Won't canter in indoor arena

[abbijay]

I'm a little bit stumped so I'm looking to the hive mind of HHO for ideas.
3 months ago we moved yard which has a 25 x 50 outdoor arena and a 20 x 40 indoor, previous yard had 30 x 50 post and rail fenced outdoor and 20 x 60 outdoors with kick boards and grass verge.
As a rule I prefer larger areas to school and fresh air over indoors unless it is absolutely horrendous weather so, as a rule, I have done all my schooling in the outdoor at the new yard. I have schooled in the indoor a handful of times but my horse (17.1hh, 8yo clydesdale working novice/elem) seems unable to canter in the indoor. He struggles with the strike off but if I do get a transition I get max 3 strides before he slams on. Even his trot work is laboured in there although he will undertake all his moves, begrudgingly.
Last night I started in the outdoor arena and had a lovely warm up in all paces, then it started a serious downpour so I moved indoors and he shut down and I got 1 canter of 3 strides, afterwards I went outside again and he was doing walk to canters, 15m circles, medium canter, etc on both reins with no issue again. I am flummoxed, he seems to utterly hate the indoor.
I have ridden him at competitions in other indoor arenas with no issue although they have all been larger with dressage boards inside whereas this one is 20x40 and solid boarded sides. Could it be the surface, the short sides seem to undulate a bit too? Could it be the lighting? Could it be claustrophobia?! I feel I am straying into ridiculous territory but I've never experienced a situation like this before.
Any and all suggestions are welcome as food for thought on how I can possibly improve this!

 

[Tiddlypom]

Prime suspect would be the surface in the indoor. What is it? Is it waxed?

 

[blitznbobs]

Prime suspect would be the surface in the indoor. What is it? Is it waxed?

Second this - an indoor surface essentially needs to be waxed and it puts a lot of strain on joints - he is a big heavy horse so my guess is it is jarring his joints

 

[abbijay]

Prime suspect would be the surface in the indoor. What is it? Is it waxed?

All I know is it's a Martin Collins one, no idea beyond that - i don't know the first thing about surfaces! IT looks like a mostly sand mix type thing, we have a more "fibre" based outdoor.

 

[Annagain]

Is it just that indoor? Have you competed indoors at other places? If so, have you had a problem anywhere else? If he's ok in other indoor schools, I'd suspect the surface too. If it's all indoor schools I'd suspect some sort of claustrophobia - where are you asking for canter? Could you try coming out of the corner onto the long side so visually he has more room and isn't heading for a wall?

If you've not been in another indoor with him, could you hire another locally to see what he's like in a different one?

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

I have nothing useful to add but did just want to say I don't think you are being ridiculous; it's nice that you are listening to your horse and taking his point of view into consideration.

 

[abbijay]

Is it just that indoor? Have you competed indoors at other places? If so, have you had a problem anywhere else? If he's ok in other indoor schools, I'd suspect the surface too. If it's all indoor schools I'd suspect some sort of claustrophobia - where are you asking for canter? Could you try coming out of the corner onto the long side so visually he has more room and isn't heading for a wall?

If you've not been in another indoor with him, could you hire another locally to see what he's like in a different one?

I have competed in 2 other larger indoors with no issue.
I can usually pick up canter most places in the school, in this arena I stand more chance if I canter coming onto the long side but still limited to 3 strides!

 

[CanteringCarrot]

In my experience it's usually the size and/or footing. Usually the latter.

My youngster is much more forward in the outdoor, and it's larger and more open feeling. The footing is a bit harder and not as deep, so he seems to prefer that too and just moves better overall.

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

I think it's the arena size. I get this too with bigger horses. I'm not sure if it's me or the horse but it's like there's the awareness the walls are close and corners come up very quickly so if they trip they may not have the space to accelerate out of trouble.

 

[Tarragon]

What is he like at walk and trot in the indoor? Perhaps just start him off in those paces and only try canter work if he is happy in walk and trot. He is a big horse, and I imagine he must make the indoor feel quite small.

 

[PurpleSpots]

Will he canter willingly in the indoor school without a rider, or is lungeing/loose schooling/similar not allowed?

Might give you more info to see him from the ground?

 

[teapot]

Surface, especially waxed ones, can really stifle a horse's movement, and will be even worse if it's undulating.

 

[3 bays and a grey]

I'm a little bit stumped so I'm looking to the hive mind of HHO for ideas.
3 months ago we moved yard which has a 25 x 50 outdoor arena and a 20 x 40 indoor, previous yard had 30 x 50 post and rail fenced outdoor and 20 x 60 outdoors with kick boards and grass verge.
As a rule I prefer larger areas to school and fresh air over indoors unless it is absolutely horrendous weather so, as a rule, I have done all my schooling in the outdoor at the new yard. I have schooled in the indoor a handful of times but my horse (17.1hh, 8yo clydesdale working novice/elem) seems unable to canter in the indoor. He struggles with the strike off but if I do get a transition I get max 3 strides before he slams on. Even his trot work is laboured in there although he will undertake all his moves, begrudgingly.
Last night I started in the outdoor arena and had a lovely warm up in all paces, then it started a serious downpour so I moved indoors and he shut down and I got 1 canter of 3 strides, afterwards I went outside again and he was doing walk to canters, 15m circles, medium canter, etc on both reins with no issue again. I am flummoxed, he seems to utterly hate the indoor.
I have ridden him at competitions in other indoor arenas with no issue although they have all been larger with dressage boards inside whereas this one is 20x40 and solid boarded sides. Could it be the surface, the short sides seem to undulate a bit too? Could it be the lighting? Could it be claustrophobia?! I feel I am straying into ridiculous territory but I've never experienced a situation like this before.
Any and all suggestions are welcome as food for thought on how I can possibly improve this!

