miamibear
Well-Known Member
Please can someone explain to me the aid for canter, having problems getting the right lead
Thanks guys
Thanks guys
Aid for canter....
- Thread starter miamibear
- Start date
AmyMay
Situation normal
Nightmare................
Amy always cantered by me moving my outside leg back slightly (she was very sensitive to the aids).
PJ, however, is an inside leg girl.
Does your boy favour a particular side when cantering??
Amy always cantered by me moving my outside leg back slightly (she was very sensitive to the aids).
PJ, however, is an inside leg girl.
Does your boy favour a particular side when cantering??
Pasha
Well-Known Member
Hmm well I was always taught 'outside leg slightly behing the girth, inside leg on the girth' but my boy is definately an inside leg man.... my instructor said most horses go better from the inside leg...
When we got stuck in a rut (could only strike off on the correct lead on the left rein) we had to just persevere.... lots of transitions on a big cirlce helped i.e. keep asking for canter and if on the right leg so a whole cirlce and reward, if on the wrong leg, immediately come back to walk or trot, balance then ask again.... after a few sessions of this our problem was cured
Good luck I am sure you will find something that works for you x
When we got stuck in a rut (could only strike off on the correct lead on the left rein) we had to just persevere.... lots of transitions on a big cirlce helped i.e. keep asking for canter and if on the right leg so a whole cirlce and reward, if on the wrong leg, immediately come back to walk or trot, balance then ask again.... after a few sessions of this our problem was cured
Good luck I am sure you will find something that works for you x
miamibear
Well-Known Member
Yes total nightmare.
He started off his training OK with it, i just sat there and asked and it was on the right leg practically every time. Now he is ok on the right rein but poo on the left. Used to be the other way round!!
I have to put quite a bit of leg on which is why i ask which leg should be asking! I also feel myself throwing myself at him tilting forwards and basically making a mess. Im sure if i asked my instructor what to do she would say hes not ready for canter yet but i want to do a bit of competing on him and so i need to know!!
Theres no strict rules to it. If i get a nice steady trot and set him up, do about 4 strides of sitting trot he sometimes does it lovely and sometimes not. Seems like he needs quite a lot of inside bend to get the correct lead.
I panic and it all goes wrong! I bounce allover and he gets strong because hes not doing it right and im getting stressed and its a viscious circle.
He is worse when he is tired, wont do it right at all then.
Any advice or opinions welcomed! I have had him checked by a qualified physio and she gave him a clean bill of health so could it just be weakness?
Would you suggest luching to see if its me messing it up?
Got a dressage test on sun and i fear i will panic and it will all go wrong!!
He started off his training OK with it, i just sat there and asked and it was on the right leg practically every time. Now he is ok on the right rein but poo on the left. Used to be the other way round!!
I have to put quite a bit of leg on which is why i ask which leg should be asking! I also feel myself throwing myself at him tilting forwards and basically making a mess. Im sure if i asked my instructor what to do she would say hes not ready for canter yet but i want to do a bit of competing on him and so i need to know!!
Theres no strict rules to it. If i get a nice steady trot and set him up, do about 4 strides of sitting trot he sometimes does it lovely and sometimes not. Seems like he needs quite a lot of inside bend to get the correct lead.
I panic and it all goes wrong! I bounce allover and he gets strong because hes not doing it right and im getting stressed and its a viscious circle.
He is worse when he is tired, wont do it right at all then.
Any advice or opinions welcomed! I have had him checked by a qualified physio and she gave him a clean bill of health so could it just be weakness?
Would you suggest luching to see if its me messing it up?
Got a dressage test on sun and i fear i will panic and it will all go wrong!!
AmyMay
Situation normal
[ QUOTE ]
Would you suggest luching to see if its me messing it up?
[/ QUOTE ]
Yep. You're panicking that it won't happen and overcompensating by the sounds of it.
Think about 'stop trying' and more about 'letting it happen'. Give the aid - do not lurch and 'expect' it to work. If it doesn't, re-group and try again. Make sure you are not rushing the trot, and that he is nice and rythmical beneath you.
He sounds as if maybe he needs to be more off your leg - so lots of up and down transitions. Canter four strides, back to trot, canter four strides etc.
Be careful not to overbend him - you are more than likely just getting an exagerrated neck bend, rather than true through the body bend - so that will also prevent him striking off correctly.
When you ride your circle you should be able to draw a line down the middle of his face, through his chest to the floor, and only just see his inside eye.
Would you suggest luching to see if its me messing it up?
