Schooling help - canter lead

[kayleigh_and_rocky]

One of the youngsters I ride has a gorgeous trot and walk now, lovely soft outline carries herself beautifully and gets inside bend. However despite this, on the right rein I just cannot get her to strike off on the correct canter lead! I'm making sure im sitting entirely central and upright and on the inside bend but she just cant get it (im aware this is a common fault in youngsters, rock was the same but not this bad) yet on the left rein she gets the correct lead first time.
Have tried placing a pole on an angle in the corner and asking for a transition over it but it didnt work
So was wondering if anyone had any other exercises or tips to help her get the correct lead? Thanks xx

 

[madhector]

i had the same problem with a young horse i school, he couldnt get the correct canter lead onleft rien, he would always strike off on the wrong leg, i tried poles and plain old practise, and eventually went back to really perfecting the trot on that rein, i left canter work for a good couple of weeks and just concentrated on walk and trot with loads of transistions and bending etc...

I then tried the canter again, he is now much better, he still occassionally gets it wrong, but most of the time he is fine, I think it was a balance issue that was solved by perfecting the trot and walk and building the correct muscles

hope that helps

 

[Super_Kat]

Mine does this aswell. Put the pole just before the corner (literally just before you'd start turning), go into sitting trot as you approach it and ask. It took Missy a while to gt the hang of it and she's much better now.

 

[Agent XXX999]

The reason that she is on the wrong lead is likely to be that she is swinging her quarters in slightly, therefore I would work her on a circle in trot and ask her to leg yield out, shoulder in etc, not over exaggerated, just so she is responsive on your inside leg and her shoulders are in and quarters out on the bend. Ask for canter - if she goes on the wrong leg come back to trot, leg yield or push her out of the circle with your inside leg, get the bend and ask again, but DO NOT RISE it is a reward, make her work on the bend and through her back until she is balanced enough to strike off on the right leg. When she does it come off of her back as a reward, kick on and let her go forward and into your hand.

God that was a bit of a ramble probably does not make much sense but it does if you are on top if you know what I mean!

 

[Haflinger]

We had this problem with toscar when his saddle didn't fit (he's only just stopping now).

Try a small circle in the corner you want to canter (in trot) and as you start to go into the corner turn the horse's head to the outside.

Hope that makes sense!

x

 

[spider]

Sometimes works if you keep them straight rather than bending to the inside.

 

[teapot]

Inside bend - there's one of the points in question. Hopefully this will make sense - was something I got told by one of my instructors and it made so much seem that much clearer.

Most people when they ask for canter, will ask for inside bend. However this then leaves open the outside shoulder and thus they can fall out or fall onto the incorrect lead especailly if they're young or dont have their balance truly established. So you've got to almost have them straight but with a tiny tiny amount of inside flexion (we're talking minimal).

We spent over an hour going through this and asking for canter with various types of bend - instructor really made her point.

Hope that kinda makes sense - it's just something that made me go ohhh yeah that really makes sense. Most people's (I'm talking in general, not aimed at you personally) instant reaction when they dont get the right lead is to come back to trot and ask for even more inside bend - bam horse falls yet again onto the wrong lead.

 

[kayleigh_and_rocky]

Excellent advice guys thanks

Just spent the last hour reading up in some of my schooling books and all have said what you said about inside bend - they said if you actually ask for a little outside bend she'll find it easier to get the correct lead so will try that - because so far i've been asking for quite a lot of inside bend
Will try it thanks guys

 

[4whitesocks]

My boy had a huge problem with this (I didn't help!!) for the first month or so I did the 'cheating' thing and actually asked for a little outside bend on a corner which almost makes them fall onto the right lead - it's not ideal but gradually he figured out what it was I was asking for...got this tip from a top dressage rider over here so figured she knew what she was talking about!