Ginger Bear
Well-Known Member
I have a tb gelding, soon to be 12, owned him since 2009 & he had an operation for ringbone in hind leg in 2009 & has been in classical dressage lessons for about the last year-year & half.. His walk & trot are now very relaxed early on in the lesson, he is very balanced, happily changes rein, diagonals, serpentines, leg yields, comes onto the contact.. BUT once we canter on the left rein (which I normally do first) & have started having a very nice canter, with him really pushing off & using his back end.. It all seems to go a bit wrong.. He will then not want to be as relaxed on the right rein, he will want to go fast and then went we come down to the trot he's all a bit tense & like he's had enough..Is this just like another phase as we're progressing? Is it because he finds the canter quite hard work? He isnt like it on the lunge maybe because he's not on the contact so isn't using himself the same? He's very muscly and strong, a very happy boy who is always playing with other horses, people etc.. What do u think?.
lol.. I'm pretty sure that when we first started getting a rhythmical trot that he was quite tense and stressy, so maybe it's just him when he finds something new hard. But it's so hard because you always wonder is it pain or is it difficult? But he has never had a lame day since starting this training.. so we must be doing something right??