[Crazy_TB]

I need exercises to help my horse concentrate on me during the canter. He is a Thoroughbred who's had no real training before I bought him (and besides the racetrack, but that doesn't count for much good) even though he had an owner between him being off the track and when I bought him. Though he's improved a lot since I've bought him 3 years ago, I still have problems with adjustibility and balance during the canter. Bending on a circle works well, but I need him to go from a collected canter, to a working, to extended and back to collected smoothly on a straight line so I'm able to make him more adjustible over fences. I was wondering if any of you had any experience with this and you could help me with exercises?

[JBandRio]

First, t/c/t transitions til you are both doing them in your sleep

Forget about shortening the stride until you can reliably go from extended hand gallop to regular canter. THAT is what helps teach him to come back. He'd more like to come back to a regular, "default" canter than try to work harder and come back to a shortened stride.

Once he's good with that, then start asking for regular canter/trot transitions, but juuuust before he trots, send him back to the canter. This will sit him back on his hind end to slow down, and sit him back to go forward again - important concept to shorten the canter.

Hopefully that all makes sense and helps

[kellidahorsegirl]

Originally Posted by JBandRio

Once he's good with that, then start asking for regular canter/trot transitions, but juuuust before he trots, send him back to the canter. This will sit him back on his hind end to slow down, and sit him back to go forward again - important concept to shorten the canter.

Thats an interesting technique. Could you please explain what that does a little better? I've never done it on purpose, but I've noticed if my mare breaks from canter and I catch her quickly, sometimes she'll rush off a bit faster. Not so bad anymore,but your post caught my eye and I want to know more!

[Crazy_TB]

Originally Posted by JBandRio

First, t/c/t transitions til you are both doing them in your sleep

Forget about shortening the stride until you can reliably go from extended hand gallop to regular canter. THAT is what helps teach him to come back. He'd more like to come back to a regular, "default" canter than try to work harder and come back to a shortened stride.

Once he's good with that, then start asking for regular canter/trot transitions, but juuuust before he trots, send him back to the canter. This will sit him back on his hind end to slow down, and sit him back to go forward again - important concept to shorten the canter.

Hopefully that all makes sense and helps

Okay, that sounds interesting. I'll definitely try it.

[JBandRio]

Originally Posted by kellidahorsegir

Thats an interesting technique. Could you please explain what that does a little better? I've never done it on purpose, but I've noticed if my mare breaks from canter and I catch her quickly, sometimes she'll rush off a bit faster. Not so bad anymore,but your post caught my eye and I want to know more!

When done properly (properly being the operative word! ) this asks the horse to pull himself together, and move into the trot, rather than fall out of the canter, if that makes sense. HUGE difference - moving into the trot means the horse is balanced and maintaining control, whereas falling out of the canter means the horse is on his forehand and not totally in control of where exactly his feet are landing.

If your mare breaks from the canter, it's most likely because she's unbalanced or tired, and is also most likely that she's on her forehand when she does it. If you "catch her quickly" back into the canter, you may just be pushing her into the canter while she's still on her forehand, and then she has to rush/go faster to avoid falling on her face.

The way to prevent that is to either be in tune with what her body is doing, and not let her break, or to pull her together into a balanced trot and pick the canter up again.

[kellidahorsegirl]

Awesome, THANKS! You got it,,,,,I'm pretty sure she's usually on her forehand when that happens. I think your explanation of moving into a canter is kind of like landing a plane...hind end first? Is that what you're saying?
I spose I could get better results if I tried to be less lazy at times and keep her going ALL the time Thanks so much for the help.

[JBandRio]

Originally Posted by kellidahorsegir

I think your explanation of moving into a canter is kind of like landing a plane...hind end first? Is that what you're saying?

Yes, exactly!

I spose I could get better results if I tried to be less lazy at times and keep her going ALL the time

Or, for a while, work just on trot to canter back to trot transitions. Continuous cantering doesn't necessarily make for good cantering, transitions makes for good cantering. Transistions, done properly, take a lot of strength, so doing them over and over helps build a really nice "plane engine"

Of course, you still have to school the canter itself because there is more to the canter than just moving into or out of it, but you can school it for short periods, then go back to the trot, rebalance, perhaps get her off your inside leg, and transition back to the canter. Before long, you'll find her more and more balanced AT the canter, and that will be the result of all your transitions

[Crazy_TB]

I've been working on lots of transitions and he's SO much better being able to be more adjustible. Thank you!