Obstructive ponies... help please!

[SummerStorm]

I'm currently trying to teach Silver how to do walk to canter transitions when I'm schooling him but we've hit a brick wall and I need some ideas...

Walk to canter on the left rein is almost perfect - the change isn't progressive at all and he stays round (well, his definition of round anyway

) during it. He also stays balanced throught it and is happy to do both canter-trot transitions at any point including immediately after it as well as canter to walk, although this is still a bit progressive.

The issue comes with the right rein...

Walk-canter just doesn't happen at all - I get get as far as asking for trot at A and then canter at K which he is fine with but as soon as I try and shorten that distance, all the toys go out of the pram and he throws a classic Silver tantrum and charges off. On the straight side of the school, so long as he gets 1 letter to the next letter's worth of trot, he'll canter easily on the correct leg. Any shorter distance, including on/before/after corners, he'll go onto the wrong leg.

So far, I've tried:

- asking on/after/just before corners
- asking down the long side
- circling at walk both on 20m and 10m circles first
- making sure he's bent around my inside leg
- going over a pole

what's really daft is that he's perfectly capable of cantering nicely on the right rein and will do walk to canter onto either leg when we're jumping/competing

Once he's in canter, he's also capable of 10m circles nicely as well as flying changes/counter canter.

So, any ideas are gratefully received as I've run out them atm

Thanks a million,

~SF xxx

 

[alfirules]

i cant really suggest anything to help, but if i encounter a schooling problem i have a lesson with an instructor and ask them for help on solving the problem. that way they can see the problem and they have better understanding of what the problem is so they will probably be able to help you
. thats all i can say. hope you resolve the issue!

 

[not_with_it]

It sounds like a balance issue, ask for canter and keep him cantering until he finds his balance. Dont ask him to stop. Its tricky without seeing him but when asking for canter if he doesnt respond try tickling him with the stick so that he understands what you want. Even if he strikes off on the wrong lead let him go forward so that he doesnt get confused of what you are asking. Once he is established and knows it is an aid to go forward then you can start correcting his legs, bringing him backa and asking again.

 

[piebaldsparkle]

How about trying leg yield to canter.

 

[SummerStorm]

Hadn't though of that - thanks! And alfiules, I'll ask my instructor tomoz for her thoughts too I just didn't see her tonight. Thanks for your thoughts though!

nat1003 - he's good at going forwards it's just he's on the wrong leg. I'm not particularly proud of the fact that my pony would rather try and canter a 10m circle on the wrong leg rather than the right one...

 

[Bess]

What does he do if you lunge him? Does he go off on the right leg then, or is he stiffer on one side than the other?