Tips for getting the correct canter lead

farrierswife

farrierswife

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As the title says really, just after some tips for getting the correct canter lead. He seems very one sided, it is on the left rein that we struggle to get him to strike off correctly under saddle and on the lunge so I was just wondering if you had any tried and tested tips that would help us. Thanks in advance.
 
Well I guess it's just trial and error, maybe try on a 20 meter circle rather that going large. Try to make your communications and aids, clear and make sure that you are in charge. Stop him as soon as he is on the wrong leg so he knows that it is not right. When your hacking, if you do, try to get him on the leg he doesn't want to go on. My old pony was hacked for years on the same rein before she came to me and I had to be lunged round and round until she came onto the right leg.
 
Put a cross pole going into the corner of the school and ask for canter as you go over it. As he lands turning the corner he should pick up the correct lead. When he is doing it correctly change the cross pole to a pole on the ground and then you should soon be able to remove it altogether.
 
I agree about the pole on the ground and have had success with that. When you ride make sure that your aids are totally correct and don't overdo the inside bend. Don't make too much fuss if you get the wrong lead, just come gently back to trot, re-establish your rhythm (even if this means doing several circles) then quietly try again. The success of one pace relies on the success of the pace before so do lots of trot work, suppling exercises and transitions to walk. And don't concentrate on his 'bad' rein - work to improve the canter on both reins. :)Good luck!
 
Unfortunately this is very common on the left rein as most people are right handed so subconsciously tend to ride on the right rein more often than the left! I agree with the above advice though!
 
I was struggling with this with my welsh D for ages and realised by riding another horse that I was making things harder for her. I was concentrating so hard on getting the right lead, I was leaning forward too much and almost looking down at her shoulder obsessively to see which lead she was on. By doing the opposite, being relaxed and sitting and looking up and in direction of travel, she gets it every time now!!
 
I agree with the pole on the ground etc but also my friend was having this problem with her youngster, he was struggling ridden and lunged and she is a very good rider and knows all the tricks in the books but still couldn't get him to strike off. Instructor suggested he see a chiro and sure enough his pelvis and pole were out. Since then he has struck off right every time
 
Thanks guys, will try the above, I was also thinking about getting the back lady out to have a look at him. He is my mums horse who has come down to me for a bit of schooling and he had this problem when she first got him so we got back person out and his pelvis was unlevel so we had that sorted and since then for one reason or another (basically me moving away) he has not been ridden all that much so probably is worth me getting him looked at again.
 
Well, the most important thing when teaching them to stride in the correct lead is to make sure the shoulder is in front of the croup - think shoulder in. Then push with the inside leg while offering some support with the outside leg and rein.

But truthfully, if your horse is having issues on the lunge as well as when ridden, I would call the vet out as to me it sounds like the horse may have some soundness issues.
 
I'm assuming back/teeth/saddle etc have all been checked.
My TB has had this problem with left canter lead too.
I have tried all sorts of things; poles, corners, opening inside hand, staying rising, rising on wrong diagonal etc. and varieties and variations on these things but still wasn't consistently getting left rein canter lead.
However, it's all coming together now and the tip thats working for me is not only getting my outside leg back to encourage him to step under himself but also to push my inside hip forward( easier to think of pushing the inside leg forward)
9/10 he gets it right now.
 
Hi guys, just thought I would give you a quick update of how we are doing. It's all good news, I have done pole work with him and it has worked wonders. So pleased with how he is getting on. This morning when I lunged him he once struck off on the wrong canter lead but changed leads on his own after one stride :)
 
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