cwindle1
Member
***First I will just say, tack, teeth and back has been seen to!***
I have a 10 year old TB ex racer that has been really struggling in the canter. His walk and trot is great, really consistent. However, canter is the big issue. He is very much a typical ex racer, he likes to run. He tends to run and throw his head around more and not slow down. I have tried many things such as canter, walk, canter, walk. Tried tight circles in the canter, tried giving him the reins but he does not tire out. He could be ridden for an hour and be dripping with sweat but STILL continue to run around and be silly.
We moved yards a year ago and the facilities are 110% better. Nice sized school with a Martin Collins surface ect. He's so much better to handle, so much more chilled but ridden work has seemed to change. He has days when he goes lovely but others it's like he's just been backed and can't canter. His left rein is better than the right (I know horses prefer one rein!). Right rein he runs and throws his head or just takes the bit and left rein he can canter in a nice outline for a couple circles and then we do something else and go back to the canter and he decides he just wants to run, and that then is on both reins? He is currently in a NS snaffle team up bit but I've bought him a NS universal which I am yet to put in his mouth as of yet.
Before we moved he was at a cheaper yard with a bark school, quite a hard surface at times (especially when it didn't have a bit of rain on it) and I could canter him at any point in the school, on the buckle of the rein and he'd be in an outline. I could shorten and lengthen his strides and he was a dream. I would of let a baby ride him lol.
I am struggling to come to a conclusion why his canter is quite, well, awful now. I do have an instructor now and have only had one lesson and his other paces has changed massively in just a short space so hopefully will continue to improve especially in the canter (im hoping). I have been told to put a standing martingale on, which I have done and although he stops chucking his head on the right rein, his speed still hasn't changed.
Any advice on what to do with him? how to cope? I try to just sit there and kick on, keep my hands low, sit up ect but it's incredibly hard when he is literally like hes on a race track at times.
I have a 10 year old TB ex racer that has been really struggling in the canter. His walk and trot is great, really consistent. However, canter is the big issue. He is very much a typical ex racer, he likes to run. He tends to run and throw his head around more and not slow down. I have tried many things such as canter, walk, canter, walk. Tried tight circles in the canter, tried giving him the reins but he does not tire out. He could be ridden for an hour and be dripping with sweat but STILL continue to run around and be silly.
We moved yards a year ago and the facilities are 110% better. Nice sized school with a Martin Collins surface ect. He's so much better to handle, so much more chilled but ridden work has seemed to change. He has days when he goes lovely but others it's like he's just been backed and can't canter. His left rein is better than the right (I know horses prefer one rein!). Right rein he runs and throws his head or just takes the bit and left rein he can canter in a nice outline for a couple circles and then we do something else and go back to the canter and he decides he just wants to run, and that then is on both reins? He is currently in a NS snaffle team up bit but I've bought him a NS universal which I am yet to put in his mouth as of yet.
Before we moved he was at a cheaper yard with a bark school, quite a hard surface at times (especially when it didn't have a bit of rain on it) and I could canter him at any point in the school, on the buckle of the rein and he'd be in an outline. I could shorten and lengthen his strides and he was a dream. I would of let a baby ride him lol.
I am struggling to come to a conclusion why his canter is quite, well, awful now. I do have an instructor now and have only had one lesson and his other paces has changed massively in just a short space so hopefully will continue to improve especially in the canter (im hoping). I have been told to put a standing martingale on, which I have done and although he stops chucking his head on the right rein, his speed still hasn't changed.
Any advice on what to do with him? how to cope? I try to just sit there and kick on, keep my hands low, sit up ect but it's incredibly hard when he is literally like hes on a race track at times.
