Canter difficulty with every horse

[right_horse_at_the_right_time]

I turn every horse into a slug-nice, talented horses.

I have ridden with biomechanics clinicians, amazing trainers, clinics, everything. I will get it good for a while, and then I mess it up again.

I don’t understand. I’m very loosey goosey in my body and have to work on tone, which I do.

I don’t get what I’m doing. But it’s consistent.

I have shown through second and schooled third. I can do a pirouette but not a circle. I don’t get it.

I think I’m a lost cause. I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong. I suspect it’s more than one thing. It’s not a new problem; sometimes I get over it for a year at a time. I’m not new at it.

AAARRRGGGHHHH

[SusanO]

Can you get someone to video you and go over the video with someone who really knows their stuff when it come to rider mechanics? Mirrors might work also but I think you need to get feedback so you can see WHAT you need to correct. Then you can use mirrors to see if you are still following your old habits. Maybe do some work on the lunge to solidify your position at the canter and work on feel without having to control the horse. It can be hard to ride and focus on your position at the same time.

[Arlomine]

Have you worked with anyone with a mechanical horse?

[netg]

I highly recommend checking out Tate TV and her video from last Wednesday. Find your AR.

[Pezanos]

You are my spirit animal. I have the same exact problem.

[right_horse_at_the_right_time]

@SusanO

Can you get someone to video you and go over the video with someone who really knows their stuff when it come to rider mechanics? Mirrors might work also but I think you need to get feedback so you can see WHAT you need to correct. Then you can use mirrors to see if you are still following your old habits. Maybe do some work on the lunge to solidify your position at the canter and work on feel without having to control the horse. It can be hard to ride and focus on your position at the same time.

Yes. I’m embarrassed to say, but yes I have worked with a top bio mechanics clinician, many times. And when I ride well, I get 7 or 7.5 on rider scores. Not joking. But when left to my own devices…I shut them down. And I don’t have bad hands!

my trainer is probably super frustrated with me. I would be!

lunge is a great idea. Really great idea. Hmmmmm…Thank you…

I will be working long distance with another amazing biomechanics clinician. I think this will be key. Key. It’s coming up soon, but I wanted to fix the issue before then. Perhaps I just need to fix the issue then.

THANKS.

[right_horse_at_the_right_time]

@Arlomine

Have you worked with anyone with a mechanical horse?

Yes. With Barbro. It was amazing…and I had zero fear, because of course nothing could go wrong. She thought I was a much better rider than I am. A lot of it is in my head. But the canter…I just shut it down. And I watch my trainer ride my horses with ZERO trouble. Doesn’t even have to use leg.

ETA: Barbro thought I was a better rider because I seemingly know what to do on a fake horse.

[right_horse_at_the_right_time]

@netg

I highly recommend checking out Tate TV and her video from last Wednesday. Find your AR.

You’ve seen me ride a hundred times. What’s my problem. Aaaaarrrrrggggghhhhh

[right_horse_at_the_right_time]

@Pezanos

You are my spirit animal. I have the same exact problem.

Really??? Like the horse could go to sleep at any moment and won’t canter more than a few strides?

I have to fix this. I have more to bring to the table than this and I’m frustrating all involved. Including my horses, I’m sure. Who actually probably think it’s great that they don’t have to work hard.

is it just forward? Is that still the issue?

[Redlei44]

Are you a nervous rider? Like your subconscious is always convinced that a cantering horse is one stride away from bolting?

Can you gallop? Like purposely not a nice canter, but a wahoo hand gallop?

No trouble at the trot (esp. sitting)?

What kinds of horses do you have? Purpose bred WB? Stereotypical OTTB?

I’m sure it’s super frustrating and I don’t know if us peanut gallery folks can solve it without seeing video, but it is an interesting mystery. Thank you for posting!

[Pezanos]

@right horse at the right time

Really??? Like the horse could go to sleep at any moment and won’t canter more than a few strides?

I have to fix this. I have more to bring to the table than this and I’m frustrating all involved. Including my horses, I’m sure. Who actually probably think it’s great that they don’t have to work hard.

is it just forward? Is that still the issue?

If I knew the answer I could solve my problem! It was very “nice” when I thought my horse was off and couldn’t canter but trainer got on and cantered merrily along so I know it’s me. And it isn’t just this horse. It’s every horse I’ve owned. NOT, however, other people’s horses or school horses. Those, I can canter with no problem.

