How to work on an outline trough transitsion

[Frazer]

I have a 9 year old tb, very good! Jumps etc... Works in a good outline and enages her hindquatres very well! Good dressage horse really but im into jumping. She will work on an outline. She hasn't been in work long as having about 2 years off because of injury jumping. I cant get her to stay on her outline trough transitsions. I have tried nearly everthing in my knowledge, i dont ask her anything differennt just apply some leg aids. Today i put some draw reins on her for a 10 mins warmup and they did very well in walk and trot but going into canter she just flung her head about like normal. Does anyone know how to sort this out? Or anyone else have this problem. Will it look bad in riding classes.

 

[Bossanova]

It's just a muscle memory that needs changing- if she's always done it then it will take some time to alter. It's perhaps a little unorthodox but try moving your hands down lower just before the transition, as a pair of side reins would be and holding them very still there through the transition. Once you can start to teach her the new way of going through a transition, you can ride it more normally.
Also try to wean her off your leg aids- the seat aids enable you to ask much more subtely and you shouldnt get the over-reaction. You should be able to get a canter transition just by opening your outer hip slightly (as you would when moving your leg back) and moving your inside hip forwards to encourage the inside hind forwards.

 

[Peanot]

I found that this worked. My instructor told me that when I am going to ask for canter, sit to the trot until she is going nicely in an outline, (as when I went into sitting trot, she would come above the vertical), and then ask for canter. I did this a couple of times and she started to keep her outline.
So if I haven`t made it clear, I mean that when you want to canter, sit to the trot so as she isn`t anticipating the canter, and then ask her for canter when she is settled. I had to do this from walk to trot and trot to walk. It worked. Good luck.