Greentchr
18th Apr 2007, 04:21 PM
The background:
My goal this year is to have a controlled canter. I have been afraid to canter much since I got Kona 3 years ago because she gets feisty when she started to canter- unless she was following the other horses. It was nothing about pain or nasty behaviour; she would just give a few hops or tiny bucks. This would happen whether I was on her or whether she was turned into pasture- just high spirits. Before I got her, she was kept in a very small enclosure for the first 6 years of her life- I doubt she ever experienced a canter or a good gallop herself.
Last year she was better, never bucked at all, but still raised her head and was not as controlled as she normally is at slower gaits. I could not get her to a controlled canter on the lunge line for more than a half-circle, though to be honest I did not try to hard:o
yesterday:
I am teaching her voice commands, and she is responding well to walk, trot and whoa on the lunge. she gave me a controlled canter in one direction yesterday, but kept pulling out on one side of the circle. We got 2 complete circles going the one direction (which is all I ask for).
Going counter-clockwise, however, she kept stopping- but in a manner that made me think she thought I was asking for a stop. I kept asking for a canter and she did eventually give me a 3/4 circle before stopping again. I asked for a turn and we cantered in the other direction so that we ended on a good note...
My question:
what do you think I am doing to make her think i am asking for a stop? what might be going wrong with my body language?
I hold the lunge line in the left hand for a counter-clockwise circle, in the right hand for the clockwise circle. The training stick is in the other hand. I normally say "walk" for walk, "trot' and two 'kissing' sounds for trot, and "canter" and three or more clucking sounds for canter. I keep my shoulder pointing to her during the circle, and face her to ask for a stop, along with a "whoa".
I would sure apppreciate suggestions. I wish I had a digital vid camera so you could actually see what I am doing wrong.... <sigh> maybe next lifetime I will have money...
My goal this year is to have a controlled canter. I have been afraid to canter much since I got Kona 3 years ago because she gets feisty when she started to canter- unless she was following the other horses. It was nothing about pain or nasty behaviour; she would just give a few hops or tiny bucks. This would happen whether I was on her or whether she was turned into pasture- just high spirits. Before I got her, she was kept in a very small enclosure for the first 6 years of her life- I doubt she ever experienced a canter or a good gallop herself.
Last year she was better, never bucked at all, but still raised her head and was not as controlled as she normally is at slower gaits. I could not get her to a controlled canter on the lunge line for more than a half-circle, though to be honest I did not try to hard:o
yesterday:
I am teaching her voice commands, and she is responding well to walk, trot and whoa on the lunge. she gave me a controlled canter in one direction yesterday, but kept pulling out on one side of the circle. We got 2 complete circles going the one direction (which is all I ask for).
Going counter-clockwise, however, she kept stopping- but in a manner that made me think she thought I was asking for a stop. I kept asking for a canter and she did eventually give me a 3/4 circle before stopping again. I asked for a turn and we cantered in the other direction so that we ended on a good note...
My question:
what do you think I am doing to make her think i am asking for a stop? what might be going wrong with my body language?
I hold the lunge line in the left hand for a counter-clockwise circle, in the right hand for the clockwise circle. The training stick is in the other hand. I normally say "walk" for walk, "trot' and two 'kissing' sounds for trot, and "canter" and three or more clucking sounds for canter. I keep my shoulder pointing to her during the circle, and face her to ask for a stop, along with a "whoa".
I would sure apppreciate suggestions. I wish I had a digital vid camera so you could actually see what I am doing wrong.... <sigh> maybe next lifetime I will have money...