[right_horse_at_the_right_time]

@Redlei44

Are you a nervous rider? Like your subconscious is always convinced that a cantering horse is one stride away from bolting?

Can you gallop? Like purposely not a nice canter, but a wahoo hand gallop?

No trouble at the trot (esp. sitting)?

What kinds of horses do you have? Purpose bred WB? Stereotypical OTTB?

I’m sure it’s super frustrating and I don’t know if us peanut gallery folks can solve it without seeing video, but it is an interesting mystery. Thank you for posting!

:lol: Yes, nailed it. Why wouldn’t they be one step away from bolting? They never have, but why not after all of these years, you know?

I’ve worked on this forever, I’ve gotten professional help, drugs, everything, posted here, etc., and it has gotten a lot better but I think you’ve probably nailed it on the head and it’s probably deeply entrenched still.
When you say gallop, do you mean actually where I could feel the wind in my hair? Yeah no, that doesn’t happen.

I have galloped but it’s more like a really good medium canter…

zero trouble at the trot, especially sitting. Yep. No trouble. My one horse can be difficult to sit but I can do it, lol. The other one is super easy to sit.

One purpose bred WB with all the moves, the other a TB cross (the old fashioned WB, lol). Both good souls. I can ride like I stole them sometimes, and other times, I’ve got nothing.

So you very smartly know where this is going-can you translate that to what I’m physically doing?

THANKS.

[cheektwocheek]

Feel your pain!

I finally got my dream of owning an upper level schoolmaster. This horse actually laughs at me when I can’t push buttons. It’s like driving a fine sports car and grinding the gears. I’ll figure it all out eventually, with loads of time and plenty of lessons.

[right_horse_at_the_right_time]

@Pezanos

If I knew the answer I could solve my problem! It was very “nice” when I thought my horse was off and couldn’t canter but trainer got on and cantered merrily along so I know it’s me. And it isn’t just this horse. It’s every horse I’ve owned. NOT, however, other people’s horses or school horses. Those, I can canter with no problem.

Twins!!

definitely they are “off” until someone gets on and yay not off, it’s just me…

I can canter other horses until I’ve ridden them a few times and then it’s back to difficulty.

it’s like I TRAIN them to do it.

[right_horse_at_the_right_time]

@cheektwocheek

I totally feel your pain!

I finally own an upper level schoolmaster, he actually laughs at me when I can’t push the buttons. It’s like driving a fine sports car and grinding the gears. I’ll figure it all out eventually, with loads of time and plenty of lessons.

Yep, me too. All the buttons. And I can do the entire I2 at the trot, lol. And I can do canter pirouettes. I can canter half pass if I get going. All the lateral work. Just not first level canter work. No siree. Just end up falling forward and off balance.

[alibi_18]

You aren’t riding through and worse, you stop riding.

If you can do a pirouette but no circle, you are blocking the motion (and your pirouette must not be that good)

Warm up at the walk.
Then work on short transitions walk-canter-walk.
5 strides at each working gaits.
No collection.
Do some long and low trot work.
Then work on short transitions w-c-w again.
Cool down.

You w-c-w have be everywhere, from diverse movements.
On a straight line, on a circle/half circle, while leg yielding, counter cantering or not, from half pass, diagonals, whatever.

When you master this - you then play with how collected or not your horse will be.
Collected Canter 5 strides, medium walk, long and low canter, medium walk, working canter, extended walk, collected canter, etc.
Throw in some outside/inside flexions and some more counter canter in.

You cannot canter? So you’re not allowed to.

Free your mind, you know how to do this.

[right_horse_at_the_right_time]

@alibi_18

You aren’t riding through and worse, you stop riding.

If you can do a pirouette but no circle, you are blocking the motion (and your pirouette must not be that good)

Warm up at the walk.
Then work on short transitions walk-canter-walk.
5 strides at each working gaits.
No collection.
Do some long and low trot work.
Then work on short transitions w-c-w again.
Cool down.

You w-c-w have be everywhere, from diverse movements.
On a straight line, on a circle/half circle, while leg yielding, counter cantering or not, from half pass, diagonals, whatever.

