Struggling with the correct lead in canter on right rein

china

china

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Im after some thoughts. My five year old has been back in work since the beginning of the year after being turned away over the winter. Over the past few weeks he has been constantly picking up the incorrect lead in canter in the right rein, he was also doing this on the lunge. He has a brand new fitted saddle and also had his back done Tuesday just gone. What exercises can I do to help encourage him to pick the correct lead. I had a lesson a couple of weeks ago and we successfully got it when exaggerating the opposite bend. I tried lunging him over a pole and this didn't work, if anything it made him break into trot when he eventually got into canter. I lunged him today without the pole and he picks up the correct canter lead about once in every five attempts. Any ideas? just to add, this is a new thing. He went off for two weeks schooling at the beginning of may and had no issues.
 
For lots of young horses canter isn't a particularly natural pace and five is quite young and he may well still be growing/filling out, so patience could have a part to play in this? However, a couple of thoughts:

1. Is the quality of his trot good? Really work on the quality of the trot and only ever ask for canter from a well balanced trot 'upward' trot, don't be tempted to run into it.

2. It may be that you are one sided - (we all are to a lesser or greater extent) and it may be affecting his confidence when he canters. Check your balance and also when you canter think 'Right hip to left ear. It is quite subtle but this should hopefully help to ensure your balance gives you the best opportunity to help him.

Sure lots of other people have other suggestions!!

Good luck.
 
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His trot is fabulous. But.. He has a big bouncy horse trot, he is 15.1, and then he has a pony like canter. In my lesson we work on getting the canter and getting a forward canter with me standing in stirrups and then back to trot and ask again and ride the canter, the minute we get a few good steps we go back to trot. Quality not quantity. his right canter was his best and his left was abit iffy, now it's the opposite, I just found it odd he did the same on the lunge also.
 
It sounds a bit silly, but a 4 year old pony at work would pick up left, on right rein as he preferred it, we would flex him left round the corner to 'unbalance' him and he would pick up right lead. It doesn't sound like it makes sense. But worked for him.
 
Frank has occasionally had periods of getting tight on one side, correction depended a bit on how long it had been established (got less on later times as I was more aware of it sneaking up!)

Essentially we only ever asked when he was feeling absolutely correct in trot, and generally required some outside flexion but mostly STRAIGHT (I didn't know what straight was to start!) . Essentially getting him out of the habit of picking up the wrong lead and not using his bad side. A bit like you are doing, quality not quantity once he had done a bit.. back to trot. (a forwards off back canter would result in a change/disunite though!)

Was anything highlighted when his back was done?

If he is getting it wrong on the lunge I would tend not to ask for the time being as I don't think it will be helping, how is he on long reins? I tend to lunge frank on two and I then get the option of asking for a little outside flexion, not running etc.

eta chottsy it works because it opens up the inside shoulder and allows it to come through instead of them getting all scrunched up with inside bend.
 
My boy has same issue. Will happily go on left but very rarely picks correctly on the right. He is incredibly balanced in his left canter, even on the right. I have been doing lots of work in walk and trot on the right and no ridden canter, only asking for it on the lunge and correcting if wrong. He is getting better on the lunge and so I'm just being patient.
 
Slight tightness though his right shoulder and slight rotation of pelvis. No pain or discomfort. He can canter on the right and it feels no different to the left when he gets it, it's just picking up the correct lead we struggle with.
 
When you ask for canter and he responds, I would keep the canter whether it is the right leg or not. He has answered your request for canter and if you bring him back to trot every time he will learn it's an easy get out clause! Whilst in counter canter, still ask for inside bend and have your inside leg on the girth and outside leg behind. He will get the message that cantering on the inside leg is the easier option. On the lunge, I would do exactly the same thing and ask him to maintain rhythm, balance and bend. It may take a while but don't worry, you'll get there. Two years ago mine was in exactly the same position, and his canter transitions are now very accurate and he is now doing counter canter too - on demand!
 
that fits (sounds familiar!) I would keep doing what you are doing and it will come with time and perhaps make sure he gets a few more back sessions while you are doing it just to keep on top of it. Once Frank had muscled up correctly we didn't really have a problem again.
 
Maybe you could try trotting him in a small circle in one corner of the school (as small as he could comfortably manage). Stay on the little circle and once you're happy with his trot, try the canter transition when you reach the outside track. Carry on with the canter in a large/20m circle. It may help to keep him balanced throughout the transition.
 
My youngster was the same, but on the opposite rein. The only thing I found to help was bending him to the outside- really exaggerated at first, and when he got the hang of it I asked for less and less bend until he could do it with the correct bend- took a while but it worked! Unfortunately he then put his back out and had to have 2 months off so he's completely forgotten the lesson, but thats horses for you! :rolleyes:
 
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