Desperate to canter

Jackielala

New Member
Mar 30, 2018
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I zm a newbie to the group and I am so pleased I have found you all. I have been loaning my beautiful girl for 2 years, i returned to riding after 30 odd years.
My issue is I really really REALLY want to canter but I'm scared, my mare is quite lazy and doesn't pick her feet up properly so trips a helluva lot. My farrier has just put different shoes on and shortened her hooves to see if that works. I think that's why I am afraid. What if I get her to canter and she trips what if this what if that!!!!! I think I may not be able to stop her. Any advice or ideas very welcome. TIA
 
A horse working from behind with good impulsion is less likely to trip than one who is heavy on the forehand, so working on improving that in walk and trot will have a knock on effect in canter, then you can be more confident to try it :)
 
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One of mine will trip alot if he does not have a good forward walk or trot. Canters can be quite different and quite often they are very sure footed in the canter stride.
 
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My share trips sometimes in walk or trot, he has a tendency to day dream and not look where he's going :rolleyes: so needs reminding sometimes. He never does it in canter though. There's only one way to find out, if you have access to a school (and preferably an instructor) start in there, just try a few strides and build from there. I have confidence issues with cantering but for different reasons so I know how scary it can feel, but for me putting it off made it worse. The only way I've been able to improve is to practice. Good luck!
 
I would get a lameness workout on a horse who trips a lot. I have been reading lots of about bone spavins recently (as my horse is awaiting a lameness assessment for this) and arthritis and tendon issues can cause a horse to trip. If this is happening on a regular basis (e.g. every time you ride), then I would get the vet to take a look.
 
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Storm started trippong when her arthritis waa coming on. Not saying that is the case with every horse but worth thinking about. As jessey says, good trots and good striding out walk should lead to good cantering, practice and loads of it helped me. You'll probablu get more confident about asking for canter if you establish a really good even trot - I really found this helped. Also not focusing just on wanting to canter. I never set out in the early days - it was just a bonus if it happened because I "felt" it would be okay and not putting us both under any pressure.
 
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My share trips sometimes in walk or trot, he has a tendency to day dream and not look where he's going :rolleyes: so needs reminding sometimes. He never does it in canter though. There's only one way to find out, if you have access to a school (and preferably an instructor) start in there, just try a few strides and build from there. I have confidence issues with cantering but for different reasons so I know how scary it can feel, but for me putting it off made it worse. The only way I've been able to improve is to practice. Good luck



Yes that's Alli exactly, she has been seen by vet, all well there. She knows she gets away with stuff with me but if a more competent rider gets on she she suddenly becomes Valegro. Thank you so much to every1 who offered advice I truly appreciate it
 
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Always interested in older riders returning and the canter problem.
Try to separate the two problems -
First you, and your riding. If you havent cantered for the last 2 years and may be 20 years before that, you probably havent forgotten how, but it might be good to go and have refresher lesson at an RS to canter a safe lesson horse - or even a lunge lesson in canter.
Remember that in the UK it is routine to do a walk trot and cater test on a safe horse when one goes to a new RS.
Would you be happy to do this? I had my doubts so took 6 lessons at a local RS especially to coach me how to do it.

As for the horse, if you wonder about its canter, do ask (or pay) an experienced rider to ride it in canter before you try. After all when one goes to try a horse to buy or loan it is normal to ask the seller/owner to ride it first, just so one can watch how it goes and stay safe.
In this case, if the horse is on loan and has not cantered for two years the horse itself may need gradually exercising back into canter. Both with and without a rider.
If you do both these things and still have doubts - as Trewsers says, dont do it. But it is very likely you will feel fine.
 
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my advice is to have a lesson on a schoolmaster or ride a friends horse. i know a few people who have found the videos from yourridingsuccess.com or their videos on youtube very helpful and personally i think she is very understanding and knowledgable
 
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I rode my share horse two weeks ago, which was the first time in 4 months. She was really slow and sluggish and tripped a couple of times. I asked someone to watch her just to check if she looked lame, which she didn't. So I pulled on my big girl pants and pushed her on. Once she was forward going, we had a couple of canters which was the best we've had. After that, she was a lot more alert and didn't trip again.

Ask someone to ride her first while your watching so you can see how she behaves then either get a RI or a lesson on a schoolmaster to get back into cantering again.

Good luck.
 
hi - i have been riding 11 years and am 57 and still have fears and anxiety over cantering. Sometimes i get it - sometimes i try and try and don't....i am taking lessons and sometimes it is progress - sometimes a step back. Last time i rode a new horse and my instructor got on and cantered and i could see her do it and it helped me...my daughter says my fear and nerves are holding me back. One horse i did ride and do is a tripper, it is somewhat because when i hold his reins too tight it happens, but he has tripped and fallen with me on his back.
 
Always interested in older riders returning and the canter problem.
Try to separate the two problems -
First you, and your riding. If you havent cantered for the last 2 years and may be 20 years before that, you probably havent forgotten how, but it might be good to go and have refresher lesson at an RS to canter a safe lesson horse - or even a lunge lesson in canter.
Remember that in the UK it is routine to do a walk trot and cater test on a safe horse when one goes to a new RS.
Would you be happy to do this? I had my doubts so took 6 lessons at a local RS especially to coach me how to do it.

As for the horse, if you wonder about its canter, do ask (or pay) an experienced rider to ride it in canter before you try. After all when one goes to try a horse to buy or loan it is normal to ask the seller/owner to ride it first, just so one can watch how it goes and stay safe.
In this case, if the horse is on loan and has not cantered for two years the horse itself may need gradually exercising back into canter. Both with and without a rider.
If you do both these things and still have doubts - as Trewsers says, dont do it. But it is very likely you will feel fine.
Thank you! Aftermy original post I had 2 riders try Allison to see what they thought, as suggested, both came back with the same 'report' if you like, saying that she doesn't pick her feet up in walk therefore the trips and will try to stop at every opportunity. But in trot and canter there's no tripping just an eagerness to slow down. So I am going to have a couple of lessons then practice practice practice
 
my advice is to have a lesson on a schoolmaster or ride a friends horse. i know a few people who have found the videos from yourridingsuccess.com or their videos on youtube very helpful and personally i think she is very understanding and knowledgable
Thank you Allison is an riding school horse of 14 years until I moved her
 
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