Evasion tactic

[Slave2Magic]

My mare can be the queen of evasion tactics.

She has never bucked or reared and doesn't nap. What she does is hissy fit rather than going forward. Teeth, back saddle all fine. When I ask her to walk or trot, fine. Canter is a different issue. Instead of going forward she sort of bounces which is incredibly hard to sit to. How can I get her to lengthen? I know she can do it. If I let her go on the gallops she lengthens. Its when I ask in a smaller space. She hasn't done a great deal of schooling.

 

[Sal_E]

What's she like on the lunge? It could be that she doesn't 'realise' she can do it? Do you have an opinion whether she's feeling excited or stressed?

Have you tried taking a forward seat (as you would on the gallops) & giving the contact whilst sending her forward with your voice? Try to forget 'schooling' or 'working canter' for now & just get her going forwards - you can progressively refine her once she's going forward.

Does she jump? What happens if you have a small course in the school - does that get her going forward (or make her worse?).

 

[Slave2Magic]

She canters the same on the lunge. Im working on that at the moment, trying to get her long and low. We have just started working in a pessoa. Jumping is on the agenda for this year. She was unbroken when I bought her so never jumped. I have loose jumped her though and she's fine. To make things even harder, all I have access to at the moment is a large round pen or the gallops.

 

[Sal_E]

I wonder if it's a balance issue then? Maybe the area is too small so she doesn't think she can do it - especially if she thinks paces go from trot to gallop!!

Can you school on your gallops at all? Ideally a really big circle gradually getting smaller (not small though...). Even if the gallop is straight only, you could try to steady to a working canter & coming into your seat, so she's learning to steady herself?

I wonder if she's not yet ready for the confines of your arena?