how to stop him changing legs in canter!!!!

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laurahayley

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Hi, need some advice 're my boy.
Everytime we go to canter a straight line he changes his leg coming out of the corner! Get to the next corner and changes back!
He used to be fine, but we had a canter set back and my "instructer" canter him in circles. Now when u am trying to go straight we change legs! Though he can counter canter smoothly so you don't realize most if the time! Help and advice greatly appreciated
 
You need to ride him to the leg you want him to be on. And ensure you are absolutely straight in the saddle, and not asking him inadvertently to change by shifting your weight.
 
He sounds very unbalanced, if he is fine going on a circle then loses balance on the corners after a straight line you probably need to get him listening more to your legs so that he holds himself better from his hindquarters and does not rely on the reins to turn him or hold him up.
If he is young try not to do too much canter in one go, do a transition before he loses his balance then re-organise and pop into canter again, gradually he will become more established and manage to keep going longer, the corners will become less of an issue.

Check his saddle is ok, if this is a new problem it might be that there is some tightness in his back that needs addressing or other physical reason that is causing it.
 
Hi thanks for that. He stays on the correct leg on circles UTStarcom just if we do straight lines. He even does this with my new instructer. Flying changes even Tempe changes down the long side!
We are both straight in the saddle and have a consistent contact, but he still Does it.
 
laurahayley said:
We are both straight in the saddle and have a consistent contact, but he still Does it.
Click to expand...

I watched a very interesting video this morning with Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin. He was after her all the time for not sitting straight. My point being, don't assume that either you or the instructor are.

However, if you're sure it's not rider error, have you had his back checked etc. And if that's all ok, and there are no other issues to worry about, then you have to assume it to be a training issue, that you will just have to work on.
 
Thanks be positive
He changes leg every time I get to say k when I go straight. So have come off a circles or even picked up out of the corner correctly and when I go straight he changes. How can I stop him changing. Does it on both reins! Arr gh
 
Saddle done. Last month. Back done 3 months ago but may contact again though. Kissing spines is a bit drastic, and as his back gets done regular it would of been picked up on by now.
I think it is a bad habit he's got into send just need advice on how to break the habit please. Thank you every one so far.
 
He sounds more educated than I thought he would be so it will not be a baby unbalanced issue, more of an evasion or sense of fun, hopefully not something physically wrong.
I would still try the transitions but in a different way, bring him back to trot or walk, a stride before he tries to change, then immediately ask for canter again, beat him at his own game, mix the work up do plenty of counter canter, sometimes do counter flexion so that he gets used to remaining in the canter you ask for not the one he feels like doing. Changing within the pace may be useful too, riding into medium canter a few strides before a transition may help get him thinking more forward and on your aids.
You do need to be absolutely sure of remaining in a correct balance on top, it is hard to be always really straight but he should still accept that the rider can move a little without the need to pop in a change every time.
 
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