How to train a correct canter strike off

r0450111

r0450111

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My boy is a 13 yr old ex racer who only canters on the left lead. He is capable of canter on the right lead, all physical checks have been done (and when we jump, he can change onto his right canter lead). He just loves the left lead!

So any tips, ideas or exercises to help him strike off correctly? He is so capable, we got 66% in our last dressage test, winning the class but obviously got a 5 for his right canter lead!

I know it may never be 100% correct strike off, seen as he's 13 now, but would like to try to correct it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMuxwmNdoAo

This is our last dressage test, which was marked at 66%. Perfectly well aware of my riding flaws and so would really rather not be told how rubbish i am! He is also on loan to me and as such will not entertain nastiness about him.
 
Firstly, I think you need to shorten your reins as you aren't providing him with the best contact for him to take and work into correctly. You need a good trot off your leg and really listening to you, so lots of walk, trot transitions to start would be ideal. I would be really exaggerating the bend and looking up over your outside shoulder whilst asking, to stop you tipping down and forwards and exacerbating the problem, you need to keep as in balance as poss to make it favourable for him to take the correct lead. Also, I would not be allowing him to canter round on the incorrect lead, but straight back down into trot (no more than 2-3 strides so he doesn't feel it's a way of *getting out* of cantering) and ask again. Then when he gets it right a 'gooooooood boy' won't go amiss :) Good luck :)
 
What a lovely sweet boy!
To me he looks stiff in both hind legs but particularly the right hind, has he had a full investigation for hindleg lameness? You need to be able to get genuine bend in both directions to get more suppleness- he's stiff as a board throughout and that will make it very hard to get right canter
 
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TheMule said:
What a lovely sweet boy!
To me he looks stiff in both hind legs but particularly the right hind, has he had a full investigation for hindleg lameness? You need to be able to get genuine bend in both directions to get more suppleness- he's stiff as a board throughout and that will make it very hard to get right canter
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I agree with this, and he isn't balanced enough to get a good strike off. Do you have a good instructor who can help you get him more engaged and balanced?
 
I agree he looks very stiff behind, particularly on that right hind.

My exracer was the same, could canter on the right leg but couldn't strike off correctly. After thorough vets investigation he has hock spavins and issues with his SI, he's now had both injected and is improving but still unable to get a clean strike off.
 
He has got hock arthritis, which is managed with magnetic boots, long warm ups and cool downs plus a joint supplement. Its alot better than it was, but there is still some stiffness. We do groundwork/raised pole work once a weekish.

I could do cue right lead canter till we're both dead from exhaustion and he just doesnt do it. Dont think he ever has stuck off correctly for any long period of time so its a really steep thing to get his head round. I'm the first person that has asked him to work forward and correctly. The last time he was striking off correctly, was i think, about 2 years ago and it was for a few weeks then he was allowed to revert.

If i ride his with shorter reins, he leans terribly. He's very very on the forehand and i think he's just not strong enough yet to work to a shorter frame. It is an aim, but its going to take time to build up the muscle. Used to get on him and have 1/2 mile of neck in front, it has improved alot. We're getting there!

Ideal world, yes i would haul him in and jab his hocks alas he isnt insured (and isnt insurable anyway!) and the money simpy isnt there. That being said, if he became uncomfortable, me and his owner would get him sorted out. Physio is very happy with him as is the vet.
 
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If you are taught by Francois Lemaire Ruffieu (ex Cadre Noir) he tells you never to transition back to trot if they are on the wrong lead. Basically it is uncomfortable for them to canter wrong, especially if you get used to cantering a 20 m circle, so they have to live with the wrong choice. Do a couple of circuits, then some more trot and ask again.
And also do you know the spirals exercise? Spiral in to the centre of a 20m circle, making sure you have as good a bend as you can, then spiral out by using your inside leg. As you rejoin the 20m circle, ask for canter depart. Another thing I have found with horses who persist in the wrong lead is to slightly open the inside shoulder and free it up - in other words as you reach the corner in which you ask for canter, slightly flex his head to the outside. If his shoulder is cramped he can't lead with that foreleg.
 
Ok, if he has diagnosed hock arthritis then there's your problem.
I'm sorry, I dont think he's up to the job without a bit of pain relief at this stage. He's lamer than mine who is fully retired due to hock arthritis. On 1 bute a day maybe he'll carry on being a useful riding horse- worth a try as he's still comparatively young
 
I'm going to go with TM (with the usual 'not seen, not sat on' qualifier). I know Scarlett's horse and his situation is very similar, if anything less pronounced, and very much a common pattern. S's horse will sometimes get the lead if the stars align and will swap onto it but that doesn't make it any less a physical problem.

