'Teaching' horse to canter... what would you do?

[Sol]

Started riding Danny again after his short time off, he's going fairly well I think Just doing walk/trot and very simple changes of rein, a little shoulder-in in walk, loops etc. Easy stuff which he seems happy enough to do - no kicking, bucking, bolting, resisting anyway!

Plan on continuing the walk/trot and making changes of rein/bend more frequent and a little harder for a short while and some hacking if we can, and introducing poles again to get him picking his feet up!

However, when it comes to canter.... I really don't know where we'll start? He's almost always had issues with his canter. It'll be great one day and awful the next, he'll either not go at all hardly or rush. Trying to think how you'd introduce it with a youngster - but never had to do that!
Being able to take him for long canters in straight lines would give me a better idea and maybe give him chance to sort his legs out? But only place we could do that is at local farm rides as it's all road work otherwise near us Is that a bad idea?

Just want him to come right so we can get on with having fun again! Tired of having to ask so many questions as I'm sure you're sick of reading them

*gives out toblerone*

 

[Guinness]

I taught my youngster to canter out in the fields rather than a school. Much easier in an open space when they aren't very balanced. After a few weeks of doing this, he was fine an a school. Of course it only works when you have complete control

 

[teddyt]

Yep, definately teach in a larger space than a school. And practise, it can take a long time to get a decent canter. As the rider you must do your best to stay balanced too, or you make it much harder for the horse. Make sure you have a decent trot before you ask for canter too.

 

[Sol]

Thanks both of you. Definitely working on getting his trot as good as possible first. Would be much simpler to just go large around the (ridiculously large) outdoor school, but he just tends to rush more and still not sure how the bolting thing is. He's never 'bolted' on farm rides though... just gets a little excitable if we see other horses in the distance!

We just never seem to find a happy medium - he either rushes, making it harder for him to balance, which makes him rush more which results in falling back to trot, or hardly goes anywhere at all so we eventually fall back into trot as we're just... not quite cantering! If I can just convince him that there's a middle ground somewhere...

 

[Tickles]

Is there a *very* safe horse (ideally with quite a nice collected canter) you could go on one of the farm rides/in the school with? Get yours used to following and then canter following the other? Obviously depends on personalities but you *might* find if yours isn't a natural 'racer' the herd situation makes it seem less of a big deal. Obviously not the best plan if he is competitive though.

 

[MrsMozartletoe]

Lots of long canters out on hacks (but not every time the horse's hooves touch grass! lol). Having another horse in front helps to get the idea of what you're asking for

As to the rushing, etc. - just lots of practice, then balance and control will come with time

 

[Sol]

He's very competative... or just very clingy! It's hard to say, he usually doesn't bother when in the school. It would also depend on his mood, sometimes he's so chilled he couldn't care less, others he'd just run off and go a little insane...

Basically - he's a total fruit loop. We might get somewhere one day though!

 

[Sol]

heh, may be taking some exceptionally long hacks! Bit awkward not having transport as I doubt I'll be able to take him somewhere more than twice in a month :/

Another Q. Could it be beneficial to start jumping him a little before we get the canter entirely sussed? We were having jumping lessons occasionally anyway until I decided to 'start over' as he loves jumping, and his canter seems ok when jumping though we were mainly jumping from trot anyway! Just thinking it might strengthen his hind end some more and such? Or am I being silly?