Older loan horse struggles to canter

[Edb1511]

I recently started loaning a horse (20 years old) who will not transition into canter in the arena when asked.

She has been used for driving before so trotting is her favoured gate, though out on a hack she is happy to canter, and before a jump she will put a few strides in.

I’d like to be able to ride her around the arena in canter without jumping, so I was wondering if anyone has any ideas how to train her to listen to my aids. Every time I sit down with a deep seat and bring my outside leg behind the girth she simply tries to trot faster.

Any tips or ideas would be appreciated!

 

[Red-1]

I would pay for a lesson with an experienced trainer. They will be able to have a sit on board and tell you if they think it is educational, physical or a mis communication.

Even if it is physical it may just be that the horse needs school strength building up. Or, it could be a number of other things, some still easy to fix.

For the other two, often a driving horse will do the trotting faster thing, they need to learn balance at the slower gaits on a school before they are educated and balanced enough to canter. A trainer could help you learn to do this.

Do you canter on a hack?

 

[Smogul]

I recently started loaning a horse (20 years old) who will not transition into canter in the arena when asked.

She has been used for driving before so trotting is her favoured gate, though out on a hack she is happy to canter, and before a jump she will put a few strides in.

I’d like to be able to ride her around the arena in canter without jumping, so I was wondering if anyone has any ideas how to train her to listen to my aids. Every time I sit down with a deep seat and bring my outside leg behind the girth she simply tries to trot faster.

Any tips or ideas would be appreciated!

Did you buy her from the person who drove her? If so, ask what verbal command was used to ask for canter. I use "hup", some people use "on", some people use "canter". Use the correct verbal aid along with your ridden aid and she will soon learn to connect the two.

 

[Shay]

Red has it right with the reccomendation for an instructor. There are so many reasons why she might be reluctant to canter and you need eyes on the ground to find out why.

She could be in pain. The canter strike off requires that she bring her hind legs under her in a way trot does not. This is far more obvious in a school than on a hack. If there are issues with saddle fit, arthitis etc that might make strike off painful so she has learned to avoid it. You may not be asking in the way she expects. If you are slightly out of the saddle or twisted; or if you catch her in the mouth as soon as she strikes off she might have thought you didn't mean canter. She might be signifciantly on the forehand from driving to the extent she doesn't have the self carriage to canter with a rider. Or she might be napping.

The only way to tell is really to get qualified eyes on the ground.