Help with Canter Transitions

[PIP17]

Hello everyone - this is my first post and I hope someone can give me some well needed advise. I have real problems with my horse when we go into canter transitions - sometimes he is great but more often than not when I ask for the transition he throws his head in the air and feels like he is doing a huge shy (hope that bit makes sense). I think alot of the problem is me - I am not overly confident and tend to tense up alot when I know canter is approaching in my lesson! My beautiful boy is 16.3hh and powerful and I am only 5ft nothing and it has been suggested he is too big for me BUT he is brillant hacking out, very laid back in every other aspect and I do love him to bits. He was in quite poor condition when I bought him in the spring and he had problems with his back/teeth etc which have all been sorted. I have a weekly lesson on him and we work well together until the dreaded canter. This week because I didnt have a lesson and I tried to be brave and school on my own which went well and I was really proud of him so I decided to ask for canter and oh god it was awful - he threw his head about and just kind of jumped about - I nearly came out the side door but stayed on and I just kind of made him canter. I cantered round the school about three times which felt very bouncy but controllable and then I stopped and let him stretch, I am thinking of just stopping the canter work for now - any ideas anyone??

 

[Kayfm]

is he unbalanced and disuniting ?

 

[PIP17]

His legs feel funny when we canter - it feels like he keeps changing them

 

[Laura1234]

I would wait for your lessons for canter at the moment, it sounds like you are too tense and the horse is picking up on this. I used to be like this and I would bounce about all over the place, but finally got it after my instructor taught me to relax and sit back, and the horse responded better too. I video'd myself and surprisingly a normal controlled canter is not loads faster than a trot, so I don't know why I used to get so tense about it.

 

[SuperSketch]

His legs feel funny when we canter - it feels like he keeps changing them

Hmm. I'd say he is disunited. Without sitting on a horse I always find it difficult to judge these things for myself. Lunging maybe a good idea, just to get himself to balance a bit more. Is he young or green? If so then that maybe why he is having this problem. Have you had his back, teeth, saddle etc checked? He maybe in pain and trying to run away from it. If you haven't had these checks done, I recommend that you do them then see how he is afterwards. You say that he is unsettled in his head so he maybe in pain or discomfort. If your still having problems after this, try a running martingale and see if that works. Hope this helps!

 

[Kayfm]

Sounds like he is disuniting bless him. If all the usual checks are clear, pasoea (sp) him on the low setting regularly. Get plenty of help with your instructor who will help you build him up. At first you may only get two good strides at a time and over time he will become more balanced and will produce more strides. It is lots of work. One of my horses had this problem due to a slight dish on one back leg. I worked with my instructor over a very long period of time to correct the problem. Laterals are also good. You will win over a period of time. He will come right.

 

[PIP17]

He is 12 years old and apparently was used for dressage at his previous home but one. I have had everything checked and am using a riser under his saddle at the moment because he is very high withered, but his muscle is really begining to build on his shoulders and I have a saddle fitter coming out on Monday. Do you think its the fact that he feels disunited in canter why he plays up? He has a beautiful trot very powerful but collected and works very well on the bit for me after a while. Im just a bit confused

 

[Steorra]

Welcome

I don't think the issue is that he is too big for you; in terms of riding I have never found that I have a maximum size (though I'm also 5 foot nothing and tacking up gets interesting when they are over 17hh!)

There are other ways of being 'overhorsed' though, and it does sound as though he is making you nervous. I would look for a very supportive, experienced instructor who knows how to help you through this problem as I think it is quite a complex issue.

It sounds like he is associating the canter transition with pain in his back, so firstly, are you absolutely sure all his back problems have been resolved? If he has suffered from them for any length of time he may well have muscle wastage along his back and will therefore find working correctly difficult and the canter transition would show this up. I would be asking for suitable exercises from a qualified physio, as well as your instructor.

Is he happy to canter on hacks where there is plenty of space? Sometimes big, powerful horses get upset when asked to canter within the confines of the school if their balance is not 100% yet. Will he canter on the lunge, no side reins, on a nice big circle? You say he is a dressage horse: some dressage horses I have ridden were always kept very between hand and leg in canter and panic if you give them to little contact. One actually fell over the first time I cantered him! (I don't like this school of thought - I think all horses should be taught to work long and low first - but it does happen).

If possible, I would also consider riding a nice schoolmaster every now and then, to help with your own confidence. It is easy to tense up when you are anticipating problems and unintentionally trigger them yourself! These things are usually a combination of horse and rider.

I wish you lots of luck.

 

[Kayfm]

Yes he could be playing up in canter because he just cant do it and tenses up. Mine used to bunny hop because he couldnt see any other way of getting out of it.