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Post by chloe2 on Jul 21, 2010 19:27:21 GMT
I am trying to teach my 5yr old cob walk to canter but we are still getting about 3 strides before he almosts runs into canter. It's helping to sharpen him as he is a lazy lad but I need to be sure I am getting it right. I am leg yielding to the track and then asking him. Any advice/tips appreciated thanks.
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Post by StephWheway on Jul 21, 2010 19:39:28 GMT
My dressage trainer taught me to ride a 20m diamond (ride from the centre of each side of 20m square) and ask for the transition on the bend.
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Post by sageandonion on Jul 22, 2010 16:12:01 GMT
Teach him on the lunge first, then when ridden he will know what you want by your voice commants. He needs to be balanced and rhymical in his gaits working over his back before you can ask him to do this. On the lunge work on walk trot transitions, then let him have a canter to loosen, then try the walk canter by walking a ten metre circle and giving the canter command when the hind leg comes underneath correctly and you have correct bend.
A more athletic forward going horse will be able to do this movement fairly easily, but a lazy cob will find it difficult. You therefore need to ensure his very basic work is in order first.
Three trot strides into canter is perfectly acceptable to start and he is a good boy for trying.
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Post by lillegs on Jul 22, 2010 17:28:02 GMT
How are his halt to trot transitions?
How balanced is he?
Lastly how sharp is he from your separate leg aids? When he is trotting does he pop into canter by you sliding your outside leg back? Or does he take a fair bit of nagging from both legs?
If he isn't very good at his other direct transitions then he most probably won't get the skipping a gait thing lol! If he is unbalanced then he won't find it very easy to miss a gait.
And if he isn't overly sharp off your leg in general and isn't one to canter by you popping your leg back again he won't find it easy because he's not being responsive, and/or doesn't understand fully working from separate legs.
When I teach mine, I keep it nice and simple. Make sure they are going forwards in halt to trot transitions before I move on to walk to canter ones. Make sure they are responding from the leg as soon as you ask.
When teaching I go with the ask, ask, tell theory until the horse gets it, make sure the horse is moving fowards from halt into a forwards going trot, and then from a forwads walk to a working trot.
I ask the horse once, then once again and then back my leg up with a flick with a whip.
As the horse learns to respond I move down to the ask, then tell theory. My big lad is generally very good at moving forwards straight from my leg after using this method.
To teach the horse walk to canter, I don't fuss about too much with any leg yielding and then into it. When I teach the horse to canter I just keep to the edges and ask them on a corner, and so this is how I teach them walk to canter.
I ask for a nice forwards going walk as I approach the corner, and then slide my outside leg back and pop it on and ask for the canter.
3 strides of trot as a start isn't bad at all, that's actually really good. As they progress if they tend to carry on with trotting a bit first, I would put my whip in my outside hand and use it behind my leg at the same time as my leg.
Again using hte ask, ask, tell and then eventually the as, tell.
If he isn't so great at moving into canter straight from you sliding your outside leg back, pop the whip in the outside hand as was said above and ask him again.
He really needs to be listening to that outside leg to know what you want.
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Post by chloe2 on Jul 22, 2010 21:35:51 GMT
Fab advice - will give it a go. He is great in his halt-trots and walk-trots, can be great in trot-canter but can be lazy which is why I thought this might sharpen him up. Thanks for all help will try out a few tips and cut out the leg yield. x
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Post by sageandonion on Jul 23, 2010 7:21:54 GMT
chloe, book yourself a lesson and see what would be best for you and your cob as these are suggestions only and won't work for every horse. Personally I think leg yield in walk to canter is a great exercise.
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Post by cheryl on Jul 23, 2010 11:09:14 GMT
brilliant advice there. I have lessons on my girl and my instructor teacher me like that you ask ask again then tell them if they dont listen. Really worked for me as my girl was very stubborn. But do agree that if they are not very responsive just going into canter then it will be slightly harder to go walk to canter. But 3 strides is really good to start
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Post by oldmoss on Jul 23, 2010 11:24:04 GMT
I also have a cob who sometimes isn't very responsive to the leg. However his walk to canter transitions are probably his best I am unsure whether you have introduced rein back to your cob ? You will get a better walk - canter transition if you rein back first and then straight up into canter (you may get 1 or 2 trot strides to begin with) - I find with cobs it really helps as it gets them back on their hindquarters as they are built with a lot of power in the front end also, which needs to be lighter to get a better transition. Also I'd do lots of other transitions to get him sharper like halt - trot etc. - just keep varying your transitions.
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