Canter problems, am puzzled...

[bex1984]

My pony has always (since I've had him) cantered on the correct leg on his left rein, and on the wrong leg on the right rein. More experienced friends have ridden him and have been able to get him to go on the correct leg on both reins, so I've always put it down to my novicey riding and also his lack of schooling.

A few weeks ago, he suddenly switched over, and now won't canter on the correct leg on the left rein, but will on the right rein

I had his back checked by a McTimoney person, she said his pelvis was slightly out and readjusted him, but it has made no difference.

I keep trying to get him to go on the correct leg - if he goes on the wrong leg I bring him back to trot and ask for canter again at the next corner, and about 1 in 10 times on the left rein he gets it right, and then seems to really enjoy cantering round

I really don't understand what has caused his good rein to switch over to the other side?! Any suggestions on what might have caused it and what i can do about it?

I've seen him canter on both reins out in the field. The only thing that seems to ahve changed is that the school has got really deep with all the rain we had, but don't see how this would cause the problem?

Sorry it's long!!!

 

[bexandspooky]

Are you being really clear in your aids? Try over exaggerating them for a little while and then you can worry about getting them a bit more subtle once he understands what you want.

Have you had your back checked? If you are sat wonky on him you may be confusing him by sitting with a bit more weight on one side?

 

[Butterbean]

Is he a youngster? Mine used to get confused on one rein then suddenly for no reason he decided that was fine but the other was difficult. As he has got more balanced he seems to have grown out of it.

 

[william99]

Try placing a pole in one corner and ask him to canter over the pole?

 

[bex1984]

I have a slipped disc in my back...so maybe i am wonky?!

He's 8 but has no schooling really. Will try the pole in the corner but have done that before and it didn't really work...

 

[spider]

What worked for mine was keeping him straight through the transition rather than bending to the inside.

 

[goldengryffindor]

try and make sure he isnt running into canter and that is more of smooth jump into it that way he should be more baleneced and it may help him.

 

[Shilasdair]

Try leg yielding him in trot from the three quarter line to the track in the corner (sitting trot if you can) then ask for canter when you reach the track.
This helps to get the inside leg engaged, and is a suppling exercise...
Or, he could be bilaterally lame behind? It could be very hard to tell...might be worth having a vet check him over next time you need vaccs or whatever done...or if he gets stiffer on one rein.
S

 

[bex1984]

Unfortunately he doesn't know what leg yielding is!! And I don't know how to teach him! I've been trying to book a lesson for weeks but the school is so deep (and currently frozen) that I can't really have a lesson in there. Vet is due to do his vaccs in early Jan, so if no chnage by then I might ask them to check him....it's just so weird how his good rein has effectively swapped over

 

[dwi]

does he canter correctly if you loose school him or lunge him?

 

[bex1984]

I tried lunging him and he did the same thing - cantered on the wrong leg and was quite unbalanced, when he did eventually go on the correct leg he went whizzing off up the school at 90mph and I fell flat on my face...we have issues with lunging!!

We have been learning to jump from canter...he has had no problems when going into canter a couple of strides before a jump. But can't jump now until the school improves and it might be summer before that happens!