Straightening the canter

only_me

only_me

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 June 2007
Messages
14,056
Location
Ireland
Visit site
im in a bit of a pickle, and would be grateful if any of hhOers would be able to help - in canter he is straight in trot & walk on both reins, and straight in canter on the left. However canter on the right his hips are in and when i push right leg back to correct he changes. Not wrong, so I dont tell him off, but next time I don't put leg back as much but then hips still stay in.

I tried pushing shoulders across but is this the right way to straighten? Feels like I'm causing him to become more crooked.

At the moment there is a loose jumping lane up so I've been cantering him along the line as close to the rail which forces him to keep hips inline with rest of body, which he finds difficult.

Does the straightness issue sound like him just being weak (only back into school about 2 weeks after 3 - 4 weeks hacking) or does it sound like my hips are crooked causing him to misread the aids?
The changes are great and straight on both reins so just confused if im the issue or not!
Advice greatly appreciated:)
 
It sounds more like soreness or stiffness in his pelvis, but it could be anything! Have you got someone else on him to see if he does the same thing?
 
I have always been taught to take the shoulders in front of the quarters if they are not straight, it is usually easier to correct this way as they are less likely to either push back and get worse or as you have found take it as an aid the change, plenty of work in counter canter is good to straighten them as is work on a counter flexion, raised poles in trot, alternate ends work very well, will help build up the muscles evenly.
As for the cause it could be you, the saddle, something amiss with the horse or just weakness but I would suspect it is more than just lack of fitness unless he has had an injury that has caused that side to be weaker than the other, I would get a physio in and probably visit a human one as well if you think you are not level.
 
I think most people will say you should always correct by bringing the shoulders into line, rather than pushing the quarters back. I tend to ride shoulder-fore most of the time in canter on my mare's crooked side, only testing the straightness when I can feel the inside hind is really stepping underneath me rather than out to the side, and when she's really secure in the outside rein.

I find that weakness does exaggerate the problem, but straightening a horse is a task that never goes away, it just becomes more of a subtle adjustment as they get stronger, fitter, more supple and more educated :D
 
Thanks everyone :)
My gut feeling is saying that it's mostly a weakness, and as you say MP is also probably exaggerated by the lack of fittness/suppleness. Saddle fit is grand and is worth getting the physio out to give him a once over & see if she notices anything.
He is also slightly short in the back (compact!) so is possible that i also feel it a bit more when he is unfit. I don't think it's a pain issue but the muppet could have rolled on a stone in the field and given himself an "owie" :p I'm not convinced I'm unlevel in hips but considering options really, I'm usually quite straight (I'm a physio :) ) but again Im a bit weak after not really using muscles for while.

Will keep going with the suppleness and general fittening work but will make sure to ride right canter shoulder fore, hopefully will get us there. It's still early days in schooling after break so will see what he is like in a few weeks :)
 
Riding shoulder fore is certainly the way to go in the short term and is what I would use to straighten the horse in a test and also to help to engage the hind leg. However for the longer term you will need to do more suppling and strengthening work. If he's quarters in to the right then he's shorter to the right (and I would guess you lose him through the left shoulder if you're not careful, and that he finds it harder to bend on the left rein) and so you need to stretch this out. I'd be doing shoulder in, travers and renvers to the left - basically anything that helps him to lengthen that right side.
 
As well as above posts re the shoulder fore, try experimenting with a little counter flexion, not counter canter, just ask for flexion outwards when on a 20m circle, then allow to straighten. A good instructor will help :-)
 
Do you have a mirror? I make mine wonky if I have too much in the inside rein, if you give away your inside rein does he straighten up at all?
 
Have you checked yourself? I made my horse wonky in canter as my back went out slightly, a trip to the chiro for me fixed the issue :)
 
No mirror unfortunately, but I can feel his hips in especially up centre line. I'll try him again with giving the inside rein, normally he either stays where he is or stretches out slightly, but can see if I'm curling him. Will do some counter canter as well, but we are definately not ready for a lesson as fitness levels aren't there for him or myself :p I don't want to ask too much too soon but would rather just work steadily at home.

Afraid I'm defo not going to a chiro, don't get me started :p may ask friend to have a check, but I don't feel unlevel in hips (I'm a Physio :)). The normal test don't show unlevelness imo, but I could be tilting rather than unlevel.
 
Get someone to check the saddle isn't moving right in use, if it does the horse will shift its spine to avoid it and go shoulders out. Does he flying change right as easily as to the left? If not I would get a chiropractor to check the horse and you as well, if the saddle isn't loading exactly in the middle of the horse muscles start to build up to counter balance it in both the horse and rider.
 
Shoulder fore, diagonal lines from A to E and A to B in shoulder-fore leg-yield and riding sqares with 1/4 turns on the corners all help a lot
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top