Should I sell him?

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Jango

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I'm seriously in two minds whether or not to sell my horse... he's sweet, easy to handle, brilliant to hack, enthusiastic jumper, good in all ways EXCEPT he will not canter on the right (hand) lead. I've had him for about 9 months and made progress in everything but this. He is not in pain i've had the vet, physio, farriers etc to look at him and he is definitely sound. He will land right over a fence but other than that he just canters left. I'm not an awful rider and I've ridden plenty of babies and green horses but I just can't seem to get through to him about his canter leads :( Each new exercise works once then never again. Other riders can't get him to do it either. I really enjoy dressage, want to do more workers etc but I'm never going to get anywhere due to this. In all other ways he's great, still a bit green but a lovely horse. So what would you do? He would make an awesome horse for someone who didn't want to do dressage or showing. I am a bit worried i'd sell him then could end up with something much worse! But I can't compete on him in what i want to do!
 
Seriously?

9 months isn't a long time, I would get yourself a decent trainer who can ride your horse and get the correct canter lead and then teach you how to do it. If there are no physical problems then it could be a little bit in his head, once he learns how to do it through repetition he should be more consistent.

If he is your perfect horse and you have witnessed him doing the correct right canter lead (so you know he can do it) I would keep hold of him and persevere.
 
How old is he? If he is fairly young, there is still hope that you can overcome this. I would try another trainer, or at least a different approach. If he is older, then it is harder to sort.
 
How do you ask him for canter on the bad rein? It will eventually come. When i first got my exracer he wouldnt canter on the right rein, it took about 6-7months of blimin hard work to get it completely right. My youngster atm has problems understanding the right rein also but shes gone from constently getting the wrong leg to picking up the wrong leg once in a session so shes getting there and iv only had her 4 months. Mine were both youngsters but my friend has a 10yr who had problems with both canter leads but with lots of repitition he now gets both leads when asked properly. I wouldnt call it a big problem just change you tactics and when he gets it praise him, end on a good note and repeat the transition loads. It will click.
 
Before selling try a biomechanics teacher!! Humans, like horses, have a favourite side, and if yours and his coincide its going to be very difficult to overcome - unless you learn a few new tricks.

I am having the same problem with my horse - have sent her to a trainer I know favours the other side and then sent them both to a biomechanics teacher, who has given them tips on the way forward.

It is a totally different approach and you may (or may not) learn a whole bunch of things about your riding.

Anyway, please PM me if you want some names of people I have used and have been amazing.
 
canteron said:
Before selling try a biomechanics teacher!! Humans, like horses, have a favourite side, and if yours and his coincide its going to be very difficult to overcome - unless you learn a few new tricks.

I am having the same problem with my horse - have sent her to a trainer I know favours the other side and then sent them both to a biomechanics teacher, who has given them tips on the way forward.

It is a totally different approach and you may (or may not) learn a whole bunch of things about your riding.

Anyway, please PM me if you want some names of people I have used and have been amazing.
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Ooh thats really interesting, totally makes sense thank you for sharing that with us
 
Most young horses have a preference. Make sure that you are sitting straight in balance with him and not inadvertently sitting to the left. Try trotting a small circle on the right rein, make sure your weight is to the inside and that your horse is flexed to the inside (right) before asking for canter.
 
Will he do it on the lunge? If so, he does not have a problem! Try asking for canter over poles on the ground - sometimes the distraction works. I struggled for a year with one of ours and he eventually got it. I found it easier to ask for it just out hacking rather than in the confines of a school. A good jumping trainer will very often have ideas. Also as his flat work progresses simple changes can also help.
 
I used to ride a horse that didn't like cantering on the right rein.
He did on the lunge though.

I was having lessons with a qualified dressage trainer and the occasional lessons from a dressage trainer in Portugal.

We did the small circles in trot too, also we did a steady trot straight into the corner of the school almost touching the fence and he'd swing right and i'd ask for canter. After doing that in most of my schooling sessions he got the idea and got the right leg everytime afterwards!

Some may say that was wrong, but as I said 2 fully qualified trainers? they know their stuff.

:)
 
What have you tried?
A trick that works many times from my experiance is outside flextion.
Ask him to canter on the wrong leg on a circle, usually they will try not to comply and canter on the right leg.:confused:
Most young horses like to learn to canter this way, and its worked on many a difficult case.
Good luck, and no don't sell you will sort it out.:)
 
Does he canter on the right lead in the field? Does he keep right lead if you land right after a jump? Does he jump straight or to one side? How confident is he about spreads/bigger jumps? Do you have video of him cantering on each lead? Confo shots from each side esp of hind quarters? Have you tried a bute trail to be SURE it's not pain related?

I only ask the above, because in my experience, it is always a physical issue if the rider is experienced, has decent instruction, and also if other experienced riders have failed (using appropriate methods) to get one canter lead. Vets can only check so much.

Could be a sacro-iliac issue (v hard to diagnose, main symptoms in canter, horse looks sound but lack of impulsion and often only one canter lead if unilateral issues), problem in a stifle joint etc.

If it was my horse, I'd try a bute trial and go from there. If not wanting to involve vet again maybe try a herbal painkiller/anti-inflammatory like Alphabute from Global Herbs.
 
