Can't get the correct canter lead

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shadowboy

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I can get the right rein 100% but my hit rate is 25% on the other rein. It's mainly my fault as he's obviously weaker on this rein and needs the support but my outside leg is also weaker due to a serious leg injury and I just don't have the correct degree of strength to support him as he needs. I have our first prelim on the 24th and I'm not sure how to help our situation ? Any tips for either me or him.
Also how will the judge view it? Will they seriously penalise me?
 
Hello, when we are teaching the baby horses we do alot of moving their hip around and bending them around, I'm not saying your horse is a baby but perhaps these exercises will help you.

Walk the horse in a circle and ask for inside bend, if the horse wont give to the pressure bump their face in to get them soft off of your hand, then bring your hand around to the back of the saddle and with your inside leg a bit further back than normal ask the horse to step under himself (you can do this in hand using a whip or just your hand).

Not sure if you need to be cantering from a walk or trot but if you start with a trot and whilst you are on a large circle left your inside hand up enough so that you shoulder is up and exposing your ribcage so your are lifting your body aswell which will help the horse pick up the correct lead, also shift your outside hip to the outside as if you are pushing your horse over to pick up the correct lead.

You should also try some travere exercises on the straight and progress this to circles, hope I manage to help you a bit!
 
Have you tried a pole in the corner of the school? It works for some and not others. My gelding took ages to get it on the right rein and we had to put a pole in the corner, raised at the outside every time for a few weeks. I also do the raising of the inside hand. My friend calls it 'opening the door' :)

ETS: don't be fooled into taking up too much inside bend either. I was a bit of a monkey for just pulling his head round but obviously it was completely false and he wasn't bending through his body so he'd still bob off wrong. Doh! :o
 
Thanks jesstickle. He just needs support my leg can't give so any tricks of the trade I am grateful for! I'm deffo going to try lifting the hand. If no luck there will try a pole
 
I had the same prob 4 a while and read on here that if u go onto the wrong diagonal just before u ask, it works! Worked with mine I was amazed, best tip off hho!
 
I've been having this problem too, and have had issues in my last two dressage tests - the first took me about 6 attempts to eventually get the correct leg :o, the second time I didn't notice I was wrong :o and carried on in 'counter-canter'. Both times I was given 4s for the movement rather than the 6s (and odd smattering of 7s) on the rest of the movements. So no, it shouldn't affect your overall mark too much. Depending on the total marks for the test, probably less than 1%.

Work on it, but don't let it put you off competing. Good luck :)
 
I had a horse who would pick up the wrong lead only in tests. I was advised to actually bend her slighty to the outside before the strike off. It worked. It has generally worked with all other horses that seem to have an issue picking up the right leg for me also :) It's not even enough bend that they actually go the 'wrong' way, just straight really.
 
googol said:
I had the same prob 4 a while and read on here that if u go onto the wrong diagonal just before u ask, it works! Worked with mine I was amazed, best tip off hho!
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My instructor told me this last year, fantastic tip! My mare was really struggling with her left canter lead last year and this really helped. Obviously it's not ideal to use all the time, but it was useful to get her to feel how the correct lead should be and get her out of the habit of going wrong. I even managed to sneak it into a prelim test, as it the test where the left canter is after a change of rein in trot so I just didn't change diagonal! :o

As to how penalised you will be in a test, if you go off wrong and correct you might get a 4, but harsher judges might give a 1 or 2 if you don't manage the correct lead at all.
 
My horse wouldnt canter on the right lead using any tricks or exercises as he was so balanced in the left canter. Each exercise, e.g. Poles, leg yielding, from walk etc worked once then never again. We had to make the 'wrong' canter uncomfortable for him, so ask at 'A' then if he struck off wrong do two tiny circles in counter canter then ask again at A, if correct lead canter large with a loose rein, if not small circles again. I also had a professional ride him a handful of times, as her reactions were quicker it really helped him understand. Good luck, its very frustrating!
 
Make sure your inside shoulder is back - this makes sure that you are not collapsing or leaning forward. Try to ask as the inside hind leg lands as this means the horse is able to push off better and lose less balance. Look over your outside shoulder as you ask, again stops you collapsing / tilting. These are all things that various instructors have taught me over the years and they all se to work :)
 
Sol said:
I had a horse who would pick up the wrong lead only in tests. I was advised to actually bend her slighty to the outside before the strike off. It worked. It has generally worked with all other horses that seem to have an issue picking up the right leg for me also :) It's not even enough bend that they actually go the 'wrong' way, just straight really.
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Yes, wrong bend is often good for getting the right stike off. What people forget is that the strike off for the "right" canter lead starts with the OUTSIDE HIND leg, so this is the one you need to control. If you over bend to the inside you stop controlling this outside hind leg, so unsuprisingly you get the wrong lead leg.

If your horse is weaker to the left, start lunging him. You'll find without rider intereference (not being rude, just the act of carrying a rider unbalances young horses!) he'll learn to give the correct leg. Make sure you control the speed of the trot on the lunge (slow but active), and use the word "canter" in a spritely tone as you ask. Once his balance has improved and he's worked out for himself it's comifer to give the correct lead you'll have a much easier job once on his back. Make sure you get he same trot and use the same word once mounted when schooling.
 
