french trotter x..... can they be trained to canter ???

[JAGER BOMB :)]

ok i have a french trotter x and was used as a trotter for about 3 yrs after he was broken in.....

now instead of being drove he is a ridden horse... which is fine if you want to trot or walk, but if you push to canter he just paces, lunging is the only way to get him to canter (eventually) as he doesnt grasp the idea of it very well...


doees anyone have any advice how i can train him to learn how to canter, both better on the lunnge and following through to riden work???

i dont want to rush him so dont want quick fixes please xxxx thanks xxxx

 

[Queenbee]

ok i have a french trotter x and was used as a trotter for about 3 yrs after he was broken in.....

now instead of being drove he is a ridden horse... which is fine if you want to trot or walk, but if you push to canter he just paces, lunging is the only way to get him to canter (eventually) as he doesnt grasp the idea of it very well...


doees anyone have any advice how i can train him to learn how to canter, both better on the lunnge and following through to riden work???

i dont want to rush him so dont want quick fixes please xxxx thanks xxxx

My friend has a french standard bred who was trotted, she is getting there with her mare but it has been a long and arduous process my best advice is to get yourself a good flatwork instructor and have regular lessons, some of the tips that my friend has picked up for helping the mare get underneath her and balance herself have really helped. It has often been a seemingly thankless task, one step forward two steps back! One breakthrough recently came with her almost throwing the book out of the window and doing what I did with my mare:

Mine is not a trotter but friesian x and far preferred trot! LOL! We got 3 basic paces out hacking, lots of straight line canters and uphill, refined the trot and walk a bit and then added jumping (would have used poles but she jumps them too, always has!) and allowed her to work her paces out herself, gave her lots more stability and balance and collection. Used small courses, small jumps, related distances bounce and doubles.

^^^ this worked wonders for both our mares (take a look at the dark bay in my photo albums) but they are both similar temperaments and really need to have to think and be challenged in their work. It is not the 'standard' approach, but it did work for us. Many will say to get the flatwork perfect before jumping but for both of ours, they became bored to tears and frustrated. Jumping really brought both their canters on leaps and bounds.

 

[Gucci_b]

I have re-trained my mare, the key is to learn to canter out on hacks not in the school at they find it very hard to balance at 1st. You will get there, just keep working at it I have found the trotters to have a lovely manor, who like to please and also very bold as she has evented and hunted she also has a big jump too.

 

[nikCscott]

I have re-trained my mare, the key is to learn to canter out on hacks not in the school at they find it very hard to balance at 1st. You will get there, just keep working at it I have found the trotters to have a lovely manor, who like to please and also very bold as she has evented and hunted she also has a big jump too.

^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^

Hack out with friends and and get them to canter on and at same time you use VERY clear aids- he will get it, but it will take time. Chances are he probably won't have an 'arm chair' canter but it will come.

And also like above I'm guessing once he can co-ordinate he will have a amazing jump. My French trotter x Hackney couldn't canter when we got him, but could jump the wings and ended up a JA- jumping for Wales and GB. I would have a trotter again without hesitation everything takes time but the bond becomes amazing. Stick with it and please let me know how you get on please

 

[Nickijem]

My first horse was a French trotter. He was such a lovely horse in so many ways - brilliant out hacking and could jump brilliantly.
I bought him as a 7 year old. He soon learnt to canter when we were out on hacks and he became more balanced in the school BUT he never got the hang of cantering on the right leg! If I was a better rider with more time I could have probably taught him but he fell over with me once when I was trying to get him to canter right. That put me off a bit so I didn't worry about it!

 

[JAGER BOMB :)]

thanks everyone for the comments i will defo try it when out hacking. have tried before on a hack ... we ended up pacing up hill, buck fart gallop lol guess it was the excitement off the other horse that was with us.....

yes he has a very...erm... odd canter (i think thats the best way to discribe it ) lol he is odd lol but lovely.

i wont give in on him hes my boy and im prepared to put in as much work as i can to get him there at his own pace (apart from trot ofcourse lol)

thanks again. i will keep you posted. xxxx

 

[amage]

Def get it started out hacking and +1 on the jumping. Zara's Pride jumped Nations cups for Ireland and won loads of international classes and she was a trotter before that!

