Scared to canter my horse

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miggy

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May 23, 2004
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ok-hit rock bottom now-seriously sad.
My horse has always been a tizzy little madam, very good in lots of ways though, eg hacking alone. Have dealt with lots of issues but all started going wrong in the autumn when I started having lessons (!)
my aim was to do some local dressage tests over the winter. My instructor was getting me to seat deeper in the saddle in canter to "slow her down" this actually just seemed to speed her up and ended up with lots of wheels of death round the school, progressing to her being really antsy about being asked to canter at all.
So I got the physio out for a few sessions, she found a bit of soreness in her back (nothing major) did 2 treatments and said fine. Have not cantered for while in school as waiting for physio etc plus tried a few different saddles.
Recently started cantering on hacks, not too bad in front but behind bucking and going sideways.
today tried in school-horrendous. I can feel her getting tense just thinking about cantering then she either runs on, head in air feeling explosive or leaps into bucky flying round school sort of canter. I know its partly me because I probably need to pull her up and push her on but im too scared too. Then after trying to canter, shes ditsy about doing anything.
Dont know where to go from here, im happy to canter my sons pony and my old horse but im scared of her now :(
 
If you're getting tense then she will sense it (you don't need me to tell you this anyways:rolleyes: ) - I wasn't keen on cantering full stop - even less when I got my mare! She has the fastest trot in England so I was dreading her canter:eek: Result was me dreading cantering - she sensed it and went like the clappers:p ! The only thing that has sorted me and her out with our cantering was the help of a really good instructor - followed by OH tempting me to follow him on his gelding cantering in the school - just gradually I've built it up. Don't know if this will work for you - it worked for me as I'm very novicey - but you sound like you've got lots more experience than me. What about more lessons?? Doesn't sound like you have canter phobia like me - at least its a specific horse you don't feel confident on. When are the back people getting back to you? Did they say her behaviour could be caused by soreness? Its as well you've got it checked anyway. I know what you mean about being too nervous to pull up or push her on - I found with my mare pushing her on did the trick - but more than anything I found my lessons gave me the confidence I needed. Good luck!!:)
 
Has she cantered much? I ask this question because Captain's previous owner didnt do a lot of cantering therefore him being a novice and then a novice on his back has made him tense up and he tends to run into canter. Try Lunging her and see if she is on the right lead leg without a rider. I am sure there is more that an RI can tell you what to look for but she may be unbalanced among other things. Will she buck on the lunge?? Also are you sure you are giving her the correct aids? Another horse used to buck. The RI told me it was my fault because I was confusing him. Hope this give you a few ideas to try out..
 
Would your instructor have a sit on her in the school she would be able to see whether it was you or the horse and then be able to explain how to ride her. She appears not to have a problem with canter if she will canter in front out hacking it may be just a vicious circle that you need help to beak!
 
miggy said:
My instructor was getting me to seat deeper in the saddle in canter to "slow her down" this actually just seemed to speed her up and ended up with lots of wheels of death round the school, progressing to her being really antsy about being asked to canter at all.
Click to expand...
Sadly, this is all too often the standard 'text book' answer to control a canter. Unfortunately it only works if the horse is already rounding its back but on the forehand. If a horse hollows in to canter and throws its head up, sitting deeper will only make the problem worse. The deeper you sit the worse it gets. Before the canter can be controlled the horse has to lift its back.
Not really surprising you dont like to canter this horse but you are not to blame :mad:
Ok, how to fix the problem.
Before you ask for canter, bridge your reins across the wither with a good contact. Stand in your stirrups to get ALL your weight off the horses back. Sort of in the XC position then ask for canter. Only canter a few strides then back to trot. Keep doing this until the transition to canter becomes more relaxed then start to increase the number of strides until you can canetr all the way round the areana at a steady pace. Once thats established you can gradually start to put some weight back in to the saddle still keeping the reins bridged. Eventually you will be able to get all your weight in the saddle without a reaction. Once you start to put weight in to the saddle make sure you are still off the horses back when you ask for canter and only start to lower your weight once the canter is established.
Once the horse will accept all your weight then you can un-bridge the reins.
Advantages of this approach are....
Frees the horses back thus removing the resistance and discomfort.
Keeps a very still contact on the mouth.
keeps you in control without having to think of too much at once.
Allows your confidence to grow as starting with the intention of only a few steps of canter is a lot less daunting than several laps of the areana. Thus you will be less tense.
Hope that helps

Ps...Change your instructor to one that understands horses rather than reads text books
 
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Thanks all

Wow David H-you are exactly right, thats just what she is/was doing, head up and hollow back. Cant wait to ride on thursday and try out your plan (see I want to canter now :) )

See has done lots of canter but not in a schooling way, the girl who had her before did cross country (see it fits!) and she was brilliant at that (but I dont do that as am a chicken!) I have done mainly hacking, with canter and endurance rides (again with canter). When I first had her she got very excited after she had cantered (probably due to x country) but the actual canter was fine and she was getting so much better afterwards too.

Will let you know how it goes.
 
