Canter woes (again)

Casey76

Casey76

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On one hand I'm happy to report that pony and I can canter (yay), and even get the right canter lead 95% of the time now (double yay). BUT... I have major issues with leaning to the inside, as in leaning over. She is *so* on her inside shoulder that it feels like we are going to fall over.

We have a 40x60 school, and generally I can ask her to canter around the outside, or to make long sweeping curves she is fine - anything approaching a 20m circle and everything just falls to bits. As well as being a balance issue it is also an anticipation issue. If she even thinks I'm going toa sk for a canter all of a sudden she is on her inside shoulder and leaning. consequently when I'm schooling I have to keep things completely mixed up, and I rarely ask for more than one transition before doing more trot or lateral work (lateral work (SI, LY, baby renvers, baby travers) is fine in walk and trot).

The other thing is, canter is all one pace - flat out, and as she is only 13.3 it is very hard to sit properly to (and often, as a session goes on she does get faster and faster).

So any advice or exercises on a) balance, b) how to make things less exciting and c) how to get her off her inside shoulder would be most gratefully received :)

TIA
 
Like Tallyho said, lift/push with your bum cheek and make sure you don't hang on to the inside rein.

It will feel like the wall of death but I have found you need to go through the "bigger canter than I want" stage. The worst thing you can do is try to slow it/collect it.

Another tip is that when you want canter is to go onto a large circle and gradually make the trot bigger and bigger and let them slightly run into the canter by themselves, best done long and low, I found this really helped my youngsters transitions as she was anticipating it as well.
 
Wall of death - lol! Yes I concur!

For that reason I did a quite a bit of practice out on hacks - straighter, longer lines and I found she was more likely to go off a lighter aid. I kept working on it. Asking, bringing back. Asking, bringing back and sometimes even asking for more.... well why not.
 
i have real problem with canter too, i will give you some tips my instructor told me that has helped me: so with the transition into canter my instructor told me to do what LJR said and go onto a large circle, ask for a bigger trot and let him fall into canter himself, dont try and hold him together and collect him (in trot or canter) ive found this makes things so much worse and more stressful for horse. when youre in canter try and do some counter flexion to stop him leaning on the inside and try a bit of shoulder in in canter (nothing stylish) just try and use more outside leg. anyway thats what my instructor told me and its helped, so give it a go :) good luck
 
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