help with canter transition

BillyBob-Sleigh

BillyBob-Sleigh

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hi all!

Currently having some difficulty with my trot - canter transition with my 4 year old, he is working in a lovely natural outline in trot and very balanced for his age! His canter is also great, again very balanced - however the transition from trot to canter is not great :( he almost panics, gets very rushed although will go into the canter within a couple of strides but the whole thing is a bit of a mess! His downward transition again is good it's literally the upward transition that he's finding difficult. Any ideas for exercises to help him improve? Should probably mention that he gets very excited once he's cantered and it take a couple of minutes to establish a nice trot again as he tries to anticipate canter at all the corners of the menage :o so if I concentrate on transitions I lose all the other work I've put in during the session!

Any ideas gratefully received :D
 
It may help to only do the transition on one particular corner, this corner being farthest away from his stable so he is not rushing ,use a raised pole or a tiny jump to do the transition, once he goes on the correct lead, keep him going, but go back in to trot before trying again.
You will need to do the other rein as well, so you need an assistant.
What does he do on the lunge?
How long are your sessions, is he getting too much too soon, he may need more time to develop his muscles and his strength, and because he has done so well to date, you have felt encouraged to keep going, sometimes you need to hold yourself back, making sure he gets a complete education, gridwork and long reining, hacking in company, I find it very easy to make the canter aid work when out hacking and going up a little hill which requires him to use his hind end. He is going forward and needs to canter, so just a tiny aid will work.
I have a little track in the forest where I can relax and let him go at a nice quiet pace, this will help to train the muscles, and we both enjoy it, so he gets a little pat on his neck when he pulls up.
 
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Thanks very much, I hadn't thought of using a small fence for the transition! Will def try this. In regards to lunging when I first had him I tried lunging him once a week but he hates it even though he had been lunged when broken (apparently, I had him at 6 weeks broken) so I gave up, I get much more achieved if I am onboard
 
As above for the transition to canter, have some poles around the school to use once in trot to give something else to think about,other than cantering again.
Sometimes it helps to go back to canter a few times rather than insisting on the perfect trot other times come back to walk on a long rein and do some stretches,try to vary the work as much as possible to avoid too much anticipation.
 
Thanks bp, yes i generally have to bring him down to a walk so he doesn't get too excited. If I bring him back to trot and ask for canter again straight away he goes into the canter almost straight away because he's a bouncing ball of energy but I didnt want to do this too often - although would it be ok to do it at this stage of his education or concentrate on bringing him back first then trying again?
 
If the canter itself is good do not be too worried about going back into it as long as it is only when asked for and the horse is not getting stronger and against you.Walk to canter can also be useful for improving transitions,it doesnt have to be direct.
I often get a youngster to trot into a x pole,canter away ,trot into it again and canter round the school finishing by trotting over some poles on a circle,this can really help with both the transition and getting them to come back to a good trot.
 
JessHakner said:
Thanks very much, I hadn't thought of using a small fence for the transition! Will def try this. In regards to lunging when I first had him I tried lunging him once a week but he hates it even though he had been lunged when broken (apparently, I had him at 6 weeks broken) so I gave up, I get much more achieved if I am onboard
Click to expand...
ahhaa! ........... you have gone back to basics and discovered a problem.
Now I am NOT an advocate of lunging youngsters because the joints are weak and you are straining them , BUT there is a problem here.
You need to go further back, that is to say long reining, walking him over poles and in and out of poles which are laid out in right angles You need to make sure he is rewarded with kind words when he does what you ask.
What I am saying is that you may need to re-break him effectively, this will help him and you to build up strength and trust.
You probably have a nice horse [can you put up pictures] who is young, he needs time and patience, some need a LOT of patience.
Find a good instructor [ie someone ewho has produced her own horses, not a BHS AI type, you need someone who has a lot of experience, they come by word of mouth.
Good horses often have glitches, so do not worry, you probably need a helping hand at this stage of his education.
 
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be positive said:
If the canter itself is good do not be too worried about going back into it as long as it is only when asked for and the horse is not getting stronger and against you.Walk to canter can also be useful for improving transitions,it doesnt have to be direct.
I often get a youngster to trot into a x pole,canter away ,trot into it again and canter round the school finishing by trotting over some poles on a circle,this can really help with both the transition and getting them to come back to a good trot.
Click to expand...

Like think idea I will be trying this - thank you
 
I've also been struggling with my boy rushing into canter (he's not young, just unschooled and unbalanced in canter!) and our RI got us doing a 15m circle in the centre of the school - starting off in walk and doing walk-halt-walk at every quarter of the circle, then walk-half halt-walk at every quarter. Then progressed to a 20m circle in trot and did trot-walk one stride-trot at every half circle, then trot-half halt-trot at every half circle, then when he was really sitting under and working nicely balanced at every quarter circle, then proceed large and ask for canter and the difference was unbelievable - instant fantatsic transition!

If he anticipates I wouldn't recommend using just one corner of the school, as could just cause more anticipation... voice of experience, again my boy is the very same: once he's cantered in one corner a couple of times he thinks that's what he should do every time there!
 
MrsD123 said:
ahhaa! ........... you have gone back to basics and discovered a problem.
Now I am NOT an advocate of lunging youngsters because the joints are weak and you are straining them , BUT there is a problem here.
You need to go further back, that is to say long reining, walking him over poles and in and out of poles which are laid out in right angles You need to make sure he is rewarded with kind words when he does what you ask.
What I am saying is that you may need to re-break him effectively, this will help him and you to build up strength and trust.
You probably have a nice horse [can you put up pictures] who is young, he needs time and patience, some need a LOT of patience.
Find a good instructor [ie someone ewho has produced her own horses, not a BHS AI type, you need someone who has a lot of experience, they come by word of mouth.
Good horses often have glitches, so do not worry, you probably need a helping hand at this stage of his education.
Click to expand...

I have an instructor who has been a god send! very experienced in bringing youngsters on for eventing - which fingers crossed we may have a go at in a year or 2 (at baby level). Thanks for your help though, some great ideas that I will be trying out this week - will try and dig out some pics now :)
 
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I am also having problems with my horses canter transisitons, he just rushes and goes onto his forehand.

What I am working on is having a really good quality trot before asking for canter, also making the trot 'shorter' but importantly, very 'up and energetic' before going into canter - and trying to get the first few paces of canter relatively slow, but energetic and 'up' as well.

Hope that makes some sense!!!
 
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