Please Help..

[Method_Acting]

I am doing a dressage test next week. It's nice and simple (prelim 7) but I'm having difficulties. The horse I am riding rushes in the canter and is unbalaced. It is worst in the canter.

The problem
He motorbikes (literally) around the arena in canter, cutting off the corners and feels like he might fall on his side. He misses out a lot of the arena despite my efforts to keep him on track.

The downward transition from canter to trot is very rushed and he's basically running in the trot aterward and very stong in my hands.

What I've tried
When he's unbalanced I've tried half-halting, holding the outside rein and keeping inside leg on. It helps to an extent but it all goes to pot in the canters and downward transitions.

What do I do next?! is what I've tried correct? maybe I wasn't being clear enough?

I think the problem is that he is unbalanced > rushes the canter = I can't slow the canter down without him coming back to a rushing trot because he isn't balanced enough?

The thing is I know he is capable of riding the test perfectly, that's why I've put this under training of rider!

any help appreciated!

xxx

[oldbat]

Eeks! Think you might not get this sorted out in a week but I still think you should do the test and study the judges comments carefully.

can you tell us how you know he can do the test perfectly? Does someone else ride him? If so, what is their view on how he goes.

In the meantime, I would practice transitions trot-canter- trot on a 20m circle, nice and calmly, sitting as upright and relaxed as you can. Start doing 10 strides of each pace and work towards 5. Hopefully this might get him listening to you rather than taking canter as a command to charge!

Good Luck
Oldbat

[inhs]

this will take a bit more than a week. motorbike corners = horses whose body is straight and is not bending on the cirlcc.

To fix this, you need to work on lateral stuff (making your horse's bendy and supple like a gymnast)

Some info here. Get it right at the walk first, then later the trot, then later the canter.

http://irishnhsociety.proboards41.co...lay&thread=315

best of luck

[lorna01]

It sounds like you are deffinately on the right track if he can do it perfectly...

how do you try to stop him or half hault him?? Is it all hands and legs??

My horses wont work with hands and legs and i must ride classically from my seat.

Motor biking around corners is usually rider error, leaning to the inside...again a correct seat will help with this, maintaining an upright position and turning the hips around the corner not inside leg on inside hand away from the neck etc...if you are sitting correctly your legs and hands should all go in to the right place automatically and additional pressure can be used if needed.

Also motor biking can bee caused by a tipped head, the weight from your head unbalances the horse.

I totally recommend the Classical seat books by sylvia loch to describe the correct seat that should keep the horse balanced and no leaning.

Fast canter is the same as above, if you ride with a common "chair" seat you will be driving the horse forward with your seat, again, read the classical seat book, feel like you are standing on the horse rather than sitting so that you can rotate your pelvis to use your weight down the front into your knees and into the stirrup (NOT the heel) and slow down with out stopping(this is a more correct half hault)

Ive got to run at the minuit as i am going to teach

but dont think it will fix in a week it usually takes years of practice to able to do this

GOOD LUCK THOUGH AND JUST ENJOY IT

[WooHoo2]

ditto the lateral work,
one good exercise is spiralling in to a marker in trot, then leg yielding out, and when you're back on your circle asking for canter. It will help with rushing & balance.

Do 20m circles, half trot, half canter, changing pace within the canter, i.e. trying for a working canter, then a bit more collected, back to working canter, making sure that YOU don't collapse on to him in the downward transition, but ride him in to it.

Make sure when you're cornering that you're not collapsing your hip, ribs and shoulder in an effort to make the bend. Use your seat to carry you to the outside of the school, keeping your inside hand flexible, and your outside hand controlling the speed.

As Lorna says, it takes ages, but you sound like you're going to be fine.

Good luck for sunday, let us know how it goes xxx

[Method_Acting]

Thank you all so much for your help! it's very helpful.

I'm not riding him again now until the test but I'll try and remember what you've said when I'm warming up.

I did the test on another horse today and it was so much better! which doesn't really make sense because I was riding a green ex-racer, when the pony I'm doing the real test on is meant to be much 'easier'.

Anyway thanks and any last minute tips would be appreciated

xx