Ex racers and canter leads

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Billabongchick

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Hi all; I was wondering if anyone has some advice please on exercises for a left rein dominant ex racer? She is very stiff on the right rein and I really struggle to get her round my inside leg.

As well as this she is striking off on the wrong canter lead quite often on the right rein and I find it really hard to feel/recognise the wrong lead and correct immediately when it happens as she isn't massively big striding.

Any tips to help get (and recognise) true canter without someone watching from the ground every time? I have fortnightly lessons but need to do it myself inbetween. She is only 5 so we are both learning and she left racing at 3. I think my back isn't quite right so that doesn't help with my feel. My mare however is pampered and had back lady several times over last few months and saddler out frequently so she is comfy- I think this 'left handedness' is partly from track racing and partly it being my worst rein. Thanks anyone who helps!
 
I have the same problem with my share horse, ex racer too. Major problem getting him to bend left. Left rein canters usually result in a diagonal line across the school. Also struggle to spot which leg he's on so I'm going to get RI to help me tomorrow so that I can tell if he's gone off on the wrong leg. Sorry no help but also interested in any good advice to sort the problem:)
 
Ah the joys of one sided ex racers!
You will have to try and even out her other side, lots of circles, serpentines, figures of 8 and leg yield in walk and trot.
You dont need to do much canter until shes feeling a lot better in walk and trot.

When you do ask for canter make sure its on a corner and always ask by putting your opposite leg to the one you want her to strike off on behind the girth as they strike off from behind on the oppisite leg to the leading leg.
She should then learn what leg to strike off on from your instruction rather than figuring it out on her own and eventually she will take off on the correct leg on a straight line by asking her this way.

It will take a lot of patience so dont get too frustrated as tempting as that might be :p
 
First off...it is not her right side that is stiff, it is her left side. Her right side is fine and able to lengthen and stretch, hence the softness when on the left rein. However, when on the right rein, it isn't that she is unwilling to bend around your inside leg...but more that she is unable to stretch her left side enough to bend properly to the right.

My ex racer was a very extreme case of this after a 5 year career, but 3-4 monthly ultrasound treatments and she is now beautifully balanced.

Sort that out first, stretch and build her up on her left side before asking for too
much, if any canter work.

Good luck and pm me if you need anything. X
 
Thanks all; yes I do some stretches with her to improve muscle length on both sides and avoid the tightness through shoulder and neck (common apparently with racers). I spent a long time yesterday (after a few short canters with a friend helping shout out lead correction) doing some super bendy small circles just at walk and she was bending really nicely. I will get the odd bit of trot on a good bend once warmed up (she does egg/triangle shapes which is where I find my inside leg weak so we will get half a 20m circle with good bend then a wiggly bit in manege corner where she loses it and puts head up/loses bend) but it is mainly canter that is the issue so I am going to work more on the trot/leg yielding first as suggested.

I have thought about using blunt spurs to help with the inside leg issue and to avoid my bum scooting sideways/hip dropping in my effort to push her/leg yield into the corners. Good idea or not? Have always ridden in small dressage spurs on my old horses before as have a pretty secure lower leg but as she is a baby I haven't so far. Since changing her feed she is quite off the leg generally (had to pony club kick/tap with whip before to avoid nagging with leg) so it would really be to just reinforce the inside leg.

Any tips on the canter lead recognition? As she is relatively unbalanced on the right rein I think that is why I find it hard to feel as there is not a huge difference 'feeling-wise' to true and counter canter! She is by no means awful (just a little wobbly) and I am not a complete novice as have 25 yrs+ under the belt but having ridden more mature horses for dressage stuff in the past and a whole bunch of polo ponies I do find the feel harder on her and want to get this all right for her sake. No rush as we have all the time in the world as she is our forever horse!

GG - Tell me more about ultrasound! Do you mean a session every 3 or 4 months or 3-4 sessions a month?! Thanks x
 
If you cant tell her canter leg by feel just look down and check, lookin down isnt the worst thing for now as you need her to be on the correct leg and you will learn to tell from feel eventually
 
My ex racer is exactly the same!! We are working on the bend etc in my lessons but he has regular physio as his left side is tight and often he is uneven when you look from behind.

He schools beautifully its jyst the canter lead but i am being patient so fingers crossed it will come! Good luck!!!
 
My ex racer share is just the same. I've found leg yeilding out on a circle in trot before asking has helped. I also have to canter on the right lead first at the mo as if I do left canter first in a session he gets stuck in it, if that makes sense.

We (his owner and I) are working on lunging at the mo. just in loose side reins or a bungee and initially trying to get him to calm down but when he is calm he manages it correctly. When he's a bit flighty he goes disunited or incorrect.

I'm also doing in hand flexions and ensuring correct bend at walk and trot, which us also really hard for him at the mo.

Slowly slowly. But can you get lessons? I agree too that there is worse than looking down. Staying in the incorrect lead for one.
 
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