Canter help please

Bryndu

Bryndu

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Hi all,
I would value your thoughts on an issue I am having with my mare.
She is 8 with the education of a 4year old…and by that I do not mean a Bundeschampion 4 year old but a British schooling 4 year old…lol she is at the beginnings of Prelim if that helps. 
She is part quarter horse and has a mahoosive back end…..and the issue we are having is with the canter.
She has no medical/teeth/saddle or lameness issues and is divine to ride and I adore her.
She has an amazing walk…..and in her trot work she goes on and back she does amazing leg yield and shoulder in and is just learning Travers and she does outside flexion on a circle. She is a very quick learn but also has her opinions
Our issue is with canter…….because she has a big back end the hind leg often reaches as far under as the girth…the transition is good on both reins…but her problem is in maintaining the canter. After about 20 metres…either large or on a circle….she starts to get strong….pulls forward and starts blowing her nose…then lunges back to trot …albeit an amazing trot. She does this on both reins.
I am not so good as a rider to the left in canter as I sit on my outside seat bone…..but I have worked very hard correcting this and it is 75% better.
So my question to you all is……should I do say 15m of canter …then go for the trot transition before she gets strong and upset……and repeat..repeat..repeat……or do I go for keeping the canter at all costs ...going disunited.....regardless of how upset she is getting?
Many thanks for reading.
Best wishes
Bryndu
 
With this type I nearly always come back to a balanced trot before the canter falls apart, then ask again for canter as soon as possible and repeat, over time you can usually join the canter up so they stay in balance for longer, it can be lack of strength, balance or confidence so to my mind making it easier should be the best route long term, there are always exceptions that need pushing through and if it is possible to get some long canters in out hacking that can really help.
 
Thank you be positive, you may well have hit the nail on the head with the confidence thing as she blows her nose......I shall try this tomorrow.

Many thanks :)
Bryndu
 
Absolutely what be positive said, build strength and confidence by doing short bursts of canter, coming back to trot before it all collapses, and build up from there.
 
As promised an update....

My horse worked well in walk and trot and usual start..transitions....leg yield...circles and serps.......then on to canter.
Started on the right rein...transition between C & M...cantered down the long side and trotted at F.....with encouraging 'good'girl' in the canter.....repeated the exercise 4 times and by the 4th ....she was doing it on her own...not breaking in to trot at all.
Left rein...same exercise from A & F corner then trotting at M. Much harder this way and pulled me to an early transition at B so again with encouraging words.....the exercise was repeated. Gradually as she understood...she gave me some wonderful canter...and some great transitions.

So HUGE thanks to be positive and daffy44.

Best wishes
Bryndu
 
Try the upwards transition from walk to canter, or even from rein back to canter. It will make her start the canter steps from a balanced position, and if/when she breaks take her right back to walk and start again. Sounds like a balance problem.
 
Thanks Cortez......
Will definitely try this as she gets more confident....and yes I agree...balance is an issue.
Best wishes
Bryndu
 
Thanks JFTD,
Will defo try this as her confidence increases.....thank you so much for responding.
Best wishes
Bryndu
 
Two exercises my instructor has given me for my 4yo might help!

Firstly come up the 3/4 line in trot, make sure you're straight, then leg yield to the track, when you hit the track pick up canter and canter a half 20m circle, trot the second half of the circle and repeat.

2. Trot a 20m circle at A or C, start spiraling in to 15m, 1 circle at 15m, then leg yield out to 20m, hit the track and pick up canter for half a circle, trot a few strides, canter half a circle, then trot and repeat spiralling, focusing on forward in all the transitions.

This is helping my little mare improve her canter and keep the hind end firing. The canter will only be as good as the trot, so focusing on a forward, active, engaged trot means the canter will be good for the first few strides, then build up the quality canter from there instead of loads of aimless cantering around.
 
Thank you Jango.....
We have done the first exercise...but she then gets a bit stressy when I start the leg yield...so I shall try the second exercise.
Best wishes
Bryndu
 
How is your hacking? Do you have any hills you can canter up (and do some trot-canter and walk-canter transitions on)?
 
Hi Sprig....
Thank you for responding......my hacking is zero...I live in a totally unsuitable place to hack with heavy artics......so my hacking consists of rides where I box....but this generally means meeting up with a friend...which is not easy to organise.....so this year I am hoping to get to the beach near us which is vast.....and we can go in long straight lines.
I can ride in the fields when it is dry....but we have some paddy fields at the moment...!
Best wishes
Byndu
 
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