[/ QUOTE ]
Yep. You're panicking that it won't happen and overcompensating by the sounds of it.
Think about 'stop trying' and more about 'letting it happen'. Give the aid - do not lurch and 'expect' it to work. If it doesn't, re-group and try again. Make sure you are not rushing the trot, and that he is nice and rythmical beneath you.
He sounds as if maybe he needs to be more off your leg - so lots of up and down transitions. Canter four strides, back to trot, canter four strides etc.
Be careful not to overbend him - you are more than likely just getting an exagerrated neck bend, rather than true through the body bend - so that will also prevent him striking off correctly.
When you ride your circle you should be able to draw a line down the middle of his face, through his chest to the floor, and only just see his inside eye.
miamibear
Well-Known Member
Hmmm i think practice makes perfect in this situation! I so dont want to ruin him!! I need a few more canter sessions!!
Bossanova
Well-Known Member
A lot of the canter transition comes from the seat- the hip push forwards, more on the inside. Outside leg slides slighty back and presses. If you dont get canter immediately, tap with the stick then steady the trot, re-balance and ask again (easiest if you're on a 15m circe) This way he links the aid with going forwards but not with just trotting faster. Once you pick up canter, praise, keep a few nice strides and then trot again.
miamibear
Well-Known Member
That seems to make sense and in order to push with my seat i wont be able to fall forwards and throw myself at him. I really must get this sorted out.
Thanks
Thanks
Peanot
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
A lot of the canter transition comes from the seat- the hip push forwards, more on the inside. Outside leg slides slighty back and presses. If you dont get canter immediately, tap with the stick then steady the trot, re-balance and ask again (easiest if you're on a 15m circe) This way he links the aid with going forwards but not with just trotting faster. Once you pick up canter, praise, keep a few nice strides and then trot again.
[/ QUOTE ]
Ditto that.
A lot of the canter transition comes from the seat- the hip push forwards, more on the inside. Outside leg slides slighty back and presses. If you dont get canter immediately, tap with the stick then steady the trot, re-balance and ask again (easiest if you're on a 15m circe) This way he links the aid with going forwards but not with just trotting faster. Once you pick up canter, praise, keep a few nice strides and then trot again.
[/ QUOTE ]
Ditto that.
ss1
Well-Known Member
Have you tried shifting your weight to the inside of the circle to get the correct lead? At first really exaggerate the movement and praise as reward. You can then make the movement more and more subtle until your horse responds to a slight shift of the hip. You should then be able to sit tall, you wont fall forwards and the canter will be more balanced.
rosedewar
Member
As has been said before, some horses respond to an aid with the inside leg, some to the outside leg sliding back to ask for canter - my 2 are different, seems to depend how they've been trained. Try both methods.
I have always found that you need a "good" trot to get a good canter transition. So don't ask if he's against your hand, rushing, lazy or whatever.
If your horse is particularly "sided" it will help if you can get him more equally flexible by doing lots of circles, serpentines, leg-yielding, shoulder-fore (if you can) etc on both reins.
And as someone else has said, you should also work on getting him in front of the leg by lots of transitions - use the lower paces (halt, walk, trot) if your canter strike-off is still dodgy, mix it up and only do a few strides of each so he doesn't know what's coming next (I do this one on a circle so I don't have to think so much about steering; you can also change using dressage markers round the outside of the arena). Give him a quick tap with a dressage whip (behind inside leg) if he doesn't respond immediately to your first "ask" and he should soon be going forward!! He should also be a bit less on the forehand...
I had probs a while back getting correct lead (probably my position that was the actual problem, see later) but remedied it at the time by thinking "shoulder-in" (or shoulder-fore) for a few strides before the transition, aiming to get the weight more on his outside shoulder so that the inside fore is "lighter" to easily become the leading leg. This also should produce the correct (inside) bend (which is another requirement for correct strike-off).
If that doesn't work, you may need to think about the leg that "instigates" the canter, i.e. the outside hind (this is the one that actually takes the first step of canter, we just think of the inside fore as the leading leg as it's more "in front" than the others. It's actually the last to go!). If this is the case, your outside leg aid (behind the girth) will probably be more important. If that doesn't fix it you may need to think a bit more about putting weight into the inside foot and think about shifting your inside hip slightly forward. This may help to "free up" the outside hind to start the canter.
However, from what you say I suspect the shoulder-fore method may help you.
All of the above are things that might help you to get the correct lead more consistently for now, so that you can go and do a show or something. But I know from experience (!) that the canter lead problem can be as much our problem as the horse's.
