Horse anxious in canter

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latottwirl

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Looking for any advice regarding this situation.

I have a 15hh horse who works absolutely beautifully in walk and trot, but has big issues with canter. He has been ridden in draw reins before I got him, and as a result is extremely anxious about cantering. He throws his head up in the air, often tossing it about, tenses up his whole body and runs around in an uncontrolled fashion. He works on the bit and uphill in trot with no problems, but it is as if he's been tied down in the past and now throws his head around in the air as a result.

I have had his back/saddle/teeth checked and have been assured there are no problems there. He is ridden in a french link snaffle - I believe him to be quite sensitive about the mouth so I'm keeping him in something gentle. If I let him canter 'on his own', with no contact, he settles down a little but once any contact is taken up he throws his head in the air again, however letting him canter around with no contact is not great as we have no steering and are generally out of control looking. I believed that part of the problem was a lack of impulsion, so I have been trying to get him going actively forward before picking up a contact. However, the head still comes up and gets thrown about. When the head throwing starts I try to go with him and not fix my hands, as this makes the problem worse, however even this makes little difference.

I'm working at the moment on rebuilding his confidence that no one will yank him in the gob, however I'm making very little progress. Has anyone any advice? He'll no doubt get there eventually, but any help would be appreciated.
 
is it his bit he is sensitive with? perhaps try a bitless bridle. something with no contact on the mouth.
 
how about lunging him? that way he wont be anxious about mouth issues with no rider on board and can concentrate on what he's doing and maybe learn to enjoy it. and then introduce a rider who can slowly take up a contact as he improves?
 
Check the inside of his mouth up where the bit goes he might have cuts if he has been tossing his head about because one of our horses when we first got her she came from a cowboy and he had been using a really powerful bit on her and we had her in a snaffle and she kept tossing her head arund so i checked her mouth and she had some rubs there from the bit he had used. You could lso try your horse in a hackamore thats bitless so that wouldnt bother his mouth if thats where the problem is coming from or you could try a martingale or a rubber bit or maybe a stronger bit cause he might not be listening to your bit theres alot of possibilities it all depends where the problem is coming from. btw how old is your horse?
 
second the Bitless Bridle.... My mare when i bought her would do that head throwing(shaking) business whenever i took a contact up with her..... teeth, saddle and back all fine, but put her in a Dr Cooks Bitless Bridle for 3 months and stopped straight away..... I have since put her in a myler snaffle and she has been going well and not thrown/shaken her head at all and will quite happily accept the contact (although can resist when asked 2 much)!!!
I think my mare had phsycological issues from a previous harsh rider from a bit and she needed that time and retraining in a pain free to teach her that contact does not mean pain/harsh hands.
 
I'll second the lunging, if you have someone to help you, then even better. Start with no rider and then gradually do more.

Do you try to canter on every ride? If so, have some relaxing non cantering rides too.

Patience is the key.
Good luck.
 
Just one thought - is he \ she a roarer or has other airway obstruction? Sometimes these horses find contact difficult in faster paces (i.e. When more air is required).
Otherwise I second the lungeing, bitless (if can be done safely) and I'd also try to take her hacking, with a safe companion, at a faster pace with as open a contact as possible - just to take the stress out of canter (and canter transitions).

Good Luck!
 
Either ride in a bitless bridle
OR
Try lunging with no rider on board and settle your horse into the canter then introduce a rider on the lunge but with the rider not using the reins, basically just take it slow as what your trying now doesnt seem to be working
 
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