Cantering a baby on the lunge

lexiedhb

lexiedhb

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I just wondered if anyone had any tips on making a 4 year old... just sat on, canter on the lunge? Shes fine in walk and trot but will not for love nor money canter. Shes not scared of the whip at all, and just trots faster and faster.

PS: shes not mine, and a 14.2hh cob... very sweet nature.
 
Just keep trying, she'll roll into it eventually if you keep repeating the command. Keep the circle as big as possible
 
Same as above but you could also try a pole on the ground.

I used this to help get my just backed pony cantering while I was sat on her and it really helped.
 
agree with caemar1 about the pole on the ground - or even a small cross pole, once she jumps it she will probably fall into canter and then the trick is keeping her there! Obviously if you are using a small cross pole don't let her jump it every time, but i think that's self explanatory
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Good luck
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I know this sounds silly but my 17hd mare wouldn't canter on lunge when I started lunging her. So I had her on a forward trot and then asked her to canter on a corner (as if I was riding her) and then ran with her down the long side. I had to keep the lunge line at about 10-15m so I wasn't too far from her and kept the whip still moving behind her but not touching her. She got the hang of if after a couple of attempts (and I got fitter as she was WB xTB) and then started to keep her going around the short side and then all the way round. Once she managed that I then started to keep her further away and only walk with her and then finally kept her on a circle.
 
Maybe she's not ready yet.
It's much better, and easier to canter 4yos on a straightish line, out in a field or on a trackway, following an older horse.
The rider just takes light seat and let the horse run on in the trot, into canter (light seat is very necessary as all your teeth will be bumped out otherwise).
Then maybe later on, try cantering on the lunge.
S
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Should of said maybe..... she is riderless..... shes not really been backed as such, just sat on, definately not riding away. Have tried the runnig down the long side thing, more faster trot.... will tell her to try it out in the field!
 
as above, and possibly another way, if a balance thing is to get her cantering loose around the school using your voice command for canter and it might make her level of understanding easier when transfered to the lunge, its very hard for a baby to canter on the lunge,sometimes is better to do undersaddle and at a later date when more balanced try on the lunge!?!
 
i was told to let them run into a canter just get a really fast trot and keep encouraging to go faster, the second she falls into canter, tell her well done and keep repeating word 'canter'... worked with my young cob
 
Hi
I backed my (now) 4yo last summer under the expert eye of my instructor - and this is how i was advised to go about things, i actually did very little canter on the lunge just enough for him to understand the voice command and to do the transition - mainly because of his baby joints
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. It has to be said canter was never a problem
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but as an Anglo he was naturally quite balanced, but he was much more willing to canter (without the mad trotting!) as he became more balanced came up of his forhand and learnt to use his hindquaters - teach her half halts on the lunge using your voice, as she is about to come down to a walk push her forwards back to trot - by doing this she will engage her quaters and come up of her forehand and be in a much better position to to tranistions up to canter - its balance really - and babies are always on their forhand. We are now doing it all again under saddle and it takes time
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loose schooling is great, use voice commands and lots of praise when she is doing what you want. She just might not have clicked what you want. also while on the lunge keep the circle big - baby joints! and don't do too much, its hard work for a baby especially if they aren't that balance. poles is a good idea too as they will probably fall into canter - as already said, then praise her before she falls back to trot. it'll come! Good luckl
 
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