Young horse cantering issues

[SecretAgentBilly]

I have had my 4yo on loan for 6 months, i got him when he had just been backed and he has come on a lot, however we still have issues cantering in the school. He is perfectly happy cantering on hacks but in the arena it all falls apart, and we can't seem to manage more then short snatches of canter before he becomes disunited or has to go back to trot. Can anybody suggest any exercises to help him become more balenced in canter, or has had similar problems with their own youngsters? I do have lessons on him but we don't seem to be getting anywhere! Thanks

 

[twiggy2]

mine is 6 and we only canter out on hacks and have just started schooling in a large grassy area where there is enough flat ground for us to canter a 40 (ish) metre circle, she had a couple of occasions when cantering on the lunge she slipped and panicked due to being unbalanced so i have decided we will take our time and avoid any more scares. cantering a 20 metre circle is not easy for an unbalanced youngster. look for bigger areas that you can practice in and only canter down the long side in the school until he is fitter and more balanced, when he is more consistent/balanced and finding it easier then start asking for a step or 2 round the corner

 

[TuscanBunnyGirl]

Argh just posted a huge reply but stupid internets deleted it.

I find a lot of young horses find it difficult to canter in an enclosed environment because they're unbalanced and can sometimes feel 'fenced in'. Have you had his saddle checked? Are you a balanced rider? If you think how easy it is to walk with someone on your shoulders but it's more difficult to run with someone on your shoulders, even more so if they're moving around/leaning etc Not a dig at your riding, just something to think about. I found working out on hacks helps a lot as it's mainly straight lines and they get used to the feel/balanced without you having to get involved and they get comfortable with it. How does he canter on the lunge? This can help sometimes.
As he hasn't been in work a long time he also might still be quite weak muscle wise so hacking out will help that and trotting/raised poles will help too Hope this helped a wee little bit

 

[gwniver]

I would get a whip whop they are amazing !! I have trained a young standardbred with it
(its a Monty Robert thing but you don't have to do any natural horsemanship stuff) it just works really well !!

I started in a big field and cantering a huge circle them slowly decreased the size of them in till I was cantering a 20 metre one , hope that helps , good luck !!

 

[SecretAgentBilly]

thank you a lot, lots for me to think about! He does canter on the lunge, but not very well and I dont tend to lunge very often! His saddle is new and has just been fitted as he has lost weight I try to get out hacking as much as possible, but i am not allowed to hack on my own so i rely on going out with other people, we did go out on hound exercise where has fab and had no issues whatsoever for cantering for a long time! I thought this might have helped in the school but unfortunately not. I was thinking of doing little bits every so often in the arena but I keep reading things about what 4yo's should be able to do and feeling like we are far behind where we should be in terms of his education!

 

[gwniver]

never ever look at other people !!! you will always find the things you arnt so good at and never notice the things you are good at !!!

 

[TuscanBunnyGirl]

thank you a lot, lots for me to think about! He does canter on the lunge, but not very well and I dont tend to lunge very often! His saddle is new and has just been fitted as he has lost weight I try to get out hacking as much as possible, but i am not allowed to hack on my own so i rely on going out with other people, we did go out on hound exercise where has fab and had no issues whatsoever for cantering for a long time! I thought this might have helped in the school but unfortunately not. I was thinking of doing little bits every so often in the arena but I keep reading things about what 4yo's should be able to do and feeling like we are far behind where we should be in terms of his education!

Sounds like it could be a balancing issue Will just take some time
Try just cantering up the long sides with lots of encouragement and praise and see what that brings
Don't worry about what everyone else is doing

 

[SecretAgentBilly]

Thanks again, I will keep going with the slow approach and hopefully he will be able to maintain it for a bit longer. I don't know why i keep comparing him to other youngsters, especially ones which are out competing at novice or doing 90 courses, i just can't help myself :/

 

[Shysmum]

Hi there,

Please do not worry about this at all - it takes time to get balanced in the school, and I would concentrate on transitions, asking for only a couple of strides of canter at a time. I went thru the same thing with Shy, and he's come thru it really well. It's just their age.

 

[sherry90]

Hi there,

Please do not worry about this at all - it takes time to get balanced in the school, and I would concentrate on transitions, asking for only a couple of strides of canter at a time. I went thru the same thing with Shy, and he's come thru it really well. It's just their age.

This!

It is just his age I'd agree. Youngsters as you perhaps know need to learn to balance with something abroad them and the best way is to start with straight lines which is why hacking out is good. I tend to feel that taking a two point seat can help although not for sustained amounts of time and also up hill work to build the muscles. It's a combination of age and muscle. Once they muscle up it is easier to use those gained to carry a riders weight in more difficult tasks, such as corners.
Keep at it, I am sure you will do fine.

