Canter to trot transition advice please? No brakes!

M

myhorsefred

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 June 2008
Messages
1,118
Visit site
Um, can I have a bit of advice please?

Am having a few probs in the school with downward transition from canter to trot. Well, not problems, but things aren't as slick as they could be!

Maybe even a change of bit needed, but not sure what to try. Unsure about changing bit as it may well be my aids that are at fault.

Currently I ride my Hanovarian x TB in a KK Ultra with lozenge for schooling. (no flash as he doesn't need one and just a normal crank noseband done up not very tight)

He is lovely and light in your hands and really steps under. Actually very easy to ride. 16.2hh so not huge, and not too much of a big horse to hold together. Is well muscled and can carry himself really well.

The problem comes when I ask for trot after canter. Trot to walk is ok. Walk to halt is ok.

My aids: I half halt, ask with my hands and I make sure I lighten my seat and not use a driving seat as I ask for the downward transition. I raise my ribcage and anticipate to ride him forward in trot.

His reaction: He collects his canter - really really collected tiny steps. (A pleasure to sit to, but I really want trot, lol.) Still light in your hands at this point,but not behind the bit. He does get a bit 'lit up' as he enjoys a canter, but he doesn't get heavy and tank off, doesn't get sharp, just literally gets collected and raises his outline and we almost get piaffe (or is it passage!?? -no idea)

When I then ask a bit more positively for trot with my rein aids we get an amazing collected canter to halt transition! which is not what i wanted either.

Dunno what to do. Don't really want to change his bit at he does go lovely in it, but similarly don't want to yank on his mouth either. Am quite open to suggestions that I am cr@p rider too.

Please help. Sorry, didn't mean this post to be really long and wordy!
 
Hi, your horse sounds lovely. It doesn't sound like you need a stronger bit to me if he not pulling. My old horse (now retired used to do this especially after a long canter if she got excited. Instructor at time told me that rather than sitting and waiting for her to trot I should start rising and use legs gently to keep impulsion so as to go forward into the trot. Sounds all wrong but did work for me. It took her a while to get the idea and i think people thought i was going mad when they saw me doing rising canter round the school but after a few attempts it made a big difference.
 
As Flight says, I'd start rising as if the trot is going to happen. And don't forget to think happy thoughts and breathe. I know what it's like when there's one thing that's not quite right - it can get you so wound up that your gorgeous-sounding ned will be picking it up.
 
Try to push him sideways. Think a very sharp leg yield. If you are cantering on a circle to the right, use a lot of inside (right) leg to move him to the left, towards the wall. Horses can't canter sideways like that and he should break into trot. And do it lots of times, not just once! Start this from a working canter, not too collected.

No, it's not piaffe, nor passage -- both are highly collected trot movements. Yours is just a very collected canter, almost on the spot.

Is the horse much more advanced than you are? Does he do this only with you? I definitely wouldn't change the bit, especially if he is so light with this one. As you say, stronger aids / a stronger bit would probably result in canter/walk or canter/halt transitions.

My trainer always says that a really good canter/trot transition is much harder than canter/walk or canter/halt
smile.gif
 
I would ditto the rising trot technique. Remember the leg aids for canter and trot and make sure you put your legs in the right place when you ask for the trot so you aren't inadvertantly still asking for canter with your legs.

If you keep getting the canter to walk or halt make sure you immediately kick on for trot for a good circle or two so he gets the idea that you want him to trot. Do this before you go back to canter and try the canter/trot transition again.

Also use your voice - make sure you ask for each pace transition with your voice as well as the aids then he should start literally listening to you as well (you can practice this on the lunge as well).
 
Thank you everyone.

Flight and Box of Frogs - I will definately try rising for the trot before it happens.

Ed - thanks, will try no stirrups as well.

Frodo - Yes I think my horse is more advanced than me for certain! I have only owned him since February this year and he was beautifully schooled by his previous owner. He does this with other riders too, not just me. Although he doesn't do this with my instructor (who teaches in the cavalry and is amazing rider!)

Roody - I will also kick on for trot if we get a walk or halt and use my voice. Thinking about it, he does a lovely canter to trot on the lunge and that is only with my voice, so i will use the same voice command when I ride him next.

Thank you all so much. You've given me lots of ideas there.
 
Myhorsefred - you mention that you take care to lighten your seat as you go into the transition - are you by any chance tipping forward slightly when you do this? The slightest tip forward, especially on a well-schooled horse, will counter any instruction to perform a downward transition. In addition to the other suggestions, try making a point of straightening your back and leaning very slightly backwards after a half-halt. With many horses, this is often enough. Let us know how things improve wont' you?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top