Canter work

[spirithorse21]

equestrian, I'm just about to my wits end. So I thought I'd turn to all of you for a few suggestions

Comments

[thelitas]

Just thinking out loud here, but if he had the muscle issues at the trot work already, I wouldn't be surprised if all that is going on is a strength issue.

Just keep cantering and keep asking him to come up. He just sounds green. Think of being off the forehand like collection- you just can't expect the horse to be able to do proper collection through an entire workout in the first few months of it. You gradually build up his strength and confidence with it and eventually you'll feel/see the change.

I wouldn't get to worried yet. :) Good luck.

[spirithorse21]

I am certain you are right, he does have a strength issue during canter.

Do you have any more suggestions about how to ask him to come up? Currently, I try to sit deeply, with relaxed hips, and half-halt with the reins. But that just makes him curl his nose into his chest.

I guess the nose curl is a big problem for me. I'm worried that he will continue to do this, which could damage his neck, and of course is not a good way to learn much of anything.

So maybe the real question is: how can I ask him to keep his nose out?

[blue_mew]

(on the other name... but it's still thelitasI've honestly never worked with a Saddlebred, however I believe that each neck-set of a horse has a different way in which it must be worked to get them properly throuh the neck. I'm not saying the fundimentals are different, but just from experience if you ride every horse the same way, they'll all respond slightly different to the training. From what it sounds like, I don't think that driving him forward is going to make him do anything but avoid the bit a little more by ducking down and in

[spirithorse21]

This is a good idea. And I should have thought of this sooner. Thank you for your thoughtful suggestions and I shall give this a try and see how we do. Perhaps if I stop worrying about how uncollected he is and just ask him to stretch out and try to bend a bit, the rest will come with patient work.

[thehomicidehoe]

Canter poles? thats all I got... maybe if he has to watch where he's putting his feet he won't fall onto the forehand as much... just an idea I know jack shite about training (says the girl trying to traina green TB...)

[spirithorse21]

Oh, I forgot to mention the canter poles. They were a miserable failure, sadly. They just made him fall on his forehand even more. Makes a whole lot of sense, considering that he does so nicely over actual jumps, huh?

[thehomicidehoe]

I find that sometimes if they have to watch their feet they go slower and better, not just GO, more Oh shit where are my feet going! so lighter up front,

I had a lovely experience with Franki over trot poles today, I was loose jumping him and put out a set of trotting poles that were raised at opposite side and spaced kinda weird and instead of 'Hmm I shall trot over these carefully...' it was 'FULL GALLOP, KILL THE POLES!, JUMP OUT THE SIDE!!'

He's funny...

[12to15steps]

Something very big is missing from your list - lessons. EVERYONE, no matter how experienced, needs regular eyes on the ground. If you don't have a good trainer where you keep your horse, see if either you can find one who will travel to you, or one you can trailer to. Unquestionably worth the money!

[spirithorse21]

Indeed! I have been trying to rectify this situation. I do get regular lessons for myself but have not yet been able to get some for the both of us. I am working on that though. Care to travel to Indiana? :)

[kmills485]

Sounds like a strength issue to me. I would just keep working on it, both under saddle and on the lunge in some side reins and without them.

Also, don't forget to work on transitions between the gaits but also *within* the gaits. This has made a huge change in my mare's canter, who wants to be on her forehand and is built downhill to boot.

I put her on a circle, ask for a few strides of collected, then working, then a few collected, etc. Then, I move onto the large arena, and ask for some extended, being sure to sit up straight and deep, encouraging that forward power to create a bigger canter, not just a flat and strung out one.

Keep at it, and I'm sure things will get better. Also, do some hill work if you can to strengthen your horses hind end in general :)

[young_modern]

i used to ride a mare that was very heavy in front only in the canter. and she was even more difficult to deal with because she would also get very heavy in my hands, it was like trying to rein in a freight train. one of the things that helped me, in addition to strengthening exercises that have already been suggested, was carrying a dressage whip with lots of flex to it. at the end of a stride, just as her front feet were leaving the ground, i would give her a little tap on the shoulder/base of the neck. because it was flexible it would sort of wrap around her body and get her chest area as well. this encouraged her to lift up her front end, get her nose out of the dirt, and just ease up a little in general.