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  Discussion on Introducing canter to a baby
Author Message
Member:
Jeng

Posted on Monday, Aug 22, 2005 - 4:58 am:

Hi there,
I have a new 4yr old ISH, broken about a month. He is very well developed and working away on the lunge and under saddle, even in outline already in walk and trot and jumped around his first little course of fence (at trot) a couple of days ago.

The main problem, which I know is to be expected, is the canter. He is finding it extremely difficult to get to this next stage. The left lead is particularly hard and he frequently becomes disunited and panicky (he is quiet stiff on this rein anyway and bends to the outside).

I am in absolutely no rush with him but would like to hear any advice as to how to teach him canter while maintaining a happy frame of mind.
1. On his back off his back.
2. If on the lung - side-reins or no side-reins
3. when asking for canter bend to the outside or inside (as I know some people suggest outside bend with a young horse).
etc. etc.

Any help would, as always, gratefully received.

Tks Jen
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Aug 22, 2005 - 6:22 am:

Jenny it sounds like the problem is you are trying to reach several goals at one time with the canter and this is confusing ISH. Why not take him out for a "ride" in the fields and trail and let him just canter a bit. Once he relaxes teach him the cues to begin and stop. Once he is very comfortable with this you can start introducing proper balance and correct leads slowly to his canter.
DrO
Member:
Jeng

Posted on Monday, Aug 22, 2005 - 7:49 am:

Hi Dr.O,
Thanks for the reply. Sound advice. I will take him out and just let him canter in straight lines until he becomes more confident and less inclined to run.

I know that there are varying opinions on just about everything to do with horses. And I do have one other related question regarding contact. Some experts say have an extremely light contact allowing them to go long and low. Others say maintain a consistent contact on the rein, although flexible, in order to get your horse used to the contact. Which is correct as both make relative sense to me?

Tks Jen
Member:
Dres

Posted on Monday, Aug 22, 2005 - 10:16 am:

Jenny, Dr. O's advice is a good IF you have control of you young green broke horse.. I know I ride my young ones,(( don't enjoy it much)) they are usually about 16'3+ hands tall and mostly legs... they all have balance issues with canter.. What I have found to work is slow and steady, first I lunge them with side reins just enough contact to let them know its there, I mostly do a nice balanced trot work, ask verbally for canter ONLY A FEW STRIDES never the entire circle, the strike off on the canter is usually the most balanced I will get , thus I quickly bring them back to trot work... I do this dozens of times each way... in riding them, I don't canter much at all the first few months, after I have more balance on the trot / walk transitions I then start the canter under saddle, again I don't canter full circles as they fall out of balance quickly... in about 6 months I have a pretty nice, starting to be balanced canter, and it only improves from there...
Patience is the key...
On the first day God created horses, on the second day he painted them with SPOTS..
Member:
Gillb

Posted on Monday, Aug 22, 2005 - 11:24 am:

Just adding a little of my own experience. I have a 3 year old gelding who is very willing although rather wobbly! I've done inhand work with him to get him used to my voice aids, which he understands pretty well. He is backed and doing quite well under saddle although I cam careful not to do too much. I was trying to ask him for canter and just got a very fast trot so I had a think about what I was doing - next time I took him around and asked for canter with my seat out of the saddle - he popped into canter no problem. So it had been my seat hindering him; I am now able to partially sit in the saddle as he understands more what I want of him and the transition is getting much more instant. I am careful only to canter on straight lines though as I don't want to unbalance him.
Member:
36541

Posted on Thursday, Aug 25, 2005 - 10:42 pm:

Hi Jenny,
I like to use another horse, preferably an older and slower one to lead me when I start the canter with a novie. Usually I pony the greenie sans rider a couple of times first, using my voice when asking the older horse to depart. When we canter them together in a 10 acre pasture, it has always been a calm and happy experience. Good Luck, and I think ISH grow like warmbloods, so no hurry over fences I would think... Stacy
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