Cannot canter ! =[ (and a hello-new member)

charleysummer

charleysummer

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hey i am new here,
even though i've realised i've had an account for a while lol,
anyway my girl is 7 years old, 14.2hh tb/connemara/warmblood type mare who i've owned for one and a half years, she is amazing in traffic and is very sweet natured apart from being very stubborn.
The main problem is that she is very forward and when riding its not really a 'partnership' but more of me trying to hold back the energy through half halts- which does work for the walk and trot on a fairly relaxed rein (but i dont have much speed control).
Then when i go to canter she seems to feel a chance to 'explode' and she brings her head up and bounds of her hind legs into a strong attempt to gallop. I've tried staying calm into the canter and not winding her up but it doesnt have any affect.
Any ideas? btw she is in a loose ring lozenge snaffle, martingale and no flash.
thankyou
 
Hello and welcome!
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Is this out hacking or in the school?
Do you allow her to move forward into the gallop/fast canter? or do you bring her back to trot as soon as she tries?
 
hello (: thanks.
and this is in the school- she does get strong in the canter hacking too though.
I have tried allowed her to move forward and she just goes really fast, i have even tried the method of letting them run until they stop -but she doesn't really do the stopping part, just keeps galloping in circles then round the arena again. So i sometimes keep the canter but on a very short rein as i can control the speed but obviously this is not a good thing because we are both pulling full force and she is bouncy and getting disunited.
 
I would trot her for a long time, until shes completely settled and almost wanting to go back to walk, then I would ask for the canter transition.
 
Hmmm...does she respond to your seat at all? My mare is a bit like this but as soon as i relax my seat she comes back to me. I agree with the above using the transitions.
Is she the same on the lunge?
 
ive tried relaxing the seat but it seems very hand based, i have tried to use up her energy but i swear it never ends! i have took her out on 5 hour hacks including some gallops and a lot of trotting and she still has the energy to run after (shes not on any energy feed). i am sure she is not nasty with it- she is a lovely natured mare, i think she just panics when she doesnt know what to do- she doesnt seem to understand the use of the seat as she was poorly schooled as a youngster.
do you think a bit change would be a good idea? she is very quick off the leg and doesnt like to halt.
-just to add i havent lunged in a while but from what i can remember she is very fast on the lunge too.
 
Possibly a change of bit but to be honest it sounds like you may need to go back to the basics with her schooling and work on getting her to understand your seat as well as hand aids. Work through walk and trot transitions using your seat and then progess to canter trot transitions when she understands a bit more. Do you have an instructor to give you a hand? I always find it helps to have someone on the ground.
My mare got herself very wound up today when she didnt understand walk to canter and did some rocking horse rears, i just relaxed through my seat and tried the transistion again and after a few attempts she got the idea...it will come dont worry
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Even if you have to stay in walk and trot for a while keep at it, have you thought about looking at her feed as well?
 
Would say this is really hard to give advice on without seeing the problem.

My advice would be to get a good experienced instructor to come and assess the issue.
 
glad to hear your mare got the idea =]
thanks for the advice.
yes i have tried instructors but its hard to know which is the right one- my mare doesn't respond to pressure and the last one i had seemed to like the 'hold the head in' method- and very fast forceful methods. I will probably buy a good lunging device and work on her balance and then see how it goes, and also i think i will try to get a rider on her that is used to schooling and breaking.
Try it again tomorrow and see what happens!
 
Have an ask about and see if you can get an instructor recommended, put a post on here and see if anyone can help
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I had the same problem as you with my gelding and i used a pessoa but he did understand seat aids and just needed building up so he could use himself properly and then became more balanced. I wouldnt recommed using one on your mare straight away until she is a little more balanced in the school under saddle as it can cause hooning around and possible falls and tangles! I would get an instructor to have a look first and go from there....good luck
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she sounds exactly like a welsh mare who is on our yard. The problem with that mare was she was terribly unbalanced and would not relax. She'd been a broodmare for most of her life and had only started ridden work at a very late age. The instructor advised lots of lunging in our case, to help the horse build up its strength and learn to balance itself without the complication of someone on top.
 
She sounds similar to my new boy. He understands upwards transitions but hasn't mastered stop yet lol. I would look at her feed and get instructor as above. How much work is she doing currently?
 
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