Canter difficulty with every horse

I wrote a very long response that is unapproved - hope it posts.

FWIW I do understand the physics behind your biomechanics. I am fortunate in many ways because I am so short-waisted, head on hips as my ex would disparagingly say. If you ever want someone to go ‘breeze’ with you at the CF track you can count me in as long as Laura doesn’t have a problem with it. Having someone bolt on you is absolutely no fun; and having a pony or outback rider there to be on hand can be helpful. However I find that the beauty of the track is that even those horses that get a little jazzy by the idea usually realize very quickly that it’s more work than they care to endure and they end up enjoying more of a true controlled hand gallop and offer it willingly.

I agree that this heat is absolutely awful. In my line of work it, along with Covid, has made things so draining. Working curbside appointments has us out in this heat for 30-45 minutes at a time talking to owners in their air conditioned cars…then you go home and even if it’s miraculously below 100, there’s no energy or incentive to ride. Looking to better times ahead. Take care.

Given it finally posted to this page, I wanted to make sure the long post shows :slight_smile:

RHRT, you can do this! You’ve done this! I hope the videos I sent help!

Also, because you will think it’s hilarious, I complain that the baby is lazier and less responsive when I ride her, yet my trainer says she is so hot off the leg she is constantly trying to go more with him. Clearly he and I have differences in our riding, but if he tries to ride in my stirrups he can’t get her to move, so sometimes we have to work through our specific physics even when it’s easy for someone else. <3 Keep having fun with your good boys, and just remember that stopping is the safest response they can give, just like I trusted Ellie at her hottest and most anxious because halting was her go-to. It doesn’t serve you well at shows, but in life it is good to know you can trust.

thank you very much for the offer-that is very kind! When the weather gets a little better…

Thank you for doing what you do. I cannot imagine working even partially outside. It hit me yesterday-just DONE with this weather. Everything is wet and hot. Gross. I hope people are respecting the curbside appointments… and thank you for taking care of our babies!

netg sent me some videos last night of a clinic a few years ago- I rode very well in it and had no canter issues-but there were a couple times where I leaned forward around a corner and he broke :). But I am proud of my riding the other times.

I have shortened my stirrups since then. I might actually lengthen them again. I was more able to follow with my seat and seem to have lost that.

thanks again-can’t wait til we have some more humane weather and can actually ride! Thanks for the help and support!

The videos last night were AMAZINGLY helpful-it’s what I need to do. Exactly what I need to do. Thank you!!

The baby is a good girl. <3. They totally know the difference between riders and it is a good thing! It is comical that she is so different with the two of you-and you are built very differently!

i am glad Ellie had that as a go to-rather than something else-but that’s a good thing :). And the baby is just perfect, so… :slight_smile:

thank you again always for your support :).

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I just want you to know that I was on Stars the other day and with this thread in mind. I sat up, took my knees off and kept them off and he stayed in canter.

With him if I get too forward he will pigroot in the transition, so that is also another reminder to sit up!

If you watch a Charlotte Djardin schoolmaster lesson and quite a few other school masters, they make the student hand gallop around the arena. Most dressage horses are not forward enough.

What you need is a very steep, big hill. So steep that you let the horse go completely and you don’t have to stop it. Gravity does that for you. The horse starts off galloping. Uphill is the safest you can be in gallop, rather than on a flat racecourse.

The mountain will bring them back to canter until it is virtually canter on the spot and you can just laugh and pat on the neck to say walk.

Now the connection and going from throwing away your elbows to having control of your elbows.

There is another step and this is not one that is visible. Instead the instructor will be told by the horse when they ride, because in my case, Sim knew he should be forward, so when I was in the arena he was forward. He was not when I was not there.

What was happening was that, no you do not throw away your reins, however when you ask the horse forward you can also not allow the horse to hit the bit.

So you start with transitions within the pace in trot. Collected trot to medium trot. It is a dance. It is a balance. To not throw the reins away but to give the horse freedom so as when they go forward they go forward smoothly and they do not hit the bit.

In the canter transition you can also try giving your inside rein starting before the transition.

This not hitting the bit, I think is what my instructor was referring to with horses when he said that Sim now had the confidence to go forward.

So it is not just you who needs confidence, your horses need it as well.

The same as you when I was riding Twiggy, I had no idea how slow we were actually going until I saw it on video. :cool: