ex-racer canter lead help please!

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toteymote

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Hello :)

It's been a long time since I last came on here but I really could do with some help please!
I have just bought at ex-racer (24/12/2010).He is 5 and is 15.2.We have still got Toto though! Since then we haven't done too much mainly to let him down and also due to him having to have a new saddle. He is perect to school in every other way and is very calm and relaxed! Now we have just started to do more regular schooling we are struggling a little to get the correct lead on the right. I understand this is due to racers always doing everything on the right as he gets the right lead on the right ever time! Just wondering if anyone had any experience with ex-racers or had any ideas on some exercises we could try?And any to improve his balance as I think this would be really useful as well! I have tried picking up the canter over a pole which sometimes helps. And when he does get the correct lead he always gets lots of praise but he often does a flying change as he thinks he is doing it wrong and is going to get told off!I know this is going to be a long process and there isn't going to be a quick fix but any advise would be really appreciated!
 
Hello!

With mine, I was advised to pick up canter lead he liked and canter round, go across a short diagonal to the middle marker (ie K to B) and trot and ask for canter again round school across short diagonal (H to B) few strides of trot and ask for canter. Just keep repeating in a sort of figure of eight. I think it helps as they are bending.

What you can't do is tell them off for giving you the wrong lead as they don't understand, so if you ask for canter and get the wrong lead, just do a gentle loop so they are on the correct lead and reward them. Once the penny has dropped though...

Good luck! Love ex-racehorses - they deserve a lovely second career!

J
 
Thats a really good idea, mine were both fine with strike off leads it took forever for my big horse to establish his balance (mainly because he was very weak), but when the penny dropped I got a horse with the most amazing soft rideable canter. Walk pirouettes are also good for engaging them and giving their clever TB brains something else to think about.
 
I have used that method but I also like a method which is a little unconventional but useful for teaching horses that run onto the wrong lead to slow down and pop into canter.

You have a high hand carriage to encourage them to sit down and come off the forehand and bend them to the outside, tap the inside shoulder put your weight to your inside seatbone with your inside leg on the girth outside leg behind... and ask for canter.

because they are bent to the outside they can not fall out on the wrong shoulder and being made to sit down and then let them flow round in the normal fashion. 90% of the time it works and it allows them to build the correct muscles up quickly which makes asking for canter in the normal way easier in a couple of weeks time.

unconventional but simples!!
 
Thanks everyone for your great ideas, I would never have thought of trying some of them! Looking forward to getting on and having a go tomorrow! I must get around to uploading some pics and introducing him :)
 
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