midi
Well-Known Member
I’m struggling to understand what to do with the mare I ride for a friend.
Sorry this is going to be really long, trying to include everything - tried my best to shorten it up but LOL... sorry ..
I think I wrote in a previous post that I’ve always struggled to get her to canter, though I never received any feedback on it.
Anyways her history she was broken to drive but was sold on as she apparently didn’t have the “stamina” for it – however she’s perfect for what my friend wanted as she wanted a bombproof ride to plod around on but everyone struggles to seem to get a canter out of her and we reckon its due to her training and just doesn’t understand the aid for it - shes perfectly responsive in walk and trot.
When I first started riding her, about a year ago now, I couldn’t get her to canter with the usual aids but was able to get her into a canter by making a swishing sound with my voice however this eventually wore of however and became ineffective.
I've been riding her a while now and she has her on and off days but I do manage to get a canter or gallop out of her most days, so I don’t believe there is any issue with balance, pain etc as when she does do it she is a beautiful ride but I never feel its on my terms, I can’t ask her to canter whenever I want she doesn’t seem to understand the aid or she’s taking the p? but I’m not sure which one it is.
However When she does canter/gallop it’s usually under these conditions,
1. This is going to be confusing to explain but -
I’m either trotting down a stretch of land that runs along side the road and something on the road loud passes her aka a ratty lorry, motorbike I encourage to go on and she will break into a canter / gallop along that stretch, or she will continue trotting until I reach the corner that turns onto the field away from the road where I will ask for canter/gallop and she will go down that entire stretch perfectly.
I guess someone could say or it might be the case they might be spooking her though there doesn’t seem to be any fear the sounds feels more like it’s encouragement? She also enjoys racing against people who are on bicycles. When someone does genuinely scare her / spook her it’s a totally different vibe from her and she will shy and in those situations I just trot her on whilst speaking to her and she settles down.
I’m terrible I know )))))))): obv I can't rely on loud noises/other people for her to canter.
Other times shes already fired up from 1. and she will canter when asked on that corner or she just might be in a forward going mood or trying something new.
I recently started jumping with her, when I popped over the first two times she broke into a canter however now I'm struggling with impulsion again and struggling to get anything out of her but a fast trot.
Also a field where Ive hacked out, the first place I galloped her - can't get her to canter her at all there anymore let alone gallop she will nap really badly obv here shes taking the piss.
But in all these situations its very much on her terms.
The things I have been trying are.
The typical canter aid, inside leg on girth ,flick with outsideleg behind girth w/ backed up with the crop.
Riding w/o stirrups to be able to sit deeper ( her trot is very bouncy hard to sit in long periods) and chasing her into a canter with leg and crop- only worked a few times and was bloody hardwork and only got a few strides of a very lame canter.
Reward her with praise, pat on the neck when she is in a canter, also use my voice "canter" also have started giving her treats if she has done a nice canter regardless of it being from loud noise or not etc.
I honestly don't know if shes just taking the p, or shes doesn't really understand what I'm asking of? like I said I'm rewarding her and encouraging her to go on to show canter is okay or this is the sound/aid I want you to associate canter with etc
But it doesn't seem to be sinking in at all?
Does anyone have any tips or advice I could try? I've heard riding out with horses helps them understand what your asking for but I don't have this option - so anything but that ha.
I'm not really the best rider either but im trying... ORZ
Sorry this is going to be really long, trying to include everything - tried my best to shorten it up but LOL... sorry ..
I think I wrote in a previous post that I’ve always struggled to get her to canter, though I never received any feedback on it.
Anyways her history she was broken to drive but was sold on as she apparently didn’t have the “stamina” for it – however she’s perfect for what my friend wanted as she wanted a bombproof ride to plod around on but everyone struggles to seem to get a canter out of her and we reckon its due to her training and just doesn’t understand the aid for it - shes perfectly responsive in walk and trot.
When I first started riding her, about a year ago now, I couldn’t get her to canter with the usual aids but was able to get her into a canter by making a swishing sound with my voice however this eventually wore of however and became ineffective.
I've been riding her a while now and she has her on and off days but I do manage to get a canter or gallop out of her most days, so I don’t believe there is any issue with balance, pain etc as when she does do it she is a beautiful ride but I never feel its on my terms, I can’t ask her to canter whenever I want she doesn’t seem to understand the aid or she’s taking the p? but I’m not sure which one it is.
However When she does canter/gallop it’s usually under these conditions,
1. This is going to be confusing to explain but -
I’m either trotting down a stretch of land that runs along side the road and something on the road loud passes her aka a ratty lorry, motorbike I encourage to go on and she will break into a canter / gallop along that stretch, or she will continue trotting until I reach the corner that turns onto the field away from the road where I will ask for canter/gallop and she will go down that entire stretch perfectly.
I guess someone could say or it might be the case they might be spooking her though there doesn’t seem to be any fear the sounds feels more like it’s encouragement? She also enjoys racing against people who are on bicycles. When someone does genuinely scare her / spook her it’s a totally different vibe from her and she will shy and in those situations I just trot her on whilst speaking to her and she settles down.
I’m terrible I know )))))))): obv I can't rely on loud noises/other people for her to canter.
Other times shes already fired up from 1. and she will canter when asked on that corner or she just might be in a forward going mood or trying something new.
I recently started jumping with her, when I popped over the first two times she broke into a canter however now I'm struggling with impulsion again and struggling to get anything out of her but a fast trot.
Also a field where Ive hacked out, the first place I galloped her - can't get her to canter her at all there anymore let alone gallop she will nap really badly obv here shes taking the piss.
But in all these situations its very much on her terms.
The things I have been trying are.
The typical canter aid, inside leg on girth ,flick with outsideleg behind girth w/ backed up with the crop.
Riding w/o stirrups to be able to sit deeper ( her trot is very bouncy hard to sit in long periods) and chasing her into a canter with leg and crop- only worked a few times and was bloody hardwork and only got a few strides of a very lame canter.
Reward her with praise, pat on the neck when she is in a canter, also use my voice "canter" also have started giving her treats if she has done a nice canter regardless of it being from loud noise or not etc.
I honestly don't know if shes just taking the p, or shes doesn't really understand what I'm asking of? like I said I'm rewarding her and encouraging her to go on to show canter is okay or this is the sound/aid I want you to associate canter with etc
But it doesn't seem to be sinking in at all?
Does anyone have any tips or advice I could try? I've heard riding out with horses helps them understand what your asking for but I don't have this option - so anything but that ha.
I'm not really the best rider either but im trying... ORZ
Last edited: