Trot to Canter Transition whilst still maintaining a contact - Help!

[madginger]

I'm having a slight sticking point with getting my horse to canter whilst maintaining a contact.

We are working lovely in walk, trot, halt to trot and back again etc whilst maintaining a contact and working properly, but if I ask for canter all of the toys get thrown out of the pram.

She sticks her head up in the air and puts in a massive buck and refuses to go forward.

When I warm up before hand on a loose rein she will canter and then pick up the contact and will also canter correctly on the lunge with side reins so I'm wondering if it is me???

I'm having a few lessons but want to know if there is anything I can do to in the meantime overcome this problem?

 

[digitalangel]

when doing into canter are you sure youre not holding her too much? i tend to do this and then my boy whizzes off with me with his head in the air.

I went to a clinic and tackled this a few months ago - the advice was to let him go forwards in canter and not hold on to him because you expect him to p1$$ off with you!

it does seem to help - when i remember!

 

[dwi]

From what you describe I would guess that its something you're doing with your hands. Have you tried putting a balance strap across the front of your saddle and hooking a few fingers through it just before the transition to stop your hands moving?

 

[Achinghips]

[ QUOTE ]
From what you describe I would guess that its something you're doing with your hands. Have you tried putting a balance strap across the front of your saddle and hooking a few fingers through it just before the transition to stop your hands moving?

[/ QUOTE ]

brill idea, that solved my problem in this area too with a very forward going mare!

 

[madginger]

Thanks I will give that a try, not that I can do much at the moment with this horrible weather!!!

 

[camilla4]

Madginger,is it possible that you might be allowing your upper body to tip forward as you ask for the transition? This is quite a common fault and can often lead to the horse simply trotting faster and faster - by ensuring that you sit completely upright you will allow the horse to lighten the forehand and keep its centre of gravity back, making the transtion easier and more natural.