Improving canter - general HELP!

[WishfulThinker]

OK, We have been working on our walk and trot, and now seem to have them a lot better (although OMG, its actually hard to do a straight line in walk!!). Although we are still having some problems with a right bend (if I change the aids to what they are meant to be for the right rein/bend he will come off the track and bend left!!!)

But our canter is still abysmal, especially on a circle. Well it feels/looks abysmal from where I am sitting. He will canter 3/4 a circle then suddenly go back to a fast extended bouncy trot, despite me riding him forward and having a good contact on the reins (not flappy!). But then suddenly out the blue he will easily canter a 10m circle - it's like I get no bend or extreme bend from the same contact.

So I need tips! Please

We are now at a dressage yard so I will be hopefully booking a lesson in the next month.

 

[Bossanova]

Re the problems with right bend- make sure your inside leg isnt too back and that you arent being too strong with the inside hand. Turn your belly button to the inside and pull your inside shoulder back. The bend is created with inside leg at the girth into outside hand and that is most easily acehived by doing lots of spiral circles.

If he's breaking in the canter then when you feel him about to drop down, just a click of the tonuge or a tickle with the schooling whip will be a better aid than a kick or a panicked pick up. If he does drop back to trot, slow it down immediately, wait and canter when he's balanced and ready. Dont have too much bend in the canter- it's best to have him straight first by riding squares or diamonds and then when the rhythm is more consistant, you can start to work him around the inde leg because the straight lines should set him up in the outside hand nicely.

 

[WishfulThinker]

Oh, it is my right/inside leg that is right on/just behind the girth. I think my left leg is the problem (I have probs with it since broke foot 7 years ago). I use the reins with the keepers on them so that I know I am at the same point on both, and I was taught that to turn/achieve bend turn the body and look where u want to go, and as u do the rein comes away from the neck, inviting the horse to bend that way. Mine just keeps declining the invite

. We can do very good teeny tiny little circles with NO leg on and a small rein gesture - this is another thing driving me potty!

I thought maybe it was my pelvis, so as an experiment I have been mounting from the wrong side (from a block of course) and doing stretching before hand - which shows some improvement.


It is just all drivingme so potty as I KNOW I can do it!! I used to school very good dressage horses but I seem to have forgotten it all and my body will NOT co-operate!!

 

[mickey]

The thing about you asking for right bend and he leaves the track and bends left sounds really odd. I agree with the other post that you should turn your body right when on a right circle. On the straight though it is a case of a SMALL amount of inside hand. You really need to get inside leg to outside hand. If you are using too much outside leg then sure - that may well get him off the track. Perhaps this is where your problem lies. The other possibility if he consistently finds the right rein hard, is that he has a stiffness down the left side. You may want to get a physio to check it out. Doing lots of small flexions on each rein will help (riding straight in between each flexion of the neck).
If you can't get a straight walk then check you are using an even pressure with both legs and that your hands are level with an even contact on both reins. If your horse is not going forward properly this could cause him to wiggle. Really get him off the leg.
I don't know about the canter, although I agree with Bossanova's comments about getting a good balanced trot if he breaks, and not rushing into canter. If you keep correcting him it should help. Lots of transitions will also help him to gain balance.