Right lead canter problem :(

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Djo

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I'm sure lots of people have had canter problems and would appreciate advice. My 11 year old will not pick up right lead canter 99% of time he will pick up with the left lead. He will pick up right lead going over a small jump probably 70% of the time and if he gets it wrong he try's to change it but either front or behind but struggles to get it all changed.

I brought him about 18 months ago after losing my confidence and he has given me so much. Although we knew it was a problem, we thought we could sort it. However, he had been ridden by youngsters and they hadn't tried to sort it so we feel it is quite ingrained.

My instructor has been schooling him to help and and has tried just about every possible trick she knows such as leg yield then into canter, etc, she has him set up perfectly but he just doesn't seem to get it. He's not daft as been picking lots of other stuff really well. On saying that once he is in canter on the right leg the canter is really nice and getting more balanced each day - we are so hoping to crack this as its holding us back now :(

I have had all checks done regularly, saddle, teeth, back lady and there doesn't appear to be any physical reason. Any advice tips that has worked in similar situation would be very much appreciated.
 
A pole in the corner or on a circle, raised to the inside has been the most successful method for me dealing with this issue, use the pole until they are 100% correct, keep each canter period short as they will be a bit stiff and you don't want to discourage it by making things too tough when they are correct, gradually drop the pole to being flat, ready to lift it if they go wrong and gradually increase some of the canter periods but still keep some shorter as a reward.
Only start to ask without a pole when they are really feeling comfortable, I will normally use the pole to get canter, do 1/2 the school then trot for just a few steps coming to the next corner then ask for canter almost immediately if they are on the aids they should go straight back into the correct canter without having time to think about going onto the wrong lead, if you can do this on a circle it may be easier depending on the horse, you must make sure they do not lose the bend or drop out through the outside shoulder, which is why leg yielding does not always work as they can drop out behind you given half a chance.

I took a week to get a pony cantering correctly using this method, some lunging was also done with him, once sorted he was more than happy to canter with his young rider and never reverted.
 
You say you have had all the checks done .
But you don't say what type of back lady saw the horse unless it's a ACPAT trained physio I would pretty disregard anyone telling my horses back is ok.
Only a vet can have a stab at telling you nothing is wrong with your horse.

On setting the horse up for the canter .
To get you though the problem have you tried using counter bending also have you tried carrying a jumping whip in the outside hand and gently tapping the outside shoulder as you ask for the transition .
I also always voice train horses struggling with this I teach them to canter when I say the word then there's less distracting through the transition .
Once they get it I simply slot in the aids and wean them off the voice.

Of course it's difficult to advise because to find the way forward you need to watch the horse and assess exactly what he's doing that leads to the issue .

Ps I would also lunge
 
You say it is holding you back, patience is advised, some horses take a very long time and you have to keep on with your efforts. Agree with long reining on wide circles, walk and trot in order to condition muscles evenly. I would include trot poles. I wonder if he will offer the canter on both reins, but I would not be in a hurry to find out, and would use a pole in the corner so he almost has to canter on correct lead. Use the voice aids in the school, but try to slip him in to the canter using the inside leg out hacking when he is forward going and you are you are obviously turning.
 
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I disagree with the comment about an apcat physio as my horse had pelvis issues. It was mctimoney chiro that sorted him out and it took about 18mths for him to come right and to stay right. He still has regular checks but for over a year now he has stayed correct. He also has physio as well with an apcat physio but physio looks at muscle whereas chiro is more bone although both do a similar job. Used in conjunction with each other they will compliment each others treatments and should help everything to stay correct. If your horse is getting it wrong the majority of the time then chances are there is an as yet undiscovered physical issue causing the problem. It can also be a rider issue although as your instructor is also riding I would assume this is not the case here.
I tried all the above methods mentioned to get my horse to learn to canter but I also was blocking him with my inside hand stopping him from stepping through correctly. My horse used to get really frustrated at first with the canter work and would not give me the correct lead no matter how we tried to get it but as i now realise that was due to a physical issue as well as a mental one and once the physical issues were sorted the mental issues could be tackled as well to teach him that it would not hurt anymore.
 
Second the pole in the corner, raised to the inside, and asking for canter precisely over the pole. To canter right, the horse needs to push off from his left hind in the transition, which is the one going over the lower part of the pole. To push off from the right hind into left canter over the higher part is very awkward for them. Don't be afraid to make the angle of the pole quite steep.

An easy mistake to make is exaggerating right bend. If you try to create inside bend with the inside rein then the hindquarters will most likely disengage, swinging out to the left, and putting the right hind under the horse's body and the left hind out to the side. Striking off from the right hind into left canter is then much easier than the left hind into right. Instead, ask for a slight flexion to the right by lifting your inside hand a fraction and controlling the quarters with your outside leg back a little.

Shoulder-in is a much better exercise for positioning the outside hind for canter than leg-yield. If you can ride a shoulder-fore effort then ask for canter out of that. Many classical dressage trainers barely use leg yield because it's easy to disengage the quarters (it doesn't always necessarily do so but it's easy to get wrong).
 
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Walk to canter? I cured a couple like this. It gives you time to think clearly about the aid, to apply it clearly and "go." Also the pole, counter canter idea, as it is obviously easier for him to strike off on the left, so you could try closing down the left shoulder and opening the right, until they have got the idea. (And I know the strike off comes from the hind!)

See above post!
 
Hi everyone many thanks for the advice my back lady is a physio who is incredibly well respected in the notts Derby area and works with my vets.

We are using the jump pole in the corner and my instructor is and has been doing lots of lateral work with him such leg yield, shoulder in etc. as I said previously his canter is becoming more balanced so hopefully reinforcing a good message to him that it feels good. We do lunge also.

I will pass on all the ideas just in case we have missed something.

Thank you again, much appreciated.
 
One more thing to try which worked fabulously when I retrained my ex racehorse is to do a 10 metre circle and ask for canter on leaving the circle. Every time he strikes off wrong bring him back and repeat the exercise and as soon as he gets it right lots of praise.
 
Echo above. My boy was falling out through his left shoulder because there was too much inside bend. By asking on a circle, counter flexion from X to the side of the arena, then ask for the canter. This straightened him out and meant the right shoulder could come up rather than falling to the outside to balance himself.. It will take time but they do learn
 
My boy had trouble getting the right canter lead, solved it by asking in a straight line rather than on a corner with my outside leg rather than my inside. Sounds backwards but it worked! If you think about it, to canter right he will strike off with his left hindleg so my leg is asking for that leg to strike off.
 
I had this problem with my pony when I got him (also as an 11 year old funnily enough). Now I know strictly correctly your outside leg should just be there to support the quarters and you should ask with your inside leg but what worked for me was actually using my outside leg quite hard behind the girth and inside leg was to prevent falling in. Eventually he got the idea and became much more reliable at getting the correct lead - he was a willing little chap but he'd done nothing but hack for about 6 years so didn't really understand why I might think canter leads would be important.

Incidentally - I highly rate Bowen therapy as a means of resolving any underlying physical issues
 
The story if my life. Bought horse she had pelvic issues git fixed by a physio and she won't canter on the right lead . have tried all the above methods thousands of times but they don't work for her
 
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