Canter!

[reachforthestars]

I've posted on here a bit about my horses canter but nothing seems to have cracked it.

When I ask him he will go into it but will canter very fast and does not steady but comes back to trot with the tiniest tweak of the reins and voice command. It might start off half decent but after a few attempts its just a speed around.

He also doesn't soften in it, he just wants to either have his head up in the air or pulling forward. I try to be soft in the hands but its hard to try and keep him together whilst soft. I ride him in a happy mouth jointed loose ring snaffle and also have a copper one that I swap him in to occasionally when he is being strong. At the moment he is in happy mouth. He has a very soft mouth and hates it when you pull, which is part of the problem as well.

After the first few canters he starts to anticipate so it gets hard to get anything nice from him.

He works in a natural outline in walk and trot and does a bit in canter (when I have hold of him)

I've pessoad him for the last week but it doesn't seem to have made a lot of difference. I no all the basics of transitions and stuff to make him work from behind, which he does now.

Teeth back and saddle are all good.

Is there anything else I can do with it because its getting hard now

Thankyou!

[gillwales]

ok, is this when schooling, hacking or both?

when schooling canter on a circle only for a while, play music to keep a regular rhythm
canter in short spells, so maybe 1 20 m circle at a time, then a couple of trot circles and then back into canter
try cantering over poles to regulate his stride
be satisfied with a little progress, then give a pat and call it a day
you will need patience, it will take time

good luck, yell if you need more help

[sarahp]

Teach him walk to canter? Worked on my first D mare who fussed and became very anxious about canter. I didn't help as I didn't ride it well, and tended to lean forward instead of sitting up - I was told to LIFT into canter. Do you have an instructor? Sometimes eyes on the ground can see things not apparent from on top.

[reachforthestars]

Gillwales in the school mostly. I think it's to do with balance but running around really doesn't help balance himself I will give the circles a go

Sarahp I was trying to reach him walk to canter, but when I put my leg on he just rushes through. There are some days when he does it perfect and other days when he doesn't. Ill keep practising it though and see where that gets us. Yes I have an instructor.

Is there any training aids that could help him or maybe a different bit? Although not one that is really strong.

[norwalk]

Try regular transitions and variety. My Connie did this and also anticipated the canter after a change of rein in trot..
We worked on change of rein in trot going into a 10m circle to stop the anticipation. also then ask for different amounts of canter, keep them listening waiting for the transition down. This can help to stop the "motorbike" effect, and also with a novice they are still learning balance. Frequent transitions help them to get their hocks underneath them as well as not predicting what we want them to do.
As the different muscle groups develop (and hopefully connect with the brain too!) each movement should become easier. I try not to overdo the "practise show" and maybe just do a run-through at the end of a schooling session. riding dressage tests does a lot of good too - it makes US follow a pattern (eg, how easy is it to decide to canter when schooling because thats what happens by default), and keeps the horse from being bored out of its mind riding a set show - and yet again, the key is to ask them to listen and hopefully agree!!!!

[UrbanPunk]

big area on a lunge, lots of transitions. u an see whats going on from he ground and as saod above be consistant with what u are asking for, dont get mad ( even though its soo hard) praise every improvement

[gillwales]

try a french link, it is gentle , avoids nutcracker action and maintains contact better than ordinary jointed snaffle

[LMSmith]

My mare does exactly the same, gives a couple of nice strides then starts rushing and holding onto my hands. It's just their balance, the longer you ask them to sit on their hocks the more difficult it becomes hence the rushing

Just keep practicing. I am planning on putting my mare on the pessoa this week to see if it helps.

[GinaGeo]

My connemara always struggled with balance in canter, he's always found collection difficult.

Loads of transitions are the key with him, walk canter, canter walk, halt canter, canter trot, trot canter, rein back canter. All with the idea of sitting him on his hocks. When practising this, I never kept the canter for more than five or six strides as he found it hard and would start to rush again. He finds it difficult as his hind legs are a little straight and thus finds the step up harder. Keep the canter transition relaxed, if you get a rushed transition the canter will be the same. If he does rush, abandon, relax him and start again.

