iknowmyvalue
Well-Known Member
Pepsi’s flatwork has come on in leaps and bounds since I got him, but the one thing we are still really struggling with is the trot AFTER we’ve cantered because he gets himself so wound up.
Yes the downwards transition needs a bit of work but the main issue is that once you’ve cantered on him (even only a short one) it can take a good 5-10 minutes to get any sort of sensible trot work out of him. He’s straight back to tight and overbent, rushing, trying to canter, shooting off from the leg…
He can do a nice trot, and his canter is lovely and balanced, he doesn’t struggle in the upward transitions. He is a bit like it on the lunge too, but not quite as bad. I’ve tried lots of trot-canter-trot transitions, but this just seems to wind him up more. It doesn’t feel like it’s a true physical issue, because he CAN do it but it’s just like he panics and his brain goes until I can settle him and get his brain back in the room.
Is it just a balance issue? Or where he’s just been jumped so never really asked to trot once he’s started cantering? Any exercises to help him? Or is it a case of patience, time and lots of practice?
I’ve had horses who simply lost balance in the downwards transitions, and ones who got like it after jumping. but mine have previously found flatwork so boring they needed the jazzing up ?
Yes the downwards transition needs a bit of work but the main issue is that once you’ve cantered on him (even only a short one) it can take a good 5-10 minutes to get any sort of sensible trot work out of him. He’s straight back to tight and overbent, rushing, trying to canter, shooting off from the leg…
He can do a nice trot, and his canter is lovely and balanced, he doesn’t struggle in the upward transitions. He is a bit like it on the lunge too, but not quite as bad. I’ve tried lots of trot-canter-trot transitions, but this just seems to wind him up more. It doesn’t feel like it’s a true physical issue, because he CAN do it but it’s just like he panics and his brain goes until I can settle him and get his brain back in the room.
Is it just a balance issue? Or where he’s just been jumped so never really asked to trot once he’s started cantering? Any exercises to help him? Or is it a case of patience, time and lots of practice?
I’ve had horses who simply lost balance in the downwards transitions, and ones who got like it after jumping. but mine have previously found flatwork so boring they needed the jazzing up ?