Getting a nice balanced canter?

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lucyc

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So I have started to ride a very green 14 yo tb (unraced) and I can get a nice walk and trot but canter is a different kettle of fish completely...
It takes a while to get canter and we end up with a very rushed trot and then when we get canter it is at full pelt with no steering... I try to collect her a bit more and she breaks into trot. I'm going to do a lot of work on her walk and trot transitions for a bit but would like to know if you have any advice on what to do with walk and trot to help her canter and then what to do to help her when i do start cantering her again.

Any advice will be muchly appreciated and homemade scones for all who read :p
 
sorry i've no real help for this!

my mares similar....trot is lovely, on the bit etc.
but she runs right into canter, speeds round the corners and when i ask her to steady its back to trot! the only thing that helped me was an abbot davies balancing rein which really helped her balance herself etc but all horses are different and i reckon other HHOers will have better advice! :o
 
6 poles, one in each corner 1 half way down each long side (for a 20x60 add another pole on long side) ask for canter over one and then make her listen and canter (not jump) over the pole then ask for trot in the first corner of a short end going over the pole and then there is the second pole to sort the stride out :)
 
I have been having the same problems but we are further down the line, JUST starting to get an outline and collection on the left rein in canter, still working on the right.
What has helped has been -
Lunging - horse has to find it's own balance and cannot rush so much on a circle. Adding a canter pole in the circle (when ready) is good.
Transitions - 4 strides walk, 4 trot, 4 canter, 4 trot, 4 walk.
LOADS of work on circles in all paces, 10m in trot & walk
flexion and counter flexion in walk and trot
half halts in trot
Jumping (my horse is lazy so needs motivation to canter - he loves his jumps!)
Cantering for longer stretches out on a hack - uphill if possible
Now working on walk-canter transitions to prevent running on from trot.
Just today managed to leg yield in on a circle in canter and back out again.

This has been over a period of a couple of years! I am sure if I had got an instructor to tell me all this I would have made improvement quicker. But it is working!!!!
 
noblesteed said:
I have been having the same problems but we are further down the line, JUST starting to get an outline and collection on the left rein in canter, still working on the right.
What has helped has been -
Lunging - horse has to find it's own balance and cannot rush so much on a circle. Adding a canter pole in the circle (when ready) is good.
Transitions - 4 strides walk, 4 trot, 4 canter, 4 trot, 4 walk.
LOADS of work on circles in all paces, 10m in trot & walk
flexion and counter flexion in walk and trot
half halts in trot
Jumping (my horse is lazy so needs motivation to canter - he loves his jumps!)
Cantering for longer stretches out on a hack - uphill if possible
Now working on walk-canter transitions to prevent running on from trot.
Just today managed to leg yield in on a circle in canter and back out again.

This has been over a period of a couple of years! I am sure if I had got an instructor to tell me all this I would have made improvement quicker. But it is working!!!!
Click to expand...

The long canters are what is ruining her I think as thats all she shes done and so thats what she thinks canter is now haha
 
You need to work on his balance and his rhythm.

Lunging is fantastic for his balance. Add some side reins to make sure he is working in an outline. Move him in and out onto different sized circles.

Transitions are also fab. try asking for the canter transition over a pole, go for a few strides then trot again. Vary how many canter steps you take each time so he is listening to you.

Also I find that asking for the transition after the last turn of a serpentine can help. means they deffinatly have the correct bend and are in a steady trot.

I know this sounds basic. But make sure you are asking correctly. You dont want to be confusing him. Get a friend to watch you and see if she can see if you are sat correctly etc.

Hope that helps. I know its frustrating to deal with, my sec D was the same :)
 
Poles on a circle in canter will really make them think. Do them evenly spaced out but sometimes do 3, sometimes 4 or even more if you have lots. My tb gets really strung out in canter and this helps to make him slow down as he has to plan where to put his feet.

Also, walk to canter is much easier than trot to canter to get better transitions
 
Transitions, work on getting a nice punchy trot - not rushed.
Lunge lots - and get some muscles on her.

Dont forget if she hasnt done much for 8 years - then she wont be very muscley strong.

After 8 years of laying about - I cant do gymnastics like I used to! ;)
 
Update: Friend has been riding her a bit this week and then I went up today and spent a lot of time doing walk to trot, trot to walk, walk to halt etc and then when she was really calm I really focused on my position and asked for canter and it was SOOO much better than the first canter I did on her. I think it's down to me calming her down and she was expecting to slow down and was listening to me much better :) so me and my friend agreed this is what we are going to do and slowly add canter circles and doing it on the lunge too.

Overall very happy :D
 
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