Can't canter!

millikins

millikins

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Hi, anyone else had/solved this one? I have 6yr old, green Welsh/Hackney, backed last October. He was doing well but had not really found his balance but was sort of getting there, and had super, keen jump. He then lost his legs on a corner in a grass arena and went right down. He's been out since and seemed O.K. with his jumping though very "looky". Now though, he seems to have lost his confidence cantering completely, he wont go forward and is leaving legs jumping. He's fine out hacking, not lame or uneven so don't think he's in pain, teeth are fine as is saddle. He is shod all round as his feet are white and we have flinty tracks. I feel very sorry for him, he's not a happy boy, any help much appreciated.
 
Not much help really, but just to say that my boy took ages to learn how to canter. I think he also took a long time to grow up physically (and mentally).

I have really taken my time on introducing canter. I think possibly the best advice I was given was to take our time over it and enjoy the journey. The result is that 2.5 years later we have a brilliant walk, an amazing trot and the canter is, well, coming and will one day in the not too distant future that will be brilliant too!

Maybe for a while focus on what your horse can do well and give him back the enjoyment and confidence in that before worrying too much on the canter?

Good luck.
 
if he fell right over i would defo get his back checked asap. He could have done something to himself and be holding to compensate causing tension of pain. Then just go back to basics, assuming these are already in place. Transition work, up and down from trot to canter etc, before asking for full on long canters build confidence back up slowly.
 
Dancing Queen said:
do you have a school where you can lunge him or better free school him?
Click to expand...

Oh good. Your suggestion gives me more confidence about my approach! My boy has taken a year of being taken right back to first steps and has learned to school nicely, although is struggling with his balance in canter. This is confusing as he seems to manage to start his herd off in a galloping game involving many twists and turns!. I now loose school him to develop his balance in canter whilst bending in the confines of a school and am not worried about the time things take.
 
What sort of surface are you riding him on? If still grass,then he's bound to be reluctant to canter. Grass can be VERY slippery.
BTW, the white feet being weaker thing is inaccurate. This is not to say that your horse doesn't need shoes. Just saying.
 
Hi, thanks all. We have access to a neighbour's rubber surface so can lunge there. I'm reluctant to free school as not my school and not sure how to do it effectively. I lunge as well on field, but am trying to just ask for a bit of canter where level or uphill, let him trot the uneven bits. I'm also tempted to have his back shoes off and use those rubber boots for hacking, anyone tried them?
 
Welsh x hackney owner here.

A) we (I) need photos ;)

B) forget the school make use of the cleared fields atm go out doing lots of transitions.,my girl really struggles with her canter mainly because she has a big up hill space. He sounds like ny girl in work attitude and jumping I have gone back to basics with long reining and understanding how pressure means she has to move. Amazing how many gaps in respect and knowledge I have found. I'm not jumping her yet.
 
When I got my mare she was just backed at 9 (ex broodie) and we suspected she'd been used as a gypsy trotter before that. She couldn't canter in the school even on the lunge and if you asked her she would trot faster and faster (which was seriously fast, like a wall of death), or buck.
In the end apart from schooling in walk and trot to get her balance she learnt to canter out hacking. At first she found it hard and would just run on in trot because she had the big trot for it (Welshie) but we put another horse in front of her so she had someone to follow to give her confidence and show her that she was doing the right thing.
 
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