Help! i cant canter!!!!

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FloElla

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Well, heres the thing! about 6 months ago i bought a new horse, hes only 5yrs old, and he hasnt rele dun anything, he is showing great promise in showjumping and cross-country, but when i do flat-work he starts messing about, trot and walk is fine and he carries himself really well, but if i kick him in to canter he cant do it! he either does a very fast trot or gallops and then he bucks . . . a lot!!!! i really need help ive tried everything, any ideas!?
please!!! x x x
 
When you say you "kick him into canter", what do you mean?....
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He's young, personally I'd get a good trainer to help me with this, he probably is finding your aids confusing (kick him into canter?) or just plain hasn't learnt how to balance in canter yet, a good trainer will be able to tell what the problem is, best course of action IMO.
 
I assume youve had back, teeth saddle checked?

if so, then it maybe that he has never been taught the canter transition, so I would take him back to basics, and get him going off your leg properly, so that you can ask for canter correctly rather than kicking

also I would leave the jumping till you have got the canter sorted and maybe just work over poles to get him listening, rather than excited about jumping, he is only young so take things slowly
 
Does he canter on the correct lead on the lunge? Wot does the canter look like? Balanced or does he break to trot/run away?
If he canters OK on the lunge I would look at whether you are giving the right aids and what your balance is like.
 
My horse would buck going up into canter, and I had his back checked. It was very sore, poor lad, and that is why he had been bucking. Could this be possible for you?
 
My friends gypsy cob i used to school and she would always buck when i asked for canter, and she wasn't in pain, she was a pain! She was trying it on and would gallop out of the school so i shortened my reinds up, held my whip to her shoulder and gave her a nice gently " Canter please suzy" hehe and she went after that and listened. Just trying it on. That may be one reason or he might be in pain OR he might be getting mixed messages, maybe your aid is too harsh. Try cantering him on a 20m circle. Start in a corner and if he gallops and bucks sit deep still on the 20m circle, keep doing pull and realease and half halts with the outside rein, but make your directions clear or he will get confused. And keep him going but controlled until he starts to settle into a nice canter.

Say if i need to explain more lol.

Best of luck,

Kat xx
 
Hi,
I find that a "rising canter" can be useful in slowing down a wayward canter in the first instance-you kind of rise with the forward movement but then sit deep when you sit and stay ever so slightly behind the movement so that your saying slow down with your seat-does this make sense
 
He sounds unbalanced and unsure of the aids you are giving him.

Get yourself a good instructor who will be able to help you improve your riding and help your youngster.
 
When i mean 'kick' him into canter i meant shorten my reins, a deep sitting trot, squeeze and say CANTER!!!!! Its hardly confusing!!!!
 
How does he canter on the lunge without a rider on his back????

It sounds like a balance/ confusion issue to me. Maybe he just needs more time on the flat work to really start feeling comfortable. I personally would take it back a few steps and build the trot until the canter just comes naturally. He's only 5 so take it slow you have loads of years ahead of you.
 
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When i mean 'kick' him into canter i meant shorten my reins, a deep sitting trot, squeeze and say CANTER!!!!! Its hardly confusing!!!!

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Ah but thats not what you said originally LOL I have to 'think' canter with my mare, sometimes she listens, sometimes she does'nt!! Don't make a bit deal of it and see if he calms down a bit. Have you lunged him and tried to canter?
 
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When i mean 'kick' him into canter i meant shorten my reins, a deep sitting trot, squeeze and say CANTER!!!!! Its hardly confusing!!!!

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Obviously it is or your horse would be cantering for you.

I repeat. Get yourself a good instructor - even the best riders use them nowadays
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When i mean 'kick' him into canter i meant shorten my reins, a deep sitting trot, squeeze and say CANTER!!!!! Its hardly confusing!!!!

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Before you even ask for the canter you should make sure he's balanced otherwise there's really no point in attempting it.
 
I took your advice and got myself a good trainer, she even got on him to see how he felt and reacted to different movements, then she let me back on him and asked me to move him into canter, she said my aids were fine, she just thinks he's too excited and full of exuburance to even think about listening to what im asking him, so what i have to do is sit gently and sometimes stroke him on the shoulder if he shows the slightest sign of calming down, i did work but she said it's going to take a long time and i need to keep on doing it. thankyou for your help!!!
 
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