Ex race horse that won't canter!!

[whisper09]

I need some ideas and advice for my Tb. He has uneven muscles on his withers and struggles to get the left canter lead. I am going to get his back checked and have only lunged him since instead of schooling. He gets really cranky and frustrated even on the lunge. I am trying to get his muscles built up and have concentrated on the trot on the lunge but at some point i've got to try the canter again! Any advice on how to make it easier for him. We have just hacked him since and he isnt cranky when out hacking. I dont know if he is just objecting to schooling because he finds it difficult but i am going to get his back checked and saddle fitted before we start schooling him again.

Also can anyone recommend a dressage trainer for the future close to me (mansfield, Notts) that would either come to my yard to school or would take him in for a while. I have many years experience but due to health problems i am unable to do it myself now and my 13 year old daugher who normally rides him although she is quite a competant rider is not experienced enough to school him through this problem. Im not a millionaire

so cant afford a top notch trainer!? Any recommendations would be gratefully received.

He's a kind cheeky loving horse who is laid back even to the point of not wanting to canter in an open field with my daugher (he just doesnt see the point in all that energy!)


Any advice or similar experiences will be gratefully received

 

[Grey_Eventer]

hi, re his canter, he is most likely like this because he has been galloped mainly on the right, this is what is often the case with ex racers. it just takes time to build up strength on that rein as they aree much stronger on the over rein. practice lots!

 

[Festive_Felicitations]

If you have a fenced in arena get him cantering lose round it (best done with 2 people with lunging whips) hopefully he will stay on the left leg, it is easier than circles on the lunge which is quite demanding.

As Perdy said, it takes time to build up muscle and he probably will find it hard and get quite sore at first. Like all things with horses patience...=) Good Luck

 

[kerilli]

if he's out with another (sane) horse on a hack, he should be happy and willing to have a canter, if not i'd get a blood test done or slightly change his feed, he should have enough energy to want to have a canter. will he canter to or with the other horses in the field?
what's the surface where you school and lunge, is it deep and hard work, or grass and slippery? i just wonder whether he's not daring to use himself because of the surface, perhaps?

 

[silverbreeze]

I had this with an ex racer and he used to get so upset he would have huge tantrums and refuse to move then if you asked him to go forward he would literally explode and go absolutely mental. he came to me with this problem as he kept launching his owners.
I started as you did on the lunge but I felt his reaction was one of anxiety so tried not to make a big issue of it, the tantrum and explosion was sheer panic as I think he may well have been given a few hidings when he wouldn't do as someone wished.
He had teeth and back checked and all was fine so I started by working him in a huge arena and just asking for the canter which he always did but on the wrong lead so I just left him to it, he fell in terribly and was very stiff but I just stood up in my stirrups and let him be and encouragd him to go forward and learn to go in a rythmn.
This allowed him to build up his confidence with a rider on board and within 2 months he was cantering on the correct lead when asked, albeit not into the contact or very well bent or balanced but that wasn't my concern at that point, I made sure I stroked his neck and praised him when he picked up the correct lead and never said a word to him if he didn't. I never made a big point of pushing for the correct lead, as his balance and confidence improved it came naturally.
I worked on his balace etc with the pessoa and everytime he struck off on the wrong leg I stopped him immediately and asked again until he picked up the correct lead and then let him canter for a few strides with praise and then let him break to trot so that he didn't get too tired on it.
I let him canter out hacking too and let him pick up whichever lead he wished to begin with to get his confidence again.
You can then move on to getting it looking pretty and expecting it every time but as everyone has said it will take time and patience. Good luck

 

[jelibean]

I think its a common problem in racehorses, mine is a bit the same she has terrible balance and favours her left rein over her right. My instructor tells me to do a lot of work in walk and trot and forget entirely about the canter until everything else comes together, use the whole of the school, do lots of circles, leg yield on and off the circles to make bigger and smaller ones and try some serpentines. Once the muscles start evening out and the balance improves the canter should just follow. I was also told that the canter is not an issue afterall thats basically all its ever done.

 

[Scribbles]

For encouraging canter my instructor uses gridwork on her youngsters, trotting up to a line of poles/jumps set at canter strides.

 

[whisper09]

[ QUOTE ]
if he's out with another (sane) horse on a hack, he should be happy and willing to have a canter, if not i'd get a blood test done or slightly change his feed, he should have enough energy to want to have a canter. will he canter to or with the other horses in the field?
what's the surface where you school and lunge, is it deep and hard work, or grass and slippery? i just wonder whether he's not daring to use himself because of the surface, perhaps?

[/ QUOTE ]

He has no problems cantering with the other horses and can do fantastic turn on the haunces etc, if you know what i mean

so i dont think theres problem with his energy levels. Also the school surface is a sandy soil surface that is quite nice to ride on. I think that like the replies you've all given he is just very one sided. He is very reluctant to canter at all and when on the right rein he goes very disunited and gets his legs in a right pickle

. which makes him really annoyed. He starts to chew at his bit with ears flat back and puts his back up and i feel if you were to push it too much he would have you off. Hence the reason to get back checked first and try to build up muscle and strength.

I did retrain another x race horse that i have recently got back on loan so i know what to expect but with my health at the mo not too good i'm struggling.

Many thanks for your replies and i will keep persevering with him. It sounds like its just one of those set backs with the x racers, but i'll get there eventually.

 

[Taboo1968]

You will get there eventually! Mine couldn't get the left lead in canter and it took 11 months!!!!

 

[swellhillcottage]

Just curious as to whether you stand up when riding him in the the canter as obviously most of them are used to riders standing up when they are in training - Does he get cranky on the right lead when lunged? What do you lunge him in i use a pessoa which does help if introduced correctly mind you My horse still struggles with canter on the lunge 3 years after being reschooled yet under saddle he can do a beautiful 10 and 20 metre circle gaining 8 or 9 in Dressage marks !!! TBH is it really necessasary for him to canter on the lunge as it is very demanding physically for a horse especially with one that has poss issues Also Does you horse struggle in the going in the school as some find deep sand difficult mine certainly does there is one school i cant use because of the going .
Good Luck take it really slowly and try and get help if you are struggling its sounds like he is stressing a bit .
Also Does you horse struggle in the going in the school as some find deep sand difficult mine certainly does there is one school i cant use because of the going .

Sharonxx