Canter help....

[miamibear]

So have first dressage test in less than 3 weeks. Gave neddy a well deserved week off and he has come back terrible on left rein (was his best rein)

Canter was very weak but now he just falls in in trot and therefore is striking off on wrong leg each time.

I try to get him straight in the trot then canter but in the transition he bends wrong again and strikes off wrong.

He doesnt respect my inside leg like he should. I am thinking of working on getting him to respect that leg like doing leg yield in walk and trot, i hold a schooling whip and use it when necessary and when in the canter i use it to sharpen his inside hind as it seems a bit lazy.

Can anyone offer any advice/experience or schooling exercises i could try with him.

Should i be persevering with the canter or concentrating on the trot and walk for now?

I have a feeling i just wont be able to get him off my inside leg and sit him up to canter him in the test and it will all go wrong! Arrrrggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Do you think i should get more experienced rider friend to sit on him and see if its me? (she does ride him once a week usually anyway)

 

[Peanot]

I have an ex-international event rider as my trainer and he is big on flatwork. We work on our walk and trot and I have now had 15 lessons with him and we have cantered this week a little and last week we did our first canter. He says that if you work on the trot, and get a good trot, the canter will sort itself out. This is very true as we haven`t worked on the canter til last week and it is better.
He also tells me that if the trot is weak before the transition, then the canter will be weak. He tells me to slow the trot but have lot`s of energy before asking for the canter.
When you say that when straight in trot, then ask for canter, have you got an even contact or are you holding onto one rein without realising it? Are you using your outside aids?
Have you tried counter flexing on a circle for half of it and then over-flexing the correct way before asking for correct position? Good Luck.

 

[miamibear]

Yes i have thanks.

I took him in stubble last night and he preferred the lead he wasnt keen on offering in the school so i know its nothing physical its just weakness so i will take your advice and stick to the trot for now strengthen that and hope for the best. Got a lesson on Saturday all being well so we will see what happens then.

Thanks for your advice