Struggling to get right canter

[Dizzydancer]

Hi

My horse is 9 and has not done a great amount she had mainly show jumped with previous owner (my best friend) however she had 4 horses and mine wasn't done loads with she hacked out with her mum mostly.

We have taken her schooling back to basics since I had her in May but she has a terrible habit of going out through her outside shoulder when asking for right canter lead.
I have weekly lessons and we are working on it- my instructor also schools her weekly and she can get her to get it 90% of the time if she sets it up perfectly!
Just wondered if anyone has any tips/exercises for helping prevent the drifting?
I can get it if we do a smaller circle before the transition or if I really open the inside rein and d she gets it wrong it's back to trot and go again and she always gets it. It's not a physical issue everything is checked and up to date. And she does it in both her saddles and in the school/field.

 

[nato]

She needs to be bent around your inside leg - so going back to basics I would focus on exercises that promote that. Canter strike-off starts with the inside hind, so you need to work on getting this more underneath her. How is she on the lunge on the right rein?

Also, timing is everything - you can only influence a leg while it's in the air. Trot works by diagonals, so when the outside fore goes forward, so too does the inside hind. So when you go into sitting trot, make sure you have your bend, and then ask when that outside shoulder is forward. You're more likely to get the strike off right when that inside hind is already moving forward. The circle before your corner will help create that bend.

If she's falling out through the outside shoulder you'll need a firmer outside rein contact to stop her falling out, but really you need to create that correct bend before asking for canter, rather than trying to fix it in the transition. If you work on the bend in trot it will come together in the transition.

 

[Dizzydancer]

Thanks for that- on the lunge aslong as she is concentrating and correct Bend in place she gets it right every time.
I think I am the problem as I think i am concentrating on a strong outside rein and actually that's loosing the inside bend hence why if I over exaggerate inside rein she gets it! I will really try and be aware of her legs so I can ask at the right time!

 

[nato]

Thanks for that- on the lunge aslong as she is concentrating and correct Bend in place she gets it right every time.
I think I am the problem as I think i am concentrating on a strong outside rein and actually that's loosing the inside bend hence why if I over exaggerate inside rein she gets it! I will really try and be aware of her legs so I can ask at the right time!

OK so she's not actually falling out through the outside but more bending outside?

 

[Dizzydancer]

My instructor says she is falling out through that shoulder and she does drift but I think I am maybe creating more of an issue by not keeping the inside bend clearly enough and allowing her to run through my outside rein

 

[nato]

So horses are, for the most part, concave on one side, and convex on the other. On one side she will be like a banana - easy to bend to the point of potentially overbending. This is the side where she is most likely to fall out through her outside shoulder as she overbends to the inside.

On the other side, she will struggle to bend to the inside and thus will have her nose likely pointed to the outside, falling in and refusing to 'get off your leg' or bend around it - it sounds to me like this is the problem you're facing on the right rein. Typically a horse's stronger rein is the left rein which is the 'banana' rein so this fits your description of the problem quite well.

This article explains the concept really well http://www.classicaldressage.co.uk/Straightness/straightness.html

So to rectify this you need to strengthen up the right side , getting her bending AROUND your inside leg and really stretching out that left side of her body so she can bend that direction. For this I would ask for almost an overexaggerated inside bend, forgetting to a certain extent about the outside rein. Looking at it from a purely 'gym work' perspective I would almost be thinking 'fall out through your outside shoulder!' on the rein that he's struggling to bend around your leg to the inside on - overbending to really stretch out the neck. Be careful not to do it for too long, go on a nice big circle, ask for the exaggerated bend for maybe a half to full circle, then let him stretch again. As he gets stronger, it will become easier for him to stretch around you.

Also lots of long and low stretchy work will encourage him to use his back longtitudinally and therefore that inside hind. Anything that puts the inside hind under him will help - trotting poles and cavaletti are great, as is lateral work (but he may not be there yet). And I also find a little bit of counter bend useful in getting them to stretch out.

You just need to really focus on strengthening him up on that right rein so he can carry himself in balance - and you need to let go of your outside rein a little bit Keep the contact but don't hold. I am the worst for it and as a result my horse runs around the arena with her nose pointed outside on the right rein - it's something you need to become more conscious of, and it's definitely helped her when I leave the outside rein alone a little bit.

 

[Dizzydancer]

That's great and yes does sound just like her. Have just in last couple of weeks started her on Pessoa and her long and low is now actually much improved so will continue that both lunged and ridden- and will get more poles involved!! She gets rather excited at the prospect of poles as she always thinks jumping is on the cards!! So lots to work on- but that's what the winter is for!!