Canter issues?

OneHoofBeat

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Jan 24, 2017
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About two months ago, my welsh part bred threw me into the fence, he took off in gallop, bucked, ran at the corner off the school, dropped his shoulder and span. I came flying off the side of him and into the fence.
I have cantered him again since, I just panic when I feel like I can't stop and that transfers into him and he starts spooking.

I can canter my cob perfectly fine, I don't panic when he speeds up or anything, It's just when my welsh does it.

How can I get my confidence back on my welsh, it's gotten to the point I don't ride him anymore, I just lunge because I don't want him getting bad habits.. I use to really enjoy riding him because he's q quirky pony. But now, I avoid riding him as much as I can.
 
Could you pay a good rider to do some canter schooling on him? If they could teach him to maintain a steady, balanced rhythm that might give you more confidence & also seeing him behave nicely for someone else in canter may ease your worries. I have no doubt that you're right when you say your worries transfer to him, but knowing it and doing something about it are very different.
 
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Could you pay a good rider to do some canter schooling on him? If they could teach him to maintain a steady, balanced rhythm that might give you more confidence & also seeing him behave nicely for someone else in canter may ease your worries. I have no doubt that you're right when you say your worries transfer to him, but knowing it and doing something about it are very different.

Someone is currently riding him for me now. It's hard to get him into a steady canter as he just wants to go faster, I'm hoping once he's back out on summer turnout he'll calm back down. It's only before xmas he started to rush his canter. He has been known to throw in a few bucks, bunny hops and kick out with excitement. But he's never bolted before.
 
I'm inclined to say that if he span to avoid the fence then he didn't truly bolt, but that's getting into an old debate & doesn't alter the fact that he was going faster than you were happy with & wouldn't stop.

As this is a fairly recent development I'd be looking for a reason why. When were his saddle & teeth last checked? Has something changed in his management? Can you get the vet to check him over? Is it only in canter that there's a problem? Even for a forward quirky horse that's not ok, and it obviously isn't normal for him.

It may be hard to get a steady canter - it isn't always a pace that comes naturally to welshies - but that doesn't mean it can't be worked on and it won't get better if it isn't. What's his current rider doing with him? It might be that he needs a professional or someone experienced in training youngsters (even if he isn't a youngster) to work on it. But first of all I'd get him & his tack checked over because to me it sounds like he's reacting to something.
 
I'm inclined to say that if he span to avoid the fence then he didn't truly bolt, but that's getting into an old debate & doesn't alter the fact that he was going faster than you were happy with & wouldn't stop.

As this is a fairly recent development I'd be looking for a reason why. When were his saddle & teeth last checked? Has something changed in his management? Can you get the vet to check him over? Is it only in canter that there's a problem? Even for a forward quirky horse that's not ok, and it obviously isn't normal for him.

It may be hard to get a steady canter - it isn't always a pace that comes naturally to welshies - but that doesn't mean it can't be worked on and it won't get better if it isn't. What's his current rider doing with him? It might be that he needs a professional or someone experienced in training youngsters (even if he isn't a youngster) to work on it. But first of all I'd get him & his tack checked over because to me it sounds like he's reacting to something.

He was trying to nap at the gate, and because I wouldn't let him, he took off, he was already bolting before we had reached the gate.

His saddle was checked in Jan along with his back, and his teeth where done in Feb, He had physio in Dec, He had a check up with the vet is Feb also. Only thing that has changed is we moved stables.

Current person is working on getting him to go, stop, and turn. We've took him back to basic. She's does a lot of transition, circles and odd shapes to constantly keep his mind working. In walk and trot he's fine. It's just with the canter he's either trying to go or doesn't want to go. Before we moved he had a really nice steady canter, and would stop instantly, but now, it's like he's constantly fighting over everything.
 
Before we moved he had a really nice steady canter, and would stop instantly, but now, it's like he's constantly fighting over everything.

It honestly sounds to me like he's telling you something isn't right with him, especially as you said he was fine before - hope you can get to the bottom of it for both of you.
 
It honestly sounds to me like he's telling you something isn't right with him, especially as you said he was fine before - hope you can get to the bottom of it for both of you.

This. For him to have changed this much something must be wrong somewhere.
 
Hi, I can’t help with the problem as I’m a new rider regaining my confidence, but I am however trained in Bach flower essences (you may have heard of Rescue Remedy?) anyway, it’s safe for animals, and you say it started when you moved. Can I suggest to use it with him, he needs Walnut, which is good to help with change. All you need to do is put it in his water and see if you can see a difference. You can buy a bottle of it from many chemists, including Boots and Holland and Barrett and you only need to put 2 drops in the water when you refill it. Worth a try before thinking the worst, it sounds to me like he’s just unsettled in his new home. Good luck.
 
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Don't underestimate the move - I moved yards six months ago and although my horse is settled in the herd and in her stable, she is definitely sharper in the school and still naps to the others as she can see them in the field from the school. A couple of weeks ago, she did a rodeo with me because everything else had come in and she was out (with me in the school).
 
I think it's the move. If I'm honest.
I trailered him to a trail ride we did often at the other place, he automatically relaxed and went back to his old self. I didn't ride him but you could visibly see the change in him.

I have now started to ride him again, we are doing walk, trot and canter but I have an "oh shit strap" around his neck, so when I tense, I'll grab that, rather than his mouth, Which seems to be working. The other person is still riding him for me, just so he has at least someone who is confident on him so he doesn't pick up too many bad habits.

I am working on moving them to a new yard, I'm 99% percent sure he wants to be a busy yard, now a quiet private one. So hopefully he should be moved off in the next few weeks.
 
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