Wrong canter lead every time!

littlen

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 August 2006
Messages
830
Visit site
How do I correct my pony from constantly getting the wrong canter lead?

I think it's my fault as I really struggle to 'feel' if he is on the wrong leg. He favours the wrong leg most of the time even hacking.

I also struggle to feel trot diagonals (rubbish I know!)

We are having lessons but I am struggling with home schooling, any tips?
 

Pigeon

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 July 2012
Messages
3,790
Visit site
To ask for canter from rising trot, sit, count a second (or slightly less) and then ask. This only works if he goes as soon as you ask and you are on the right diagonal, but it should help! The logic is that they strike off with the outside hind for the correct lead, and this is the point at which its stepping forward. I was having this issue and that worked for me :)
 

Tnavas

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 October 2005
Messages
8,480
Location
New Zealand but from UK
Visit site
Little tips to get correct leads

First be sure you are asking correctly and consistently
The most important part of the trot to canter transition is SITTING TROT, Sit up, slide outside leg back as you flex the horses head a tiny bit to the inside, then a strong tap with the outside leg. Make sure you stay sitting tall and maintain the contact.

Ask coming in to a corner of the arena as the wall encourages the horse to sit back a little so that the canter strike off is easier.

Extra tips - place a pole on the ground across the track and ask as you are coming in to it.

If this doesn't work then place a jump stand on the inside of the track and place the end of the rail nearest the stand up a foot off the ground, with the other end staying on the ground.

If you are jumping place a jump on the A-C line so that you can do a circle over it. Canter around on your ponys best lead, and as you go over the jump change the rein, making sure that you look with your whole body in the direction you want to go, and give the correct aids for the new lead.

If he continues to ignore your aids carry a schooling whip in the outside hand and use it smartly as you use your outside leg. Using your outside leg strongly should bring the outside hind leg forward starting the correct sequence for canter.

To see which lead you are on, glance down with your eyes only and you should see the leading leg appearing in advance of the others. Also you may find that your inside knee moves more than the outside. If you can have someone on the ground watch, tell you which lead you are on while you register the feel.

For trot diagonals its easiest to notice the outside shoulder coming back as you sit. This is what I teach all my students as they seem to find it the easiest way.
 

Simon Battram

Well-Known Member
Joined
31 October 2013
Messages
101
Location
Bedfordshire
Visit site
Do you have this problem in both directions? if yes then some of the tips above should help.

if its only mainly in one direction then it could well be to do with crookedness in the pony. Don't worry, this is not a criticism as every horse and pony is one sided in the same way that every rider is left or right handed. Which way in general do you find your pony easier to bend? And is the problem with the canter strike off in the same direction as the easier side to bend?
 

TableDancer

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 February 2008
Messages
4,660
Location
Monmouthshire
Visit site
Do you have this problem in both directions? if yes then some of the tips above should help.

if its only mainly in one direction then it could well be to do with crookedness in the pony. Don't worry, this is not a criticism as every horse and pony is one sided in the same way that every rider is left or right handed. Which way in general do you find your pony easier to bend? And is the problem with the canter strike off in the same direction as the easier side to bend?

Agree with this, but it could of course also be crookedness in the rider ;) Quite a few instances I have experienced of clients with this difficulty is that they are sliding to the outside as they ask for canter - and of course, the horse will always follow the rider's weight... The difficulty is, as well, that the more you look to the inside to try to influence the canter lead, the more the inside hip slides back one pushes the weight even more to the outside. Rider needs to keep hips aligned with horse's hips, and keep weight into inside stirrup while asking for canter. Apologies if none of this applies in OP's case, but it's worth raising...
 

littlen

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 August 2006
Messages
830
Visit site
Thankyou everyone!

We both struggle on the left rein, I am crooked and so is he which isn't helpful but he isn't reliable on either rein. He has been out of work for some of the winter so I need to up his fitness levels too but he is always marked down for a wrong leg when I take him out so I am determined to get this sorted!
 

JillA

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 May 2007
Messages
8,166
Location
Shropshire
Visit site
If he picks up the wrong lead, let him keep going on it. It is harder work for him than being on the correct lead and he will soon decide in his own interests to lead with the inside (assuming you are in a school or on a circle, otherwise how does he know what lead you want?). When he transitions because he can't keep going, ask again and repeat. He will soon learn!
Oh, and sometimes if the circle or bend is too small, they can't lead inside because the shoulder is cramped. More open bend and open shoulder helps.
 

Tnavas

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 October 2005
Messages
8,480
Location
New Zealand but from UK
Visit site
If he picks up the wrong lead, let him keep going on it. It is harder work for him than being on the correct lead and he will soon decide in his own interests to lead with the inside (assuming you are in a school or on a circle, otherwise how does he know what lead you want?). When he transitions because he can't keep going, ask again and repeat. He will soon learn!
Oh, and sometimes if the circle or bend is too small, they can't lead inside because the shoulder is cramped. More open bend and open shoulder helps.

