously my body language changed as said above) and got it. Perhaps "thinking" it in the place you wanted it instead of your letting your body language anticipate it would be a thought? Much as iluvmyponies said above. And yes she was VERY clever and a bit quirky with it, not really sharp though and it would work on down transitions too, not just up ones.