How to stop motorbiking it round corners?

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Hattiehorse

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Well, we've got a lovely, big, flat, new school to ride in which is brilliant as the old one was on a hill so we had problems cantering on a certain rein!

We can now get canter on both reins easily but he tends to absolutely bomb it around and at the short sides he really motorbikes it (as in leaning so far over I could take my hand off the reins and touch the ground!)

So how do I stop him doing this?

I know when I'm walking and trotting to use inside leg and inside rein slightly over neck to get him into the corners with inside bend but I feel that if I do this while cantering we will actually fall over!

Any ideas would be much appreaciated!

And some pictures of the dear after trying to do an arab(?) plait!

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And after taking it all out!
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Yeah me too - does he collect at all in canter?

I struggled with my mare when she was broken she would motorbike round corners as she was green and unbalanced - now through working on collecting/ half halts and lungeing in the pessoa problem solved - there is no quick answer other than working hard at it.
I dont know how good a seat you have but if you can really get sit deep ride forward but keep your leg on and get him back on his hocks this will help but will take time to achieve.
Do you have a RI that could ride him to see if they can help?
 
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Sounds like he needs help with balance, try some lungeing in canter and free school him over canter poles. When he finds his feet more, try lots of circling in a steady, collected canter. Good luck! Also, love the plait! :) xx
 
You need to work on his suppleness. He is motorbiking around the corners rather than carrying himself and bending, avoiding taking more weight onto the inside hind. Work on his suppleness and bend, making sure he is working through the body and not just the neck. As he gets stronger and more supple the balance will improve and he will be more able to stay upright.
 
One of ours was a bit like this when we got him. We found loads of suppling exercises in walk and trot helped - so plenty of circles, spiraling in and out, leg yield, etc. If you get him really bending properly and moving away from the inside leg in walk + trot you should then be able to start doing the same in the canter. We also found working on improving his other paces - getting him going forwards without rushing and using his back end properly - strengthed the muscles over his back and hindquarters so it was much easier for him to slow down, sit up and 'support' himself in the canter.

I would agree with others that with a good seat you can help him alot by sitting down and 'containing' him in the canter - but he needs the strength in the right muscles to do it so you may have to work on building this first.

It will be a long term thing - there isn't a way to suddenly change this - but it's definitely worth it. Good Luck!
 
slow him right down with lots of half halts, every other stride if necessary, to get the inside hock underneath him so he can't lean over! And lift up (don't cross) your inside hand to stop him dropping the shoulder. try going into the short side in shoulder-in in trot, and then ask for canter as you go past A (or C), this helps to stop them bombing off as they have to straighten up first. Then come back to trot at E (or B) so he can't build up some speed for the next corner.

Keep him steady and don't let him rush and it'll come right.
 
That sounds a little scary if you really can almost touch the ground when you go round the corners!!!

Ditto all the above. You need to get him bending round your inside leg. I would avoid using the inside rein to push him to the outside as that creates a false inside bend and will eventually cause him to fall out through the shoulder and also possibly tilt at the poll. The inside bend needs to come through the whole body and not just the neck.

To start off with do some basic working-in on the long side in walk and trot. Ask for flexion through the neck (making sure he doesn't overbend or tilt his head at the poll) and keep the inside leg on the girth and outside leg behind to to encourage him to bend round the inside leg. You can then reverse it to flex to the outside. It will almost be a shoulder-in or quarters-in movement but doesn't need to be as pronounced. Practice this on both reins, this will start to build up the muscles he needs to canter in a more balanced fashion round the corners. Once you've got it in walk and trot you can progress to canter.

Also always make sure he is working forwards from your inside leg into your outside rein. Eventually you shouldn't need your reins to turn a corner, you should be able to get the movement from your leg, seat and balance.

It won't be a quick fix and will take some time but making sure he is taking a true inside bend will help you get a more balanced canter round the corners.

Also (!!) just had a thought - is he tanking in canter and going at his own speed? If so, you need to use your seat and half halts to teach him that you go at the pace you dictate, practice transitions within the pace (also in trot) to let him know he goes at your pace, not his.
 
Thanks guys!
So lots of walk and trotting with shoulders ins etc to get the right muscles.

And Roody2- He is going at his own speed, half halts don't work! Will be trying a different bit tomorrow to see if it improves communication!
And I need to get lessons on other horses as I've lost my ability to sit to a canter from only having jog and gallop on him!

Thanks guys!
 
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