Sort of agree with some of what you have said but for different reasons.

If you have a horse that tends to ignore the aids for canter then allowing him to continue even on the wrong leg enables him to understand that you want him to canter. Its no harder for him to canter around an arena on the wrong leg than the correct one - just rather unbalanced on the four corners.

The horse learns which leg to lead on by the rider asking at the right time for canter. Initially you teach the horse to understand the aids for canter, usually done on a straight line as you come out of a corner and you tend not to worry what leg you get. Then you progress to asking as you come into a corner as the very shape tends to have the horse lead off on the correct lead. You then progress to asking on a larger circle - the larger the circle the harder it is to teach a correct canter lead as the line becomes less defined.

I think you may be confusing the very small circle and bend with too much bend to the inside, usually accompanied by a dropped outside rein contact - then the horse tends to fall in or drift out of the circle.

Something I forgot to mention earlier is that until the horse is supple on both reins he may find the canter transition harder on one rein than the other.

To improve canter you work in trot.
Masses of circles, loops, serpentines and changes of rein, along with transitions between the paces and within the paces. As my old coach said, many years ago, never go around the school more than once without doing something different.

As he gets fitter and more supple he will find getting the correct lead easier.
 

JillA

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 May 2007
Messages
8,166
Location
Shropshire
Visit site
If you have a horse that tends to ignore the aids for canter then allowing him to continue even on the wrong leg enables him to understand that you want him to canter. Its no harder for him to canter around an arena on the wrong leg than the correct one - just rather unbalanced on the four corners.

I disagree - and I have seen that technique used very successfully in lessons by an ex Cadre Noir trainer. Everyone will have seen the horse who, having struck off on the wrong lead, changes himself after a few strides clearly showing they are uncomfortable on the wrong lead in a school. And I have proved the opening the shoulder works, on a mare of mine who would never strike off correctly on a bend.
Give both a go OP and see for yourself
 

Tnavas

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 October 2005
Messages
8,480
Location
New Zealand but from UK
Visit site
I disagree - and I have seen that technique used very successfully in lessons by an ex Cadre Noir trainer. Everyone will have seen the horse who, having struck off on the wrong lead, changes himself after a few strides clearly showing they are uncomfortable on the wrong lead in a school. And I have proved the opening the shoulder works, on a mare of mine who would never strike off correctly on a bend.
Give both a go OP and see for yourself

And I have seen very many who don't!

If you have a naturally well balanced horse he may very well change as he feels unbalanced but for those that have no idea about balance its no big deal to canter around on the wrong lead as many riding school ponies do.

I've recently been working with a very talented young rider and her less talented young pony, he gets left lead as easy as can be. He canters on the correct lead on the lunge on both reins no problem, but under saddle can never correctly get the right canter lead. The reason we have now found is a sore muscle over his left hip. He is now being treated regularly by the back specialist and is beginning to get his leads correct.

Often the inability of the horse to get a canter lead correct is not so much in the schooling but the physical soundness of the horse. Canter being an uneven pace can exacerbate muscle/back soreness and any horse struggling with leads should be checked over carefully, including saddle fit.

PS - I trained with an ex Spanish Riding School Teacher. :D
 

Simon Battram

Well-Known Member
Joined
31 October 2013
Messages
101
Location
Bedfordshire
Visit site
The one thing I would not do is continue on the wrong strike off as this teaching the horse entirely the wrong thought process.

The first port of call is to make sure the pony is happy and healthy. Then make sure all tack and equipment is suitable and correctly fitted. Thirdly really look at your position, how you are sitting in the saddle, how you are asking etc.

When all of this is ok then the strike off is a matter of suppleness, balance and responsiveness. Work on suppleness in general by circles, turns and arena patterns as well as working the long and low stretch. The responsiveness through transitions and making sure that a light leg aid means something and the horse / pony has a crisp reaction to a light aid.

Every horse or pony has a stiffer side and a softer side just like we are left or right handed. I nickname it 'banana shape' - they are all either left or right banana's. This means that they will naturally bend around either your left or right leg.

If you are having difficulty asking for canter on the side the horse normally bends more easily to then you need to be able to control the outside shoulder more. If you are struggling on the side that the horse doesn't bend as easily to then it is the outside hindleg you need to have more influence on.

Hopefully this makes sense and if you need schooling tips on how to do this then just shout.
 

Pigeon

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 July 2012
Messages
3,790
Visit site
My horse's counter canter is as balanced as his correct canter, he finds it far too easy and isn't fussed what lead he's on. It was starting counter canter work that messed up our leads in the first place haha!
 
Top