horse hollowing in canter

[aviemowat]

Im in need of some advice! I have gotten a new boy had him 5 weeks now and i have had to bring him back to the basics!! When i got him he was ridden in a waterford 4 ring gag and a standing martingale... He would back off the bit and i could not get anything done with him!
I put him in a neue schule loose ring he was very hollow and head in the air but now he is working lovely, nice and low, working on the bit, controlled paces in walk and trot! But, when i ask for canter he is giving me a few nice strides and then hollowing his back and raising his head so i can make nothing of him, i had no brakes so i put in a stronger cheek piece from neue schule and tried him tonight and again the same, 8 or 9 nice strides then tosses the head in the air, hollows his back so i can not get anything done, raced off in canter, had to spin him to stop him!!
he has had his teeth and back checked, dont know what to do... perserverance?!

 

[summer03]

Hi sounds to me like your horse is finding it difficult. You have him where he needs to be when you put him into canter and he tries to keep it but because he has only recently started using himself in this way then he can't keep it up and revets but to what he knows best. Personally if you are happy there is nothing physically wrong with him I would work at it slowly ie only ask for half a dozen quality strides each time you ask for the canter and not push for more. Once you find he is happy and comfortable with this over a period of time increase the number of strides you are asking for until he can hold the canter without an issue. This gives his body and muscles a chance to get used to going soft rather than tense and hollow - just think about how your body would feel if you suddenly changed the type of work you asked it to do. Good luck and I'm sure you'll get there in the end.