Transition to canter - any ideas?

[EliseMiffy98]

I've had my young mare for a few months now, she was part broken when I got her and all is going well in walk and trot but not for canter. Out on hacks she is as good as gold cantering as long as she is following another horse, and the transition is perfect, but in the school as soon as I ask for the transition to canter her head goes straight down between her legs and the bucks keep coming! After many attempts she still wont canter. I don't think it's the case of being unbalanced around corners as I ask for canter on the corner before the straight side of the school... Lunging could be an option but she is a rescue and I think she may have had some bad times with being on a lunge as she freaks a bit when she sees the line being unraveled but we're slowly working on this so for the moment I can't lunge her.

Any ideas would be super useful!! Thanks

 

[be positive]

You say she is perfect going into canter behind another horse out hacking so it is more than likely she is taking her cue from the other horse cantering rather than listening to the aids given, I would start to take her in front and see if she still goes when asked, possibly start beside another and move on from there, try a few trot canter transitions when you can to get her really listening before trying to replicate it in the school, if getting another horse in the school would help get her more confident try that, it may be a case of doing what you can for a while as she may have a bad memory from her past.
Obviously lunging would help but again it may be best avoided until she has more confidence, the problem with taking on a rescue is not knowing what they have gone through and trying to avoid making the situation worse, it is a great feeling once they come right that will be your reward once you manage to work through her issues.

 

[Baileybones]

I taught a baby once who couldn't get his head around the canter transition and in the end we won with him by rushing the trot. I know this probably sounds daft but instead of sitting and 'kicking' for the canter we just increased the trot speed until he naturally offered the canter. Then a big fuss was made of him. Within a couple of sessions he'd got his head around it and we we able to reintroduce the more conventional aids. Not sure if this helps but this boy needed approaching from a different angle so hopefully this will help you

 

[blitznbobs]

You could try putting a pole / v small jump up and ask for a canter over this ... To get the idea thru her head.

 

[stormox]

I would put a very small xpole on a corner and ask for transition over the pole. But you may just have to 'ride through' the bucks, because that is just being naughty- youre saying 'CANTER' and shes saying 'NO'. so if she starts bucking, kick on, or use your whip, until she canters. then praise and rub her neck while cantering. Shel soon get the idea, Ive just been through the exact same problem with my youngster, it took 3 weeks of training in an arena and now we do trot/canter and walk/canter transitions fine, anywhere in school.