Before you ask for the transition, think of sitting *tall* and leaning back slightly (I assure you, you won't really be leaning back, it just feels that way!). Make sure you are looking the way you are going, i.e. into the circle or round the corner. Then think about bringing your inside leg slightly forward, outside leg slightly back, just like you do on a circle, still sitting up and tall. Then ask with your inside leg - if he's off your leg from earlier transitions, you should only need a slight feel or tap and hopefully you will get correct lead! As before, if he doesn't respond to your first ask, use the whip and it won't take long for him to get the message!
Here endeth the lesson
Good luck!
I have always found that you need a "good" trot to get a good canter transition. So don't ask if he's against your hand, rushing, lazy or whatever.
If your horse is particularly "sided" it will help if you can get him more equally flexible by doing lots of circles, serpentines, leg-yielding, shoulder-fore (if you can) etc on both reins.
And as someone else has said, you should also work on getting him in front of the leg by lots of transitions - use the lower paces (halt, walk, trot) if your canter strike-off is still dodgy, mix it up and only do a few strides of each so he doesn't know what's coming next (I do this one on a circle so I don't have to think so much about steering; you can also change using dressage markers round the outside of the arena). Give him a quick tap with a dressage whip (behind inside leg) if he doesn't respond immediately to your first "ask" and he should soon be going forward!! He should also be a bit less on the forehand...
I had probs a while back getting correct lead (probably my position that was the actual problem, see later) but remedied it at the time by thinking "shoulder-in" (or shoulder-fore) for a few strides before the transition, aiming to get the weight more on his outside shoulder so that the inside fore is "lighter" to easily become the leading leg. This also should produce the correct (inside) bend (which is another requirement for correct strike-off).
If that doesn't work, you may need to think about the leg that "instigates" the canter, i.e. the outside hind (this is the one that actually takes the first step of canter, we just think of the inside fore as the leading leg as it's more "in front" than the others. It's actually the last to go!). If this is the case, your outside leg aid (behind the girth) will probably be more important. If that doesn't fix it you may need to think a bit more about putting weight into the inside foot and think about shifting your inside hip slightly forward. This may help to "free up" the outside hind to start the canter.
However, from what you say I suspect the shoulder-fore method may help you.
All of the above are things that might help you to get the correct lead more consistently for now, so that you can go and do a show or something. But I know from experience (!) that the canter lead problem can be as much our problem as the horse's.
Before you ask for the transition, think of sitting *tall* and leaning back slightly (I assure you, you won't really be leaning back, it just feels that way!). Make sure you are looking the way you are going, i.e. into the circle or round the corner. Then think about bringing your inside leg slightly forward, outside leg slightly back, just like you do on a circle, still sitting up and tall. Then ask with your inside leg - if he's off your leg from earlier transitions, you should only need a slight feel or tap and hopefully you will get correct lead! As before, if he doesn't respond to your first ask, use the whip and it won't take long for him to get the message!
Here endeth the lesson
miamibear
Well-Known Member
Thanks for that - very informative.
I really want to go and try it now but i promised him a day off today
Plus i am just taking him for an amble round the fields nannying another horse tomorrow as i dont want to tire him out for sunday.
I can assure you after sunday it will be all guns blazing to get this wretched problem sorted!!
I WILL do it.
Like you say im sure a lot of it is me and i get wound up when he wont do it and he gets wound up when he does it wrong too so i need to remain calm and ask nicely again!
Thanks again - very useful
I really want to go and try it now but i promised him a day off today
Plus i am just taking him for an amble round the fields nannying another horse tomorrow as i dont want to tire him out for sunday.
I can assure you after sunday it will be all guns blazing to get this wretched problem sorted!!
I WILL do it.
Like you say im sure a lot of it is me and i get wound up when he wont do it and he gets wound up when he does it wrong too so i need to remain calm and ask nicely again!
Thanks again - very useful
KatB
Well-Known Member
Ditto bosses advice, my trainer got me out of "lightening" my seat forward by imagining your leaning back slightly, like a cowboy sits back to go forward to canter. Really helped me, and my boys canter is pretty consistant now. It is important to keep upright, and off their shoulders to help them "lift" into canter from behind, and hopefully be more balanced
teapot
Well-Known Member
If you're having problems with the right lead, almost ask for some contra bend, then ask for the canter.
If you over bend them to the inside - they've got far more room to fall out through the outside shoulder and thus strike off incorrectly
If you over bend them to the inside - they've got far more room to fall out through the outside shoulder and thus strike off incorrectly