Cantering towards home?

Yes, would lose half my canter work if I didn't and hacking would be very dull. And I expect mine to pull up and behave wherever we are.
 
Yes I do - but I never turn round and straight away canter for home, just as I think it teaches bad manners. But I canter away from home, towards home, up and down hills, on wide tracks or narrow tracks and just adjust the canter accordingly. Means he has to listen to what I'm asking!
 
I'm glad others do, I have heard it's frowned upon!

I actually didn't go faster than a VERY slow trot when I first started hacking him alone, I was terrified that I wouldn't be able to stop him as he can be a bit strong but VERY fizzy and since he naps, I thought he would just head for home and never stop.

He's actually a saint! I barely have to do more than sit up and say "woah!"
 
Canter all over the place! But our hacking is amazing so all our horses are the same on grass, tracks, fields or roads. Towards or away from home.

Not rushing for home is an import part of their education.
 
It can actually be useful, in encouraging some horses to put in the effort to sustain a canter (you can tell the kind of horse I usually buy, can't you?)
We are careful not to go at the same pace in the same place each time and are very fortunate to have several 'loop' rides which can all go home but can also be combined so that the horses think they are going home and then are turned off onto another loop. the only thing we can't do is go past home - we are at the end of a 'no-through' road.
 
I never did on my old boy because he was a nightmare at the best of times out hacking- we rarely cantered, never in a place where I couldn't circle him safely or let him go until he was tired and pulled up.

But in theory, you should be able to canter your horse wherever you like without them behaving any differently because ultimately it should be what you says goes... Obviously in practice this isn't so easy. All of Al's canter wherever without batting an eyelid, aside from Smokes who pulls the same antics wherever (he's a top event pony dontcha know... Think he's a tad too well atm!) :D
 
Lolo - I totally get what you mean. There are some things that I just do not do with Ned because it's more hassle than it's worth. As you say, we SHOULD be able to do anything, any time with our horses but they are living creatures - not machines!

It'd be no fun otherwise :P
 
Never. I bring on children's ponies and I am always careful what they learn as they have long memories and its a lot harder to unlearn something negative especially if it leads to a cosy stable, than to teach good habit. I am always thinking about the next jockey and sometimes they are not as able as you are.
Also when exercising horses to get them fit you should allow them to cool down gently so if they are then to be stabled afterwards they do not get a stable sweat, and if they have been exercise at faster pace walking the last mile allows them to stretch their muscles and relax before stabling or rugging if turning out. When out hunting you always hack quietly back to the box and the horse will be stood in a cold draughty box and its not a good idea if its steaming.
 
Yes, lots. Mine are childrens' ponies too, but we don't have set 'canter places', and upping the pace randomly isn't an issue, as they do what they're asked, without expectations.
Since they're ridden from the field, it doesn't matter so much if they're steaming when they go back in.

It's important to work them at all paces out and back, so that they're forward and working with the rider, no matter where they are, particularly as we don't do any schooling.
 
Of course I do.
I canter whenever the ground is suitable to canter, around me there isn't actually that many really good canter spots.
 
Hell yes but I have a very forward going horse who would happily canter everywhere. She is not food or company orientated so home holds no great draw for her and I can stop her (usually.....) I was taught not to canter the ponies toward home when I was a child because they were greedy little sods with rock hard mouths. Don't recall taking a lot of notice and hence had to walk home quite frequently when I got ditched in the process.
 
Hippona said:
Yes..although I know it's frowned on...

I also canter in the same places often....me bad.
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Me too, although if I do decide not to for any reason he doesn't kicks up a fuss, just happily walks instead so am fortunate that he is not silly about such things. To be honest I don't know how people manage if they have to not canter towards home/same place as there simply aren't that many places to choose from around here where the conditions are suitable (and I would class our hacking as very good)!
 
With limited good footing for canters I used to have to canter in the same areas each time. However there was a lovely uphill stretch which we never cantered on because it was near home and on the return part of the hack. It always seemed like a shame. Personally I'd have gone for it as I also take the view that it's the rider who decides the pace not the horse irrespective to what the other horses are doing. I can see the sense in it though. There was no barrier to stop the horses at the top of the slope and friends did not want a flat out dash down the steep slippery path just after the grassy slope.
 
I don't - and the only reason is because my mum told me not to when I was little :)

Bizarre that I have never even questioned it!!
 
Yes I do, although I rarely go on a ride and turn back as plenty of loops around us. My Appy is fine but my ISH anticipates things really easily so I vary the places which I canter to keep him listening and to stop him getting into bad habits.
 
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