Aids for canter - ex racer

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Charliechalk

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What do you use as your aid for canter. I have a new horse who is an ex racer and he is a nightmare to get into canter. He just doesn't seem to understand the aids. He is very dead to the leg! Any ideas of how to keep him balanced going into canter. He just seems to run on in trot! What am i doing wrong?!
 
Providing there is no physical reasons, it's something that may just need time, have you been having some lessons (not saying you can't ride) but without people actually seeing what you and your horse is doing, it's hard to give advice really, without seeing what the problem is.

Has the horse just come out of racing?
 
He's been out of racing a while but has just hunted.. Have got him so he is very balanced in trot but just seems to 'panic' when asked to canter. When we do get a transition his head goes up and he just takes off down the school. Maybe im just getting frustrated with him, this schooling lark is new to him after all!! Has been checked by vet and chiroprator so nothing physically wrong, Instructor seems to think he has a mental block!!
 
My mare was exactly like this and I worked her on a small(ish) circle asking for canter in a particular part and being very clear with my leg and seat with the inside leg on etc.. and loud CANTER CANTER CANTER from the voice. My mare is also an exracer and happens to prefer striking off when I am in a slightly forward seat, so might be worth giving that a go. As long as your leg and seat are connected to your hand and he/she is working into an even contact it shouldnt matter if your hovering and not trying to sit to a horrid lengthened bobbly trot! Also, does your horse canter on the lunge? If so what command do you use (vocally) try that.. you might feel like a wally for a while but it will help :) If all else fails try carrying a schooling whip to give a tickle for encouragement.
Good Luck :)
 
Are you confident out hacking. Maybe go out with another horse and you be the lead and ask for canter out of the school. I taught my ex racer to canter by going around a field asking trot then canter back to trot then canter and so on. Say Canter On or whatever you choose to use every time you canter. I was lucky though as he was not the heated type.
 
I had the same problem with my mare. I lunged and long reined to start off with, gradually introducing more work and length of time to build up the muscles. Eventually we did canter on the lunge and I worked on getting her to relax and work long and low with fairly long and lowish side reins. I also worked the canter at the deeper end of the school so she'd have to use herself more and it slowed the canter and she developed her balance.

Now I am just starting to canter while riding. Instead of walk, trot, canter I do walk to canter to miss out the unbalancing bits. Once I have developed a nice balanced canter I will eventually start to concentrate on the walk, trot, canter. I try to stay out of the saddle in canter so she can use her back rather then having me lumped on it.

By the sounds of yours needs educating about the leg so you probably need a schooling whip to give a flick.
 
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