Keeps going into canter!

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ilovejake

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When I have been hacking out my loan pony because it has been very wet, I haven't been able to go in a field and get the energy out of him! So I have to trot him up a track which is to hard to canter. He is a very fit pony and every time I ask him to trot he jumps into canter! Once he decided that he didn't want to stop cantering, so when I tried to stop him he bolt all the way down the HARD road (me not being the most confident rider) I couldn't stop him no matter how hard I tried! :mad:

Anyone else having problems with their ponies being fresh but not being able to exercise them well enough?
 
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Although the pony is fresh and fit, he should still be listening to you! Do you ride him all the time or just a few days a week, shared with his owner? Is there no way you can lunge him quickly first before getting on?

I think that as it is (quite frankly) unsafe for you to hack him in anything faster than a walk at the moment, that you should stick to walking him out for the time being, presumably he is fine in walk and only wants to canter when you start to trot? If you are in a suitable space, do a few exercises to ensure that he is listening to you - walk-halt-walk transitions; flexing his neck either side; leg yielding etc, try to keep him occupied on something other than running away with you.

Also, I wouldn't usually suggest this for a fresh horse as that is different to strength, but as your safety is most important, maybe try a running martingale or a slightly stronger bit? Also cut out any heating feed that he is on at the moment, with all this rain the grass will be coming through soon and you don't want him to have any more sugar!
 
I share him and ride him 2 times a week normally (during school). Normally he is lovely and not strong he just seems to be fresh recently when i last rode him he was ok because his owner rode him before me in the morning.
 
He needs more work, pure and simple - no matter how difficult you may find providing it.

How long have you known him? Sometimes ponies like to "try it on" with a new rider to see what they can get away with! The more he does, the more difficult it will be to cure him.

I advise patient, quiet repetition. When you go to see him - make sure that you have plenty of time so if he misbehaves you can stay until he does it all again until he does it your way. Don't beat him up but be firm.

I bought my mare ( quite a bit bigger I'd think!) from a school where she was used mainly for learner's lunge lessons - the only time she went out was when instructors sneaked off for a jolly - in consequence she was dynamite with a lit fuse on my first hacks!

Now I quite liked that kind of thing but it can be dangerous so you must find a way of putting in some more time on ride in an enclosed area at first till he's calmed down!
 
Did he stop at the road in the end? How about trotting on the roads to offload some energy at the beginning of your hacks before you go near his usual 'canter places'? Was this track a place you could usually canter but couldn't because of weather? Can you go the other way round so not towards the road?

I have ridden a lot of horses who get used to cantering on any stretch of decent looking track and often it was a choice of walk or bomb off, no in between until you have really worked on regaining control, so it might be best you insist he walks with your body energy low, trying not to tense up and as loose a rein as you can manage, get him used to that (if he jogs or takes off in trot you will have more chance to bring him back before any real bombing off occurs), and you could try some walk trot transitions once he is walking sensibly.

I also sometimes make them walk sensibly back over a track they have just bombed off on, they hate it but I keep doing it til they walk sensibly back over it.

Also if you have a place where there is a lot of space for a canter/gallop you can practise transitions within the pace so he knows when you actually do want him to go faster! Might still be too wet everywhere though, bring on summer!
 
ilovejake said:
I have known him only two months but in the first month he was an absolute angel and didn't try anything!
Click to expand...

So what's changed? Has he been in more? Change of feed? Less riding? Mind you - it doesn't need to be any of these - it could just as easily be the change in the weather!
 
My horse has become a little bit sharper since coming in and getting feeds and hayladge. But she always does this. The further into the winter, the sharper she gets. She gets exercised 5-6 times a week, weekends hacking, and we're lucky to have some lovely grassy tracks that haven't flooded so we can get rid of energy. But we have all sorts of acrobatics despite the canter work and hill work, latest thing is the launch herself into the air, land, rear and then spin and do it all over again :rolleyes: This is better than last year though, last year was rearing at the mounting block or cantering on the spot next to it :rolleyes: before someone jumps on me, teeth, back, vet etc all checked, theres nothing wrong with her, its just the way she is and always has been, it doesn't bother me and she's not ridden by anyone else so i'm not bothered, she goes back to her polite lovely self if summer :)
 
We are going out for our first hack in a couple of weeks tomorrow and I know my mare and my friends tb are going to be very fresh! I'm going to trot her until she seems calm enough other wise I know she'll tank off!

I know that prob doesn't help you though as you are finding it difficult to trot! What I've been doing with my girly in the school is just walking her round then trotting small circles then back to walk other wise she would of tanked off, she is so full of it ATM since not doing much recently! Hoping by the end of the week she'll be back in the swing of it!
 
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