Canter problems

[hussar]

Hoping for a few tips from those more experienced than me with youngsters.

My 7yo but very green Arab endurance gelding has had his flatwork sadly neglected as the yard has no arena or flat fields, but the last few months I've been taking him weekly to a local BHSI who has worked wonders with him. The biggest issue we still have is canter work. He can produce a lovely active engaged flowing trot but when you ask for canter he goes immediately onto his forehand, strikes off on the wrong leg or is disunited - and bucks non-stop until we're both exhausted. This happens on both reins and also, but to a lesser extent, on the lunge.

I've had his back/teeth/tack checked - and he's perfectly fine in canter out hacking - throws in the odd buck but more from exuberance.

Mr trainer is saying I must simply ride through it and keep him going forward but frankly I'm pushing 50 and finding the thought of coming off rather daunting. Also he hasn't got me off yet through bucking and I don't want him to realise he can.

Any ideas or do I just have to accept he's an endurance horse whose flatwork is always going to be rubbish?

 

[fizzer]

i used to have an arab very similar he was a nightmare in the school he hated even trotting in it, i got to the point with him that i only cantered him uphill , he used to rodeo and bronco like a gud un and at least couldnt get me off so easliy uphill. i had the usual teeth back etc, i even had an experienced event rider to come out to him as i thought it was me, she lasted five mins on his back, needless to say she didint come back, my arab would spook at a different shade of grass to so eventually i gave in and trotted most of our endurance rides, he easliy made the speeds and times and we competed up 40 miles,

 

[Triskar]

My Arab is the same - in fact, the situation is similar, except my boy is older than yours, and I'm probably older than you too, and I know how tiring it is and the fear that I'm not going to bounce if I hit the deck! My instructor says that the problem is that he is very weak on his inside hind (he's worse on canter left than right, but he's not good on either) I'm having some success by bending him to the outside of the circle when asking for strike off, and by only letting him do a pace or two before asking for trot again. I'm also working on strengthening his inside hind by doing spiralling in and out exercises, and by asking for shoulder fore (shoulder in is too ambitious for him at the mo) - and the good news is that it is working - slowly, but schooling every other day my instructor is seeing an improvement in our weekly lesson. Please let me know if you find any other ways to improve your boy.

 

[cobwithattitude]

Hi - have experienced similar problems with last horse cantering on wrong leg etc - poles on the ground helped, as long as i remembered to reinforce canter aids as we went over pole. Also a gentle tap on the o/s shoulder as i asked for canter seemed to make a difference - applied as we came out of a corner. Got there in the end. Hope that helps. Re bucking - if ruled out back etc hopefully above will rule that out but like you, age related fear of falling did creep into my mind too but keep trying to be positive!

 

[miamibear]

My horse was like this when he first came to me. Although not the bucking!! But im presuming that is because he is struggling with it! He shot off in a blaze of glory! was like riding the wall of death, outline was non existant it was just too fast. Canter leads were al wrong too!

This is what i did, establish the trot, as you have done. Get it strong enough so he can cope with a slow trot soft and working from behind in an outline and canter out of a very slow trot, mine finds it much easier to sort his legs out then. The canter should only last for a few strides. Its the strike off you want loads of praise when he does it. This will strengthen the hind legs for canter and not give him chance to buck! Once he gets the hang of the transition making the canter last longer shouldnt be such an issue because the strength will build up.

I wouldnt do anything in the canter ridden until the trot is strong enough, but in the trot i would do transitions within the pace, maybe a few ground poles to trot over, turns surpentines leg yield to strengthen the back end.

In this time still persevere with the canter on the lunge but you want a good strike off and a couple of strides and remember to praise when he gets it right.

try it a couple of times on each rein in the canter to start with then increase this so you can do a good few strike offs and then keep cantering longer.

the cantering on the lunge will help him remember canters arent just supposed to last a few strides and you may have to put quite a bit of leg on when he gets strong enough to cope with a longer canter to stop him from trotting again.

these are just my ideas of what i did with my boy.

Also try not to do anything! I know that sounds wierd but i found i was messing up my boys canter too! I was tensing up, which you may be doing just expecting him to buck. Just sit there and quietly ask dont do anything else

Hope that all makes sense and was of some use!!

 

[hussar]

I think you're probably right as regards weak hind leg - he's pretty fit but not for schooling. The spiralling exercises sound sensible. You'll be interested in Miamibear's answer too!

Don't you just hate getting older - 20 years ago this would hardly have bothered me!

 

[hussar]

Miamibear - everything you say makes sense to me, especially the bit about canter out of slow trot. ATM he runs into canter which is why I think he's so on the forehand. It's so good to know I'm not alone with this problem! And you're right about being tense - I expect him to buck so I'm braced for it and probably making things worse.

The problem with Arabs is that they seem to be as comfortable disunited as united - most other horses try to sort themselves out!