Not sure what to think - or do!!!

Jane&Ziggy

Jane&Ziggy

Jane&Sid these days!
Apr 30, 2010
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I did a half hour schooling session on Ziggy with my friend Suzi and her 7 yo TB Tommy today in the big 60x20 school up the way.

Ziggy was very good, for him. We worked at walk, trot and canter and he was extremely obedient in transitions and halts and didn't stick his head up once, not once - though he was his normal poky-pony-nose self :redface:. In fact I think he would like to retrain as a Western Pleasure horse, as he seems happiest these days tootling along with his nose level with his fetlocks :smoke:

I felt very self conscious though as Suzi is a really super rider - used to compete at national Riding Club level - and is bringing on young Tommy for dressage. He hadn't ever worked in a school before and after 20 minutes at walk she put him into trot and he was breathtaking, making a lovely young-horse outline and showing just gorgeous movement (mind you, that's why she bought him). Whenever he got a bit above the bit she said quietly "a-a-a" and he dropped his head again!

When we were done I admired Tommy's trot and said something deprecating and Suzi said, "Well, I have had a blank canvas, you've had to undo 10 years of bad riding and bad treatment." Which is very nice, and she said Ziggy's paces were beautifully balanced and regular, which is also nice. But then she said, "That's a cracking counter canter he does, too!"

And of course I did not even KNOW that Ziggy was cantering on the wrong leg. He feels so balanced whenever he canters and I just don't have the feel to tell. Let's be honest, I struggle even to trot on the right diagonal.

Aaargh! I wish I was a better rider. What can I do to improve the FEEL? :help:
 
Best way to develop feel is to have eyes on the ground..It doesn't need to be an instructor just someone who can tell you what they see.

Find someone who can point out wrong legs, horse leaning in, escaping through shoulder etc. so you can start to associate feeling with issues.

My favourite 'canter feel exercise' is to ask if horse wasn't there and you were like a child 'cantering' or skipping, which would be your leading leg. Generally if you have a reasonable canter seat that will be the same as the leg the horse is leading with!!
 
Have a lesson with someone on the ground to tell you when wet are on the correct leg, then you will know what it feels like to be on it.
A counter canter is more than just being on the other leg, you also have slight bend. So he would have his nose tipped slightly away from direction of travel.

Also lunging, if he is going off o the correct leg on the ground he is more likely to do it in the saddle.
 
I know the feeling that you are describing well. I share my school with some seriously good dressage riders and sometimes I feel like a complete beginner in comparison. Don't be too hard on yourself, Ben has a very good, balanced canter but will often strike off on the wrong leg whilst on the left rein. I tend to look down to check which leg he is on. This does put me off balance and I know that it isn't correct riding, but I don't trust myself to 'feel' when he is wrong. I have this on my ever increasing list of things to work on!
 
eml said:
Best way to develop feel is to have eyes on the ground..It doesn't need to be an instructor just someone who can tell you what they see.

Find someone who can point out wrong legs, horse leaning in, escaping through shoulder etc. so you can start to associate feeling with issues.

My favourite 'canter feel exercise' is to ask if horse wasn't there and you were like a child 'cantering' or skipping, which would be your leading leg. Generally if you have a reasonable canter seat that will be the same as the leg the horse is leading with!!
Click to expand...

This. Especially the canter bit.
 
Jane you are not the only one, Chanter counter counter is so smooth and easy to ride.

We had massive issues with him takening the wrong leg even my RI would struggle!! I actually had to adjust the way I asked as the outside leg back did not work at all. In fact on one rein I had to use both legs on the girth on the other leg the inside leg had to go back a little. As he has developed his balance and all the little niggles has ironed out I have been able to change ti aids nearly back to a more tradional way but this has taken over 3 years.

I still have to check sometimes as I dont trust myself. but 9/10 times he is correct now it is just working the canter to achieve more thats the problem:giggle:
 
We have had similar problems to OwnedByChanter with cantering on the wrong leg and Izzy's canter is also hard to differentiate when it it is the right lead.

I have lessons so my RI and I have been working on telling. She shouts 'right or wrong?' rather than just telling me to change. It has taken ages but am finally getting it and diagonals. I think I am a bit special in this way - feels like I am the only person in the world who struggles with it!

What I also do in the school is close my eyes and see if I can feel, then open eyes and check. I obviously only do that when it is safe and Izzy is being obedient!
 
tiga said:
We have had similar problems to OwnedByChanter with cantering on the wrong leg and Izzy's canter is also hard to differentiate when it it is the right lead.

I have lessons so my RI and I have been working on telling. She shouts 'right or wrong?' rather than just telling me to change. It has taken ages but am finally getting it and diagonals. I think I am a bit special in this way - feels like I am the only person in the world who struggles with it!

What I also do in the school is close my eyes and see if I can feel, then open eyes and check. I obviously only do that when it is safe and Izzy is being obedient!
Click to expand...

I'm glad to hear that I am not alone!!!
 
Horses are perfectly capable of cantering in balance on either leg. We decide which is 'correct'. If you don't intend competing or dressage then why worry!

If you want 'feel', I'd start in walk not canter. Choose a sunny day, watch your shadow so you can see his back offside leg lifting off the ground and think 'lift', 'lift'. Get the rhythm then you can stop shadow watching and feel what his hind leg pushing you upwards feels like. Swop legs. Then soon you will be able to feel when either hind leg is lifting up and forward. Keep your body relaxed and BREATHE. Don't try to sit still - allow the horse to move you and feel the movements. Then trot, then canter. I'm really trying to get the feel of this at the moment too. Eventually my hope is that I will be able to tell what he is doing with any leg in any gait! But I'm starting with ONE leg and in walk! Good luck :smile:
 
A wonderful reply thyme. Tho it complicates things to think of lift. When horse lifts right hind off the ground your seat bone that side dips. Imagine a table with four legs. If one corner is no longer supported by a leg that is the corner that dips. You can feel this easy in walk as you say. In trot too.
 
You can also use the belly swing as well as the seat bone dipping. When the belly swings away from the leg, say on the left leg that is the horses left leg coming under the body off the ground. This can be more easily felt on some horses.
 
The other way to be able to feel movements really well is to hop on bareback. Although I'd just stick to walking to start with :biggrin:
 
See I am with Jane on this one. I just can't 'feel'. In fact to get the right leg trot I have to peer at his shoulder.

I have tried and tried the swing of his belly ........... shall have to keep trying!
 
I don't have much feel either but TBH I gave up on that a long time ago, I think it's either something you have or you don't, and I don't! Plus I have to share the arena with a professional showjumper and a prizewinning dressage rider, does very little for the ego!
 
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