Balance in canter

[welshstar]

My horse, charlie, is coming along lovely with his schooling, he holds himself beautifully in the walk and trot and built up a nice topline and hind muscles in doing so. The problem comes when we attempt canter, we can sometimes have a nice shape with him using his behind but sometimes he becomes quite unbalance (this is on a circle) He responds nicely to using your legs to 'lift himself' under more but we sometimes end up motorbiking a bit.
We have a dressage test in a couple of weeks as part of a ODE where we have to canter the full circuit of the school. I know we are not going to make miracle changes in this short space of time but would anyone know of any exercises i could use with schooling to help with his balance in canter??
thankies

 

[CSYMolly]

Lungeing will help as will loads of transitions whilst you are schooling as they will make him sit back and balance himself instead of running on his forehand. I also find with youngsters that cantering them loads on hacks helps with balance and fitness for the school work.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

Loads of transitions & do loads of leg yielding. The leg yielding will get him to bring his hocks under him & he will be able eventually to balance himself better in canter. It may take a while, but there are no real quick fixes that work.

 

[welshstar]

okies, thank you! I shall try that tonight when i school him again, I'll persevere and we'll hopefully be gonig on the straight and narrow soon and nail those dressage tests next season!!!

 

[Gorgeous George]

I have the same problem with George and I do loads of tranistions and leg yielding, I also lunge him once a week with loose-ish side reins and it's working!

 

[grandmaweloveyou]

is it a small school? maybe take him into an open field and practice with more space, he may lose his confidence approaching the corners and feel like giving up or slowing down to protect you both. get him more relaxed on a decent straight then try the corners again in a bigger area. as long as he is cantering when you ask him to you know it is not through lack of effort in his part.