Wrong Canter lead

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FelixPatches

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My 15.1hh 6 year old does not like taking right canter, and generally takes the wrong lead. It is getting worse. The canter itself is ok, bit on his forehand and he does want to fall in, not as good as the left rein, but I think with practice it would be ok, I tend not to canter too much, to reward him as and when he does take the correct lead, and also think we need to improve walk and trot before doing too much in canter? Left is his preferred lead, eg out hacking, but on the lunge he takes the correct lead on the right. I've had him 2 years and when I first got him I struggled even to get him to canter (he was only 4, he was fine with his previous rider but she was a better rider than I am). I suspect some/all of this is my fault, but now we have both got ourselves so worked up about it that he rarely takes the correct lead, even rarer to get it first time. He is a cheeky chap but I think he is in a tizz about this and not being naughty. In the lead up to the transition, especially after we have already got it wrong once in a session, he either falls in and/or sticks his head to the outside and/or bobs on the spot/goes really tight and fast/does not canter when I ask (waits a stride so he can take the wrong lead) so making it almost impossible to get the correct lead. He is seen by a physio regularly (he does have tightness on his right side behind the saddle and he does generally stand with his right hind slightly in front, but he is sound and he has improved since she started seeing him, I have exercises to do as well, and use a massage pad, plus as I understand it he needs to engage his left hind not his right to take right canter?), saddle fine, teeth fine and he is a happy, forward going sort of chap (except over right canter). I am tight in my left hip and so I wonder if my aids are unclear, possibly I tip forward when asking. I'd really appreciate feedback, as I worry there is something physically wrong with him (should I get the vet out?) and I'm now at the stage of dreading canter (which I know will not help too), thank you.
 
I think you'd benefit from having someone on the ground, perhaps book a lesson with a trainer.
I have had a similar issue with my horse, what has helped for me is to make sure that my aid is really clear.
If he gets it wrong and I have to bring him back to trot he can get quite worried and start getting tight and hoppy. I go back to trot work or other transition until he is relaxed settled and listening.
I also found he found walk to canter transitions easier to get right.
Good luck!
 
Have you tried asking for right lead on a hack ? I only say this as they find it easier to canter out I do this with one of my horses, I ask for the lead they find easier first then go back to trot and ask for the other leg and so on, I make sure the aid is clear and the same each time so when you go in the same school they know what you want, it's also a good exercise as most horses favour the easy lead out so by making them use both it helps them to become stronger, it sounds like he just has a very week side and I think you will find its your week rein to so you are both struggling, I find right rein more difficult so it is both my horses weaker rein, doing some counter bend can help get correct bend and stop him falling out, if your not already having lessons I would get a good instructor to help you and they will give you things to try and can see if your giving clear aids and correct you if not.
 
Pinkvboots said:
Have you tried asking for right lead on a hack ? I only say this as they find it easier to canter out I do this with one of my horses, I ask for the lead they find easier first then go back to trot and ask for the other leg and so on, I make sure the aid is clear and the same each time so when you go in the same school they know what you want, it's also a good exercise as most horses favour the easy lead out so by making them use both it helps them to become stronger, it sounds like he just has a very week side and I think you will find its your week rein to so you are both struggling, I find right rein more difficult so it is both my horses weaker rein, doing some counter bend can help get correct bend and stop him falling out, if your not already having lessons I would get a good instructor to help you and they will give you things to try and can see if your giving clear aids and correct you if not.
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Thank you both so much. I do have an instructor and she is clear it is my fault but that he definitely does not help me out (but then why should he, it's my job to ride him properly). I think that when I struggled to get him to canter at all, I was giving him a generic canter command, which was not actually leg specific and so he maybe does not realise he is supposed to take right lead and just takes the one that is easier. I have tried out hacking, and in the field and inevitably he takes left canter. Definitely agree key is to be calm and not stress, just need to try to do that more! We had a bad session a couple of weeks ago, he was feeling fat and sluggish after being in the field all day, I think, and I should have just left it but I kept asking and I think now he (and I) remembers that. Thanks again.
 
