Now ready to start doing some counter canter work but I find that I’m stuck in the same old/same old mold. Give me some fresh ideas that incorporates counter canter.
What have you been doing?
What do you mean by “same old same old mold”?
So, what have you been doing?
Without knowing what you’ve been doing, when I started my mare in CC this is what we did: circle 20m in true canter at A or C. go long, and after rounding the other short end (so you do circle, long side, short side) go across the diagonal, go across the short end, down the long side, then at the next A/C letter circle 20m, then repeat down the long side, short side, back across the diagonal so you are in true canter again.
We did not manage to do this whole thing the first time, but added a piece each time.
[QUOTE=NCSue;3033100]
Now ready to start doing some counter canter work but I find that I’m stuck in the same old/same old mold. Give me some fresh ideas that incorporates counter canter.[/QUOTE]
I’m not sure you can reinvent the wheel overnight. The first step is a mild loop to the quarter line in canter, the loop gives you a slight bend and counter canter for a few strides. Next is a large end of the arena, and next is deepening the loops of the long side. Once these things go well, and the horse is not bending into or out on the bend you can attempt a circle. Straightness is the key, without it the haunches swing or are held to the inside too much in the true bend.
How much you do depends on the horse’s innate talent.
Try riding around in less mold, that green/black stuff is quite toxic. If you get a mould to ride in then you should get out your rake the ditch flat. Or, are you from the UK? :):):):):):)
I had quite an image of riding in mold! <GGGG>
[QUOTE=petitefilly;3033912]
I’m not sure you can reinvent the wheel overnight. The first step is a mild loop to the quarter line in canter, the loop gives you a slight bend and counter canter for a few strides.
{SNIP}
Try riding around in less mold, that green/black stuff is quite toxic. [/QUOTE]
This is pretty much what I’ve been doing. Sometimes I’ll ride the long side and come across the diagonal and then continue in cc.
:winkgrin: Definitely do need to get out of the mold. Seems like I’m sinking. Blah. Blah. Blah. Thanks for the humor and gentle encouragement to wake up.
Once you get the loops down, try a two loop serpentine, the first loop small (10-15m) to get your horse balanced and his haunches under him, then the second loop (now in CC) large- don’t go deep into the corners, then back to the true canter in the small loop, 10 m circle at a/c then back to the 2 loop serpentine.
Another good exercise is in regular canter, do a 10m 1/2 circle, then CC large, cross the diagonal to return to regular canter, 10m circle at a/c.
Try the Snowman
A more advanced exercise…Have you tried, “The Snowman?” Ride a 20m circle true canter at A or C, upon crossing centerline (the 2nd time), change direction onto a new circle (now in counter canter), go 1 1/2 times, upon crossing the centerline, change direction again (now in true canter). To make the snowman, make the first circle 20m, the 2nd circle 15m (counter canter) and the third circle 10m. Pay attention to balance, bend, and accuracy of figures for maximum difficulty.
Interesting exercise for a dressage newbie/wannabie
I just tried the counter canter on my horse yesterday. I was pretty proud of him picking lead I asked for on the rail each time and managing to get around the corners gracefully. I think this will help keep him even more upright and collected on turns. I must say getting around the turns felt pretty different. I had to use what I guess is a renvers. My horse tunes in a concentrates well, and I love watching him think these things through and listen to me. Maybe soon we can progress to a 10 m circle. On the right lead conter cantering around the end of the arena, he reached up and absolutely wrenched off a front shoe which was a shocking first. :eek: So, we’ll have to watch out for THAT. 
This exercise is one my instructor has me working on and can be modified to a full circle once the horse is strong/balanced enough to hold it.
Pick up right lead canter at F. At K, head across diagonal to B and at B start a 20m half circle to E. At first, after E head back to F and return to normal canter. If the horse is balanced enough, you can finish the entire 20m circle back to B, then cross the diagonal back to H and return to normal canter. Reverse & repeat for left lead canter.
Riding someplace larger than a dressage ring can open up more options - maybe you’re not ready to go around the short side of a dressage ring - but if you have 30 meters to make the counter canter arc you can do that, then true canter, then counter again. Then you can do 29 meters, and so on, bringing in the turn as you and the horse are ready.
