Canter Help

D

dieseldog

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I have a slight problem cantering in so much as she leaps a lot. It is slowly driving me mad as I can't ever see her changing. If I let her slip into canter, sit very quiet, let her motorbike around the corners like a plank and not really go anywhere I can probably do 2 circles. But as soon as I take a contact or at least ask her to go forwards I probably go about half a circle before she starts leaping. If I drop the reins and say woah she stops.

When I first get on her she will walk and trot, and these have improved a lot, we do now have something resembling a contact. But if I stop and stand for 30 seconds as soon as I pick the reins up she is on a mission, she can no longer walk or trot and just wants to canter - sideways with leaping.

If I do get her going forward then she is very strong and pulls me out of the saddle and it is now killing my back. The thing is though when you jump her she doesn't leap (apart from in the warm up
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) she doesn't pull and basically behaves herself.

So would you just grin and bear it as she was never bought to do dressage or do you have any suggestions as to what I can do as I am now in pain when I ride.

BTW her back, teeth, saddle etc are all good. I swapped her back to her jumping tack of a myler combi and standing martingale as she was even more impossible in a snaffle.

Thanks
 
The lunge is very exciting as you can buck really high on it, she just tends to go around sideways, but no leaping as I'm not restricting her speed. When I ride if I let her move on down the long side she won't leap, but I have to slow up for the corners which sets her off.

I probably should lunge her more, I never really do it as I don't enjoy it.
 
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Personally I'd get your trainer to have a gander and if they can't help I'd probaly just grin and bear it
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K
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Bina just laughs at her and says how much she loves her. Dolly behaves herself at Bina's as well - no leaping, it is the quietest she is outside of a jumping ring. I was thinking I might have a dressage lesson, but then it will probably be a complete waste of cash as I'll just start laughing when I attempt canter - it is that bad.
 
What about lunging her in with two lines or in a pessoa. Bailey soon learnt bucking was'nt a good idea wearing the pessoa as he did it once and nearly took his back teeth out.
 
Mmmm - might help her learn that she can move forwards into a contact without leaping? Won't stop her bucking
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but by using side reins or even better two lines you can control the contact and the bend..... I know it can be boring but it really is beneficial. Using poles on the ground might help with getting her to stretch down and look where she is putting her feet - she might forget to buck then
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She never bucks when I ride her, I think it is just a yeha thing on the lunge. Poles are a really bad idea as if she sees one and thinks she is going over it I will have non stop leaping from the corner and then a charge off afterwards - although I have never tried lunging with poles.

I will try some lunging though, I think if I can bore her into it she might give in
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The pony T had - which had been a proper SJ pony did this, although she was also sweet & amenable to hack etc. I would have stuck her in a market harborough long term, have you though about one for D?
I would be leery about trying to change her too much - she does her job. I bet mid-season when hse's not just had a 6 month holiday, she'll settle down, although it would nice for her to build up some more comfortable musculature....
 
Hi,from my experience with my very tense,fizzy wizzy mare,stick with it without too much pressure and the canter will improve.If u can get in the school and canter just for 10- mins each day as much as poss(over poles on alternate days will help when jumping),within a wk or so she/he will learn its not that exciting and will settle.I went in for a wk everyday b4 or after work(bl**dy har work),went straight in and cantered on both reins,10-15 mins and then out,repeat every day,ignore the pratting about(mines very good at this)ride on if she changes legs,try not to stop as this is an excuse 4 u to stop(they norn will change and re-balance), and each day it got a lil better.Just sit still,try not to pull too much or make a fuss but take a firm hold till horse relaxes,.If it works wiv mine,i can assure u it will for u.Use long schooling whip rather than constant kicking,get horse to go 4ward without u nagging with legs,only takes a few sharp smacks 4 them to learn to go 4ward without u having to ask/nag with leg constantly.(hope this makes sense/?)
Good luck.
 
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The pony T had - which had been a proper SJ pony did this, although she was also sweet & amenable to hack etc. I would have stuck her in a market harborough long term, have you though about one for D?
I would be leery about trying to change her too much - she does her job. I bet mid-season when hse's not just had a 6 month holiday, she'll settle down, although it would nice for her to build up some more comfortable musculature....

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I'm not really that keen on Market Harboroughs. The woman who jumped her before used to ride her in a running martingale as she said that although she came in a standing when she was jumping abroad under FEI rules she would have to have been in a running as you aren't allowed a standing.

I think the problem is I can't actually remember how bad she was before
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Interestingly when the back lady came she had nothing wrong with her back, which seeing as how she has gone around like a plank for 9 odd years was surprising, and if you saw her stood still you wouldn't think that she went the way that she does as she looks completly normal with no odd muscles - might all be hidden by fat though.
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I don't really want to change her just be able to canter a circle without getting head butted, arms pulled out and an aching back.
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My friends SJer was similar, she spent years reschooling her and did improve the canter a bit, but she said her jumping got worse the more she worked on the flatwork, the mare had a very well practised way of jumping that worked, unfortuently that meant her flatwork wasnt the most beautiful
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Hi,from my experience with my very tense,fizzy wizzy mare,stick with it without too much pressure and the canter will improve.If u can get in the school and canter just for 10- mins each day as much as poss(over poles on alternate days will help when jumping),within a wk or so she/he will learn its not that exciting and will settle.I went in for a wk everyday b4 or after work(bl**dy har work),went straight in and cantered on both reins,10-15 mins and then out,repeat every day,ignore the pratting about(mines very good at this)ride on if she changes legs,try not to stop as this is an excuse 4 u to stop(they norn will change and re-balance), and each day it got a lil better.Just sit still,try not to pull too much or make a fuss but take a firm hold till horse relaxes,.If it works wiv mine,i can assure u it will for u.Use long schooling whip rather than constant kicking,get horse to go 4ward without u nagging with legs,only takes a few sharp smacks 4 them to learn to go 4ward without u having to ask/nag with leg constantly.(hope this makes sense/?)
Good luck.

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I've been cantering her for about a month and it is still very exciting
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It not that she won't go forwards as she will if I let her, it's just that once I do she is off and all sensible thought has left her head. I don't have to kick her or carry a stick. Cantering over poles is the next best thing to jumping and involves clearing them by about 3 feet so I try to avoid doing that.

I think like you said I just need to brainwash her.
 
Boss used to do this in his canterwork out of the school. The only thing that allowed me to almost control him was to ride in a double with draw reins on the bradoon and the normal reins on the curb to give me a bit of stopping power.

I'm sure I'd get slated for doing such a thing but it meant I lived to tell the tale after attempting to get my horse fit!!
 
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God, if he was that bad I dont know how you ever took him cross country!! Or was he better on the xc?

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He's like Dolly- when you give him a bit more of a free rein he settles. Unfortunately this meant our xc rounds towards the end were either v v fast or full of tugging and leaping but at a more normal speed. He slipped into this gradually as his madness increased, he used to be very strong but manageable!!
 
Luckily Dolly is the opposite to Boss, shes a nutter at home but a complete saint in the ring and never pulls or does anything wrong.

I started out tonight with all good intentions - but then I lost all will power and gave in and let her jump instead
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Maybe if I didn't own her she would get better behaved, but when you own a pony trapped in a horse body what can you do?
 
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