FelixPatches said:
Thank you both so much. I do have an instructor and she is clear it is my fault but that he definitely does not help me out (but then why should he, it's my job to ride him properly). I think that when I struggled to get him to canter at all, I was giving him a generic canter command, which was not actually leg specific and so he maybe does not realise he is supposed to take right lead and just takes the one that is easier. I have tried out hacking, and in the field and inevitably he takes left canter. Definitely agree key is to be calm and not stress, just need to try to do that more! We had a bad session a couple of weeks ago, he was feeling fat and sluggish after being in the field all day, I think, and I should have just left it but I kept asking and I think now he (and I) remembers that. Thanks again.
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It may be "your fault" but your instructors job is to give you tools to deal with it, not just say to ride him properly, there is so much you can do to help strengthen him, improve his suppleness and make it easier for you both to get it right, this should be easy enough to do if neither of you have a physical problem limiting you, I would feel I was failing you as an instructor if I could not get this fixed within a few sessions it is a common enough issue and there will be a key to each different horse and rider, finding that key is the job of the professional, maintaining it then becomes your job.
 
I would say , your horse needs to be more "off your leg" as if he doesn't go exactly when you ask he may pick up the wrong lead, also your hip tightness may affect him, try moving your right hip forward when you ask for right lead, I agree he is probably offering canter as he thinks that is what you want and doesn't realise he needs to offer the right lead. It will come in time.
 
be positive said:
It may be "your fault" but your instructors job is to give you tools to deal with it, not just say to ride him properly, there is so much you can do to help strengthen him, improve his suppleness and make it easier for you both to get it right, this should be easy enough to do if neither of you have a physical problem limiting you, I would feel I was failing you as an instructor if I could not get this fixed within a few sessions it is a common enough issue and there will be a key to each different horse and rider, finding that key is the job of the professional, maintaining it then becomes your job.
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I agree with be positive he is teaching you as well as the horse, for a canter aid I find using the outside leg behind the girth is the easiest, so you sit trot outside leg back and bang on the aid so when your hacking they still understand what lead to take, it's also hard to get canter if your horse is not straight so because his falling through the shoulder his not straight, I would do some counter flexion down long side then ride straight then ask for true bend if he tries to fall out put your inside leg back to get his hind end over or tapping his inside shoulder with your stick can help or even just placing it there if his sensitive, I also teach mine to canter on a voice aid on the lunge first then it can help when ridden.
 
My horse did this at 4 yrs - trust me it's just a phase , they get past it ! What I would suggest is lunging your horse and see if he picks up the correct canter lead or the wrong one but immediately corrects it - this would suggest you may need to adjust your position somewhat - this was my issue :)
 
I had the same problem with my Arab. A western trainer looked at us and told me to look markedly to the outside when asking for canter. Not exactly classical but it straightened me and meant I was finally giving my horse the correct weight aids to strike off correctly. I have always struggled with my very asymmetrical conformation and this was an invaluable tip. Not saying that you have the same problem but it will not hurt to try. In the long term it may be useful to get yourself checked by a physio and learn some remedial exercises to help you be straight. A crooked rider will eventually give her horse a bad back too so well worth tackling the problem.
 
I had a horse that was very similar, although his tricky lead was the left. It took time and patience.

Be VERY clear in your transition, almost over exaggerate each part of it, i.e. the bend and your leg going behind the girth, the half halt etc.
Prepare prepare prepare for the transition, do not ask unless everything is right with the trot and the balance.
Exercises such as trot leg yield towards the track (in your case on the right rein) really push their inside leg over, as you hit the track ask for canter, their inside hind should be nicely placed underneath them.
If they go onto the incorrect lead, don't panic/stress, bring them back to trot and do it again. do it over and over until they get it right, praise like mad when they do. Do not be tempted to just give up and let them canter on the incorrect lead, yes its difficult for them, but the more they do it the easier it will become as they gain confidence and strength on that side they will become more balanced in time.
 
