Collecting the canter leads to power failure

abbijay

abbijay

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 April 2011
Messages
1,527
Location
Cheshire
Visit site
After many years of hard work my beloved BP is finally getting the idea of taking the weight behind in his canter and giving me the chance to collect it up a bit. His natural canter is at least most people's medium - not helped that he was bred to plough so is naturally on the forehand and at a massive 18.1hh there's a heck of a lot of horse to contain! He can be down the long side in under 6 strides if I'm unlucky.
I've been playing about with simple changes and in order to get the down transition I've had to collect him up. This produces a really nice down transition but if I try to ride the collected canter for any distance (maybe 15 -20m) it feels like he's lost all power and then drops into trot, if I put my leg on it just becomes working canter again.
Is this because he is still weak behind and struggling to carry himself or does anyone have any suggestions on how to keep the power with a shortened stride?
 
i have the same problem with my big shouldered, cart-y lad. It was weakness causing it, so it's a slow process of gradually getting to push and get a bit more, but not overdoing it. He lets me know when he is starting to struggle. I find doing shortened canter strides over poles and small grids good as he finds it a bit mentally less stressful than just flatwork, but he is still working on taking more power behind. Also tons of hillwork really getting him pushing behind. It's taken absolutely ages with my lad, but it is a fine line of knowing what they can comfortably do, and when you can push them a bit more.
 
teaching my cob to maintain power when in the shorter canter at the moment. She has a good ability to sit and a quick hind leg, but gets stuck and either bobs on the spot or flops into trot when she gets tired. I'm playing with loads of gear changes.Only bringing the canter back for a period she can sustain, then actively pushing her on in a bigger rounder canter (not a long flat one) and then repeat. Mixing between medium, working and collected canter and expecting an instant response each time I change something.
I find this works best on a circle, thinking shoulder-fore to keep the inside hind pumping away.

Short and sweet sessions, rather than really pushing for longer than they can maintain, will help to build strength and keep frustration to a minimum IME :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top