My horse won't canter!

[Rach622]

I have a 10 year old Appendix/Quarter horse gelding (not sure exactly on breed). I have had him for about 3 months and he refuses to canter. I know it is not soreness or pain preventing him from cantering. He is completely sound and is constantly playing, running, and bucking when he is not saddled and in the pasture. His saddle fits fine and he is ridden in a side pull, so tack malfunctions/problems are mostly out. He was saved out of a slaughter truck about a year and a half ago, so I have absolutely no background info on him. The girl that had him before me cantered on him, but she sold him to me before he got really comfortable with it. Once I got him I worked on getting him weight up and building muscle for about 2 months and I rode him, but didn’t try to canter. Now that he has gained a good bit of weight and I’m confident he will be comfortable carrying me…he won’t canter. I have tried sitting deep and driving him forward into the canter, smooching at him, popping him on the shoulder with my reins or a crop, even taking him over a small jump and asking for the canter out of it. Nothing works! He gets really bronc-y and has even bucked a couple times when I ask for the canter. He just speeds up or stops dead when I ask. I’m at a loss about what to do. Any suggestions or tips?

Edit: He also HATES me to put my legs on. He couldn’t care less about me swinging my legs along his sides and bumping his sides. (I was desensitizing him) but as soon as I put my legs on with the intent to go faster/change gaits he pins him ears and even goes as far as crowhopping sometimes.

[LockeMeadows]

This may be why he ended up in the kill pen, but if he’s not actually dumping you, then this is something you can work through. I would take him on a trail ride with other horses. Let them break into a nice quiet canter. Trot him FORWARD until breaking in to the canter is easier than the extended trot. It may be a balance issue in the ring.

[Scribbler]

I made the mistake of pushing my horse too fast too early to canter in the arena, and this became a big problem. Absolutely it works better to canter outdoors, on a straightaway, and with other horses that are reliable and won’t bolt or race. This however takes a bit of courage! But if you have good calm horses ahead, usually the horse following them won’t run past them once they stop.

Some horses just hate to be put off balance, and fight it. How well does your horse do trot circles in the arena? If he is still off balance at the trot, he isn’t ready to canter in the arena.

Also it’s possible he isn’t a quarterhorse. He may be a standardbred :). They can be quite the chameleons. Some can look like QH crosses, others look like TB crosses, others are unmistakably STB.

[outside_leg]

You say you know it’s not soreness, but have you had the vet look at him recently? You should. Just to rule out pain or an old injury. You never want to start with the assumption that it’s a training or behavior issue until you firmly rule out any physical causes. Otherwise you could make the problem worse.

[Dressage_Strider]

Will he canter when you lunge him?

I have a horse that does this, but it is just weakness. Transitions are hard. Do a lot of lunge work trot- canter transitions. Verbally get him to canter when you say it. Then try under saddle.

Get a nice working trot, half halt and ask him onto his haunches, and then soften hands and push, kick, and whip into the canter. If he doesn’t do it in that instance, instantly come back to nice working trot and repeat.

[Rach622]

He didn’t know how to lunge when I got him so we are working up to a canter on the lunge line. I have tried to ask for it on the lunge line, but he balks and tries to stop. Right now he lives on my property and he is my only horse right now, so the follow the leader approach is basically out. Thank y’all so much for yalls advice! I really appreciate it!!!

[luvmyhackney]

I would have to say get a vet out. I got money it’s a pain issue. most likely SI, back pain, muscle issue. Could it be PSSM ?

[mfglickman]

@luvmyhackney

I would have to say get a vet out. I got money it’s a pain issue. most likely SI, back pain, muscle issue. Could it be PSSM ?

Agree, and also want to suggest getting the saddle checked - if he canters without tack and refuses with, even on a longe, then maybe the saddle is impinging in some way…pressing on him in a way he doesn’t like or interfering with his shoulder when he tries to lift into a canter. Worth checking into IMO.

[luvdogz72]

sounds like you’re working alone. get a trainer out to help. You would be amazed how much another horse person can help. Also, I would say to read up on the canter depart and make sure that you’re asking for it correctly. Using a round pen is perfect for this type of issue.