I’ve just moved yards (5 weeks ago) to an outdoor school 20x40 post and rail. Our old place was an indoor 20x40 with solid breeze block walls. I use to be able to get 4 strides of canter down the side and that was it. New place I’m going round large in canter and 20m circles. Horse is 17hh warm blood, haven’t change anything about my riding or the way I ask for canter. He’s just so much happier in an outdoor.

 

[SEL]

Big mare hated the indoor Martin Collins at a local competition yard but fine outdoors. Both large arenas so I think it must have been surface related. They never watered the indoor whereas British weather did the outdoor.

 

[Melody Grey]

Prime suspect would be the surface in the indoor. What is it? Is it waxed?

This would also be my first thought- indoor surfaces can behave totally differently to their outdoor equivalents due to lack of rain.

 

[KatieDM]

I bet it’s the size of the arena... Especially given he’s a big lad.

 

[blitznbobs]

This would also be my first thought- indoor surfaces can behave totally differently to their outdoor equivalents due to lack of rain.

This is why they add wax because if there is no rain, they are liable to become very dusty and separate. This people wax them to keep the surface where it needs to be… the amount of wax added varies from surface to surface but it stops the horses foot sliding on the floor which it would do on a turf or sand surface … thus causing more strain on the joints .

 

[Skib]

I had trouble for years cantering in a 20 x 40 small indoor arena. Tho I cantered a lot out hacking. I was eventually (about 14 years later) taught how to do it by a middle aged RI who worked on the yard and spent most of my lesson chatting to me. This relaxed me totally. One week she brought in a beautiful TB mare and told me that if I enjoyed cantering down the long side, just to go on and imagine I was cantering an oval shaped circle. So I did, with no corners.
That TB mare proved unsound and due to Covid and lock down, I never rode her again and never returned. I have not had a lesson since. But it was important to me to know I can canter in a 20 x 40 arena as it means I can turn up anywhere and take a riding test.
I think of these RIs with immense gratitude for they were very kind to a nervous pensioner and if I ride now without worrying, it is thanks to them.

 

[shortstuff99]

Is it a solid indoor? Does he think he is going to crash into a wall if it is a bit claustrophobic?

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I'd get the horse checked over by a physio; mine has always struggled with canter in an arena. We know that this is "just her" and as a heavier coblet she isn't going to be at her best in the school. But with yours it just might be that a back & saddle check is advisable.

Also some horses do feel claustrophobic in an indoor school and/or the surface isn't comfy for them.

Your horse is patently "saying" it isn't happy. I'd take heed.

 

[Marigold4]

Ha, I could have written this post myself! My horse is only 15 hh but struggles to canter in an indoor school. Just the same as yours - struggles to strike off and then breaks back into trot after a few strides. He's smaller than yours, but I still think he feels claustrophobic in the indoor. Like yours, he's fine cantering outside. This time last year he was quite wary of sand surfaces, but now confident to walk and trot inside. I think it will just take time to get used to cantering inside on a surface, so I'm hiring indoor schools, doing a little bit of canter each time, lots of praise and waiting till he gets used to it. He'll get there - eventually!

 

[Annagain]

I have competed in 2 other larger indoors with no issue.
I can usually pick up canter most places in the school, in this arena I stand more chance if I canter coming onto the long side but still limited to 3 strides!

If he’s ok in bigger arenas, do you have another 20x40 indoor you could hire locally? That should give you an idea whether it’s a size thing or a surface thing.

 

[Fransurrey]

I'd also suspect the surface. My boy will barely move in our school (plain sand) to the point I don't bother with it anymore. It's simply too deep for most of the year.

 

[abbijay]

I'd get the horse checked over by a physio; mine has always struggled with canter in an arena. We know that this is "just her" and as a heavier coblet she isn't going to be at her best in the school. But with yours it just might be that a back & saddle check is advisable.

Also some horses do feel claustrophobic in an indoor school and/or the surface isn't comfy for them.

Your horse is patently "saying" it isn't happy. I'd take heed.

He's had a check up since we moved there and physio is very happy with everything.
The more of you saying the surface makes me think it could well be that. If it was space I would still expect to be able to put him on a 20m circle, get the canter from walk and do a circle in the middle as we can do circles as small as 10m in the outdoor.
Thanks for all the input, I think the key thing is to only use the indoor when absolutely necessary and adapt my sessions to suit if we are in there.

 

[Hallo2012]

another vote for surface.

either over waxed or a solid concrete floor under it giving concussion issues (with him being a heaver type).

on days you HAVE to go inside i would do inhand work, walk polework or de spooking stuff only.

 

[eggs]

I would suspect it is the surface too. I have a 20 x 40 indoor school with and sand and rubber surface with an irrigation system. My 17:3 hh has never had a problem cantering in it.

 

[Ossy2]

I’m going to go against the grain here and say that are you sure your horse has the balance and collection to actually cope with cantering in an indoor that size. Are you sure outside he’s actually in a balanced canter or just able to give you something because it’s bigger.

 

[nikkimariet]

Overly waxed surfaces are a real nightmare, I do my best to avoid them.

 

[abbijay]

I’m going to go against the grain here and say that are you sure your horse has the balance and collection to actually cope with cantering in an indoor that size. Are you sure outside he’s actually in a balanced canter or just able to give you something because it’s bigger.

I'd like to think if he can manage this when he's outside instagram video we could manage a simple canter round the school indoors.

 

[Muddywellies]

Prime suspect would be the surface in the indoor. What is it? Is it waxed?

This I had huge issues with my horse after schooling on a waxed (hard!) surface, which took months of rehab and a yard move to resolve. The surface was regularly harrowed but had no 'give', and my horse was extremely unhappy working on it.