Unbalanced in canter...?

[somethingorother]

Hello HHO gurus! Can i have some suggestions please?

Am pretty pleased with how ginger arab is progressing in his schooling, with the odd expected hiccup and stuborn days.

Canter transitions are now going pretty well, but once in canter his preferred way of going is to bomb around, motorbiking around corners and refusal to stay straight/ on the track on long sides.

I do manage to collect him most of the time, and he goes better on circles but i feel this is avoiding the issue of him wanting to canter down the long sides with his backside pointing inwards. He will go fairly straight in trot though.

Tried leg yeilding in and out of a circle in canter today which worked surprisingly well, he started to listen, slow down and balance himself. Thought it might be too much, but maybe a bit of difficulty is good?

Also recently started counter canter (aka wall of death) and flying changes. He is brilliant at the changes, but the counter canter feels a bit unstable but is improving.

Any other suggestions? Mulled wine and quality street to anyone who can help?

 

[letrec_fan]

Only going from own experience here but perhaps try bringing him back to trot every time he attempts to bomb off. And then ask again. Repeat this till he canters nicely. Like the leg yield you mentioned, do something in canter to keep his mind occupied - maybe canter poles? If he is unbalanced though I guess it will just take time to build enough strength so he can canter without getting unbalanced. Only other thing I can think is keep the canter short - a few good strides and take him down to trot again. Hopefully someone with a better idea will answer but just a few suggestions.

 

[Umbongo]

Do you canter out on hacks? I have found this an invaluable method for youngsters that are unbalanced in canter in the school. If he is young then perhaps it will just take some time for him to build up strength?

 

[somethingorother]

Only going from own experience here but perhaps try bringing him back to trot every time he attempts to bomb off. And then ask again. Repeat this till he canters nicely. Like the leg yield you mentioned, do something in canter to keep his mind occupied - maybe canter poles? If he is unbalanced though I guess it will just take time to build enough strength so he can canter without getting unbalanced. Only other thing I can think is keep the canter short - a few good strides and take him down to trot again. Hopefully someone with a better idea will answer but just a few suggestions.

Thanks for the reply to my waffle! I did try this but it really peed him off if i stopped him too often. If he does really try to tank off i make him stop and back up a few steps until he stops fighting. I do this at all paces and he seems to be getting the idea now. My main problem now is that because he is unbalanced he just tries to run through it, not tanking but still too fast...

 

[somethingorother]

Do you canter out on hacks? I have found this an invaluable method for youngsters that are unbalanced in canter in the school.

Yes, lots. Which is think is why he struggles in an enclosed space. He's in his late teens, and mainly hacked until i started sharing him a year ago. We still hack out lots and canter whenever we can. He's fine in a straight line out in the open. Shame there's no fields to school in, as a compromise....

 

[letrec_fan]

Thanks for the reply to my waffle! I did try this but it really peed him off if i stopped him too often. If he does really try to tank off i make him stop and back up a few steps until he stops fighting. I do this at all paces and he seems to be getting the idea now. My main problem now is that because he is unbalanced he just tries to run through it, not tanking but still too fast...

No problem. What about doing lots of transitions - not just canter to trot. Also instead of stopping him repeatedly, bring him back, and then go and do something totally different again. Ask again a bit later. If he is dead set on refusing I would stop and try cantering another session. Before you canter have a plan in your head of what you are going to ask him to do - don't just canter on the track. Try varying size circles combined with transitions. I found rein back helped too because it kept mine thinking. One other thing - perhaps practice on the lunge. Does he canter unbalanced then too? I did not keep to a circle because he then became even more unbalanced. I think your best bet though is to just get him happy cantering and not to put him off - the hacking idea is good but as you say he is already good out. One thing that worked brilliantly for my lad was taking him on a short hack prior to schooling. This got him in a great mood and he went beautifully. Also, if he canters nicely out, you can then hopefully reproduce this in the school as he will be in that frame of mind. This way he gets a reward for doing a bit of nice work in the school. Sorry for rambling. Keep us updated on how you get on.