 

[Love]

When my boy was 4 he couldn't cantering in a school and would pretty much just bounce off all four feet the whole way round... (Funny to watch the first time mind!). But it sounds like you are doing the right thing by cantering out on a hack, keep this up as it will build his confidence and muscles. Do lots of trot - canter transitions on the hack to practice your aids and the strike off. I also found lunging helped but I know it's not for everyone's youngster. And lots of transitions in the school, within and between paces. And then just keep practicing! I've found it's easier to get canter if you ask after just changing the rein across the diagonal, just before you hit the track again as it creates the right bend for the horse. My boy is most balanced this way

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

This is exactly our problem although my horse is now 6. He hadn't ever really been schooled before I got him so cantering in a 40 x 20 m school is quite hard for him. We canter quite happily out on exercise and in a big circle in a field where he isn't enclosed. My plan is to keep using field and gradually get him to canter smaller and smaller circles until he can cope with a 20m circle then go back into the school.

 

[showpony]

Firstly forget about comparing your youngster to others of the same age. Every horse is different..

My 4yo last yr was like Bambi on Skates when it came to cantering, it just took lots of patience and found lunging in short bursts was great as she didn't have to worry about having to balance in it with a rider on her back...
6mths later & she has the most lovely uphill balanced canter which I can now just about sit to..

Just stick with it & take it slow.

Thanks again, I will keep going with the slow approach and hopefully he will be able to maintain it for a bit longer. I don't know why i keep comparing him to other youngsters, especially ones which are out competing at novice or doing 90 courses, i just can't help myself :/

 

[chestnut cob]

I think it's a balance and strength issue. I got mine as a 5yo with absolutely no formal schooling (just hunting and going upside down, flat out everywhere) and he could only bounce on the spot. He didn't know how to go forwards and his canter was awful - head in the air, quarters in. His right canter was so bad it was even mentioned in the vetting (vet called me and said he can't canter right, cannot strike off correctly at all, but I think it's just schooling). He went everywhere at a million miles per hour. I've now owned him for 15 months and it's only been in the last month or so that he's begun to develop a real canter. It's just a case of becoming stronger, developing the right muscles, learning how to use himself.. Lots of praise when he gets it right, building it up slowly. Even now, we don't get a great canter unless the trot is really balanced and through so make sure you're asking from a decent trot. Mine actually found it easier to strike off from walk than trot, for a while. He loves walk to canter, gets very excited about it, so we did it from that. I found going trot to walk, he was getting a bit stuck and panicking, so using walk to canter overcame that. Once he got it, it's amazing how quickly he came on.

So I think you just have to be patient. Don't compare your horse to others, they're all different. I was looking at a post in the Comp Riders bit y'day about what a 4yo should be doing. There were lists of being able to do counter canter, lengthened strides, all sorts. I had a mini heart attack because mine is still establishing the basics, but it doesn't matter since a) that's just where he is and all the wishing in the world won't suddenly make him ready for something he isn't, and b) he's not a DR horse anyway. For me, as long as he continues to improve and keeps trying, I'm happy.

 

[ghostie]

I have a similar issue with my youngster and in addition to all the great advice already given my instructor has had us doing lots of trotting poles. She explained that a lot of the problem with youngsters is that they aren't yet strong enough behind to support a balanced canter in an enclosed space. The trotting poles help build up strength behind and I've found it has really helped my boy

Also she told me that for the time being only canter on the long sides and make sure I keep my leg on. My instinct is to back off because he's rushing, but my instructor tells me that using my leg is important to encourage him to come through from behind which well help him balance. Good luck!

 

[chestnut cob]

Also she told me that for the time being only canter on the long sides and make sure I keep my leg on. My instinct is to back off because he's rushing, but my instructor tells me that using my leg is important to encourage him to come through from behind which well help him balance. Good luck!

Yes, I do the same. Mine rushes and I can't sit to it, then I take my leg off because it all feels too fast. When actually he needs more leg to support him and keep him coming through. I've had my instructor riding mine once or twice a week for the last few weeks and the difference in him is incredible.

 

[mrswad]

I had exactly the same problem. Couldn't maintain the canter, couldn't manage a corner, was getting upset; I took my horse out on the stubbles, started on easy long stretches and slowly sneaked in some gentle curves until he gained confidence, strenghth and balance enough to cope with the confines of the arena. good luck

 

[JulesRules]

Exactly what everyone else has said. First year of having my girl who had never done any schooling we only did walk and trot. We started Canter on the long sides along with loads of transitions to build strength. It's taken almost another year for her to be able to canter consistently on both reins.