Struggling in canter

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jumpthemoon

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Hi everyone, my horse has been in work for 6 weeks after 3 1/2 months box rest and he seems to be really struggling with his canter. I have had his back/teeth/tack checked and the vet is happy that his fractured splint bone has healed. Could this just be him lacking fitness? He seems ok cantering out hacking, but in the school he switches his hind legs and goes disunited, then changes back again repeatedly. Anyone have any experiences like this?
Thanks!
 
Has he got a lot of energy or is he tense/distracted in the school? My mare has so much energy at the moment she went into canter in my lesson yesterday and bronced and changed legs the whole way round... too much energy and she was very tense... Could be fitness based too... migh be best to stick outside the school until he's fitter or see if he can canter on the lunge?
 
Thanks Evil_Cookie....He is fwd going, but not silly and he is working really nicely in walk/trot. I can't hack out regulary as he wont go on his own, but i tried lunging him last night and he was fine on one rein, but struggled to bring his hind legs under him on the other rein. He did tank off a little bit on the lunge though and he is feeling more energetic than usual I suppose...its hard to know what to try for the best - I dont want to make him worse!
 
Who did you get to do his back? My mare could never get her hind legs under her when her pelvis was out, she has a history of it... It would be more pronounced on one rein... I can't remember if it was the one which the pelvis tilted towards or away from... hmm but still a test would be to stand him square, stand behind him and the place your hands on his 'hips' the bits that 'stick out' (sorry not very scientific explanation) if they don't feel or look (in more serious imbalances) level then you will have to get someone back to see him. On the other hand if he's tweaked a back leg muscle (eg. hamstring) he wouldn't be able to reach under himself either. He is technically unsound if thats the case as they can compensate in trot for the sore muscles and imbalances, so that it woldn't be visable, could possibly be that a muscle isn't strong enough to carry him aswell. Does he drag his back legs at all?
 
I had a McTimoney practitioner/equine sports massage therapist. She did my last horse who did have a titled pelvis - so I have already checked him for that and he looks fine and she didnt see anything wrong either. His canter is fine in a straight line - maybe you are right and he has pulled something. The back lady said he was a tiny bit weaker on that side but she said it was 2/10 severity. we spun him round in small circles on his hind legs and he didnt have a problem with that. He doesnt drag his back legs either. I am asking him to work in an outline in canter and engage his hind quarters - is this a reasonable ask so soon after the box rest do you think?
 
Hmm he isn't coping if he can't get them under him, what about cantering/troting up hills for a few weeks to see if that'll strengthen his back end a little. What do his leg muscles feel like? hard or soft? (the muscles straight down the back leg before the hock)
 
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I had a McTimoney practitioner/equine sports massage therapist. She did my last horse who did have a titled pelvis - so I have already checked him for that and he looks fine and she didnt see anything wrong either. His canter is fine in a straight line - maybe you are right and he has pulled something. The back lady said he was a tiny bit weaker on that side but she said it was 2/10 severity. we spun him round in small circles on his hind legs and he didnt have a problem with that. He doesnt drag his back legs either. I am asking him to work in an outline in canter and engage his hind quarters - is this a reasonable ask so soon after the box rest do you think?

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When I brought my horse back into work after being turned away last summer I didn't even think about canter in the first 2 months (apart from out on a hack in a straight line and for a short burst only). He was just too unbalanced and unfit to be able to get his legs in the right place, especially on a circle! If I was you I would stick to lots of trot work to build his muscles up and get him working evenly on both reins and just canter out on hacks. Then I would lunge in canter first so he can balance himself on a circle and with no rider. Then when he is fitter school him in canter - but let him work on a loose contact first to build up even more muscle and become naturally forward going and happy in his canter...you will then have a fit horse who will find working on an outline much easier. This worked for me and I am now happily competing at prelim dressage!
 
I haven't had a proper feel of his muscles but from grooming I think they are pretty soft/squidgy. I will double check tonight. I think I'll try the hill work and letting him canter a bit more long and low, rather than asking him to collect himself. Thanks for your input - it's appreciated! It's nice to have another opinion.. :-)
 
Thanks Nels, I might try going back a step then and forgetting the canter for the minute in the school. It's easy to get carried away when they seem to be going well! He does canter ok out hacking, when he can go a bit more forward, so i suppose its most likely lack of fitness/balance.
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Thanks Nels, I might try going back a step then and forgetting the canter for the minute in the school. It's easy to get carried away when they seem to be going well! He does canter ok out hacking, when he can go a bit more forward, so i suppose its most likely lack of fitness/balance.
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I think that sounds sensible - my boy was a lot more enthusiastic about cantering when he had only been allowed to trot for 2 months! Also I found the long and low and letting him hold himself thing worked really well when i started schooling him in canter - after about 2 or 3 weeks of doing that he just suddenly one day started to fly round the school happily in a canter and was very forward going with no slowing down/drifting on his circles. So i felt like he was telling me he was ready! I then started to ask for an outline in the canter and i found he was fit enough to keep the impulsion the same but also engage his hind quarters and become nice and round. Since then there has been no looking back and his topline is developing nicely now - doesn't even resemble the old unbalanced horse i started riding!
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Good luck!
 
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