How to get from Yeehhhaaa! to controlled canter?

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Hovis_and_SidsMum

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How can I get Hovis' canter to be more controlled and collected?
He's fine going from trot although he does really bounce into canter but its what I can only describe as yeehhaa! We'd be ace hurtling across the prairies but its not great in a menage! If I half halt him he thinks that means either go back into trot or just ignores me. He's not running away with me but he's just very full on in canter.
I want to be able to circle him and control it better so we can jump in canter but he's very hard to steer at speed. He really opens up and flattens out rather than being more bouncy.
As you probably know he's a 5 year old Cylesdale cross.
Any ideas of exercises etc I could try?
 
He may need a little more time to mature - Farra is 4 and legs everywhere, we have done a little canter in the school but it is going to take some work. She is not that fast, but is flat and not ready to canter anything other than the whole school or a huge circle. She is also lacking muscle and maturity which time will resolve.

As you half halt to slow down, immediately put your leg on after he slows to push him before he goes to trot. I do this with Chancer, I also give a click of the tongue at the same time so he knows to push on. As time is going on, the leg is nearly enough now to stop him going back to trot.

Does he do this on the lunge?

I would carefully do large circles and as he gets too fast, put in another circle to slow the speed. Again as he builds up you can do smaller circles, figure of eight, changes of rein round the school using a few strides of trot and changing the leg.

Finally heavy horses can do a very collected canter - Cairo could almost canter on the spot but they are naturally not build to do so, so it is a lot harder to achieve and takes a lot longer to get there.

If he keeps on the yeehhaaa - want to borrow the western saddle so you look the part?
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hi,
It sounds like he doesn't have the necessary strength and muscles to maintain a steady rythmical canter. It is hard especially for big horses my 18hh TB loves rushing in the school because he find things hard. At 5 he probably needs more time to mature and strengthen but there is plenty you can do to help, lots of transitions, into canter from trot and back will really get him focusing and striking out properly into the canter, walk to canter is very helpful but alot to ask of a 5 yr old i understand! Long and low work will build up back and bum muscles. Also have you considered cantering out on a hack when it doesn't seem like such boring school work to him, a nice long straight area to canter on will give you more time to control the canter and he can concentrate more on getting a steady rythm without having to worry about corners etc which will also build up his confidence that he can canter without it being a whizzy affair!
Hope any of this helps!!!!! And that I havent waffled on too too much! Lol
 
I have this problem with B, I ask for canter and he bounces forward and the center ends up getting faster and faster and faster!! If I try and collect it he will fight me and then just go back to an awful trot. New instructor feels it's due to his SJ background and he doesn't quite know what to do to please his rider. I am to do lots of sitting trot work to get my weight down in my heels and keep my leg strong so h can feel me with him all the time. It has worked so far, after a good 10-20 mins of trot exercises and transitions and circles in sitting trot when I ask for cater it is much more controlled. I then bring him back to a nice trot after 1/2 a 20 meter circle before he can get faster and reward him. He is starting to get it now.
 
I would try spending lots of time schooling. If he goes back to trot when you half- halt then immediately ask 4 canter again, but use ur body weight to really control the speed and rhythm. If he speeds up again, half halt and also put your leg on 2 ask 2 keep the impulsion, but slow the rhythm, if he ignores you, use your voice, say his name then go: whooaaaa!!! (calmly) and then half halt. Also try 2 get him 2 drop his head, this always helps me, when u ask 4 canter, as soon as he gets into it, hold him firmly and push forwards and praise him, then he knows its gd. Also try lungeing him in canter, and doing lots of trotting work be4 hand, he may just be getting excited!
 
Oh he loves his cantering!! i take him over the fields and he loves it! I think he's a secret little speed demon hidden in a big big body! I think it probably is a maturity thing but I have noticed if I say I'm going to canter everyone else suddenly leaves the school!!
If I canter him on the lunge he pulls me over so he's not massively balanced in canter yet
 
Do you have the chance to do much hill work. We don't have much option
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, but when we have had the heavies we have found that they get better at the balance stuff when they have had to carry themselves up and down hills. It's also a good idea to canter him uphill when you are hacking and to then practice controling the canter to be the tempo you want rather than him being a speed merchant (are you sure he is part Clyde
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never met a speed merchant among them.
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)
 
Oh yes he's a big big part clyde!! And my lord he can move (when he wants to I hasten to add)! He pootles along in walk so no one thinks he even has a third gear let alone a sixth but he gives everyone a run for thier money in canter - the ground shakes!
We're flat as a pancake around here so no hills at all which is a bugger.
 
Ahh that makes my suggestion a little futile then
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. We have found it works well for the heavies who hang on the bit and avoid carrying their own heads, especially when going down hill, drop the reins and they have to carry themselves, or fall over
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I suspect it is a lack of balance issue. A normal size school and a 20m circle are very small for a young chap of his size. I have the same problem with my giant thug! I do loads of transitions trot to canter to trot only cantering for a few strides and return to trot before he loses balance, settle the trot and go for a short canter again. I may do 20 or30 transitions on each rein first on the lunge and then ridden. I also find that if they go to your voice aid on the lunge it helps when you start ridden transitions.
 
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