New horse progress

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Germolene

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I've had my new mare for about 9 weeks now and I was told that I'd never get her to canter on the lunge line (because she's half trotter)....well I have managed to, much to my amazement, was so happy, but now I'm at the point where I'm schooling her and wondering how she'll react if I try to push for canter under saddle. She does kind of buck when she goes into canter on the lunge, but only the left rein as this is her worst. So I'm wondering if this'll happen under saddle and what's the best way to go about it?!? She's trotting nicely, really listening to me, although I do have to half halt to slow her down as she covers the ground rather fast in trot! I just don't know wether to let her run into a canter to get a few strides or to keep it very slow and just keep asking at the corners. But I get the feeling that nothing will happen this way?!? To get her to canter on the lunge I did have to really get on at her, and even use the lunge whip in a circling motion..

Any advise would be much appreciated :)
 
I helped my friend get her young, reluctant canterer (Welsh D who loved to trot) going. We went out on a hack together on a route with a big hill that you could canter up. I went in the lead and got my mare cantering nicely. She shouted for me to go a bit faster as her boy was keeping up with us in trot, so I asked for a faster canter and her boy popped into canter so that he could keep up. No fuss, no bother and they both pulled up nicely at the top of the hill.

Could you try something similar?
 
When I first got her, I had her on trial at a friends yard and I rode her up an down the lane there, but I couldn't get her into canter and not did my more experienced friend...well she maybe started on her back legs but still trotting on front (if you know what I mean ha ha) but I see what you mean about another horse being with us. I do feel like she would canter behind another horse quite gladly but this wont help when I'm schooling her on my own... I guess what I'm wondering is wether getting her to run into a canter (which is usually a definite no no) would be better for her seeing as she's never been allowed to canter before....
 
As you get her to canter out on hacks, you say 'canter' as she does the transition (even if she goes into canter to keep up with another horse. As she goes into canter on the lunge, you say 'canter'.

She learns the voice command and that will help when you ask for canter when you are riding her in the school.
 
Agree with faircat. My baby ex racer was really struggling with canter in the ménage. Partly due to balance etc, having to bend and with the transition aids.
We found it was really useful to practice out on hacks with plenty of voice comands and praise :)
 
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