Thank you so much all of you for taking the time to reply, lots of helpful tips here. I agree making the transition clear is key; my problem is he anticipates and does things to thwart me, eg quarters in, head to the outside, not trotting forwards. I shall try the leg yield tonight, that's a really good idea. Last night, we got the wrong lead maybe 5 times, but then 3 correct ones consecutively, so that was progress. And it was a lot to do with me staying calm. I'm keeping sessions short, just 20 or 30 mins (not all in canter, obviously). My other problem, which is a terrible one to admit, is that I have to look down to check he is on the correct lead, which wastes time if he has got it correctly to praise, and if incorrectly to bring him back to trot straight away so he knows it wasn't right. But it's been really reassuring to know others have had the same problem and have got through it. Thank you again.
 
I doubt he's doing those things to purposefully thwart you, it sounds like that rein is weaker than the other (crookedness and lack of impulsion). You will never get a good canter transition from a bad trot.

Don't over-practice the canter transition, focus instead on exercises to improve the trot and when you have a nice trot, then ask for canter. If he gets the right lead, only canter for a little while on it as he will likely find it tiring - build this up over time.

Good luck :)
 
It's a strength thing. Six months ago, I was on here bemoaning the fact that my mare would not take the right canter lead. Left was perfect, right a disaster. Now we get the right canter lead about 95% of the time, and only when she is tired (or too excited) will she take the incorrect left lead. it does get better... promise (though it might get worse for a while... at one point we couldn't canter on the correct lead for either leg!)
 
I'd get your saddle checked and yourself and your horse checked by a physio (preferably the same one!) before you do anything else. I had a real struggle getting my old horse to do right canter but his problem was really ingrained and for 4 years before I bought him he would only do left canter ridden, lunged and loose!

A new saddle helped us, as did physio exercises and so did a new instructor, we had tried every exercise under the sun, leg yields, pole on the floor, balancing him, unbalancing him, from walk, from trot etc and each time he'd get it once then revert to his old ways!

The new instructor rode him a couple of times and used to ask at A then if he was wrong do 4 x 10m circles in the wrong canter and if it was ever right he cantered 1 lap large and got a big fuss. This seemed to click and then once he started getting it sometimes I could start lunging him and so building strength. As your horse canters on the lunge I would make sure you are lunging twice a week with more right canter to keep his muscles strong.
 
Just sending a quick update. I've been working hard on our right canter lead, on not stressing and keeping my horse forward, and he is so much better. I always canter first on the left rein to make sure he is responsive to my aid for canter and forward. Then once I have done a bit on the left, we change the rein, and he has been consistently getting the correct lead now for several weeks. I only ask once in each session and don't canter for long on the right (I know I do need to start building this up) but I am so pleased, so thank you very much all of you who took the time to reply. I think for us the key has been to ensure he is forward, because when he is not, it is much easier for him not to respond when I ask for the correct lead, and instead to take the wrong one. We did go through a really bad phase where he got the wrong lead eg 10 times in one session, and wouldn't even trot forwards and I was getting really worried about whether there was something physically wrong. But then the next time I rode in the school it was as if something had clicked and he was so much happier. I know we will probably have set-backs with this, especially as and when we try to get out competing, but at least if I remember what I've been doing recently, hopefully we will overcome any future problems with time and patience. I think the key was trying to stop myself worrying about it, which was definitely affecting him. He still falls in on the right rein in canter (swings his quarters in), but I'm hoping that will improve over time, should I try to think of a little shoulder fore? Or any other tips much appreciated. Thank you again.
 
That's a great update well done :) one of my horses will fall in on right canter I just put my inside leg behind the girth it helps to keep the hind end in and you will usually find the front end will follow suit and straighten up, I do quite a bit of counter bend in the trot before asking for canter on a twenty metre circle, often if you ride them on the wrong bend for a bit the correct bend becomes easier.
 
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