Above the bit - Canter Transitions

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Loupride

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Just wondering if anyone has any advice on how to encourage P not to go above the bit in a canter transition. This all came about as I was looking over a few past Dressage Tests that we have done there seem to be a pretty similar trend in all of them
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So does anyone have any suggestions/exercises that may help???

Thanks
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make sure he is working really long and low through his back in trot and walk first and get those transitions established so he is really taking the contact down. The trot needs to be forwards into the canter transition and he needs to be forwards and moving immediately off your leg into canter so he shouldnt have a chance to come up if hes truly through and active behind.

also try lunging in a pessoa and doing lots of trot canter transitions on it, again he must be going forwards into the transitions.
 
Thanks for your reply
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I will try what you have suggested. His trot and walk transitions are actually quite good as is his canter to back to trot trans (we have worked quite hard on that one) and he is generally lunged once a week and seems to work really well on the lunge. I'll work on it however, like always I dont expect miracle results
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Thanks again!
 
My new girl had the same problem and it was down to lack of balance through the transition. There is no quick fix because you need exercises to help the horse find better self carriage and the solution will come slowly with time.

Transitions between all gaits and within them help - I also found that a few leg yield steps just before a canter transition helped too. I still go through the motions of this one when I do a transition i.e. just a bit more pressure with the inside leg just before asking for the transition with the outside one.
 
Thanks for that
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Not really sure if its an issue with balance and self-carraige as these are two areas in with he usually excels (God that sounds like I'm really full of it but I dont mean it in that way
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) He usually just raises his head on the initial transition and then as he caters on he usually lowers it again, however canter is he weakest pace and I think I prob really need to do alot more work on hios canter as a whole.

Thanks for your advice though and I will definately try the few steps of leg yielding beforehand.
 
Well they could actually be the prob
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his walk to canter transitions are good (well with the same slightly above bit problem) but that what I usually do. In fact I rarely do trot to canter transitions from trot
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We mainly jump now so his head isnt a problem normally, I was just on a flat work buzz the other day when all this came about. Its probably my fault for not doing it enough
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I think we need some practice but we are jumpin again this weekend so maybe next week
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Also he is 15 now so he likes to let everyone think that he know best
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thanks for your advice though, I'll stick with it!
 
Try widening your hands and keeping them low through the transition, get him as connected as you can and make sure he is truely in front of your leg, if he is truely forward he is less likey to hollow. As soon as you hit canter think and ride forward almost into medium canter to get him thinking forward.
 
Certainly it will help to get him really in front of the leg - if he's ready to go into canter at the lightest touch it will be far less of a 'heave' than a sluggish fall into canter. You can help this in the initial stages by doing several in succession so he's anticipating - I find anticipation is actually a GOOD thing when training something new/different...
 
A trainer I used to have made me flex the neck to the inside for a stride or two, then the outside for a stride or two, then the inside again, offer the inside hand forward so the rein is looped and use the inside leg on the girth to ask for the canter. Start by doing it on a 20m circle, then progress to in corners, then on straights. Pretty soon your horse should anticipate the question correctly and you wont have to ask for the flexion in a way that would be visible to a judge!
 
Lots of good advice above; I would only add - 'observe' your seat bones. Some riders aid too heavily (as they try to ride 'from the seat') and horses escape (by hollowing) from the pressure. Try to do a transition more from your legs and lighten your seat bones. All the best:)
 
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