Correct Canter Lead -help needed

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Gorgeous George

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Hi all, now we are starting to progress with our novice dressage I am trying to teach George to canter on the correct lead from a straight line. On the left rein no problem, but on the right rein no matter what I try he strikes off with the left leg (he's fine if you ask in a corner / on a circle). I am sure the problem is me, i'm not very balanced /co-ordinated so I am probably turning or twisting the wrong way, but has anyone got any tips / exercises I could try to crack this?

Many thanks :)
 
Hi there

Try looking over your outside shoulder as you ask for strike off. It will help keep you in the right place. Very often when you struggle for a correct strike off, you will subconsciously be 'tipping' as you anticipate the strike off which just exacerbates the problem.

Good luck - hope it helps.
 
Ok, I am dealing with this in a green horse, but either way, the method should work for you as well.

This takes a little organisation and coordination from the rider, so if it doesn't come off immediately as you expect, don't get disheartened, just keep trying. As you are riding around the arena, ask for the canter on the straight as intended. When the horse picks up the wrong lead, bring it back to the trot, and as soon as it trots, ask for the correct lead again. This should make the horse switch the legs with which it is pushing off into canter, and so you should be on the correct lead. If you are not rinse and repeat until you do get the correct leg. I was taught this as a child and it works whether you are on the straight or on a circle.

Hope this helps.
 
Oh forgot to mention, don't let the horse do more than 2-3 strides of trot befor asking for the canter on the correct lead again.
 
Agree with jumpsforfun, try looking over your outside shoulder when you ask for the transition - this puts more weight on the inside seatbone and slightly lengthens your inside leg. It also stops you tipping forward, not that you are necessarily! Good luck:):)
 
thanks for the tips :) I will definately give them a go.

I am probably tipping forwards and all over the place to be honest, I am less balanced on the right rein which obviously isn't helping. George's trot is pretty bouncy so I find it hard to sit to which can't help :(

It is so frustrating as there are a few novice tests we can't do because you need to canter/trot/canter on the long side or across the diagonal.

Any other hints or tps gratefully received :)
 
Ride the longside as a very very shallow oval, so you have a tiny degree of inside bend. And slowly reduce the bend till you are completely straight, by which time he should be clear on which leg you are asking him to strike off with. It sounds like he's currently understanding your aid for canter, but not yet understanding the aids for which leg to strike off with, & I find a very small degree of inside bend helps them understand. And when I say tiny degree of inside bend, I mean so small that to a passing glance or non rider, it looks as if you are straight.
 
Sound like he favours the left lead in canter, like lots of horses, so when you're on the right rein he is making you sit to the outside and not on your inside seatbone. First of all make sure you are aware of where your weight is just in trot on a 20m circle. If you are slipping to the outside correct this problem first. Most horses will push you more to the outside on one rein, its not just him, as they favour a particular leg. A correct canter aid relies on you placing more weight on the inside seat bone so this is crucial to get right.

Have you then tried leg yielding first and then asking for canter? On the right rein, go down the 3/4 line, make sure you are 100% sitting correctly more on the inside seat bone and not falling to the outside (remember, look away from the direction of travel). Do the leg yield down the long side a few times until you really feel him crossing his hindlegs and not just dribbling across. Once this is established, when you are sitting (on the down beat in rising trot), apply your canter aids. If it works, you can then miss out the actual leg yield but just think of those leg yield aids when you ask for canter. If it doesn't, it is still more than likely he's tipping you to the left/you may be collapsing to the left. A good trainer on the ground will be able to explain this and show you this more clearly though :) (mine loves acting out the whole leg yield action herself!) Might sound complicated initially but it really works once you understand the principle.
 
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