1 week till first dressage test - help with canter please!

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darksecret99

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Ok, so I decided that I need something to work towards with my 5yo who was off work several months last year with a hock problem but has now been working sound since november....

So I decided to attempt a prelim dressage test at a competition being held at our yard... and now time has flown past and the dressage is next week and although he is working quite nicely in walk and trot I still cant get correct canter strike offs on the right rein without going over a pole!!

Any tips for weaning him off the pole?!! I've tried most of the other tricks with no success... (I know hoping to do this in a week is probably asking the impossible, but I might as well try!!!)

I have a new saddle on the way, so hopefully that might help too....

He kind of hesitates when I ask him to canter on that rein, then goes on the left leg, but if he goes straight into canter in one stride he gets it right....

I will probably enter non competitively and put it down to experience in the ring (it will be his first ever dressage, so I'm not expecting it to be anywhere near perfect!!)... but it would be nice to go into the test knowing I have some hope of getting the canter right!

There is another dressage in a month... so I am aiming to enter that one competitively...

Any tips gratefully recieved!
 
Hmm sounds so much like F was.
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You'll be pleased to know you CAN get past this! Its just a question of finding the right thing for him. Is he at a level where he could go walk or halt to canter? That really helped F. did a "square" figure of 8 in trot, halt at X, and either from halt or walk give a nice clear sharp canter aid. Gave F the oomph he needed to get the correct strike off, as his was due to a lack of sharp transition.

Other thing is check your position and that your inside leg isn't too far back. And his bend, check that he is bending properly towards the inside of the school to get the best chance.

Do you have access to a instructor and time to fit in a lesson or 2?

I entered F into his first prelim a few months ago and we still had canter "issues" - Got really stressed and bottled out of one before that, and on the day we did go F's owner was the caller and it took both of us growling at him to get the second canter
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so I know where you're coming from!

Its hard but just know that you can both do it and if you get the wrong leg on the day then so what, its all good experience!
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I had the same problem with my 5 year old, I found that raising the inside rein helped on occasion. But with him, the problem was eventually sorted by asking for canter going up the middle of the field in a straight line, then which ever leg he chose to lead with was then the rein I would ride him on. Every time I asked on a bend he would strike off wrong, no matter which rein! He just loved being on the wrong leg. So I had to convince him that it was much more comfortable to canter with the right leg! Once I'd done that, he would strike off correctly.
Good luck with the test, it doesn't really matter if you get the strike off wrong. Perhaps you could miss out the canter completely, and just trot through it. It is all experience after all.
 
Unfortunately my instructor is competing, so has no time to teach for a few weeks...

Walk to canter is one thing I havent tried... I will give that a go! He can do it when he is being a pr4t in the field, so I'm sure he should be able to do it in the school!!

Thanks!
 
I to had this problem, firstly check the fit of your saddle, this could be a factor. Secondly what helped with my horse was keeping a tighter contact on the outside rein because he had a habit that on a right rein circle he would not strike off on the correct leg, and by just keeping a slightly tighter contact on the left rein blocked his shoulder so he had to select the correct leg.
It might not help, but its worth a try, also has some one else has said be aware of your leg aids and sitting up straight will also help.
 
I too was having the same problem and it is my first prelim test next Sun too! this may be cheating but I discretely hold the next strap with my left hand to keep a firm contact and then half halt with my inside hand and as I ask for canter hold the inside hand out a bit and it seems (touch wood) to be working.

The best of luck!
 
i wouldnt worry too much, its just a baby thing and every thing takes time. as he matures in his work and becomes more balanced every thing will come easier.
he wont be perfect for the test as its not going to happen in a week, but its only one movement that you will lose marks for, so if it all goes wrong then dont worry. my 4yo struggles on canter strikeoffs but we have still competed and got good scores, because the trot work brings the marks up etc.
im sure it will all be fine, the best of luck,
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I've had canter issues over the last couple of weeks and also got first prelim on sunday!!!

anyway - i've had lost of diff advice on this one..
1) steady the trot and sit quietly and make sure being really clear with outside leg aid

2) stay on a smalll circle to create lots of bend and make sure they are really stepping under then ask for 10 canter strides followed by 10 trot. I did this on straight lines two and it really worked!

Both of these really worked for me - i still get a wrong lead occasionally but excercise 2 makes him relaly light and listen so can go back to trot quickly when on wrong leg and ask again and get instantaneous canter rather than running into it!
 
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