on to a canter.....

[lyra]

I also have a lot of trouble going from the trot to the canter.

I have a horse who is not young but has never been properly schooled so i have trouble going from a slow trot into a canter. It seems imposible to get into a canter (on the right leg) from a slow trot. It's not that my horse is lazy either, he refuses to stand still in the first half of pony club. He is very figety and very strong, he knows how to make a rider feel uncomfortable.

My horse unlike any other horse i've riden is quite happy to do canter circles on the wrong leg. He used to do flying changes when commanded and when he felt uncomfortable but after working him he has decided that he can't do it anymore, which is very frustrating with a dressage comp. coming up.

We also have great difficulty staying in a calm canter. We can do it for half a circle but the othe half he shoulders out, and pushes into my hands and makes us both unbalanced and uncomfortable. By the time we're balanced (through half halts and any other technique required) we're on the good half of the circle then we go into the bad half and it starts all over again.
can anyone help?
can anyone help?

[Piaffe]

Have you had him long? Have you never been able to canter him properly?

If he is not uncomfortable on one lead, then he is trying it on. I would firstly make sure that all his legs are ok - i.e. no lameness anywhere, or that he has any back pain. This could be why he doesn't like to canter on a certain lead and strikes off on the wrong leg.

If this isn't the case, then it sounds like plenty of patient schooling.

are you able to canter him out on a hack/trail ride, in a straight line?

[lleeaannee]

It does sound like he's trying it on with you. Especially as he knows how to do them. If he isn't sore in the leg or back then this could be it.

Alternatively though, have you considered that you might not be asking him correctly. Especially since you say that you both lose your balance. It's difficult to apply aids precisely if you are out of balance. You could try going backwards a step temporarily and get both of your balances sorted out. Try lots of transitions to really get him listeneing to you. Don't forget downwards transitions and skipping a pace (stand to trot etc). Keep at it until he does what you ask of him immediately. Only try again with asking for flying changes and stuff when you are both balanced.

Have you had someone watch you from the gorund or a lesson on him. It may be that someone else can spot something on the ground that is difficult to notice from the saddle.

Let us all know how you get on. Best of luck.

[lyra]

i've owned him for 2-3 years. i haven't ridden him consistantly as i have many other horses to school and excercise as well as him.

Over the past year though he has really settled. This time, last year if you even touched him with your legs he shot of like a rocket.

he doesn't have any back pain or lameness as i check these regularly. before and after excercise as well as grooming.

He cantered fine before though a little rushed and out of control, he always went out on the correct lead and did flowing flying changes. Though he was not excellently schooled/worked he was still able to do it. He was always eager to canter (we think he raced a little) but lately getting him into a canter froma slow trot is impossible.

The problem is not that he doesn't like going on a certain lead. he regularly goes off on the wrong lead which ever direction.

At the moment we're not hacking/trailing due to the fact that he gets extremely hyped up on rides and fizzy which is exactly not what i want. And he seems to forget all schooling on these rides. it's also not conventional in my area. Though we do walk around our 75acre property Thoug we don't canter due to the best canter strip being uphill towards home.

He is working well into corners and with leg aids in the walk and trot. in the canter he can work well around the arena but circles and shouldering out in the corners is a problem.

[lyra]

most teachers and instructors say he'll settle down and just to use more leg which is exceedingly difficult when he gets unbalanced.

Thanks for all your advice it has been really helpful so far and i shall endeavour to try it all.

[lleeaannee]

Good luck. Let us know how you get on

[Rachel C.]

It might be possible that your horse hasn't developed the right muscles for cantering for a long period yet, and this is his way of telling you. What I would probably do is never to canter for wore than 1 circle so he doesn't get fatigued. When he does get unbalanced I would bring him back to trot then reestablish a good canter. I find it very hard to improve an unbalanced canter without doing that.

As for going from trot to canter, repitition is the key, reward your horse whn her goes off on the correct lead, and make regular transitions to canter, rewarding every time he gets it right.

Hope that helps!

[lyra]

Well... after much examination I have found that is probably due to fitness that he was not happy to go into the canter. this seems like a simple and obvious conclusion but it is one that has led me to more understanding of my horse.

Thank you all. I am currently building up his fitness for a dressage and jumping competition coming up.

Thanks again for all your imput

Lyra*~