Schooling advice please, in canter

alicedove

alicedove

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Anyone out there want a heavy post to deal with?

Do any of you lovely people have any tips for us please? I have an ex showjumper, who when I got her (four months ago) cantered stiffly. So I have been correcting this and longed, more or less "undid" what she, until then, thought was right.

Now we have an okay canter (once she gets going) in one rein but not so much the other. A pretty decent trot, but this can't be really good or the canter would be, too.

Terrible transition/strike-off. She runs into it and seems to need a whole load of rein, only once she is in canter does it improve. Then its still stiff one way and she will try to fall in the other way too.

How can I improve this, what should I be working on?
 
First have you elininated that her teeth are ok, back and saddle fits?

Have you tried her on the lunge to see if she is better or worse? Probably lunging in a Pessoa may help her muscle and develope.

When riding make sure you are disiplined with your transitions and don't allow her to run. Get a nice balance trot sit for a few strides and give a positive leg aid. Carry a schooling whip and if she doesn't go off the leg tap behind the saddle to enforce the leg. Do lots of transitions until she gets the idea and when she gets it right give her a pat or / and tell her she is a good girl.
 
Yes, I had her back done just after we got her, so about two months ago, and she has had a new saddle for about one month, fitted by a professional. It's a lovely Albion jumping saddle. She really obviously liked it when I tried it out and rounded up so much better in trot.

I think having been ridden by same rider for 6 years, then on to someone new, must be confusing for her.

I didn't say, she is very nicely forward and off the leg. Just seems to have a real lack of bend, and rushes forward when I say canter.

Perhaps I should take a very light seat when I ask? It's quite hard to do that though when you're giving the aid, and would that affect the aids as she interprets them?
 
Would it possibly be through lack of balance??

If so then lots of lunging in a chambon or pessoa would be ideal. If ever she goes long into the trot before a transition to canter then dont go, sit back and wait for a good trot again and only when the trot is perfect must u ask for an upward transition. And if she doesnt go when you say give her a stronger leg aid or a tap with a whip

For the canter itself maybe not take up a light seat as this would surely make her longer in her frame/ on the forehand and if shes unbalanced this wont help. Id say sit down and deep and allow your thigh and leg to drop down but maintianing good impulsion, you need to feel her push up infront of you.
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Okay, that sounds good.

She has been going better and better on the longe, first day she was resistant, didn't like the side reins and went really stiff, rushing in trot, cantering wrong lead, all sorts things. I saw it through but it didn't go right first day. After that she gave in to the side reins, so I gave her breaks from time to time as it must have ached. Then she became better and better, but the canter only really improved a couple of weeks ago, after she threw some real strops! She bucked, leapt, changed legs, disunited, and after all that she ended up cantering correctly all nice, round and rhythmical. It was like a breakthrough.

That was on the longe, now I have to get the transitions, and also, all of it with me on..... I have the canter one way, not so good the other way, and no decent transition...
 
does she canter ok on the lunge?

have you ruled out any physical problems- sounds like my boy- can canter superbly on the right rein but not on the left- kind of falls in and out of canter- eventually had a vet in to check and he was taken for ultrasounds/x-rays and nerve blocks and they said he had an old suspensory lig injury which hadnt healed properly and to rest him etc.

if its nothing physical then i think you're rightin that you're giving different signals to what she's used to- has her old owner come back and ridden her in front of you?
 
sounds to me like she is stiff/sore in her back and neck - you need to get her soft and relaxed in trot before the canter will work.

she may have been sore before you got her a new saddle so it will take time for her muscles to ease.

Practice asking her to flex inwards and outwards, so that she can relax through her back. Once she is used to being softer, she'll find cantering much easier. some long and low work will help her relax.
when it comes to cantering, make sure you have a good trot and then think 'canter' and slide your outside leg back - try and make it a smooth action that way she'll hopefully pop into canter rather than running on.
 
I'd also have to suggest a vet/physio check. Sacroilliac and hock problems often go hand in hand with canter issues. Even 'working through it" is no proof it ISN'T physical as lots of small problems initially "warm out", not to mention that horses are, relative to us, extremely stoic and if the path of least resistance still hurts they will often take it. Think of yourself - if you hurt you would probably like to stop but if you had incentive to keep going you no doubt would. Sounds like your horse is doing some serious complaining and, especially given her history, I'd be surprised if there WASN'T discomfort involved.

(This might be a contentious thing to say in the UK but a common practice in such cases in N. America is to medicate the horse for a couple of days. If the situation improves significantly there's the answer. If not, it doesn't rule out pain but may indicate the need for a more thorough investigation.)

I'm not necessarily saying she's lame or even requires medical intervention but it would have been hard for her to do what she did, especially if she wasn't using her body properly, without collecting some weak spots. This is the real problem with incorrect development and work - one often gets away with it at first and even sort of succeeds, but the horse pays later.

She may need specific exercises to help her get back some of her flexibility. Stretching, strengthening . . .she needs you to fill in where she's weak. It sounds like she's quite stiff in her back but exactly what will help her depends a bit on where and why.

This is one of those things that's just so hard to say without seeing. Have you had her assessed by someone you trust? Preferably someone with an interest in "therapeutic" riding for a strong, supple horse not just getting on the animal and making it go. Some of the classical dressage people are good like that, as are many of the "rehabilitative" trainers who work with "problem" horses. Even one lesson, preferably including having the trainer sit on the horse, could set you on the right path.
 
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