Re the keping cantering, as with most training, works for some not for others. If the issue is discomfort - and it sounds a classic case - then it will take an immense amount of pressure to make the bad lead the preferred choice and the rider will have to be very correct and supportive to get any consistency. It may be, if the horse is made comfortable the preference may still exist after 2 years but you might be surprised how easily the problem disappears.

Just to be pedantic, having the shoulder to the inside a bit (which can be done by having a slight outside position) in the strike off is about the balance/leg that initiates the transition, which is the outside hind leg. It is true though that too much inside bend blocking the shoulder, especially if the shoulder falls out, will put any horse off picking up the lead
 
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r0450111 said:
. . . . all physical checks have been done. . . .
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I've just come back to this . . . sorry, OP, I'm not picking on you but just wanted to say that usually when I see this I read "all physical checks have been done and nothing suspicious has been found" but have just realised that is assumption! Just out of curiosity, can I ask how this horse was diagnosed with spavins? I'm just interested (for my own info so pm if preferred) how the horse was diagnosed but then pronounced "sound" to the point where the problem would not potentially affect his work.
 
Was being checked over. Trotted up and vet said was very stiff in hocks. Asked his history (40+ starts flat and hurdles) then said was highly likely to have hock arthritis. To look after him and keep him moving. Physio was out shortly after and agreed was hock arthritis. He's improved a lot in the year I've had him. Jumps 1m for fun! Haven't done any 'investigations' as he's happy enough as he is. He isn't a world beater and there's no pressure for him to do more than he's able. Course he is able to strike off in right canter. He does it for fun in the field, on the lunge even on the rare occasion on a hack!
 
r0450111 said:
Course he is able to strike off in right canter. He does it for fun in the field, on the lunge even on the rare occasion on a hack!
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Okay, fair enough. Then the question becomes why not with you in the school? If he can do it easily otherwise then he's not "refusing" to do it under saddle just to be difficult. How is he with another rider, preferably a very skilled one? Do you have any issues getting clean, balanced transitions on other horses?

As a general note, he has improved in his way of going because you have managed and conditioned him well but arthritic changes are degenerative by definition. It's quite common for people to say, "But he was okay last month/year!" But that doesn't mean much for today. I've looked after and ridden many horses that have had their hocks injected and it was interesting the subtle changes that happened when they were due - "losing a lead" was quite far down the list.

Anyway, as you say, potential physical issues are not open for discussion. So get someone to really assess your position and asking, to make sure you are doing all you can to help him, and then work on the exercise suggested and see what happens.
 
I reassess him everyday and we have regular videos done so i can compare movement. He will at some point need to either have his hocks done or enjoy a greatly reduced workload. There's no pressure on him to prove anything to me. He's given me some fab memories and unbelievable lightbulb moments.

The only reason he doesn't strike off on the right canter lead, is simply due to the fact that he hasn't had to for 13 years. Its always been optional. Now the rules are changing. Now it isn't enough to simply get into canter any old how and struggle to maintain it round the school.

I will try the exercises and see how we get on.
 
r0450111 said:
Course he is able to strike off in right canter. He does it for fun in the field, on the lunge even on the rare occasion on a hack!
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So could my boy. He would take the correct lead when jumping, or sometimes hacking, he would always change onto the correct lead even usually within 2-3 strides of the transition. Just because he could do it occasionally didn't mean there wasn't a large, and quite serious, medical reason behind it. The transition in the school, esp on a circle, requires them to use the inside hind in a way that is different from out hacking in a straight line. He's not choosing to do this, horses don't think like that, he's reacting to the situation he has been put in and, IMO, that is doing what you want him to do hurts so he is finding a way around it.

If I were you I would be seeking further professional help - physio, vet, experienced rider/trainer - and finding the reason why.

Good luck.
 
I've had my cob for 5 years and she has always struggled with her canter in general to the point we were lucky if all legs were on the same lead but we have recently started having lessons and instructor has worked miracles have found lots of leg yielding can help to get her sitting on hocks ready to strike of and then in trot on a 20m circle spiral in to the middle then leg yield back out to the track again spiralling and then canter when you reach the track this seems to of really helped my little mare
Hope this helps and Good Luck :)
 
I Agree with this! Don't think the only reaon he isn't doing it is because he hasn't had to in 13yrs.... Am NOT Critising BUT you don't seem to be giving him the correct aids for canter, its all very rushed & your reins need to be shortened up and you need to sit back on your seat so not balancing on the reins - if you are more in balance with him he may find it a bit easier.... Defo try all the exercises suggested - good luck:)

TarrSteps said:
Okay, fair enough. Then the question becomes why not with you in the school? If he can do it easily otherwise then he's not "refusing" to do it under saddle just to be difficult. How is he with another rider, preferably a very skilled one? Do you have any issues getting clean, balanced transitions on other horses?