I'd second that advice, was riding someone's hunters in school the other day, as I sat in a deep seat to ask for canter, both of them lunged forwards like rockets, sitting deeper with shoulders back made it worse !
Had previously been riding a TB schoolmaster who responded superbly to the slightest leg or seat aid...but not these two beauties !
Was told to keep inside rein on withers, open the outside rein and get bum out of saddle- canter became balanced and controlled instantly. was told hunters are ridden differently and this was certainly the case .
good luck -hope it works for you
 
David,

This advice is AWESOME! I can't wait to try this out. I had the same advice about deep seat as O.P. did. And I always wondered why it didn't work. I've done a ton of trotting in two point and this helped with a stiff back response to my bouncing. (we reschooled him a few months ago) Maybe now if I try this, it will help with the canter.

Many thanks!
 
Thanks from me as well David H (you're the NR Oracle!!). My ex-driver just trots round faster and faster so I'll take your advice as well. Its like the wall of death sometimes. Can't wait to try it out. My RI suggested working on her canter next lesson.
 
Oh how much needed is this advice DavidH?:D I have exactly the same problem with Sennie in canter. (I read your bareback canter post in awe Mehitabel. ;) )Can't wait to try it out Thursday when I next ride.

Thanks for posting this Miggy. Clearly hit the right spot.:)
 
look at all these posts..

Can you tell we all have or have had the same problem? Hollow back and gawdawful canter.. hehehe
 
Thank you David H

Thank you DavidH for your response to this. For just under 2 years, since I've owned him, Sennie has always been reluctant to canter more than about 3 strides, either in the school or out. Today I tried what you suggested. Well, almost, as I found I needed to sit to the trot, ask for canter, then get myself out of the saddle(he seemed to think me out of the saddle when asking for canter meant I was rising to the trot so got him confused). Result... a perfect canter, only going back to trot when I sat back down and asked for trot. So, something to work on.

Haven't tried it in the school as yet, but we're definitely on the right lines.

Thank you. I hope it helped you too Miggy.:D
 
miggy said:
ok-hit rock bottom now-seriously sad.
My horse has always been a tizzy little madam, very good in lots of ways though, eg hacking alone. Have dealt with lots of issues but all started going wrong in the autumn when I started having lessons (!)
my aim was to do some local dressage tests over the winter. My instructor was getting me to seat deeper in the saddle in canter to "slow her down" this actually just seemed to speed her up and ended up with lots of wheels of death round the school, progressing to her being really antsy about being asked to canter at all.
So I got the physio out for a few sessions, she found a bit of soreness in her back (nothing major) did 2 treatments and said fine. Have not cantered for while in school as waiting for physio etc plus tried a few different saddles.
Recently started cantering on hacks, not too bad in front but behind bucking and going sideways.
today tried in school-horrendous. I can feel her getting tense just thinking about cantering then she either runs on, head in air feeling explosive or leaps into bucky flying round school sort of canter. I know its partly me because I probably need to pull her up and push her on but im too scared too. Then after trying to canter, shes ditsy about doing anything.
Dont know where to go from here, im happy to canter my sons pony and my old horse but im scared of her now :(
Click to expand...
There's nothing in the rules which says cantering is compulsory!

Is she getting her tenseness from you. Try consciously to relax your lower back and seat muscles and you may feel her relax too.

Have you considered her diet? A lot of "pet" horses need a lot less hard feed than it says on the bag and barley, molasses and Alfa A are frequent culprits in "fizzy horse syndrome". The WH, who is normally a saint among horses, swings from the chandeliers when fed even small amounts of the aforegoing!
 
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My situation with Salsa was similar. Because of his breeading and training, he loves to "GO!". The first time we cantered on a hack, he took off a little but I felt confident that I could slow him and stop him. Later on, we had another canter and he just went off at top speed. I couldn't slow him and, as we started to gallop completely out of control downhill, I honestly thought I was going to end up in hospital! Fortunately, nothing so drastic occurred but it did leave me terrified to canter him incase he took off again.

So we went back to basics, working on his upwards and most especially downwards transitions through halt, walk and trot. When I felt more comfortable with him, my instructor insisted that my "goal of the lesson" was to canter, even just one or two strides. She knew I was a bit nervous and kept telling me that the outside rein is the "speed rein" and was constantly reminding me to turn him to the wall if I felt out of control. I did manage to canter three strides and bring him back to a nice balanced trot, and my confidence absolutely soared! Over the next few weeks, we did lots of short canter exercises - just a few strides then back to trot- and eventually Salsa grasped the pattern. Now he expects to trot again after a couple of strides unless I ask otherwise. Before my accident, I was happily cantering him around a full circuit of the school, but only when it was just us in there.
I still worry that if someone else is in the school and cantering, he might think we're racing if we canter too and I'd hate to lose control with someone else there - not only could Sal and I be hurt but I'd hate for someone else and their horse to be injured. I know it's just paranoia, but I'll just have to work on it!
DavidH's advice is spot on - just a little is plenty to help your confidence and make you feel in control again. Good luck and let us know how it goes!
 
Miggy,
I am dying to know if you tried this , and how its working for you .
I just posted a thread in training of the rider..about my canter issues and am looking for anything that will help me get past this problem
 
Just wanted to say THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
Actually got to try this today, first time in school for various reasons since this advice. It worked brilliantly, canter without broncing. She still got a bit tense and was crablike slowing up but didnt feel like about to explode.
Will keep working on this now.
Felt so brave I even jumped! There was a little crosspole up in school from kids and I thought, if my 7yr old can jump this then I should be able to, so we did-twice! Only had pony for 2 yrs.............!
 
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