Ideas for Improving Pickles Canter

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JessPickle

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Basically pickles canter when in the school involves quite a low head carriage, and he goes very long not up together at all. I have tried before to change this but am struggling. Out hacking he canter really nicely with his head up and all checked up and together he looks lovely like that.

Anyway here is a video of someone from my yard cantering him
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=1685486238479414254

Any tips or advise?
 
For me you are lacking impulsion - he needs more energy from behind to push him along and upwards. If you are on a hack he is probably much keener and so creates the impulsion himself as he has more desire to go forwards.

I would work at getting him better off your leg - Do you need to kick to get him to trot or canter? He should just go off a touch if possible.
I would work at getting him a bit more forwards and wound up as he looks pretty laid back. Stand in one corner of the school shout go and kick and canter as fast as possible to the other side. Next time he should be more aware and this will get him off your leg and a bit more awake. With him more awake and forwards you can then play at getting his canter faster and slower which will all improve his impulsion.
 
Yes he does tend to lack impulsion and does need to bee kicked. I have tried giving him a hard kick and making him canter faster but he just carries on at his pace out right ignoring you!
 
Do you have a schooling whip? Every time he ignores your squeeze you give him 3 BIG pony club style kicks in quick succession and a flick with the whip and send him forwards. It takes a while sometimes but they do work out it is better to go straight away than have the kicks and flick. But even out hacking you need to remind them. The standing at one end saying go and kicking works really well as well. It gets them thinking forwards.
 
Ok will try that next time I ride him

The silly thing is he is like a different horse out hacking, really responsive ride with a lovely canter (allthough that took a lot of work as when i first got him he was a lunatic out that enjoyed galloping everywhere)
 
Do you lunge? Its the best way to get your horse moving well because your on ground and can really work on getting him using himself propely. Side reins I think would help him too. Ridden carry a schooling whip to tickle him to listen to your legs. Try not to workhard to get him to do it, It will backfire...Once you have asked him to canter teach him to keep the canter in a good steady rolling pace until you ask for anything else.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Do you have a schooling whip? Every time he ignores your squeeze you give him 3 BIG pony club style kicks in quick succession and a flick with the whip and send him forwards. It takes a while sometimes but they do work out it is better to go straight away than have the kicks and flick.

[/ QUOTE ]

so I am not 'the mental bird riding' this is exactly what I do with my lazy cob type in the skool, works a treat, got to the stage that as soon as legs come out he is off, no need for whip any more !!!!!!! Just a couple more steps to go !!!!

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My mare canters VERY like Pickle in the school if she can get away with it, and is much better out hacking. What lec says makes a LOT of sense, you need to work on getting the horse in front of the leg and, above everything else, LISTENING TO THE RIDER AND THE LEG!!!! I have to disagree with FMN (sorry
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) this is not something you will solve with the aid of side reins OR ground work. And if you carry a whip do not use it to "tickle", you need to immediately back up your leg with a proper whip aid and you want the response to be immediate too - tickling will not help. I am NOT talking about whacking him BTW, just a good *I mean it* flick and you want him bouncing forwards. This is how I am improving my canter and it DOES work.
 
ah glad to hear its not just me with a horse that is completely different in and out!

Will try that then, he is lunged twice a week. Once with a novice rider that is learning to ride and once with my dad. To be honest lunging wont make much difference as he is speedy on the lunge anyway!

Thanks for the help will update with a new video

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