How do you get collected canter??????

[Sharonr]

Just wondered how you achieve this.

My pony did a collected canter this evening but don't know how I did it really as when I asked her to canter again she buggered off round the school.

I have to keep the impulsion up with her but don't want her to go faster. Just want her to canter but at a steady pace.

Can anyone help?

 

[Rocky715]

i may have this wrong but you probably half halted her to ask her to collect, but you will have had your leg there at the same time to keep the impulsion?? you might have sat deeper and slightly heavier into the saddle which would have helped with the half halting?? at a guess???

 

[Jingleballs]

I think you keep the impulsion with leg (i.e. still generating the energy) but support this with the hand by giving half halts to almost contain the energy and impulsion underneath you so you get a collected but expressive canter if that makes any sense?

 

[Solveig]

sit deep and hold back with your hands (very lightly mind you), ask for canter and squeeze with your leg and hold with your hands. keep giving little tiny checks with your hands.
does that make sense?? im useless at trying to describe things.

 

[Silverspring]

Ask you instructor, collected canter is quite difficult to teach and the horse's often lose elevation and stop using their back legs. My girlie can easily canter on the spot but it's by no means a collected canter as her back legs aren't under neither her.

 

[Sharonr]

Thanks.

Yes, it does make sense cos I think when she collected the first time I was intentionally sitting upright and deeper in the saddle cos I'm just getting my confidence back after an extremely bad accident last year.

Feel that I tip forward in the saddle sometimes so trying to get back to sitting up straight and back since I've got a dressage comp at the end of the month.

 

[helenhorse]

i had the same problem as you mentioned above...if you sit more upright, relax your lower torso, and bring your shoulders back, your hand and seat weight will be in a much better position therefore lifting them off the forhand and then, by asking for the energy with your leg and then containing it with your hands with a light contact (you only need enough contact to keep them held where you want them then give and take to reward slightly). I find practising this on a straight line or acros nthe diagonal is best as working on a circle any smaller than 20m can tend to put them on the forehand as they can handle it better. but 20m circle are fine.

good luck