FFS, reptilian brain!

Caol Ila

Caol Ila

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A few weeks ago, I had a second lesson with the dressage trainer and was really pleased with it! For years, my horse and I have had a crap canter, too heavy and on the forehand, and I had blamed it on her being a draft cross. They can't all be Valegro. During the lesson, the trainer changed a few things about my seat and my aids, and the mare went into this incredible uphill, powerful canter. It was a wee bit disconcerting, like sitting on a fighter jet, but an amazing feeling. The horse doesn't have a crap canter, just a crap rider!

I have tried to repeat this poweful canter outwith the lesson, and I can't say that I have been wildly succesful at finding that gear again. Today, the horse was schooling all right, and I'd done a few canters from both walk and trot, and they'd been her 'normal' canter, kind of sprawly and on the forehand. Then I asked for another canter transition from the walk, and the hind end folded underneath me, the neck and shoulders came up and I felt that big spurt of power as the horse collected. Then, the base, limbic part of every rider's brain, the part that says, 'Wait, sitting on a 1200lbs animal is stupid,' kicked into gear and said, 'Oh no, she's taking off,' and I slammed on the emergency brakes. Horse dutifully returned to the walk. I swore a lot. No, you fool, that's the GOOD canter.

I tried to repeat the good canter, but my horse wasn't having it. 'No, you just said you didn't want that. You get the flat, on the forehand canter because you don't freak out at that one.'

Balls, balls, balls.
 
Gosh do I know that feeling!! I have a 17h wb, extremely powerful. We were struggling with canter. He has got an amazing rocking horse canter but it doesn't go anywhere. So on this particular day instructor decided to sort us out!! This resulted in the most amazing canter I have ever sat on!! My instructor was grinning ear to ear which doesn't happen very often. Unfortunately at that point I was struggling to keep it together and just let him get his head down which resulted in all our power coming from back end into nothing, which resulted in a giant leap which I managed to stay on then another giant leap which unfortunately left us right next to the fence, he went left, I went straight on!! But that canter is a feeling I will never forget!! Good luck, it will come x
 
Haah been there. With the big huge youngsters, you need SO MUCH LEG and at the beginning you need the speed, or there isn't enough power and it goes flat. Even if it feels wall of death - leg on, hands forward!

Perhaps try practising out in a field where you are less likely to crash? And can really get those legs on and not worry too much if it gets a bit turbo charged?
 
You just need a bit of time to get used to the new bigger canter. :)
I did the same thing with one of mine but now I can quite happily kick him on. the difference is amazing.
 
I'm just worried it will be difficult now to get the horse to offer that big, uphill canter again, given I told her "No!" when she did.
 
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