When you master this - you then play with how collected or not your horse will be.
Collected Canter 5 strides, medium walk, long and low canter, medium walk, working canter, extended walk, collected canter, etc.
Throw in some outside/inside flexions and some more counter canter in.

You cannot canter? So you’re not allowed to.

Free your mind, you know how to do this.

Ok. I can do all of this. You are totally right.

Netg made a great observation offline-job is stressful right now with COVID. Might be making it worse.

yes. Pirouette isn’t that good. Playing with it. Horse is incredibly well trained and is very game.

this is great. I can do this exercise. These exercises.

yes. Thank you. I can see all of this and can picture myself on my AR as KK says and not my crotch which is where I end up. You’ve given me great advice for 8 years; this is more. Thanks. Will try this in the morning on both horses. Thank you. Will report back. and maybe I will add spurs tomorrow.

[right_horse_at_the_right_time]

@alibi_18

You aren’t riding through and worse, you stop riding.

If you can do a pirouette but no circle, you are blocking the motion (and your pirouette must not be that good)

Warm up at the walk.
Then work on short transitions walk-canter-walk.
5 strides at each working gaits.
No collection.
Do some long and low trot work.
Then work on short transitions w-c-w again.
Cool down.

You w-c-w have be everywhere, from diverse movements.
On a straight line, on a circle/half circle, while leg yielding, counter cantering or not, from half pass, diagonals, whatever.

When you master this - you then play with how collected or not your horse will be.
Collected Canter 5 strides, medium walk, long and low canter, medium walk, working canter, extended walk, collected canter, etc.
Throw in some outside/inside flexions and some more counter canter in.

You cannot canter? So you’re not allowed to.

Free your mind, you know how to do this.

so can we talk through a canter walk transition without collapsing forward? The mental imagery and body position/arms/legs/weight? I think I collapse forward and throw him on his forehand. I do it with both horses because they both react the same way.

[Melissa.Van_Doren]

The whole wind in the hair thing? Yeah, you need to learn to love that.
Is there a vaulting club in your area? You need to canter and canter and canter on a horse that’s rock-steady… the kind that lets you put your hands on your hips, and over your head and out to the sides, on the longe or in a round pen. Then you need to get outside on long, smooth trails with another rock-steady horse. Several of them.
Your mind needs to let go and your body needs to learn to allow all the movement of the horse to roll through you in a happy wave, so the horse under you is unimpeded. Horses break from canter under tight riders because tightness creates imbalance. When the horse must balance on a single leg for two out of three beats, they quickly learn not to trust a rider who suddenly pitches forward/back/side-to-side and transitions downward as a ‘survival’ tactic.
As to why you can canter for a while and then lose it? My guess is that you initially feel in control on a new horse, are hopeful, and then the horse does something small (or big) that tweaks your own survival instinct and then the cycle begins again… you brace, the horse transitions, you have to brace more to deal with the abrupt change in balance, then so does the horse, and you’re both convinced You Can’t Do It.
Get outside the box and embrace the wind.

[alibi_18]

@right horse at the right time

so can we talk through a canter walk transition without collapsing forward? The mental imagery and body position/arms/legs/weight? I think I collapse forward and throw him on his forehand. I do it with both horses because they both react the same way.

It will fix that too. It will fix everything.
You won’t have time to collapse much because you’ll have to start back cantering in 5 strides. Do so with both horses - do exercices according to their level (but at 3rd and Inter, I’m assuming walk-canter-walk is mastered). Don’t fuss over collection at all, or jump or fancy to begin with.

Just walk, canter, walk every 5 strides. Forget the rest, canter-walk-canter-walk. Do like 20 transitions of so ? (decide in advance for the sake of it) - take a walk break, do some trotting, walk again and go on with the transitions. Just count. Be very precise. Go around the arena at first, but then decide on your next moves.

Breathe.

Do not, under no circumstances, keep cantering endlessly (or walking for that matter). Transition.

Do the best transitions you can, but they might look like shit at first. (You’ll go back to « no transition until you feel it’s gonna be a perfect transition » after that.)

Breathe.

Commit yourself to a month of that.

ETA : If you can, avoid the spurs for now - Feel it!
No judgement - if you need it, you need it but this is just canter departures, you shouldn’t need much spurs for that. Relax your legs and let it happen. Have fun.