What about walk to canter? I found that was brilliant for a horse who was very difficult to get on one lead as you can clearly feel when the leg comes under so can control the strike off (if that makes any sense!) Also helps because you can make sure your position is more or less perfect
 
When I said I've tried everything I mean everything!! poles on the floor, circles, (small and large) outside bend, inside bend, figure of 8s, asking from walk, from shoulder-in etc etc. I have had to swap instructors but I had weekly lessons june-november last year with one and now have weekly lessons with another for the last 6 weeks. (He wasn't really in work over winter due to external factors) Every new thing works once then never again, he gets it occasionally on the lunge but only when he is very unbalanced. He also gets it on poor surfaces where he is unbalanced, but as he balances up he then won't get it. No chance on grass!! He is 9. He was backed by people who didn't have a clue and was ridden occasionally from 4 to last year and always canters left including in the field. No chance on a hack or in a field. Basically I don't think I can fix him, so my question was would you keep him knowing he won't canter right or sell!
 
Check his mouth - there's more of a nod in canter than in other paces, and there may be something lurking that hasn't been noticed.

The same happened to me with a horse that got worse and worse and he had a rogue tooth on the rhs high above the normal toothline that the dentist hadn't noticed.........
 
LaurenM said:
I would keep at it personally as he ticks all of your other boxes (correct me if I'm wrong).
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Tempted to agree as good horses are so hard come by but its a very expensive pet if you can't achieve your goals at the end of all your efforts so unless you're happy not to compete dressage and showing and do something else instead I can see why you would consider selling and you do seem to have tried all the tips everyone else has offered over quite a period of time. However you will be sure to take on some other issues with a new horse so all I can say is wouldn't want to be in your shoes!! Sorry no help at all but some moral support offered :-(
 
My young stallion was as good as gold, till asked to canter. He was passed sound by 5 vets in UK and France inc.5 stage in UK.

The trainer who backed him, myself and his dressage trainer thought he had a back problem. He would not canter with a rider on the left rein, even though his canter is very fluid on lunge. Vets said 'no' he needs more work. On the advice of dressage trainer we took him to the vet school at Nantes where he was seen by the Professor - he has kissing spines.
 
I had this problem with my cob gelding Billy... One day I just had enough of it so I tacked up got on, warmed him in walk and trot and had a canter on the lead he would take then i set to it put him on a big circle in the school and I kept asking for canter and bringing him back to trot to ask again and so on this went on for around 45/50 minutes before he picked up the correct lead I rode him forward into the canter and lots of big pats... I tried a few more transitions that day with absolutely not problems and never had an issue with it again... it was like something just clicked :) i had tried absolutely everything aswell with him!
 
Jango said:
When I said I've tried everything I mean everything!! poles on the floor, circles, (small and large) outside bend, inside bend, figure of 8s, asking from walk, from shoulder-in etc etc. I have had to swap instructors but I had weekly lessons june-november last year with one and now have weekly lessons with another for the last 6 weeks. (He wasn't really in work over winter due to external factors) Every new thing works once then never again, he gets it occasionally on the lunge but only when he is very unbalanced. He also gets it on poor surfaces where he is unbalanced, but as he balances up he then won't get it. No chance on grass!! He is 9. He was backed by people who didn't have a clue and was ridden occasionally from 4 to last year and always canters left including in the field. No chance on a hack or in a field. Basically I don't think I can fix him, so my question was would you keep him knowing he won't canter right or sell!
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[/I]It sounds to like you are at the end of your tether, frustrated & had enough. Life is short, sell him & get something that will make you happy. You must feel like you are hitting your head against a brick wall.
 
thankyou for all the advice guys! I am really struggling to make the decision, it's really helpful to get other peoples opinion on things. He is exactly the same when lunged in a headcollar and no tack so I don't think it's mouth/saddle related. When he's in the right canter he is unbalanced (obviously) but perfectly happy and he doesn't change legs or go dis-united which is why I really don't think it's pain related.
 
I would sell as it's such a biggie for what you want to do with him and it sounds like he would be snapped up by someone who would not care, but be thrilled to get such a fantastic horse to enjoy.
 
Jango said:
thankyou for all the advice guys! I am really struggling to make the decision, it's really helpful to get other peoples opinion on things. He is exactly the same when lunged in a headcollar and no tack so I don't think it's mouth/saddle related. When he's in the right canter he is unbalanced (obviously) but perfectly happy and he doesn't change legs or go dis-united which is why I really don't think it's pain related.
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Exactly like one I'm schooling who has SI issues. He is happy on one rein only, due to one side being worse than the other. If you get the other lead, he won't change out, or go disunited, but is unbalanced due to trying to keep weight off the 'bad' side. On bute you'd never know - both sides canter evenly and in balance.

Or again like my girl with locking stifles. When she's in work they are only noticeable as stiffness, and more on one side. We spent two years as left canter only, until I managed to build sufficient muscle through trotting to support the problem stifle and she was able to easily manage right canter. Within that time, we could land after a mini jump in right canter and she'd keep it, unbalanced though. Bute wouldn't help her, but anti-inflammatories did, and the correct work programme.

Normal horses canter happily and in balance on straight lines and gentle curves on both reins, even 'just sat on' youngsters. One lead might be harder to get under saddle, but they will display both on the lunge and at liberty. If that is not happening, there is a physical issue of stiffness or pain.

Your horse would not be easy to sell only cantering on one lead - most vets/instructors/experienced horse people will assume there is a physical issue. Perhaps market him for the happy hacker market if you do sell.
 
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