 

[classicalfan]

Yes, it is possible. The key is getting the trot right. It has to be very balanced, clam and collected. And I agree with all the other posters that out on a hack is the easiest place - a nice straight track works very well. Have fun trying!

 

[abes mum]

hacking def best as my trotter x new forest will trot his legs off but when it comes to canter his legs go all over the place. he is doing much better now but still prefers to trot instead of canter, he trots as fast as everyone else canters!

 

[JAGER BOMB :)]

hacking def best as my trotter x new forest will trot his legs off but when it comes to canter his legs go all over the place. he is doing much better now but still prefers to trot instead of canter, he trots as fast as everyone else canters!

i wish i had a like button lol. thats my boy. legs go all spazzy even with a stride of canter but can trot so fast feels like im gliding

 

[joosie]

Here in France, ex-trotters are extremely popular riding horses - mainly because there's thousands of them and they're dead cheap! - they can be very versatile and are definitely worth sticking with! We know several people with ex-trotters who compete with them (dressage and SJ) with success at local level, and there's also a number of ex-trotters on the regional pro-SJ circuit. So yes, they can be trained to canter, and to canter well

 

[Wulfie]

Fabulous post lovely to see so many french trotter fans! I don't know anyone personally who has them for riding horses except me! I know this is an old post but I can't help joining the trotter love!

I have a trotter x irish TB and he had 2 paces - trot and gallop - when I was breaking him in.

I just had to let him go and slowly slow him down, at first he didn't even know how to gallop but once he learnt there was something faster than his floating he went crazy for it bless him!!

We had a massive field so off we'd go following friends and then we'd all slow up and he learnt that way.

It didn't take long with him he picks things up very quickly, but being a trotter he canters with STRAIGHT legs, he is a classical trotter, one who thrusts his legs out straight, rather than the more modern lighter built ones who almost highstep in trot so his gaits and paces are incredibly unusual.

He floats off the ground in all paces and it is so comfortable people don't want to get off him! At first he just threw his legs all over the place did take him months to learn where to put them so his canter was awkward and bumpy, and it took him a long time to learn to bend and do canter leads, he still has trouble now as a 6yr old bending but we are getting there.

As everyone also said, FANTASTIC jumper, my boy is about 15.3hh and has popped a 5ft2 as if it were nothing (not got the guts to attempt it again but we have dine 5ft a few times!) He has been selected for teams showjumping with me and nearly always brings rosettes home and on the 4th Dec he won the chase me charlie at my riding clubs show! We are hopefully going to Hickstead next year for the 1m05 class he loves his jumping and in the jump offs is untouchable normally!

 

[ElvisandTilly]

i wish i had a like button lol. thats my boy. legs go all spazzy even with a stride of canter but can trot so fast feels like im gliding

That's my horse too so I'd like a 'like' button too!

Mine can canter but he is unbalanced in the school. We have a very specific aid for the canter and he can do walk to canter from this aid.

He starts balanced but then gets more unbalanced the further we go. My instructor has worked wonders with us. He can do collected and extended trot now and much more balanced which has helped his canter.

I canter for short periods when schooling and stop before the unbalanced strides and build up to doing more strides each time so he can canter balanced for much longer. It takes time but a French trotter is so worth it!

Keep working at it and good luck!

 

[ElvisandTilly]

Doh! Just seen this is an old post!

Wulfie your trotter move just like mine with his legs! A much changed movement when we are schooling but when he is back out in the field he is back to type!!

 

[niagaraduval]

I have a French Trotter, have owned him for 6 years today He had trouble cantering in a school but with lot's of time he soon learnt and he has a beautiful canter now ! They just need a lot of time and praise and most of all a V. balanced rider. Mine too fell over a few times when cantering on the right leg to start with. I heard it is to do with which direction they run them in on the track !