Pony bending wrong way in canter

[littlelessbloom]

I can't remember if I've mentioned this before on here but I need some help.

My girl has always been a bit wonky but her right canter is really starting to stress me out. She bends completely to the outside (not so bad when we are jumping). Vet has been and done flexion tests and said she is sound. Instructor thinks she's just weak on her inside hind leg so balances herself by looking to the outside.

She's got quite a solid neck and can fix it, which is often part of the problem. I rode her yesterday and she was doing it in trot too, but after a lot of suppling work, she did start actually bending correctly. But she was really tense in general yesterday as something was happening next door.

I think it's a training issue as I've done the stupid thing of holding her out when she does this. She seems to completely ignore my leg when in canter as I have started actually using it properly to try and push her out but if I use the inside rein for a bit of flexion, she just follows it. All I want is to straighten her up!

She's better on the left rein, but she's not the most supple of ponies. She's also better if she's been jumping and we then go and do flatwork. Potentially could be lack of strength/push from hind end as well as my riding/mistakes?

Any advice/exercises to try? She's recently been seen by the chiro who said her poll and pelvis were out.

 

[sbloom]

Horses are asymmetrical for complex reasons, but you'll find that most trainers and even bodyworkers approach it a bit simplistically. I would ask the chiro for some exercises, otherwise those corrections he or she makes just won't hold. I would look at resources on the web/Facebook such as Straightness Training, Manolo Mendez, Jenku etc who all look at straightness holistically. If a horse is crooked they can't even work over their backs and ultimately you're building up problems.

The rotation in her ribcage (always present when there's crookedness present) will often cause saddle slip, or push your leg away, or both so not only is it hard for you to use your leg but she's not well placed to move away from it.

Don't panic, and most will say "just do this suppling exercise" but it's never a bad idea to have a deeper understanding of what's going on, and consider really fixing it from the bottom up.

Making a horse bend its body to the extent that you get massive mental tension, is unlikely to fix the issue, and your instinct is agreeing with this.

 

[scats]

Does she leg yield? I think a bit of lateral work is going to be your friend here to get her used to the idea that she has to move away from your leg.

 

[littlelessbloom]

Yes, she leg yields - we've only really done it in walk and trot as those paces were struggling too. She's better on the left rein than the right. I've tried it in canter, but she just runs. I think I'll focus on canter LY in our next session.

Just as an fyi, she always strikes off on the correct canter lead even on the right rein (unless I totally fudge up the transition). She's more difficult to get into canter though, as in the transition isn't as smooth or quick as the left rein.

 

[TheMule]

I don’t think you're going to solve the canter issue in canter. As sbloom says above, you would be better off focusing on improving the horse's whole way of going from the beginning- achieve true straightness and control of the shoulders and quarters in walk, then trot and finally canter- that is a long term project, it will months, not weeks

 

[littlelessbloom]

She's always been a bit like this and it did get much better last summer but then it started going down hill again in the past few months. I've been given exercises to stretch her right hind as we think that's where the issue lays. Chiro and physio say they don't think there's anything seriously wrong as she does strike off correctly and doesn't seem to be presenting any other issues apart from the bending which - like I said - I think I have exaggerated by trying to hold her out instead of push her out.

 

[Equi]

Have you ever had a physio yourself? You could be equally as bent. My horse and I have the same affliction which can make work on one side harder for use both so I have to be hyper aware of my body and we both have special stretches to do on our wonky side lol

 

[sbloom]

I'll reiterate what I said. You didn't get to the root of the problem in the summer, and stretches aren't enough, you need the sort of work you'll find in the resources I recommended to you. Very crooked as a habit isn't the same as "something seriously wrong" but best to fix, and even some bodyworkers aren't "into" posture and straightness as much as others. And yes, make sure you are straight skeletally, and in your riding. A biomech riding instructor can be a great idea, but only if horse, rider AND saddle are being addressed together really, otherwise it can be a waste of time and money.

 

[littlelessbloom]

Have you ever had a physio yourself? You could be equally as bent. My horse and I have the same affliction which can make work on one side harder for use both so I have to be hyper aware of my body and we both have special stretches to do on our wonky side lol

I've never had the physio myself but I am aware that I am also crooked and do try and correct myself. I think this is possibly why she's better when jumping courses and hacking as I'm concentrating on other things

 

[littlelessbloom]

I'll reiterate what I said. You didn't get to the root of the problem in the summer, and stretches aren't enough, you need the sort of work you'll find in the resources I recommended to you. Very crooked as a habit isn't the same as "something seriously wrong" but best to fix, and even some bodyworkers aren't "into" posture and straightness as much as others. And yes, make sure you are straight skeletally, and in your riding. A biomech riding instructor can be a great idea, but only if horse, rider AND saddle are being addressed together really, otherwise it can be a waste of time and money.

Thank you. I'll look into those resources

 

[sbloom]

I know I'm a whingy purist but the longer I do my job (saddle fitter) the more I believe in it.

 

[littlelessbloom]

I know I'm a whingy purist but the longer I do my job (saddle fitter) the more I believe in it.

Oh no you're not coming off as a whingy purist. I've read some of the stuff and downloaded the straightness training ebook and it is really helpful. You've given me food for thought and directed me towards ways I can help fix it. I'm feeling a lot less deflated about it, as I've realised that it's a common thing and she's not necessarily completely broken, but only I have the tools to fix her!

 

[sbloom]

Oh no you're not coming off as a whingy purist. I've read some of the stuff and downloaded the straightness training ebook and it is really helpful. You've given me food for thought and directed me towards ways I can help fix it. I'm feeling a lot less deflated about it, as I've realised that it's a common thing and she's not necessarily completely broken, but only I have the tools to fix her!

Fabulous, I'm sure there are some longstanding members roll their eyes at me but if they saw what I saw...

 

[tallyho!]

Agree with sbloom!
I went on a biomechanics clinic around 10 years ago and they took a photo of me sitting “straight”... errr my buttons were staring far off into the near side distance!!! No wonder my horse twisted when asked for bend... I was trapping her off fore shoulder like a vice!

Such a simple thing as changing my hip alignment made an INSTANT difference. I highly recommend a classical riding approach whichever one you choose...

 

[MissTyc]

I once had a riding lesson with a trained physio. My horse and I had never gelled with the leg yields to the right. The lady poked her fingers into my hip and touched my horse's ribs and something instantly went click inside me, softened inside my horse and we flew to the side like Valegro. I found myself a dressage trainer who specialises in biomechanics. This was almost 10 years ago and "magically" my horses over the last ten years have all been so much "easier" ...

 

[Leandy]

Leg yield and shoulder fore but really anything to improve your contact down the rein and connection over the back. If the horse is working correctly over the back into an even contact in both reins it is not physically possible to bend to the outside on a circle unless you expressly ask for it. If your instructor is not able to work with you constructively to improve the general way of going, I would look for a new instructor.