need some help with canter

[ANDREA BOYES]

Ive just taken part loan , a 14,2 cob he is about 13 years old and has bags of personality today for instance he started to kind of limp as I passed the farm so I got off and walked him a bit checked his foot nothing doing so I got back on and rode home he was fine and had a trot of hos own accord anyway turns out this is one of his tricks and the toerag had fooled me but better safe than sorry I suppose :o
Anyway the problem I have is getting him to canter on the left rein (as he goes fine on the right ) he seems to take off on the wrong leg so in the school I keep stopping and starting him to try and get it right at the next corner as I feel as if Im on a rocking horse oone of the gorls at the yard said hes always been disjointed onthat rein at times and not to worry should I just forget about it any advice would be great Andrea :) :)

[Murphs]

sounds like he might be a bit stiff on that rein - maybe you need to do some flexion exercises with him to loosen him up and get him to stretch and relax more on that rein. I'd probably check that he didn't have any discomfort on that side as well rather than just accepting that he's always been that way. Be interested to see what other more experienced people have to say on this one

[JumperGirl]

ya, also,

do circle work, to get him to bend to the inside,
do you pick up canter on the circle or large, ask in the corner, flexinghim to the inside, but not too much to put him off balance.

HOw do you ask him??

[ANDREA BOYES]

Thanks Murphs I usually take him for a half hour walk-trot before going in the school what exercises do you think I could do . do you mean bending :)

[ANDREA BOYES]

Hi Jumper-girl
I usually ask at the corner after a couple of sitting trot and he goes into canter am I doing that bit right? Andrea

[JumperGirl]

k, i mean, like what aids do you use? and how?

[ANDREA BOYES]

just ask with my mouth and give him tap with my heels is it me Im not that great at riding so your advise counts and I can try it in the morning

[JumperGirl]

HI,
do you tao with both heels?

maybe thats what is confusing him, he proly likes the right lead.
but, ill explain how you can try asking him, it works for me, but maybe not yours.

1- sit trot a few steps

2- sit back and deep, and put you OUTSIDE leg back, behind the girth, and sqeeze with that leg.

because he takes of with the outside back leg, thats the first step of cantering, and if you squeeze there, that tells him to push off that leg.

if he wont go with just squeezing, give him a tap, with the outside leg, the same one that is back.

do you use a crop on him??

it might work and might not

[ANDREA BOYES]

Thanks JUMPER-GIRL I will try that tomorrow morning and Ill get back to you I do use a crop but usually just to get him in the school in the first place!

[JumperGirl]

okay,

if he still wont do it with a tiny tap with your outside leg, try just tapping him with the crop on his rump on the outside

good luck

[ANDREA BOYES]

thanks alot for you help youve been great:) :) :)
Andrea

[JumperGirl]

No prob :P

[liz--y]

you could try troting on the wrong diaganal, flex his head to the outside, when you get to the corner ask for canter with his head still flexed to the outside.
have you tried asking for canter over a pole, do plenty of school in the that side like spirreling circles smaller an bigger, to supple up that side

[JumperGirl]

just my opinion, but wont changing flexion, and iegonal, I think trying to teach him properly, like flexing to the inside might work better, no offence, then you wont have to worry about taching again how to do it properly. no offence to anyone, just my oppinion.

[Murphs]

Andrea - as the others have said - lots of work in circles (large and small - start with large ones and work him into smaller ones then out again (but don't overdo it to start). Also serpentines are good. Try also stretching from the ground - i use carrotts or an apple sliced and ask my girl to bend her neck left, right and in between her front legs whilst standing still (you'll probably find to start he tries to turn and face you or back up to get the treat but persevere).

Re canter aids - you are right to sit to the trot for a few paces before asking - inside leg should be on the girth and outside leg just behind girth. Try to make sure that you are not unconsciously pulling back on the reins and putting him off balance. You could also try asking for canter on the longside of the school instead of coming off a bend to get him used to striking off on the right leg and build up to coming into canter off the corner.

Let us know how you get on:)

[ANDREA BOYES]

got new shoes yesterday so went for a hack then in to the school did the serpentines and some 20 and 10 m circles on both reins trotted in and out poles and then aked for canter at the corner outside leg behind the girth and we did it cantered properly I am so so pleased and whats more we did it again and again and only got it wrong once I just cant thank you guys enough THANK YOU :D :D :D :D :D :D

[Murphs]

Well done Andrea - keep up the good work:p

[JumperGirl]

great!

Im glad we helped, so some of the things I told you helped? cool, i am kind of smart! YAY!

[ANDREA BOYES]

very smart shame we dont live closer you could be giving me a lesson thanks andrea:cool:

[Hevz2001]

I once read somewhere that this problem is quite common. It's like your horse is 'right handed', if you think of peple, some of us are left handed and others are right handed, if they are right handed, the right hand is stronger so they can do things better on the right hand, its the same with horses, your horse is probably right handed, and finds cantering on the right rein more comfortable.
It sounds like your doing fine, do lots of circles and serpentines as already mentioned and try and strengthened your horses 'left hand'

[ANDREA BOYES]

that makes a lot of sense nevz Ill keep it in mind thanks Andrea

[JumperGirl]

hehe,

she says im smart YAY!!!!!!!!!!

lol, I live in canada, maybe a BIT too far away , and Im only 13, so i cant drive or anything!.

[aniukas]

i'm glad you two are doing better:)
here's something that helped me with picking up the right lead.
1) get your horse into an active and attentive walk/trot
2) ask the horse to bend to the inside by opening the inside rein and pressing with your inside leg.
3) keep the inside leg on actively and the slide your outside leg behind the girth and sqeeze. voila! :D (getting the bend before the transition makes it easier for the horse, or so i was told)
it also helps if you weight your inside seatbone more. or you could also simply try looking to the inside before and during the transtion.
hope this is of some help!
good luck!