Getting on the bit in canter help!

[Fingerontheneckstrap]

Hi everyone,

So myself and my horse are hoping to start some dressage in the next while. Just trying to get through the basics and working on getting a nice outline in all paces. So far we’ve taken it pace and by pace and had great success in walk and trot. However canter is a bit of an issue

The contact element of dressage is something I really struggled with as I can be soft but a bit TOO soft with my hands and prior to working on these things I realise now I never had good contact ever!! So it was definitely tough work to get her down in walk and trot but now once she has that impulsion and contact and she goes for it straight away!

Canter is an issue because - prior to this when cantering I never had a good amount of contact, so now when I take a contact she wants to slow down or trot which obviously takes away the impulsion element. Even when I encourage her with leg, vocal aids, etc, she tends to just get very hot and frustrated because she doesn’t know what I’m asking her. Of course she’s right because prior to this anytime I took that much contact I was asking her to stop and slow down. It’s a bit of miscommunication, and I’m wondering how I can fix it because she’s trying her best - it’s a certainly a me problem!! Currently she’s at the stage where if I wake her up a bit and get that impulsion, she kind of inconsistently goes down and gets a bit head bobby - just gets very frustrated like she doesn’t know what’s being asked of her.

Any ideas or tricks that could help us find our groove? I’ve been thinking of using my long whip just to keep her going but I don’t want to get reliant on it.

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

Try thinking about contact the other way round..the horse picks up the contact…moves forward into the contact..it’s not you taking it up and making her think you want slower or stop.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I would just do short burst of canter to start with she is probably feeling unbalanced so that's why she drops into trot, it's hard for a young inexperienced horse to maintain canter in a frame for long periods.

Aim for short bits of quality canter than long bits and often start the canter without much contact, get the forward impulsion you need before you take up a bit of contact then just do a short canter with a contact.

 

[scats]

Concentrate on a good contact and feel before you canter and try to maintain that through the transition.
I actually have to have Millie a little deeper and rounder just before the canter trans and then she will maintain the contact in the canter. If she comes above the contact in the transition then it’s absolutely pointless trying to reestablish it in the canter with her, so I’m better going forwards to trot again and redoing the transition.

 

[Fingerontheneckstrap]

I would just do short burst of canter to start with she is probably feeling unbalanced so that's why she drops into trot, it's hard for a young inexperienced horse to maintain canter in a frame for long periods.

Aim for short bits of quality canter than long bits and often start the canter without much contact, get the forward impulsion you need before you take up a bit of contact then just do a short canter with a contact.

This definitely makes more sense and will probably reduce the fizziness by taking a few breaks and giving her lots of praise when she does get it. She might make that connection a bit quicker fingers crossed

 

[Fingerontheneckstrap]

Concentrate on a good contact and feel before you canter and try to maintain that through the transition.
I actually have to have Millie a little deeper and rounder just before the canter trans and then she will maintain the contact in the canter. If she comes above the contact in the transition then it’s absolutely pointless trying to reestablish it in the canter with her, so I’m better going forwards to trot again and redoing the transition.

a relaxed trot to canter transition is actually something we’ve been working on anyway so I’ll definitely try to work that into our flatwork! Thanks