As a general note, he has improved in his way of going because you have managed and conditioned him well but arthritic changes are degenerative by definition. It's quite common for people to say, "But he was okay last month/year!" But that doesn't mean much for today. I've looked after and ridden many horses that have had their hocks injected and it was interesting the subtle changes that happened when they were due - "losing a lead" was quite far down the list.

Anyway, as you say, potential physical issues are not open for discussion. So get someone to really assess your position and asking, to make sure you are doing all you can to help him, and then work on the exercise suggested and see what happens.
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Hi

I have an ex racer who has had problems with the Left Canter Lead. I say 'had' because 99% of the time now he will get it correct but it has taken a lot of work. I still have to prepare for it much more than going the other way. I have tried all sorts of things to get to this point. Now I find opening the left hand away from his neck to exaggerate the bend helps. Also not only putting outside leg back behind the girth but pushing my left hip forwards and really sitting up. The temptation is to tip forward but that just exacerbates the problem. I found lessons helped or even just having someone on the ground who can tell you whats going wrong.

My boy went through a phase of getting really stroppy if you tried to correct the wrong lead but I think that is fairly typical TB.I remember spending ages in lessons trying to get the correct lead with both of us getting wound up. My instructor got on a couple of times when this happened which really helped , although she did say' he's not easy.'

For what it's worth he also has hock arthritis and has bone spavin. I had his hocks injected when he was nearly 6 and he is now well into his 7th year and continuing to move better and better. He has physio every 3-6 months and she says she is now just dealing with wear and tear and not compensation from the bone spavins. He now tracks up really well and has 3 good paces.

Pushing him up into more of a contact will also help his balance. Will he get the correct lead on the lunge?
 
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Well, as you have vetoed being told how rubbish you are and don't want "nastiness" about the horse (what's that?), you have removed 99% of the possible reasons for your horse's schooling difficulties. I have a horse with diagnosed hock arthritis (by radio-graph); he strikes off on the correct lead when asked correctly.
 
personally just from watching that video I don't think your horse is physically incapable of taking the right hand lead in canter. I think he simply prefers to take the left and since no one objects to him doing that he does. To correct this I do think that you need to ride with a shorter contact - you say he leans when you do this but the heavyness of the contact is up to you the rider - a horse cannot lean if there is nothing to lean on - and it is possible to create this light fluid contact without having long reins. You certainly don't have to, as you describe it, 'haul him in'. But you need to find a way for the contact to stay consistent before during and after the transition. I am sure this is something you can learn to do. i would also guess from looking at him that someone at some point rode him in a shorter rounder frame as he seems to know this way of going for a stride or two now and again. Best of luck!
 
I'm no expert but to me it's a combination of 2 factors. Firstly his lack of ability to bring his hocks underneath him. To get the correct lead the shoulder needs to be opened up and bringing the hocks under helps support the weight of the horse to allow the shoulder to swing. Have you thought about having the hocks injected? Secondly, he's not through and together enough in the transition. You shouldn't be hauling him in but they needs to be more connection between your seat, reins and him. It's all a bit strung out so the support he needs to encourage a correct transition isn't quite there. When your instructor rides him do they pick up a correct transition?
 
My four year old kept doing this, and my trainer said it was me being off balance, not the horse. I got this training download from iride called balanced canter transitions, you download to your phone and ride to it with earphones in. It helped loads, talks you through a lesson while checking your position and balance constantly. V good.
 
I have to overdo the inside bend a bit with mine, he's so balanced in canter he really doesn't care what lead he's on, sometimes takes me a second to realise if it's wrong!!
 
Pigeon said:
I have to overdo the inside bend a bit with mine, he's so balanced in canter he really doesn't care what lead he's on, sometimes takes me a second to realise if it's wrong!!
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i totally agree with this as i had the same problem with my ex racer, very un balanced going into left rein canter and over doing the bend let him strike off correctly every time, and also my seat was giving him the wrong signals, so by looking to the outside as i asked for the canter must have moved my seat enough for him to be balanced to take off on the right lead, strange but it really worked, now I would say that 99% of the time he does strike off on the correct canter lead but this is through a hell of a lot of transition work (i also found that working on a lot of counter flexion in trot and canter allowed him to become a lot more supple which helped.)
good luck with your horse.
 
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