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Post by fmm on Apr 15, 2010 13:58:07 GMT
My advice would be to let him bowl on for the moment - when he is ready for collection then you will know. Nothing worse than seeing youngsters having to show collected when hey are not ready for it. How many times do you see ponies that are not able to canter properly - 4 time canter or canter just not going anywhere, with no skip to the step at all - let him find his feet for a while longer!
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Post by sageandonion on Apr 15, 2010 14:55:09 GMT
I am not sure what you mean by 'collected' canter, do you mean he is going too fast, is unbalanced? He is too young and not advanced enough in his schooling to be able to perform a true collected canter.
If he is bowling on, perhaps simple trot canter trot tranistions keeping the canter for just a short time before it elongates. Try picking up the canter at 'X' as opposed to a corner.
Do not try to collect as such as only perhaps a well bred warmblood has the ability to do this in canter without injury at such a young age.
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cranky
Junior Member
Posts: 86
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Post by cranky on Apr 15, 2010 16:17:28 GMT
No obviously we are not expecting a true collected canter, just want to get it more collected than it is. He bowls along at such a speed that he then can't manage the corners, just need to slow him down enough to manage them.
I don't want to loose the lovely length of stride that he has but just want to steady it!!
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Post by cheryl on Apr 15, 2010 17:32:02 GMT
I know what you mean as my mare does this. SHe has a great canter but just goes to longly if that makes sence. i agree my instructor just says let her do it this way but try and keep it going and she will soon come back and have a nice canter stride.
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Post by sageandonion on Apr 15, 2010 20:06:01 GMT
Oh yes, I see what you mean. I call that 'The wall of death'. You need to get an instructor to have a look, you either need to use the transitions as before or just ride it and it will eventually improve on its own as pony becomes more balanced. It does take an instructor to actually see it though as this is both ends of the spectrum. Sometimes an instructor will tell you to get off the pony's back, but you need to be a really balanced jockey style rider for it to work.
You could try the canter in ever decreasing circles so that you slow the canter that way but not go so small as to unbalance and get motor bike turns or shorten the stride.
Canter on the lunge so long as pony doesn't tear off.
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Post by sophieandcallum on Apr 21, 2010 5:54:03 GMT
I also had this problem so got a very good instructor, if I could tell you what changed it I would, but to be honest I have no idea! But it worked we now have a 'collected' canter (obviously not true collection but on it's way and less extravegant) and extended canter (old one) and even a gallop coming along too We did a variety of exercises, but would definately get a good instructor Although with a 4 yr old, I'd probably just be happy with them being happy cantering under saddle with no objections to be honest that's my opinion anyway.
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Post by lulah on Apr 23, 2010 19:49:32 GMT
i agree with sophieandcallum its good that hes cantering under saddle with no objections .
i think just give him some more schooling , dont ask to much of him and over time he will gradually find more balance and steady up round corners.
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Post by brooksbydressage on Apr 25, 2010 20:21:28 GMT
I know exactly what people are saying about him being a youngster And I also know what you are saying. Try and use your arena fence corners etc to make him sit back more. For collection, remember the hind legs are still quick, so it isnt slowing the canter, it is a smaller, shorter but still very active stride. Being four, you can play with collection but not **do** collection, as I am sure you know, he is still growing and just be so tremendously careful with joints/tendons/ligaments etc (this is the voice of experience....)
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Post by oldmoss on May 3, 2010 9:40:12 GMT
Because of his age I would just make sure the rider has a lovely balanced seat and isn't the cause of him rushing on and becoming unbalanced.
To be honest my cob took ages to get a good canter, he just wasn't physically or mentally developed enough and for a while I only cantered out on hacks on grassy tracks so we could try and maintain a steady canter on a straight line rather than have to contend with corners.
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