Anticipating Canter Departure

[LongShot]

Lately, my horse has been anticipating the canter and jigging alot before the canter. I can stop him if I have my reins collected but only if I practically pull on his face and I think that's pretty rude of me so I need a way to stop this. I want to be able to collect my reins from the buckle, keep my horse relaxed and have him ready for the departure without any jigging or me making him annoyed or 'insane':( . To make it harder he's a very young exitable thoroughbred fresh off the track about a year ago and retired after his wind pipe collapsed, but he's still as strong as anything and my friends who have rode him don't want to ride him anymore because of the 'feeling' of him when he walks because he feels like he could go and jump out of the ring at any moment, :) but that's a feeling I love about him and I want to be able to still ride him without having him jigg after I shorting my rein.

My Riding instructor also said that I have an 'A' type personalety and give off alot of energy (If that help) and I get exiting to go into the canter, making Norton exited and I need to calm my energy before Norton is calm. But how do I do it? :confused: Hope I described it enofe for anyone to help

Thanks for your help!

[CMR]

Okay, from your explanation it sounds as though you are saving the canter as the last thing you do, and that you do your work, take a walk break with your reins completely loose. Then you pick up your reins and canter.
Understand what I'm getting at? Obviously he's going to anticipate it, especially if you do the same thing everytime you ride. If this is the situation, I would try mixing it up when you ride. Maybe do some trot, keep the contact at walk, then canter. Or warmup then canter.

OR, do you only use contact when you canter/use different contact when cantering. If this is the case, you have to understand that he's not anticipating the canter, he's doing what you ask of him. He's learned through your inadvertent cues that when you do 'blank' he canters. It's the same as if you put your leg in a certain spot for canter. It only makes sense that everytime you put your leg in a certain spot, he's going to canter.

Could you explain how you get him to canter/your usual riding routine? I don't feel like typing unneccesary things, so it would help a lot if I understand the situation a little more. :)

[JumpIT]

I used to have the same problem- I always became a little nervous/excited before the canter, because it was sort of the last thing I did when riding. Try to relax, so that the horse doesn't get excited too. I agree with above... Mix things up a little, and maybe only canter for a short amount of time, then go back to walking or trotting. Make sure you keep your contact though, and then you can canter again and maybe he will be calmed down. You could also try lunging him for a few minutes before you tack up and ride? Just a few possibilites.

[LongShot]

When I ride I'm always in a lesson. We warm up by ourselves before we jump so we get about 10-15 minutes flat depending when we get into the ring. first we walk for about a minute or 2 and some of us do streches then we trot and practice bending and sitting trot etc. then we reverse and trot, after that we canter. Sometimes I canter right after I stop the trot and walk a step or 2 with collected reins then canter and Norton seems to like that the most and doesn't jigg. That's not the time when he really does it, really only when I gather up to jump a course. There's normally 3 or 4 in a lesson so I don't want to keep Norton on short reins while 3 other people go and have him walking around ready while others are jumping 8 fence courses so my instructor tells me to drop the reins to the buckle. I guess when My instructor puts the spot on me to canter alone or start a course I get nervous that she'll yell at me for jigging and getting my horse all insane.

Hope that helps :o

[SupaTania]

hey longshot, no help, just wondering whereabouts in NJ are you?

[CMR]

Yes, that helps alot. :)

It does sound as though on the flat he already know what comes next. Switching things up a bit could help.

As for jumping, it seems as though he's just an excitable horse who is already excited by himself, but is also feeding off of you. If you are uptight because you are worried about your instructor yelling at you, that is something that really needs to be talked through, because it is something that is very hard to deal with by yourself.

I do think calming yourself down would help him some. I'll leave the real advice about calming him down for jumping to the jumping people, that's something I steer clear from :p However, it does sound as though you are always doing the same thing, as in always cantering the courses, and always doing just courses. Doing individual jumps and/or trotting the jumps could help.

[laura jeanne]

LongShot, My RS horse used to do the same thing. Wouldn't stand still. I worked on trying to really sit still while we were waiting our turn, BREATHING to relax and practially willing myself to stay relaxed no matter what. It really worked well and my RI was amazed that I could keep this horse calm.

[Tootsie4U]

Could it be that since he is so fresh off the track, that taking up contact is his signal to go faster. Race horses are taught to run harder when the bit is pulled.

[LongShot]

Thanks for the Help everyone. Today I got out into the show ring by myself without my RI because she was getting ready for a Clinic teacher from New Zealand to come and I got to hack around by myself. It turns out when I do switch around my routine Norton loves it. we did a little trotting, revered and cantered a fiew steps (without him jigging) because I totally relaxed myself. I trotted and reverses and walked then jumped a warm up jump and then cantered around the ring. Norton seemed overly calm and not a jig step at all I loved it and he completely listened because he had no clue what was going to happened next. We only did 2 jumps and we didn't jump any courses like we normally do but I wanted to end up with a good note even though it was about half the time we normally spend out in the ring, I think it was a big step for Norton mentally. Just hope I can stay that calm and relaxed when there's 3 others in the ring and my instructor watching. :)

Thanks Again :p <3