How to keep a horse in canter?

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royal

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Hi all,

This is also in NL but wasn't getting any replies so thought I'd try in here!

So, horsie is now much better in the trot -canter transition, and is working nicely from her backend - however, I cannot for the life of me, keep her in canter. And she doesn't give you any warning at all that she's about to break into trot ie: slowing the pace etc....so trying to prempt the change is just about impossible. :(
She will go along quite nicely and then thats it, she breaks into trot really suddenly and as its not a balanced transition, it can really throw me off balance.
I've had her 5 years and all back, teeth, saddle checks are up to date and fine ...she isn't a naturally foward going horse and we do vary the schooling, with plenty of hacking and jumping mixed in.

I've tried doing plenty of trot-canter-trot transitions to try and get her used to me actually asking for the downwards transition...I've tried giving her a tap with the whip as soon as she breaks and making her go straight back into canter plus loads more but it just isn't working!

Any suggestions guys?
 
maybe it's because you've been doing lots of transitions and she's expecting you to ask her to trot after so many strides of canter? I had a problem where my lad would trot if I moved my fingers on the reins at all as he'd gotten used to me pulling him back to trot when we got to the "door end" of the school (after we were spooked by some idiot driving their car practically into the school), I had a bit of a job to persuade him to keep going passed the door once I got my confidence back, but he will keep going now, lots of leg and clicking!! :)
 
hmm, I can't think of much and don't know the background so apologies for any daft questions.....
You say you have had her for 5 years, did you have her as a youngster or has she been ridden for all of those 5 years? If she has been riddden for a long time is this something she has always done/done before?? Does she do the same on hacks, can you find a nice long stretch to canter out on a hack and see how that goes? Is there any chance it might be a fitness issue and she is just getting tired? Might it be a balance issue if you are cantering in a smallish school? Have you tried cantering off her back to see if she keeps going then?

Hopefully someone else will come along soon with some better ideas :-)
 
Thanks for the replies...daydreamer, I'll try to answer your questions..

She was 4 when I first got her - she had been backed and had had a very good start to schooling...She has always done it, can be slightly better on hacks, but will still break out of trot, it just sometimes takes a bit longer to happen! Re: being fit, she has always been like this even when 'competition fit'....she is being bought back into fitness now and would agree that it could be a tiredness issue, apart from the fact that she has always done it! The school is very very large and has an excellent surface so I don't think its a balance issue....cantering off her back, again, she will go for a little longer but will still break into trot before a complete circuit of the school!

Hope that helps a bit?!?!
 
She is exactly the same on the lunge! Will break into trot so easily and again, doesn't really give any prior warning of it...
I have tried side reins very occassionally and also a pessoa....the same throughout!
 
Well at least you know its not you then;) - One of mine struggled to stay in canter in the school - she is much better now but it has been improved by lunging in a pessoa and cantering for long stretches out hacking esp up hills- i normally canter up off her back and then sit intermittently to ask for a more contained canter then get up off her back again. Teaching her walk to canter also helped alot too.
Also have you tried doing canter poles with her?
 
yeah agree cantering /galloping in open spaces does the trick - we had a ex-lead rein pony who didn't know how to canter and lots of 'free' canter really helped her balance - saying that my youngsters get a little too excite out ion the open so I have similar probelms to u at the mo!
 
Farma - someone else suggested walk-canter and we have started schooling for that though haven't done it for a while due to nowhere to ride!
Canter poles - no, not done those for a few years with her, so now we have a decent school, I'll give those a go.

clopper - If we are in an open space with others, she will canter and *usually* keep going, but we are always right at the back ! :D
But it doesn't seem to make any difference to her school work
 
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