melbournesunrise
Well-Known Member
Having had (and mostly solved, thanks everyone) the problem my horse had with his canter leads, my instructor today said that the next hurdle was to stop him from cantering around wildly in the school, but cantering politely with a steady rhythm from the off. (I don't have lessons with instructor regularly due to work, so she can't help me with this at the moment. Due to the time of year, I don't get to ride a lot: two rides a week, one of which is a group lesson every other weekend.)
My horse never, ever used to accept a contact in his previous home. I have worked hard for almost two years to help him become evenly muscled and working correctly through his back. Walk and trot we can manage really well with a light contact. Canter, on the other hand, is more of an issue.
He needs a very clear signal if he is going to canter on the correct lead, and even that might not work if there is something that is worrying or distracting him (other horses, poles on the ground that he is going over etc.).
Usually, he anticipates that a canter is coming, and tends to rush into it as if he just wants to get it over with. I know he isn't listening to my aids when he rushes, and I try to catch him back before giving him the signal to canter.
Any which way, all of our canters in the school start off as if he has been "Pony Club kicked" in both sides with spurs on! He races around, and I have to try and steady him into a pleasant canter... which usually ends up with a few nice strides, followed by him trying to walk! We hack regularly, and out and about he is perfectly happy to canter around - slower when at the front of the ride, but actually always working well from behind.
I'm fairly sure that him cantering this way in the school is a combination of still needing to develop the correct muscles to be really confident and balanced, but also an anxiety and worry about the canter that is to come. This is a long term situation, and has never changed through all the teeth, saddle and back checks (which are done regularly).
What do you think I need to do to help him? Are there any particular exercises, or ways of doing things? Or should I just do loads of transitions between trot and canter, until he realises that he doesn't have to worry about it?
My horse never, ever used to accept a contact in his previous home. I have worked hard for almost two years to help him become evenly muscled and working correctly through his back. Walk and trot we can manage really well with a light contact. Canter, on the other hand, is more of an issue.
He needs a very clear signal if he is going to canter on the correct lead, and even that might not work if there is something that is worrying or distracting him (other horses, poles on the ground that he is going over etc.).
Usually, he anticipates that a canter is coming, and tends to rush into it as if he just wants to get it over with. I know he isn't listening to my aids when he rushes, and I try to catch him back before giving him the signal to canter.
Any which way, all of our canters in the school start off as if he has been "Pony Club kicked" in both sides with spurs on! He races around, and I have to try and steady him into a pleasant canter... which usually ends up with a few nice strides, followed by him trying to walk! We hack regularly, and out and about he is perfectly happy to canter around - slower when at the front of the ride, but actually always working well from behind.
I'm fairly sure that him cantering this way in the school is a combination of still needing to develop the correct muscles to be really confident and balanced, but also an anxiety and worry about the canter that is to come. This is a long term situation, and has never changed through all the teeth, saddle and back checks (which are done regularly).
What do you think I need to do to help him? Are there any particular exercises, or ways of doing things? Or should I just do loads of transitions between trot and canter, until he realises that he doesn't have to worry about it?
