Way too fast in canter!

[horse_lover0095]

Hi, I got my horse in September, and I have been working with her alot this winter. When we canter she is always very very fast! I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on how to slow her down a bit. Thanks!

[Bay Mare]

What is she like in other gaits? Can you influence the speed of the walk and trot? Is she responsive to upwards and downwards transitions?

I think that first of all you need to work on getting her listening to you. Try and collect the walk and trot, then push it out, then bring it back again. Make sure that she does what you ask of her. Transitions can help but CAN spark her up a bit too so be aware of that!

With regards to canter, rather than cantering her for long periods (ie around the school) why not do some quick transitions (trot-canter and walk-canter). Decide in advance how many strides of canter you will do and work to ONLY doing this many strides. You can bring the number of canter strides down as she gets more responsive.

Be careful of cantering in circles if she is not responding to your aids to slow down as I have seen a horse fall over before now!

Good luck x

[Loopslou]

if you are confident in cantering over poles perhaps a one placed at each corner of the school would help. It may make her slow down coming up to it and also give you something to concetrate on? Not sure if it will help but it may be worth a go.

Amber rushes in trot and I find rising slower helps slow her down but not sure if you could slow down your canter movement?

Sorry, not much help here :o

[alexa]

My horse also will go much too fast in canter if given the chance, it was hard for him to canter slowly at first as it is more difficult to give a slow canter than a fast one when not very fit. Now he is relatively fit I ONLY ask for a canter when I have got a good balanced and fairly slow trot, then after a few seconds if he tries to speed up we circle and get back to a slower canter, also do not lean forward at all as that is also a signal (at least with x-racehorses) that we are asking for speed. This only works for me when in the school out side on any long straight track, once he is off he is off I'm afraid so ususally only gallop him on the training track.

best wishes
Alex

[heartsturnblack]

the horse i used to ride was a quarab. and he would take off full speed at the canter. nothinnggg would slow him down. i could pull back on the reins all i wanted but eventually he would just pull his head down so i couldnt. he was in a dee ring. i changed him to a full cheek (it had rubber on it so it was less harsh) and there was definately a change and i had brakes! you may just need a bit change. or if your horse is still green, just more training.

[banny]

Hi, Heartsturnblack

Its interesting you said you changed your horse to a less harsh bit which gave you brakes. My horse sometimes just gets something in her head and goes off at full pelt and i have no brakes or steering but i have been advised to try a stronger bit. At the moment i ride her in a full cheek single jointed snaffle. what do you think?

[Funky MeerKAT]

Do lots of work on half halts in your trot work first. Then when you start in canter just do a little at a time, ask for canter and then trot again just before she is about to speed up. this may only be a few strides to start with, 3 or 4, but the you can build it up to quarter of a circle.

Start on a circle and do say, 5 strides of canter, then 10 strides trot, 5 strides of canter, then 10 strides trot and so on until you can do it smoothly.

Then you can do 5 strides trot and 7 canter. Then 3 trot and 10 canter. Reduce the number of trot strides and increase the number of canter stride until you are doing a whole circle in canter, if she starts to get fast do a 'pretend' transition back to trot without actually troting (half halt). If she trots don't worry just rebalance her and go back to canter. Only do about one circle of canter at a time and then trot again.

All the transitions should help to strenthen her and improve her balance. Repeat and spread the work out over a couple of weeks.

[notpoodle]

my pony rushed in canter at times (thats when youve convinced her canter is a good idea which usually takes a few gos!). instructor said she is basically rushing on the forehand and does it because she finds it easier to just do that than do it properly (step under etc.) which would require more effort on her part at this stage.

was told to use lots of half halts, along with practising the actual transitions more, ride a load of circles and do some more polework.

julia
x

[flintyboy]

When i got Casper off his owner she said he "doesnt canter" so she had avoided it! However as soon as i asked casper to canter in the school he responded straight away. Although his canter was very fast and felt like i was riding a motor bike! Sinse then though Casper has learnt to canter beautifully and collected. It was very simple to transform his canter just by getting him on the bit and using half halts, seat etc. Just don't be afraid to experiment with what works with your horse. Are you sitting right into his canter?
XXXChloe XXX

[ANN H]

Thanks Chloe, although this is not my thread you've helped me. I was also told when I bought Misty that she 'didn't canter' and she does just tend to motorbike round the paddock without bending. Its like the 'wall of death'. I'll try what you said.

[cowgurlz4eva89]

when you canter her on the rail, slowly bring her into the middle,and make tiny circles, but big enough for her to canter, it helps to slow them down, gradualy bring her onto the rail. also, when cantering on the rail, hold your inside rein straight up, this also encoureges your horse to slow down.

[manfa1]

try doing lots of transitions trot to canrt canter to trot only allow her to do 6 strides of canter brfore coming back to trot for 6 strides then canter 6 then trot 6 do this until you have cantered 20 times do on both reins. [COLOR=RoyalBlue]also your position make sure you are sitting up tall if you lean forward your horse will fall on the forehand be unbalanced and rush resulting in a hurried canter. hope this helps sam harvey

[Eli_Jay]

cheque's canter transitions were AWFUL when i got him back into work after spelling for 8 weeks. and once we were in the canter he'd race around at about a million miles an hour, and as soon as he felt pressure on the reins he'd break stride and go into a trot.
It's taken MONTHS but now he'll happily go from walk to canter and virtually canter at walking pace. My main problem in the canter (this may be your problem to) is that, because cheque will drop out of the canter as soon as you give him the chance, i was (still am) riding with my legs on him to keep him in the pace. I've been having lessons where my instructor is trying to get me to loosen my legs and let them hang, but of course cheque starts trotting as soon as he feels the pressure drop - GRRR!
but we're getting there, and you will to.
Also, if cheque isn't engaged and moving forwards, as well as rounded, he will not canter. make sure you're horse is very together when you give the aids, and practice HALF HALTS!! if you just pull on the reins you horse won't respond but if you half halt, half halt, half halt, the horse will slow, and then you have to keep pushing so they stay in the canter.