Can I ask when your horse last had its back/saddle checked? You say you are weaker down one side which is probably making your horse tighter on one side to compensate if you are un level. In which case your horse will need its back checking more regularly to make sure that he/she is staying level.

If my 4yr old starts struggling with canter one way I immediately get my Bowen lady out to see him as it always means he has tweaked something (and he is weaker one side than the other).
 
Am having same problem. Have 2 instructors (one flatwork and one leaving the ground) who have told me different things (turn to inside/turn to outside/pole) leaving me confused as like a previous poster it works when they are there but not always when I'm alone.

My baby has a really really comfortable counter canter on the right rein and not huge movement and as I have to ride in the dark in week, I can't always see/feel whether he's on the correct leg or not :o

Thanks for poster who said think of outside hind as canter starter motor (I have to put things into non-technical terms) as this makes sense and is something I can both visualise and feel.

I recently did a clinic with an eventer who told me not to worry too much but spend lots of time strengthening him through fast/slow/fast and halt transitions & working on his balance. I am right handed so ride better on the right rein, but pony is the opposite - I hope that we will balance each other out eventually!

I am avoiding doing a test as know that I will be really tense before right canter which won't help either of us but have another clinic booked next weekend where we do a test and retest plus instruction so hope to work on this as it will be daylight! Will post after if get any more tips from her (another eventer!)
 
Tempi said:
Can I ask when your horse last had its back/saddle checked? You say you are weaker down one side which is probably making your horse tighter on one side to compensate if you are un level. In which case your horse will need its back checking more regularly to make sure that he/she is staying level.

If my 4yr old starts struggling with canter one way I immediately get my Bowen lady out to see him as it always means he has tweaked something (and he is weaker one side than the other).
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Back was checked end of May 2012. New saddle fitted July 2012 (not an ideal fit but every single saddle has had something not quite right (14 different ones! havent quite been perfect- this is best of all we have tried.) it is a Fylde something or other- a showing saddle with totally no knee or thigh rolls and the flattest seat i've ever seen so no support from me! I broke my left foot in 2008 and its still pinned together so my lower left leg is very week. I am however left handed so have a strong top half if that makes sense- I just cant support his body with my lower leg- which he sadly needs!
 
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Nicnac said:
Am having same problem. Have 2 instructors (one flatwork and one leaving the ground) who have told me different things (turn to inside/turn to outside/pole) leaving me confused as like a previous poster it works when they are there but not always when I'm alone.

My baby has a really really comfortable counter canter on the right rein and not huge movement and as I have to ride in the dark in week, I can't always see/feel whether he's on the correct leg or not :o

Thanks for poster who said think of outside hind as canter starter motor (I have to put things into non-technical terms) as this makes sense and is something I can both visualise and feel.

I recently did a clinic with an eventer who told me not to worry too much but spend lots of time strengthening him through fast/slow/fast and halt transitions & working on his balance. I am right handed so ride better on the right rein, but pony is the opposite - I hope that we will balance each other out eventually!

I am avoiding doing a test as know that I will be really tense before right canter which won't help either of us but have another clinic booked next weekend where we do a test and retest plus instruction so hope to work on this as it will be daylight! Will post after if get any more tips from her (another eventer!)
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I totally agree! Different bits of advice- but ill give anything a go as the more he can get the correct lead the stronger he will get. I too ride at night in a large school but with only floodlights one in each corner so the centre is dark and he's a native with mountains of main so sometimes I too find it hard to see if he is on the correct leg- but in my case I cant tell by feel as even when he is correct on that rein I find it hard to feel as it is the least balanced and feels a bit 'rough' (if that makes sense)

He's got a lovely trot and walk is improving massively so just want to sort out the canter. He only gets schooled 3 x a week (as hes a baby I only ride 4 x weekly- once is out hacking) and one of those is a lesson so it cant be hard to do the 'homework' and practice
 
it is a bit trial and error because it depends hugely on what is causing it. if the horse canters fine on both leads in the field, and on the lunge, then you know it's a riding or saddle issue. if not, it's more likely to be a physical problem with the horse.
i'd get his back checked again, by a good McTimoney Chiropractor or similar. when 1 of mine had a pelvis problem she genuinely could not canter on the right lead, either at liberty, on the lunge, or under saddle...
things to try: walk small circle, make sure horse is bending well at ribs, giving at jaw, softening and stretching forwards downwards. leg yield out to a bigger circle, trot, leg yield out again (which engages the inside hind), maybe ask for a little shoulder-fore position, rebalance, and then ask for canter. make sure you keep your inside shoulder back, stay upright but with a light-ish seat, and just give a light leg aid not a very strong one. you should only have to slide your outside leg back, it shouldn't need any strength in the aid. the energy aid comes from the inside leg. if it doesn't work, just bring back to trot, and calmly repeat.
hope that helps a little.
 
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