How Can I shorten his Canter?

[3Beasties]

I am currently bringing an Ex-racer back into work and bringing him on a bit as he is still very green about the whole schooling thing.


He is 8/9 years old and was raced (P2P's) up until last year, he was then used as a novice hack for a few months over the summer before being turned away for a couple of months.


He has only been with me for a couple of weeks so obviously I am not doing much Cantering at the moment, he has held his fitness surprisingly well though so I have slowly started to introduce it again.

I am having a problem with him not being able to shorten, I like them to do quite a collected canter to start with and then I gradually let the handbrake go, but as soon as you try and collect him he flings his head up and/or drops back to trot, he only seems to be able to do one speed of canter which is racing speed

How can I get him to do more of a show-Jumping canter?

I wouldn't say he was strong as he doesn't run away with you, he just doesn't understand what I am asking him to do.

He is (currently- although this may change soon) being ridden in a loose ring copper snaffle with quite a thin mouth piece. I have also changed him from a running martingale to a Market harborough which seems to have helped a little.

He has had saddle/teeth/back checked!

I don't have a school so I need to be able to work on this whilst hacking out.


Ideas please?

 

[minesadouble]

My daughter had a similar problem with her ex-racer when she first got him. He wasn't very 'forward' at first and would come back to trot if asked for any kind of collection. She concentrated on getting him keen to go forward and then started asking him to work in an outline - the back end has got to be working before this can happen - it's no good asking for any kind of showjumping style canter if their hocks are in the next county!

 

[nicolaread]

if he has not been worked for a couple of months he will have lost a bit of strength behind + also if he has raced he wont have ever been asked to hold his weight on his back end (racers always go on the forehand) so he wont have the strength behind at the moment to do what you are askin and i would be careful if i were you about pushing the point as you may cause an injury. I would say work on bringing his back end underneath him more in a walk + then trot to build the muscles + get him going foreward in the canter + listening to your aids.. You need to teach him what a half halt is, coming from a racing back graound he wont know, he needs to understand what you are asking for when you want collection before you ask in the canter.

 

[china]

he needs more mustle really, to collect a canter the horse needs to "sit down" on his hocks. once he has mustled up abit and has a canter in an outline you could introduce circles half halting to collect him abit, if i try to do it on a straight line with my boy he just flops back into trot so i collect on circles as its easier to give that little bit of leg to keep the impulsion and they have to sit back abit to do a good circle anyway.