My youngster's totally different and his canter is always of a much better quality after he's been doing some jumping as it's more uphill and responsive. He also benefits from walk to canter transitions, they do include about four strides of trot at the moment but I'd rather that at the moment than a tense transition. With him being younger I don't do the sharp downward transitions so as not to put the strain on his joints.

[lampshade]

Why not try some leg yielding in trot then into canter when you hit the track. The leg yield should help get his hocks underneath him and should help with balance through into canter then its just maintaining it. Keep the canter to 20m circles then trotting again. Lots of transitions will stop him anticipating but he still needs to balance in order to be able to maintain the canter. Good luck and keep trying.

[sarahp]

I'd forgotten that one! My instructor had me doing it so the you hit the track just before the corner too, so switch aids to those for the canter trans and the bend helps.

[reachforthestars]

Yes we have been doing that, and that seems to help as well

[sarahp]

Sounds as if its now down to correct work and time to improve balance to improve the canter then.

Dressage trainer ages ago used to get his pupils doing a figure of eight (circles, not straight across the diagonal like a show) - well for them more like a cottage loaf with one small circle and one big one - with a 20m circle in trot, then change bend at X and go off on the other rein in canter, to start with I'd use a 20m circle until balance better but he got them down to a 10m canter circle. Only one, and when back to X change bend and trans again down to 20m trot circle. More difficult to do than it sounds!

[vikki85]

Transitions - walk to canter, canter to walk, trot to canter, etc, vary it up. He will stop anticipating going fast and soon start to anticipate you asking for a downwards transition, which should steady him up - he won't want to go from an almost-gallop to walk as he would fall flat on his face (unless very well balanced!) so should naturally regulate his own pace in anticipation of the downward transition.

[reachforthestars]

Thanks for all your help! I've been working on it for the past 2? Weeks and its getting really lovely! Yesterday he even shocked me by giving me 2 walk to canter transitions instantly. We will keep at it and hopefully he will be almost perfect for the shows soon! x

[casper15]

My pony does this when he has been jumping or if we have done canter schooling so what i tend to do when jumping is just go walk to canter as stops the speedy trot and then if he is just doing a fast canter and not listening to you then just try going into canter on a 20m circle and do 8 strides then trot and keep doing that on a 20m circle because it makes them listen to you!

[reachforthestars]

Mar 30, 2013 8:37:26 GMT casper15 said:

My pony does this when he has been jumping or if we have done canter schooling so what i tend to do when jumping is just go walk to canter as stops the speedy trot and then if he is just doing a fast canter and not listening to you then just try going into canter on a 20m circle and do 8 strides then trot and keep doing that on a 20m circle because it makes them listen to you!

Thanks that's what we have been doing... But without the jumping because I don't do jumping xx

[sarahp]

Hurrah! Well done you getting it sorted.

[gillwales]

success! well done

[GinaGeo]

Fabulous!

[ashleigh19]

Mine wouldnt canter being a pacer, i would have to really push for it but then she'd just pace. I kept trying and eventually she would do it but the canter was so un balanced and she would just rush off round and round quite dangerously really almost into the fence she was that bad so I just avoided it. But after almost 3 months off, this year I was determined to get her going. I started asking and she was silly at first but I started doing more transitions and shes come on loads in just 6 weeks. A few weeks ago I nearly cried she went so well and I was such a good feeling so just keep going with the circles and transitions and the more you do of it the more balanced he will become and you will get more confident then : ) to want to do it!! Well done and keep going...... x

[mountainsandhorses]

have you a hill you canter on? best thing I know for teaching canter safely without bucks/pulling.

[aura]

This may have Been mentioned but there are so many comments.

When my mare tenses for whatever reason and loses her rhythm I stand up and let her canter on a long . She settles and finds herself and relaxs then I sit down. I work her in at shows like this, in the trot also.

[reachforthestars]

Aura- I've started doing that, when he becomes unbalanced then he balances himself again and I can sit back Down

No we don't have many hills x