schooling help pleasé

[verient]

My pony's walk and trot work is really nice at the moment. He's really light in my hands. However his canter is awful. On the right rein I can get him to work round and use his neck muscles properly, but his canter is still very long, strung out and fast. He doesn't really listen to my seat much but I've tried sitting upright and half halting, and lots of transitions. On the left rein, he canters in a backwards c shape where his bum and nose are in the middle of the school and my leg is shoved into the fence. He locks his jaw and no matter how soft or hard you are with your niggles, he listens to nothing and he will not work round. Its just really uncomfortable to ride. He just gets faster and faster, my arms feel like they are going to fall off and his neck and jaw are locked. He is in a hanging cheek snaffle. He was in a loose ring up until last week but his walk and trot are a lot better in the hanging. His back and teeth have been checked.

Thanks, please ask any questions you like

 

[Arkmiido]

Ok, I'm going to ask some questions!
How old is your pony? What work has he done before, and has he previously worked in a balanced outline in canter with you - just going wrong now, or are you just starting out with him? How does he go if you lunge him or free school him? TBH I'm always wary that there is an underlying problem if there is a major difference between two reins, although I accept that horses (and riders!) are asymmetrical to a degree, and will be less balanced on one rein - but not C-shaped necessarily! Have you tried any work in a pessoa? If you work him in hand, will he yield his quarters and shoulders equally on both reins? Do you notice a difference between his work on different reins in walk and trot?
Has anyone else tried riding him? Do they get the same 'results' as you?
What effect do you have on other horses when you school or canter them - do they favour the same rein as your boy? (I once had a chiro check 3 of my horses because they were all flexing to the left and falling out thru their right shoulder, even doing road work in straight lines... Guess who she ended up manipulating - clue, 2 legs not 4... )
Have you had saddle checked as part of the back check? If your schooling has been going well recently, your boy could have put on muscle/topline/changed shape generally? Might it be worth having his back checked by another professional ie chiro if you used a physio, or vice versa, in case something was missed? I'd probably ask my vet to take a look, especially if he also does it on the lunge and with other riders, just to be sure... Have you looked inside his mouth at the bit space in case there is any damage/soreness etc?
From a riding perspective it sounds like you are doing the right things, with transitions and half halting, but I'm sure others will be able to give you far better advice than me in that respect! **tootles off to practice for a BD intro test** ;-)

 

[verient]

Thanks so much for your reply! He is 10. As far as I'm aware he's never worked in an outline in canter. I've had him since he was 7 and his schooling was terrible when we got him. I'm just starting to ask for an outline in canter, after having established his walk and trot work. We aren't allowed to freeschool and I don't lunge him. He's nasty on the lunge and I haven't tried recently because I don't want to create any problems on the ground (he runs off anf kicks but hasn't for ages). My friend has ridden him and said exactly the same and she said he is exhausting to ride and she feels horrible with her hands because he doesn't listen to any small aids to ask him to work round. In his trot work on the right rein he tends to poke his nose to the outside a bit so I just lift up my inside hand and turn a small circle to get him to bend around my leg. I've also ridden 3 other horses at my yard with no differences on each rein. Haven't had saddle checked. His back was looked over quickly by my instructor who is also a back physio. Her opinion is that he just finds it very hard on that rein. I don't think its a bit problem as he's fine in walk and trot and his mouth is so insensitive surely it would be sensitive if it was hurting. There you gooo questions done, thanks xx

Ok, I'm going to ask some questions!
How old is your pony? What work has he done before, and has he previously worked in a balanced outline in canter with you - just going wrong now, or are you just starting out with him? How does he go if you lunge him or free school him? TBH I'm always wary that there is an underlying problem if there is a major difference between two reins, although I accept that horses (and riders!) are asymmetrical to a degree, and will be less balanced on one rein - but not C-shaped necessarily! Have you tried any work in a pessoa? If you work him in hand, will he yield his quarters and shoulders equally on both reins? Do you notice a difference between his work on different reins in walk and trot?
Has anyone else tried riding him? Do they get the same 'results' as you?
What effect do you have on other horses when you school or canter them - do they favour the same rein as your boy? (I once had a chiro check 3 of my horses because they were all flexing to the left and falling out thru their right shoulder, even doing road work in straight lines... Guess who she ended up manipulating - clue, 2 legs not 4... )
Have you had saddle checked as part of the back check? If your schooling has been going well recently, your boy could have put on muscle/topline/changed shape generally? Might it be worth having his back checked by another professional ie chiro if you used a physio, or vice versa, in case something was missed? I'd probably ask my vet to take a look, especially if he also does it on the lunge and with other riders, just to be sure... Have you looked inside his mouth at the bit space in case there is any damage/soreness etc?
From a riding perspective it sounds like you are doing the right things, with transitions and half halting, but I'm sure others will be able to give you far better advice than me in that respect! **tootles off to practice for a BD intro test** ;-)