Scruff
Well-Known Member
My mare is rising 5, and only wants to canter left-lead. I didn't push it til I had her back checked last month, but since then have been trying to persuade her to canter with the correct lead on the right rein as well. She does the same thing with or without rider/saddle and when lungeing or free schooling, so I'm guessing it's mostly her rather than me, although I'm open to criticism as well!
If I ask over a pole or small jump, I generally get the right lead, but without the pole, we revert to hooning round in an unbalanced counter canter. Can anyone suggest ways that I can transfer what she's doing over the poles to get her to do it without, since apparently dressage arenas don't leave handy trotting poles scattered about the place
I have already tried....
-small circles in trot before asking for transition
-schooling whip behind exaggerated outside leg to try and get her to lift the correct leg first
-really exaggerating aids, ie looking over outside shoulder, leg right back (this doesn't help, as she anticipates, and just hoons off on the left lead anyway!)
-asking on approach to corner
-asking on approach to wall (coming off X on 20m circle)
She did give me the correct lead once today, for the first time ever, without a pole, but she also gave me 15 or 20 wrong leads first.
She is quite stiff on that rein, but once I get the correct lead, she will happily continue, and canter a fairly ok 20m circle, so she CAN do it- just need to get her to understand what I'm asking/see why she should!
Any ideas, techniques or criticisms would be very welcome!
If I ask over a pole or small jump, I generally get the right lead, but without the pole, we revert to hooning round in an unbalanced counter canter. Can anyone suggest ways that I can transfer what she's doing over the poles to get her to do it without, since apparently dressage arenas don't leave handy trotting poles scattered about the place
I have already tried....
-small circles in trot before asking for transition
-schooling whip behind exaggerated outside leg to try and get her to lift the correct leg first
-really exaggerating aids, ie looking over outside shoulder, leg right back (this doesn't help, as she anticipates, and just hoons off on the left lead anyway!)
-asking on approach to corner
-asking on approach to wall (coming off X on 20m circle)
She did give me the correct lead once today, for the first time ever, without a pole, but she also gave me 15 or 20 wrong leads first.
She is quite stiff on that rein, but once I get the correct lead, she will happily continue, and canter a fairly ok 20m circle, so she CAN do it- just need to get her to understand what I'm asking/see why she should!
Any ideas, techniques or criticisms would be very welcome!