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Post by dizzy1 on Feb 21, 2010 20:44:21 GMT
Hi we have a very experienced lead rein pony who we would like to do first ridden with . She is a poppet but is struggling with canter work . She is very unbalanced and hollows. Also frequently wrong legs. She is willing to have a go but would like to make it easier for her. Would really appreciate any advice and tips.
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Post by jenwalsh on Feb 22, 2010 20:16:21 GMT
Do you have an older child who could possibly ride her? if not i would do lots of ground work, lunging etc prob with two lines to help keep her balanced? Hope this helps im sure others will have better advise
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Post by sageandonion on Feb 23, 2010 14:05:09 GMT
I would treat her like a complete baby. Have a small lightweight adult take her out with another pony and go for a canter on good ground whilst hacking and following the other pony. Use the verbal command and much fuss and praise. Keep the canters short.
Take her jumping and pony club.
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Post by sarah00000 on Feb 23, 2010 16:56:19 GMT
Taught my section a on the lunge. It took a bit of patience as "canter" is not the natural gate of section a (so I am told).
However one she got it, she would do in from voice command alone. If I kept my stick high up in the air, it meant she was to keep cantering. Once I lowered the stick, she was back to trot.
Once this was established, I taught my boys to canter on her on the lunge, so I still had total control and they held the little handle on their saddle. They only bounced off a few times - but luckily being rufty tufty boys, laughed their heads off and got back on.
Bit later on, I got a little adult to canter her in the school and she refined the canter and it became really really good.
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sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
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Post by sarahp on Feb 23, 2010 17:17:44 GMT
I think the problem here LP may be that as a LR pony, she was discouraged from breaking into canter - happens with Ds that have been shown in hand too. I'm no expert on riding As, but I don't see why they shouldn't be able to canter as easily as anything else - although I know many Ds find it difficult.
I posted on here - or so I thought, obviously not - suggesting trying to find an older child to canter her out on hacks or in big fields, preferably uphill, until she has her balance sorted out at canter. Lots of praise too!
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Post by mandmgirl0164 on Feb 24, 2010 19:19:17 GMT
Some lead rein ponies find cantering far too strenuous after a life of trot figure of eights and don't enjoy going up a gear!
It can be quite tricky with this type of pony to convince them that expending more energy could actually be enjoyable and prefer to trot faster and faster rather than break into canter, which has previously not been encouraged.
If no small light adult available, can be worth trying asking for canter over a pole on ground on a corner.
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Post by sallyw on Mar 3, 2010 20:14:40 GMT
We teach our small ponies by cantering them along with something else. Its not easy when they have been taught not to canter - and we have the opposite problem in a way. Our LR now does FR and in a first year FR she now tries to canter on the corners, as she has recently been taught - when in fact she should only trot.
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Post by GuestForNow on Mar 4, 2010 18:48:44 GMT
As everything else you try to achieve, it takes patience and practise. My section A was very unbalanced in canter when we got him but we kept doing it and he was doing very well. You should try some of the suggestions above. Hope I helped
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Post by cheekychops on Mar 4, 2010 19:13:18 GMT
I agree with the above. Start with a small adult or older child and cantering in straight lines for short bursts and only lunge in circles to start with.
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Post by Dizzy1 on Mar 4, 2010 20:34:04 GMT
Many thanks for all the excellent advice ;D We are making good progress ! x
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hayles
Junior Member
Posts: 57
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Post by hayles on Mar 27, 2010 21:12:32 GMT
I bought an 11 yro LR pony last year and she struggled with the canter initially. I taught her by riding her myself for only ten minutes and asking her to canter at the corner of the school with my leg and seat but also used lots of voice commands. When she got the hang of this, I put my daughter on and at the corner asked her with my voice and also carried a whip which I waved near her bottom and then she popped nicely in. She is now cantering off the lead with my daughter by voice alone. It can be done, so good luck!
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