Someone tell me this is 'normal' please!! Flatwork issue

Fools Motto

Fools Motto

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Riding 'my' racehorse to polo pony a few months now. I regularly school her. She has been going quite well. Often takes 10 mins to warm up and be supple, but in the meantime 'curls' up against your leg, and gets quite swishy with her tail. I just get her to go forward. After this she would be quite capable of doing a decent prelim test without issues.
The owner has asked me to only get her to canter through walk - kinda needed in the art of polo, which I understand fully. It starts off ok, she isn't the quickest off the mark, (owner disputes this and claims the mare is totally brilliant at everything!) takes a few transitions to get instant reactions. Therefore I'm doing several quick succession walk-canter.
This is now becoming a problem in itself. she is anticipating the canter strike off, but walking sideways (or trying to), fidgeting, and then being wonky strikes off on the wrong lead. I correct that, calm her down, ask again for canter which more often than not works.
The owner has never seen me school her. I could be doing it totally wrong! BUT, I do report back with how it went, and when I told her this fidgeting, anticipating the canter and ''having a TB moment'' she replied, 'oh, was something upsetting her, she has never done that before''... makes me think I am doing something wrong!?! BUT, on the other hand she is only 5, an ex racehorse who is totally enclined to have a paddy and get a hot-head on! Normal??

I really should get her to watch, but she doesn't seem to ever want to!!
 
A green 5 YO Ex-racer MARE anticipating and swishing her tail? Yes, I would say that's perfectly normal.

How strong is your leg aid for the walk to canter? If she's in season she may be bit sore and sensitive so a lighter leg aid may be better, perhaps just try moving outside leg back but not actually doing anything with it and kicking her up into the transition with the inside leg?

Mare I used to ride for someone would get tense/mardy/swishy tail after doing lots of transitions in succession, I wouldn't worry.
 
I have been known to have a ''super squeeze''!! :eek::eek: Maybe that is the problem!! But, on the other hand, if she doesn't go when I say, then I automatically squeeze harder!
I really do need someone on the ground to make sure my legs are in the right place!?
 
FWIW walk to canter requires a fair degree of engagement of the hind quarters, and it's not something I'd do with a particularly green horse. I understand why the owner has asked you to do this - and perhaps people who deal with polo ponies more than I do will correct me - but I'd want the horse to have enough strength through the progressive transition, and to be fairly balanced in the canter, before I was asking for walk to canter. I suspect she's getting more upset the more you ask her to do because she's not strong enough for the exercise and finds it hard.... Just because you teach a transition through trot doesn't mean you lose the direct transition - my horse will do halt-canter and walk-canter and trot-canter as the aids for walk-canter and walk-trot are totally different!
 
SpottedCat said:
FWIW walk to canter requires a fair degree of engagement of the hind quarters, and it's not something I'd do with a particularly green horse. I understand why the owner has asked you to do this - and perhaps people who deal with polo ponies more than I do will correct me - but I'd want the horse to have enough strength through the progressive transition, and to be fairly balanced in the canter, before I was asking for walk to canter. I suspect she's getting more upset the more you ask her to do because she's not strong enough for the exercise and finds it hard.... Just because you teach a transition through trot doesn't mean you lose the direct transition - my horse will do halt-canter and walk-canter and trot-canter as the aids for walk-canter and walk-trot are totally different!
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Very valid point, and TBH something I do agree with.
 
Only thing that I would add is that, when I'm hacking out I have no problem getting a halt to canter transition or a walk to canter transition, when I'm in the school it is always harder, horses seem far more willing out hacking and I would probably make use of this mindset and do a bit of this work out on a hack to make it a bit more enjoyable whilst she is getting her head around the transitions. Do it a bit in a more relaxed and fun setting and she should be more willing and 'click' better in the school. Just a thought :)
 
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