Won't canter in indoor arena

[Skib]

Does he think he is going to crash into a wall if it is a bit claustrophobic

When I had my first RS lessons, another student in the same small indoor school was canterng and the horse crashed into the wall at the corner. The woman teaching me told me to ignore it, but it isnt human nature to ignore possible danger and I never did learn to canter in that particular RS indoor school.
It was me being scared. Not the horse nor the surface. Years later when I was a proper rider, I took a W, T and C test in that same school and it was simple

 

[Lois Lame]

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

This is really interesting. Does this mean that, for an indoor, it is better to have the same sort of stuff used for an outdoor and to make sure it gets sprinkled with water as needed?

My money is on the surface in the indoor. How awful it would feel to move around on a surface that doesn't feel stable.

(ETA: Would it have an unstable feeling or would the problem be something else?)

 

[spotty_pony2]

sounds like he isn’t happy with the surface.

 

[sbloom]

This is really interesting. Does this mean that, for an indoor, it is better to have the same sort of stuff used for an outdoor and to make sure it gets sprinkled with water as needed?

My money is on the surface in the indoor. How awful it would feel to move around on a surface that doesn't feel stable.

(ETA: Would it have an unstable feeling or would the problem be something else?)

That's how it used to be, sprinklers in dry weather especially.

I think if it was mainly balance then the canter would be messy, unbalanced, with stalling to trot. Slamming the brakes on sounds like surface to me.

 

[Pidgeon]

Size of the indoor. Last yard only had a 18x35m indoor. We'd come from 40x50m indoor. Pig, 17hh ISH in a 7'3" rug, long body and neck, really struggled in there as was convinced he would collide with walls. Take your time, little and often and I would bank on you getting there with the indoor, as it took Pig a while to get accustomed to the smaller indoor. Once he realised he was not going to collide with the walls he was happy cantering, and jumping in there.

 

[Melody Grey]

This is really interesting. Does this mean that, for an indoor, it is better to have the same sort of stuff used for an outdoor and to make sure it gets sprinkled with water as needed?

My money is on the surface in the indoor. How awful it would feel to move around on a surface that doesn't feel stable.

(ETA: Would it have an unstable feeling or would the problem be something else?)

Years ago I don’t think there were surfaces marketed for outdoor/ indoor specifically, we just watered the indoor surface.

Someone commented above that this is what adding wax is for, though I can’t say I know anything about this.

Lack of stability in the surface, so it moving about un-nervingly is what I’ve seen as well as riding incredibly deep. For horses, translates as reluctance to trot/ canter, bucking one of mine messes about going sideways rather than forwards as an evasion ( has known vet issues and sensitive to surfaces).

 

[blitznbobs]

This is really interesting. Does this mean that, for an indoor, it is better to have the same sort of stuff used for an outdoor and to make sure it gets sprinkled with water as needed?

My money is on the surface in the indoor. How awful it would feel to move around on a surface that doesn't feel stable.

(ETA: Would it have an unstable feeling or would the problem be something else?)

Do you know how much water these surfaces need to be watered properly - we did a quick calculation when putting our outdoor in and it’s more than 15000l PER DAY in the summer … now work out the costs of that…

We are lucky we have a private water source but if you are using the mains it one helluva lot of water (approx £15 a day for water) not to mention the environmental costs … hence wax

 

[sbloom]

I know someone had undersurface watering added when she built her outdoor and it uses a LOT less than watering from above, but none of this is great for the environment if we face it - man made surfaces or water...I guess the former is slightly better but it's hobson's choice and more grist to the social licence mill in some ways.

 

[Lois Lame]

Hmm... I hadn't thought about just how much water would be needed.