Cantering Question

[Blodwyn]

I have been having problems with my canter, she is perfect on the left but on the right rein she constantly goes on the wrong leg, its only when riding her, when she is lunged she is fine and goes on the correct leg every time, i thought it was just me but then some friends rode her and she did the same thing, do you have any tips to try and help her? she cant correct it herself either and its becoming a battle :-( once she goes on the wrong leg she gets so worked up and runs in to it making her do it again... :-(

xx

 

[pelly]

try starting the canter in a circle then if she lunges in a correct lead she should get it right then ,
or try doing a 20m circle in trot then carry on in the circle and randomly ask for the canter

 

[username223]

try asking for canter over a pole, 9 times out of 10 they get it right =]

 

[dwi]

Obvious question probably but have you had the back and saddle checked?

 

[Natch]

try searching for previous threads, there was one that really helped me, we went through all the suggestions but in the end popping over a small jump in the corner got it!

 

[spider]

Someone on here told me to look up to the left while asking for right canter, and it works!

 

[emmysophie96]

OMG you could be describing my horse !! We are finally cracking it but its taken 12 months.

My boy had a rotated pelvis and a back problem that has caused muscle weakness in his nearside hindquarters. This causes him to find it difficult to step under and I get him treated every three months to help that.

However, its really been a lot of hours spent on lateral work, working long and low to stretch him over his back and try to equal out both sides that is finally starting to work.

My trainer tried every suggestion in the book to try and get it but just recently its started to click on a consistent basis. I am finding that if I get a nice evenly forward going trot, sit into my left stirrup with slightly more weight , squeeze my right foot close into the girth and slightly lift my right hand and try not to do my habit of leaning forward so I load his shoulder, he is suddenly finding it easier to do.

I do it on a 20 metre circle, when he gets it I canter the circle, bring him back to trot, establish the balance again and ask for it again. Sometimes we are getting it right everytime, sometimes he gets it wrong but I let him canter a bit, come back to trot and ask again shouting good boy when he gets it.

I have to concentrate to keep relaxed because a couple of times his head will go up and he'll go back to running but if I get annoyed or tense up and pull him right back we spiral back into what you're getting. Gosh that was a load of gobbldegook but don't give up, I thought I was never going to get there but we are finally getting it

 

[Natch]

... and my instructor told me that she has found when backing babies that the best thing is do it on a figure of 8 - hit the track, ask for canter, back to trot and steady up as soon as you leave the track again, change the bend and straight into the opposite canter - she reckoned they all cottoned on fairly quickly that change of bend meant change of canter lead.

Good luck!

 

[Blodwyn]

Thank you so much for your advise im going to try some out today now i feel a lot more hopeful knowing other people have the same problem.

DWI - i havent had it checked as she is not my horse and i have her on part loan and her owner said its nothing to do with it....