Update on impossible canter lead!

[bex1984]

I posted a while ago about my pony flatly refusing to do left canter lead. Previous post: http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/3705916/page/0/fpart/2/vc/1

You guys gave me lots of suggestions to work on, so I thought I'd update you on progress.

Firstly I tried bringing him back to trot everytime he struck off incorrectly. Unfortunately he just thought this meant he didn't have to canter when asked and started ignoring my requests for canter (he is not very forward going at the best of times...

) so I figured that method probably wasn't going to suit him.

I tried a pole in the corner of the school, and across the diagonal, and that didn't seem to work (he is wise to it

)

Last week my friend, who loves jumping, came over to have a play on Murphy and did some work on getting him to land on the left lead after a jump. It was like a light went on in his head and 9 times out of 10 he got left canter

Only slight problem is that jumping terrifies me

I decided I'll have to get over my fear if it's going to get him doing left canter. So last weekend I put a jump up and we did it

He was landing on the left lead almost everytime I asked him to, and then each time I'd let him charge about and have some fun - he was loving it and because I was thinking about the landing and not the jump itself I realised it's going to help me a lot with me fear of jumping

He even changed legs onto the left lead without going over the jump at one point - I took him across the diagonal in right canter, and as we hit the track going left he changed to left lead

So - we've definitely made some progress, thank you for all the advice (those who suggested using a jump would help were spot on

) and please keep your fingers crossed for me that this carries on working

 

[Bounty]

Absolutely fantastic - well done you and Murph!

 

[bex1984]

Thanks Bounty

I just hope it carries on working!!

 

[Jellicle]

that's good news - well done! I have found in the past few weeks that my horse (who avoids right canter) is much more reliable when asked from a really strong bouncy trot - maybe that is similar to your situation (e.g. he is more forward when jumping)

 

[bex1984]

Thanks

He was definitely quite forward the other day when I'd been jumping him!!

I know if I can get him in a forward enough canter he will change legs when i change the rein - getting him to strike off correctly is more difficult, but hopefully we'll get there eventually

 

[beckyboo1991]

ahh its annoying isn't it, my pony does it but what my instructor told me to do was to hold him with my outside rein as he was dropping his shoulder. we don't always get the right lead but atleast i am getting it sometimes.