Relaxed upward transitions for buzzy horses?

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Flying_Form

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Hi guys,

A newer horse of mine I have as a project is coming on great. He’s quite a sharp 4 year old ISH (lots of blood!!), very buzzy but loves to please! I am currently having some trouble with upward transitions into canter - whether that be trot to canter or walk to canter. He has come on leaps and bounds in his trot - he was very rushy and unbalanced but has strengthened up and improved greatly.

I think now he’s just feeling fit and strong, so whenever I ask him for a canter - even if I ask him very quietly, he jumps into the transition, takes off for the first few strides and then rebalances himself. I have found asking on a circle, or almost leg yielding into the transition helps, and I know he’s probably just a bit weaker in the canter because we focused so much on his trot. It’s not something he does during every transition, but I’d say he does it almost half of the time. He had physio a few days ago, and the physio has confirmed he isn’t sore and has actually put on a great amount of muscle!

I have a feeling he might just be very buzzy and excited to start a bit of canter work after really working to get the trot up to standard, and as I said he is a very energetic and excitable horse, but if anyone has any ideas how to relax him when going into canter I would really appreciate it. Just don’t want him to make a habit of it!
 
At 4 years old just a forward movement in the transition is enough - I wouldn’t worry too much about it being anything else but responsive at this level of training.

Does he do the same during a canter transition when on lunge/long lines?

it sounds like lack of strength from what you’ve said, so he can’t do anything else with his energy other than go forward - which is what you want right now. The relaxation will come with balance, strength and suppleness.

If adding leg yeild pre transition seems to help then keep on using that for now.

Don’t over think it - he’s a baby, it will all come together. I think to have a forward thinking 4 year old is much easier than one that goes the other way! Xx
 
I would leg yield into the transition or one exercise I found really good for this is the snow man . Trot a smaller circle for his head, on right rein lets say, as you come to cross the centre line, change bend to left and ask for canter, canter a bigger circle for the body and again coming towards centre line trot and immediately ask for right canter for the head.
 
Another thing I did, not ideal but it worked! As my horse would throw me out of balance when he shot off I started to put a finger under my neck strap to help. So I would be trotting, then put finger under, then ask for canter. My horse is very switched on and after a few sessions he popped himself into canter each time I put my finger under the neck strap. I didnerd to use my legs, I was upright and relaxed. It really helped. Another thing I tried was getting my bum out of the seat in the transition.
 
Sounds like loss of balance in the transition to me.
Make sure, just because he is 'buzzy', you aren't holding him too much in the transition. That can cause a leap forwards as they struggle to canter with a restricting hand.

He's a 4yro so I wouldn't be too concerned.
If he can walk to canter, it will help but I would just ask with a very light/almost loose rein, let him canter a circle or 2 with praise and then transition back down.
And just repeat a few times, so it's no big deal, it's nice and relaxed from you, there's no restricting rein and he should start to find it less exciting.
If you don't want to or can't transition with a light rein, I'd go back a few steps as sounds like something more fundamental is missing.
 
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