[luvdogz72]

yes, rereading your post tells me that you are not asking for it correctly or are pulling back when he tries to move forward if you are indeed cueing for it correctly. Be honest with yourself - are you REALLY comfortable with the canter depart? If not, you’re probably giving him mixed signals

[Rach622]

I asked the girl who had him before me how she asked for the canter (she just sat back and popped him with her reins) and I replicate how she did as much as I can. I am completely comfortable cantering if he would actually do it lol. I have a trainer, but she hasn’t been able to make it out yet. I am working on finding/building a round pen, but it will be a little while before I’m able to actually get it.

[RiderInTheRain]

Once you have ruled out pain or tack fit issues as others have suggested, I think the suggestion to try on a trail/out in the open on a straightaway with other horses is a really good idea. I’ve had this work great with a few reluctant to canter horses. Once they realized they actually could canter with me on their backs, working on the response to the aids/departure in the arena became much easier.

[Midge]

The problem with ‘popping him with the reins’ is that you can be inadvertently pulling while trying to do it. Learn how to do a correct canter depart then teach it to your horse.

[IPEsq]

If he balks on the longe even without tack, I’d start there. Get him comfortable cantering on the longe line first. Also, you can see what issues he may have. If he does offer the canter, does it look like he’s lacking strength? This may be visible by him having trouble holding the canter. Or, does it look painful? For example, does he swap off behind or bunny hop or skip.

[SuzieQNutter]

There is 2 places I would start. Teach him the word canter on the lunge. You can then be lunged and have the lunger ask for canter and go from there.

Or go for a gallop up a long steep hill.

[Draftmare]

@luvmyhackney

I would have to say get a vet out. I got money it’s a pain issue. most likely SI, back pain, muscle issue. Could it be PSSM ?

This was my first thought too. Sounds like classic PSSM if he just trots faster or bucks when asked to canter. Could also explain why he was sent to the auction instead of sold as a papered horse. I would get him 5-panel tested to rule out any diseases that could be making it physically uncomfortable for him to canter. Before my mare was diagnosed with PSSM getting her to canter was much like what you described. Now that she is on the diet and her symptoms are controlled we canter all the time without issue. She actually really loves to go fast now.

[Willesdon]

“He didn’t know how to lunge when I got him so we are working up to a canter on the lunge line”.

Canter is tough for a horse if it is a) not yet strong enough and b) lacking in balance. If he can not canter on a lunge I think it unlikely he will be able to carry you yet. The stop is his way of dealing with uncertainty. Work first on building up the lunge work - slowly, a little bit at a time and with much verbal reward whenever he offers some steps. Also I second trying to canter outside where there are no curves and corners to throw him off balance. Don’t ask for too much to soon. A few steps are enough and give him lots of verbal reward. Build it up gradually. Your own balance is super-important when trying to persuade him into the canter which is one reason why teaching verbal commands can be really helpful.

[sdlbredfan]

In addition to checking for any of the muscle abnormalities (PSSM and its cousins), it is also quite possible that * no one ever taught the horse to canter * !!! Based on what the previous owner told you, that is highly likely.

I agree with the advice to install a voice cue on the longe. When riding at the trot, are you posting each diagonal pair an equivalent period of time, so the haunch muscles are being built up evenly? Cantering with a rider is not the same as a horse playing or galloping when not undersaddle. There must be adequate muscle in the haunch for the horse to do it undersaddle.

[mountainhorse]

After ruling out pain (vet out to check all, saddle fitter to check saddle), I would start with having him learn to canter in your groundwork-ie: on the lunge, off a voice command, and go from there. If he cannot canter on a lunge or without a rider, there is no way he is going to be able to do it with a rider.

[lachelle]

In addition to other physical reasons others have mentioned, I would also bet that he may have ulcers. Had a horse who had anhidrosis and every spring/summer we put him on One AC, and EVERY year I’d lose his canter. We’d put him on ulcer meds for a week and BOOM canter was back. Like clockwork EVERY year until we just started treating him for ulcers along w/ the One AC. Not sure what about the One AC upset his tummy, but the vet said that the sloshing around that the canter brings really must have aggravated his stomach.