Advice needed on cantering

[AliJo]

I have an Irish Cob who is certainly not the athletic type and probably not been schooled very much. When I finally manage to get her to canter she puts her head right down and carries on cantering like this. It feels very uncomfortable and so I was wondering what I can do to help her carry herself better. If I could get her to canter nicely I would like to do more jumping as it would be more comfortable than jumping from a trot! Generally she goes along with her head quite low and it only comes up if she's worried about something.

 

[teapot]

Lots and lots of transitions so you get her back on her hocks.

Try and think of riding her up hill, so you want poll as highest part - dont worry about an outline as this will come once you get the back end moving nicely.

I'm sure others can help more but that ^^ is what I used to do with a cob who was built like a wheelbarrow

 

[beaconhorse]

good advise, lots of transitions, try doing say 10 trot strides, 10 canter, 10 trot etc and work your way down to one Hard work but well worth it.
Also teach her halfhalt in trot then in canter. lots of leg yeilding in walk and trot too

 

[JAK]

As teapot & beaconhorse's replies!

Can sympathise as CB is a good one for lumbering along on the forehand if he can get away with it & it is a more natural way of going for many of these types! LOL
MD has been working on him slowly but surely, as above with lots of transitions, half halts etc. & lots of leg! He is slowly getting better now but it is very hard work!

Also try & make sure you have a decent trot going first, as you'll never get a decent canter from a rubbish trot!
MD also tries hard to think 'onwards & upwards' & finds that this does help! And she makes sure that CB is really paying attenton when schooling & gives him lots of praise & breaks for trying even a little bit, as he finds it just as much hard work as she does!

She has also recently been doing a lot more work at the walk, really making him stride out & stretch himself & taking up more & more of a contact day by day & he is just beginning to get the idea!
Basically, she just insists he uses his whole body, not just his front end & even in the last few days, the improvement is quite definitely there to see!

CB is at a very basic stage & is only just learning to bend properly etc. but he does try hard, you just have to keep at it really & have a definite 'plan of action' in mind!

 

[AliJo]

Thanks guys...will do more transistion work and hope my legs don't wear out too fast.