My Horse Won't Canter on the Left Lead!!!!!!!

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appaloosagal

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Jul 8, 2001
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my older appy mare, Baby was a western trail horse for 10 years of her life, so when she loped, she was allowed to lope on whatever the heck lead she wanted to, and so she took to cantering on the right lead both directions. Now that I ride and show her english, and she needs to be on the correct leads, she allways picks up the right lead, so when we're going right, great, corect lead every time:D. But going to the left, she always picks up the right lead and I cant get her to change. Its very fusturating:mad: !!!I've tried everything, asking in circles and corners, I am very good at the canter aid, and even a snazzy way a horse show judge taught me : lift and slightly pull inside rein, squeeze outside rein and appy canter leg aid, but nothing ever works!!!!:mad: :( It seems that every single time we start cantering to the left, we have to go back to a trot every time. Only about one in twenty tries we get it right, and thats just fluke. And I know its not me (sitting crooked) because I've cantered her on the longe line and she still picks up the wrong lead. Does anyone know any ways of getting a not-professionaly-trained-english/formerly western horse to canter on the left lead going left??? I desperatly need advice!!!!!!! Thanx a million:) :p
 
No guarantees, but

try this:
leave outside rein alone. Squeeze inside rein like a sponge. At the same time nudge with outside heel behind girth.
Of course ask her to pick it up while going in corner and be fairly firm so that she doesn't squeeze in a few extra trot steps to be able to pull off a right lead instead of a left.
This works for us about 70 percent of the time. My favorite school horse is right handed -ahem right leaded, too. ;)
Are you asking her from the trot or from the walk?
 
You might be able to make a difference by moving your weight a bit - one of my instructors suggested turning the shoulders to the outside as you ask for the cantor (only as a last resort for a stiff horse), and it appeared to help.

I would like to know how this works!!!!

What I tried to do, but I am not sure if it is what she intended, was to turn right AND put more wieght on the right side of my bum (for a left cantor transition). Then again, unless I am very careful, when I turn one way, my weight tends to transfer the other way...

What do the more experienced riders out there think about this idea?

Cheers
 
Get a good active walk, then in the corner, apply the inside rein, and use the outside leg strongly. By avoiding the outside rein and inside leg you're not giving her a choice in the matter. I know this isn' the usual method of doing it, but if you try and balance her with the outside rein and inside leg, there's a good chance she'll do what's easiest for herself. Remember to praise her when she does it correctly - positive reinforcement is a great way of encouraging the horse to continue doing as you ask.

Good Luck and Happy Landings :D
 
my pony favorers the left badly, and wont pick up on right although is getting better, try puting a pole in hte coner and ask for canter as your going over it, make sure you have got the bend, aslo put you wieght slighty in the right sturrip.
it might be a good idea to be her back etc checked just to make sure there isnt a reason why she cant left canter. if she doesn't left canter her right is going to be more muscled making it easier for her to canter on that leg
 
Getting correct canter strike offs can cause great headaches:)

It is all to do with balance. When we stand up we are balanced, if we fall over we have lost balance - but it is not that simple for a horse! They are right or left hoofed just like humans (well handed). Nearly all horses are hollow right and tight left. Normally the right hind leg is the lazier one so the horse leans on the left shoulder and puts his head to the right to help balance.

If there is a problem with canter left it may be due to loss of balance 'cause the right hind is stepping to the right. Using the inside rein will make this worse I am afraid. You almost need to think about bending the horse to the right and outside leg behind the girth to encourage her to step properly with right hind then just before you ask for canter straighten her and go.

Making sure that she really listens to your leg will help this work and then trot or walk to canter will come.
 
i had the same prob with my young horse, try as you go to canter left increase the pressure on the outside rein and drop outside leg behind girth, this makes the inside shoulder more forward so they strike off on the correct lead. it works with my horse. i have been told to use more inside bend and it never works then. eventually she will strike off correct. to try for yourself just put your outside shoulder slightly back and you will see it pushes the inside one forward. also as the horse dips on the inside ask for canter as the leg is under then (hind) so the left lead is next in sequence hope you can understand what i am trying to say.
 
I think you need to take this horse back to basics. If she is stiff and unbalanced on the left lead then she won't be able to get left canter. Can she trot a fifteen metre circle in proper bend without losing balance? I would work on suppling and stretching her on both reins to generally improve balance and suppleness. Work on exercises such as serpentines, figures of eight, leg yield, shoulder in, anything that will help supple and strengthen her. Don't even think about canter on either rein until she is nice and supple and soft in trot. Once she is near enough equal, and working well you can start to introduce canter. Ask for the transition over a pole and on a circle. Ask for canter out of trot for the moment, and when she's mastered this you can introduce it from walk. Keep your weight on the inside seat bone (msp… when you turn your shoulders to the outside your weight shifts to the inside) this will keep her moving and bending left. You need to control the outside shoulder because if the shoulder falls out you will have no chance, she'll canter right. So maintain a contact on the outside; the inside rein should just invite the poll to flex but if you use too much inside rein she will fall out. The first leg to move in the canter is the outside (in this case right) hindleg. So you should ask for canter when this is about to move (provided she responds immediately to the aid). It will take a long time, but I do think it vital to ensure she is totally supple and even in trot, and even then she will still favour right canter, but perseverence is needed. If she strikes off incorrectly, bring her back to trot asap, re-establish the balance and bend (ensuring she's not falling out) and then ask again.

Hope this helps

Fiona.
 
i dont know if this has been said already, but do lots and lots of work with trot to canter on the left lead before walk to canter. When you get her going from trot to canter on the left lead cansistently, then work on walk to canter.
 
Round pen...

I don't know if any one said this but I'd lunge the heck out of her! Tons of canter work in a 60'-70' pen. W/ no space the horse will
A) trip and relise it need to get the lead for balance or
B) just relise she needs balance and will pick up the lead to feel comfortable
I rode a gelding that wouldn't pick up one lead so I lunged him for days on top of days on top of days... you get the point. (actually it only took about 3 weeks.) Now he always gets the lead! Our new adventure... flying changes! -HG01
 
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