Youngsters.. Canter help please.

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showjump

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Ok so my new(ish) horse is 4.5yrs, he is going fairly well for his age. When he first came he would break to trot in his canter, so we worked on keeping him going forward.

In my lessons we have worked on trying to get him to hold his own canter on a short stride. We have been jumping a tight one strided grid to get him to hold himself. This is fine, however i was woundering if there are any other exercises i could do to help him. At the moment he canters and holds him self on the short stride, then either breaks into trot or quickens. Now somebody said when he quickens, bring him back to trot. But if he breaks to trot what do i do? Should i kick him to canter again (poss getting his babyish fast trot.. then canter0 or do i get a nice trot back, then canter?

Hmm, any help is much appreciated.
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I would want his canter established before I asked him to shorten or lengthen. The fact that he is breaking sounds to me as if he is getting unbalanced and not ready yet for that step.
 
Yep, and if you still want to carry on with what you are doing then i wouldnt push him into canter again straight from a fast trot, he is probably coming back to trot because he is a little unbalanced, so id definately make sure you slow him down and ensure hes balanced before asking him for canter again. Have you tried canter poles for shortening his stride?
 
When my youngester breaks from canter, it is usually my fault I find for not supporting her enough. Best advice is to learn to anticipate the break and give your youngster a hearty kick on when ever he wavers to send him on. Once they've gone back to trot it is too late and you need to get him rebalanced before asking again.

I found that my mare would always give me a sign before breaking, by leaning on my outside leg. I learned to spot this and kick her off it pronto. If you've lost your balance too, I'd pre-empt the break by asking for a nice downwards transition so it's always on your terms.

With the rushing thing, I change where i'm going - ie go large if motorbikeing on a circle, put in a 20m circle if zooming along a straight side. Means that she has to listen constantly.

Hope this helps!
 
He isnt breaking into trot anymore when cantering normal (if that makes sense?)
Just when he is asked to stay more together an hold himself. I dont know if thats sort of because he is unsure what to do, (i may be confusing him when he does trot by making him canter on again straight away, or by bringing him back to trot?- as i am unsure which one of these is best for him to learn what i want from him.)
or as you say he is not balanced enough?

Hope that makes sense.
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Best thing is to work on his strength before playing around with the canter. Lots of shapes, making sure he stays in canter. Smaller circles to bigger circles. Work on lots of transitions in and out of canter to encourage him to engage and "sit" in canter. Once this is more established, you can then start shortening and lengthening the canter. My boy is rising 6 and his canter is still hit and miss, although is improving alot. It is down to basic strength and balance, and once this is established, THEN work on playing with transitions within the pace. At the stage he is at, you can encourage slight "collection" before goign into trot to improve the transition, and this will start to introdue the concept of "waiting" within the pace which will be helpful when jumping in the future
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Good luck!
 
Yes i pro an not supporting him enough with my leg, but is a balance i need to get right.
If i can feel him dropping off the leg he gets a squeeze with my leg, which works.

I have used two poles 4 strides apart, and canter over them. Would canter poles be better?

Is there a way of still teaching him to hold himself/ keep short without poles?

Thanks.
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No should of been more clear, i am not concerned with his outline at the mo, that will come.

Have been told he needs to learn how to shorten his stride, now that he knows how to canter.
 
I think I'd be asking for short periods of shortening then - say for half a circle or along the short side before releasing and allowing him forwards again. That way he shouldn't stall and will get stronger.

I wouldn't be expecting too much from him just yet though. He just won't be strong/mature enough to sustain it for long. It's the sort of thing that will develope naturally over time as he gets stronger and more in control of his body.
 
Sounds like he needs to build up a bit more muscle first. Let him get used to cantering normally first - then bring in transitions before playing around with lengthening and shortening.
 
Canter poles down the centre line of the school are good. You can have lots on bounce distances, then 1 stride then 2strides etc, the turns you really have to ride, but it will make u ride and he'll get it after the first couple of times and start to think ahead and sit himself up for the turns. But don't do to many as he get knackered and fall in a lump like mine use to do!
 
if you haven't had him long u could do all your canters from walk and only ever go back to walk- it will take a while as you've al;ready started doing canter back to trot but a lot of showjumpers do this so that when they want to shorten their horse's canter the hrose is not used to going back to trot at all when being ridden so in thoery they shouldn't do it......
just an idea. x x
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