Come to think of it, when I introduce counter canter figures, I think I almost always do it in a space which allows me some extra room, so it can be a playful, balanced introduction rather than a sink or swim or break or swap affair. Of course you have to make sure you don’t end up flying around corners on the wrong lead thinking “Ain’t we grand?” 
because you have space to get away with an unbalanced canter…
Don’t forget picking up either lead at various places in the ring as a related exercise which also opens up more figures and more corrections when things do go wrong…
[QUOTE=Jeannette, formerly ponygyrl;3502983]
Of course you have to make sure you don’t end up flying around corners on the wrong lead thinking “Ain’t we grand?” because you have space to get away with an unbalanced canter…[/QUOTE]
My horse likes to play rough sometimes, so any sort of “flying” is routinely discouraged if not completely prohibited! He likes to pretend he’s Pegasus. :yes:
I’d avoid letting the haunches fall to the outside during counter canter because you are encouraging crookedness. If he struggles and especially is on the forehand enough to catch a front shoe, he’s not balanced to his hind end enough or he’s just not strong enough. Give him time. You want to be sure that you challenge him without overfacing him, so maybe you need to stick to serpentines for a little longer. (??) It’ll be a while before he is strong enough to do a 10 m cc circle. A long while.
I do alot of counter canter and in addition to creative figures, I like to do transitions within the canter along the long sides and diagonals. I also work with changing the flexion without changing the overall balance.
[QUOTE=J-Lu;3503528]
I’d avoid letting the haunches fall to the outside during counter canter because you are encouraging crookedness. If he struggles and especially is on the forehand enough to catch a front shoe, he’s not balanced to his hind end enough or he’s just not strong enough. Give him time. You want to be sure that you challenge him without overfacing him, so maybe you need to stick to serpentines for a little longer. (??) It’ll be a while before he is strong enough to do a 10 m cc circle. A long while. :)[/QUOTE]
He is not heavy on the front, but you are right, he still needs to gain strength. He grabbed the shoe in his “brain fart” corner so his mind was probably outside the fence too which was the fatal combination.
Question… should he still be bent with the circle while counter cantering?
Since I am not a “dressage” person, but just a “hack” I am enjoying finding some interesting things that I understand to work on so I have a plan when I get on every day. This is as much about challenging me without overfacing as challenging my horse
As he gains strength, you should be able to easily flex him to the inside of the counter-canter circle. But this will happen in a horse who is confident in the counter-canter. And this’ll happen if you are sitting with your seat in the saddle and vertically. You want to hold the “true canter” position with your seat so your horse doesn’t swap leads, but you want his poll and head position to be flexible and light - as your hands and shoulders are flexible and light. If your weight is tipped forward, as in a hunter-seat, it makes it harder for your horse to shift his weight back. You might also have to remind your horse to use his hind legs with the support of your lower legs. It’s no sweat if it is a little hard for your horse. I think the most rewarding part of riding is when the little breakthroughs happen for both the rider AND the horse. NEITHER ever stop learning, which makes it all so fun. Good luck with your guy!
A good exercise when you’re first introducing counter canter is to begin as though you’re going to make the shallow loop (F-X-M, for instance), and go straight down the center line from X. You’re straightening after just a few strides of counter canter, restoring the any balance the horse may have lost. It’s also good for the rider who’s new to counter canter.
OK, we can do SillyHorse’s starter figure, but not flshgordon’s! I think getting around the whole end on each lead the first day was a total fluke! After a few strides on a turn he thinks he must have made a mistake and drops out. At first he offered to change in front, but I’ve learned to stop that. We’re up to three strides from one, and we have learned to keep our shoes on.:yes:
As someone who has spent her whole life riding saddle seat (basically in a straight line) I have quickly gained immense respect for anyone studying dressage. It is fun, challenging and rewarding though. My serpentines are improving, and I’ve learned that I am wearing the wrong underwear. :eek:
That would be because sillyhorses’ IS a starter figure, and flash’s figure requires more balance going into it.
Counter canter is a fun dressage koan - it requires balance, strength, and straightness, and what does it build?? - Balance, strength and straightness…
SA, I’d say the classic intro to CC is track one direction, on the inside lead, then, maintaining that lead, come maybe a meter off the track on the long side, then, maintaining the same bend, guide the shoulders and the horse back to the track, all within one length of the arena.
Once 1 meter is easy, go for two meters off the track and back on, until you are doing the classic "shallow serpentine" of coming off the track, reaching the centerline by X, and returning to the track, all in a balanced canter.Just out of curiousity, what level test does the counter canter come in? My horse is nicely trained (as a rail horse) and responsive to bending and just beginning some lateral work. I chose counter canter as something to introduce just because he enjoys canter work and figures, and lead changes are still waaaay out of the equation.
