slowing/stopping in canter isnt working

[rabbit]

I cant seem to get my horse to slow his canter or downwards transition without pulling very very hard on the reins.

I am still getting my seat sorted out when cantering, but I dont think It should be effecting the transition.

When cantering in the arena, he tends to speed up on the long sides and will cut the corners.

Is it better to give a few hard short jerks on the reins if he doesnt respond, or just pull harder and harder til he stops?

My instructor keeps yelling at me to stop cantering within a few strides rather than half a lap of the arena.

Help??

[horseygal90]

If you just keep pulling, your horse will pull back - and get stronger. Have you tried half-halts? Galadriel has a brilliant website that has loads of tips on how to do them and what they're for, might want to look at that. (By the way, half halts just get the horse listening so you can stop them)

[Em 1]

I ride a horse that behaves like a hooligan in canter if we are in a group so I know what you mean by shooting down the long side and death walling round the corners!

Unfortunately, if your seat is still a little unsteady it probably will affect your transition as you can do a lot with your seat to help you slow down. However, you are clearly working at this so it will come soon!

Is it better to give a few hard short jerks on the reins if he doesnt respond, or just pull harder and harder til he stops?

Definitely don't pull harder and harder. It is highly unlikely he will stop. Imagine playing tug of war with someone. If they dig their heels in and pull you are likely to pull back but if someone pulled-let go-pulled-let go you wouldn't want to hang on because everytime they let go you'd fall over!

My instructor keeps yelling at me to stop cantering within a few strides rather than half a lap of the arena.

This is a good idea as it stops the horse thinking forwards and makes it listen to you. However, it would help if your instructor told you how rather than just yelling at you!

Try this:

Go into canter in the corner say between C and M. Immediately think (and say) trot or even walk. Close your fingers around both reins and let go like squeezing a stress ball. Sit up tall but straight (don't lean forwards or backwards). Aim to be trotting by the time you reach B. If you aren't keep asking until you do stop. Keep say 'trot' to yourself as this will have an effect on your position without you realising it. Don't panic!

If you are balanced enough you could try putting your horse onto a 20m circle. Trot from A to X, canter at X to A, trot at A etc. so you do half the circle in trot, half in canter. It is really hard but the circle stops the horse taking off so much and really focuses you on your transitions. Use your inside leg to push the horse out into your outside rein so you don't end up doing a 10m egg!

Most of all don't worry about it. What is really going to happen if you don't slow down? Eventually the horse will stop. I find this really helps me to relax and so the problem improves.

Hope this has helped a bit. Good luck!

[Skib]

This a beginner's reply, so I dont know if it is correct or if it will work for you. Or in a school. I learned to canter on a happy pony out hacking. But he did like to race and overtake my escort riding ahead of me.
My instructor at that time told me that the way to slow a cantering horse was just to touch on one rein by closing in the third finger of one hand, release the finger, and then at once do the same with the other hand on the other rein. (Not sure if doing it with each hand separately is called a half halt or not).
If he didnt slow, I did the same again, two alternate light touches. To show him I meant it.
Since it worked like a charm and later on all the horses I ride, also when cantering first, I am puzzled at the knowledgeable people saying this just gets the horse's attention?
Also I couldn't do this - or anything at all - if an instructor was yelling at me. If too many instructions or commands are coming at me, there is not enough quietness and room in my mind to communicate with the horse. And of course the horse is entitled to ignore me because I am not in charge, but reduced to being the hopeless pupil of an expert teacher.

[galadriel]

Originally posted by Skib
Since it worked like a charm and later on all the horses I ride, also when cantering first, I am puzzled at the knowledgeable people saying this just gets the horse's attention?


A squeeze-release would be a half halt, although the best half-halt involves leg and seat as well as hand.

A half halt will get the horse's attention and ask him to come back to you, so that he is prepared for your aids. However, it can work simply as a slowing aid, since it does ask the horse to come back to you and to balance himself. The effect is for the horse to feel more slow and controlled.

There's more discussion here:
http://lorienstable.com/articles/riding/900-half-halt/

[Skib]

Galadriel, Thank you.
You already know How useful I find your site - so I had read this. And yes, I was told to use a half halt as you describe when about to canter in the school. Because I was told to use the outside hand only, I imagined (wrongly) it was called a half halt because you only used one hand.
The slowing a cantering horse method used both hands (though one after the other) so I did not think of it as a half halt.
At the real half halt, I was always a total failure, I slowed the horse so much that cantering was out of the question.
I was told that method of slowing canter locally by an experienced teacher who must teach the same to all her pupils, so perhaps riding school horses here have been trained to understand. But your explanation of why, makes sense and I am grateful.