Horse disuniting in the canter....

[black_horse]

I have a very hot horse (as those that have met her will surely verify ), and when delicia gets hot, she goes disunited in the canter behind and 'hops', refusing to bend etc.

Are there any good tips/hints/ exercises i can do to stop this habit and chill her a little in the canter?

 

[Kiristamm]

does she have a specific point in the school that the disunites, or after a specific exercise, or more random?

 

[black_horse]

well i had her filmed today, its usually about 3 strides into canter (doesnt matter what rein) and you can see shes getting strong, so i half halt and she goes disunited then stops abruptly. Her back and teeth are fine.

 

[PolarSkye]

Are you sure it's hotness and not a weakness somewhere? Kali was exactly the same when I first bought him . . . he can also be quite hot and tense . . . but we worked out that his problem was (at least partially) a weakness in his left hind (he only went disunited on the left rein - and only on the flat, never in the field and never coming into a fence).

We did several things to help him through it . . . raised poles to strengthen his stifle, lots of short/calm canters on the left so that we brought him back to trot before he broke behind, and my trainer schooled him for me - riding the left canter almost like half pass in terms of body position to help him maintain the correct canter. The more he did, the stronger he got and the better he got.

Now, even after a three-month holiday doing absolutely nothing, he is still able to canter reliably on the left for short periods . . . we'll get him stronger again and he'll be fine.

If I were you, I'd get a decent physio out to look at her moving around the school and then put their hands on her . . . you may find her problem is physical.

P

 

[Dirty_D]

Welcome to my world! I've got an ex-racer who does the same, when i first got him everyone thought it was lack of muscle (which was partly true as he had raced until 11 in straight lines!) but even though he can now hold himself he still has silly moments and we have a wobble going dis-united on bends especially.

I found it is just a matter of patience but i would also love to know if anyone has any ideas on how to stop it.

I think sometimes its a bit of a habit, they get used to the rhythm of being dis-united and dont feel it is wrong (especially when they are excited and thinking of other things!). My guess (purely guess work here!) is that some horses may have some kind of muscle/bone dis-association (again made up words!) which makes their back free-er which enables them to do it more than some and to not feel totally wrong.

Slightly less relevant but i can also spot dis-united horses (jumping especially) alot more than others. I think its my superpower!

 

[Kiristamm]

My friends dressage horse changes behind the second you slightly shift your weight to the outside. Try keeping your weight to the inside. Maybe come back to trot rather than half halt and set her up again, encouraging calm all the time, that way you finish the canter correctly (even if its only 2 strides)?

 

[Mithras]

I got told not to correct and let the horse continue in canter, so they recognise the uncomfortable consequences of going disunited. Quite effective! (rule out any physical issues!)

 

[Dirty_D]

I got told not to correct and let the horse continue in canter, so they recognise the uncomfortable consequences of going disunited. Quite effective! (rule out any physical issues!)

I find (with mine anyway!) this can work on a straight line but not always on a circle

 

[black_horse]

Problem is my leg, i know she is very sensitive to it, particularly when she has a season. I might take your advice mithras and let her continue to canter. She is doing it because i think she knows i will bring her back to the trot. I have had her checked all over and she canters fine out hacking and in the warmup only during a class and she is making me throw my tests because of it!

 

[TicTac]

Are you sure it's hotness and not a weakness somewhere? Kali was exactly the same when I first bought him . . . he can also be quite hot and tense . . . but we worked out that his problem was (at least partially) a weakness in his left hind (he only went disunited on the left rein - and only on the flat, never in the field and never coming into a fence).

We did several things to help him through it . . . raised poles to strengthen his stifle, lots of short/calm canters on the left so that we brought him back to trot before he broke behind, and my trainer schooled him for me - riding the left canter almost like half pass in terms of body position to help him maintain the correct canter. The more he did, the stronger he got and the better he got.

Now, even after a three-month holiday doing absolutely nothing, he is still able to canter reliably on the left for short periods . . . we'll get him stronger again and he'll be fine.

If I were you, I'd get a decent physio out to look at her moving around the school and then put their hands on her . . . you may find her problem is physical.

P

I absolutely agree with polarskye. My dutch warmblood mare used to swap legs all the time among other things and was diagnosed with kissing spine. She had the op 15 months ago and I have spent a time doing strengthening excercises with her and loads of hacking. I thought she was ready to become more collected and but she started to disunite again in canter if too much was asked. So I work her more 'up' and collected on the lunge now to build her strength even more and do lots of very loose canter work in the school sitting slightly off her back with no problems at all. She is being looked at by the physio this week as well.

Give you horse the benefit of doubt and get her checked over or try something else.

 

[black_horse]

I absolutely agree with polarskye. My dutch warmblood mare used to swap legs all the time among other things and was diagnosed with kissing spine. She had the op 15 months ago and I have spent a time doing strengthening excercises with her and loads of hacking. I thought she was ready to become more collected and but she started to disunite again in canter if too much was asked. So I work her more 'up' and collected on the lunge now to build her strength even more and do lots of very loose canter work in the school sitting slightly off her back with no problems at all. She is being looked at by the physio this week as well.

Give you horse the benefit of doubt and get her checked over or try something else.

ive had her back and teeth checked and saddle checked. I have done flexion tests, lunged on ground and on different services, she is 100% sound and her canter is fine, she goese disunited them swaps her front legs and canters on the wrong lead. Unfortunately she first learnt to do this when she injured her shoulder (shoulder too is fine).

I know my horse and i am very conscious to check her back and pelvis and she gets regular physio treatments. I think its a temprament rather then physical thing.