Achieving a steady canter with my TB mare?

Question

when i canter my horse she often goes too fast. the transitions are brilliant and she goes on the correct leg, and is nice and balanced but she speeds off and it's hurting my confidence a tiny bit. i need a way to slow her and keep in control. i've been trying to collect her ..should i keep trying that? i hope to start doing some canter circles and figure of eights soon too.

also, when we've started cantering in a schooling session she gets quite tense and constantly tries to break into canter without being asked. any ideas on how i can help to control her anxieties before they start affecting the both of us? thanks. (: xx

Answer 1

I have the same problem with my X-race horse! I have learned it helps to think of what you want in your head. Do half-halts until she is at the speed you want her to be at. And also breath deep. I am only 12 and have had some confidence issues myself. Yes, you would think that my race horse only loving to run wouldn't help my confidence but Lori has built me up to great levels! Picture your horse doing what you want in your head. And make sure to talk to her, making sure she knows what you want and that you wont settle for less!

                                      ÃƒÂ¢Ã‚™Â£GOODLUCK♣

~Glory and Lori ♥

Answer 2

I would not keep trying to collect her because in my experiences this causes frustration. It sounds like you need to relax a bit more, and ride more subtle. If that still doesn't work then teach her the one rein stop, that way when she goes to fast you can do that, and pretty soon she will realize.

Practice these at the standstill, walk, trot, canter and only move up speed when she is perfect on each one.

1. Give your horse loose rein.

2. Slide you left hand down the rein and pull towards your hip(vice versa going tot he right.)

3. When you see slack in the rein(even the slightest) then release and pet her.

4. DO this on both sides a billion time.

THe one rein stop acts as an emergency hand brake. Or a teaching tool. When she canters too fast, then you do a one rein stop. Now it might take anywhere from 2 days to 2weeks for her to get it. That when she goes to fast she will have to stop. It also comes in handy if she spooks and then you do a stop and her focus turns to you, and instantly she doesn't remember what she spooked at. Its quite help full.

If you decide to use this approach then feel free to email; me at [e-mail] for more info, or if I made myself unclear.

Good Luck!

Answer 3

my sister went throught the exact same thing , except with her pony . He was wayyyy to fast and she just couldnt get him to slow down . It deffinatly will take a while as it took 5 months to get the perfect canter with my sisters pony. Try working her ALOT , not too much that she will drop dead . But a good hour and a half of good full workout , with alot of thinking activities so she doesnt get bored. After a week of that , she hopefully wont have as much eneergy to go really fast , then you start praising her alot. after a week of that dont work her as much just for an hour and hopefully she will realize .

Something like that maybe lol

Answer 4

there are many ways to go about doing this, and some are easier than others. the way i would approach it is one of the easier ways. this method is ideal for the horse that as soon as you ask them to canter, they jet off and wont slow down at all. if she starts out slow and then gets progressively faster, i'll get to that in a minute. i would get on her in a smallish round pen, and work her at the walk and trot like you normally do. then ask her to canter, and make no attempts to slow or control her speed at all. just let her go. she will get faster and faster until she realizes that she cant go any faster anymore. she will then canter and canter until she gets out of breath and tired, then she will slow. eventually she will be begging you to stop. push her on. after she completes one lap of the round pen at the speed you want, stop and let her rest. praise her like she just moved the earth for you. once she catches her breath, do it again. she'll figure out after a few times that it's easier to just go slow from the beginning.

if she starts out the way you want her and then gets faster, it is a much easier problem to fix. warm up in an arena or round pen like normal, and then ask her to canter. after two strides, stop and praise her if she stayed slow and consistant. then go trot around for about thirty seconds. then canter again. as soon as she even seems to be THINKING about speeding up, stop her before she can and praise her. do this for a few days and she'll understand that slow and steady is what you want. the one-rein stops that someone else suggested are great, too.

when she is trotting and wants to canter, let her. but as soon as she does, pull her back to a trot and keeps going as if nothing happened. just keep doing this and she'll understand. she is tense because she doesnt understand what's going on. she doesnt know if you want her to trot, or to break into the canter. once she knows what you're asking of her, she'll relax.

Answer 5

I have the exact same problem im working on with my tb. Here is what my trainer told me:

When your practicing, no one says you have to canter around the whole ring. You can ask for a few steps and then break and go back to trotting, eventually adding more steps when you feel comfortable. Just remember, no one is rushing you so you can take all the time you need to adjust and school your horse, and teach her what you want her to do.

Before asking her to canter, make sure you have her under complete control at the trot so when you step up, she doesnt take advantage of you.

In case of emergency or if you just get scared because shes going too fast, you can pull (not yank) her to the rail and she will slow.

And most of all, Relax! and dont get too forward, because when horses feel you forward, they go forward.

Have fun, be safe, and good luck!!!

Answer 6

What I have found is helpful in this situation is making sure that I am as balanced as I can be.  Make sure that you're not telling her to gallop by your body position, even though you may not realize your just a tiny bit off balance.  Once you have that under control, if she is still speeding up, when she does, ask her to change direction, either towards the center of the ring or into the fence.  Ask for a tight direction change, she can't do it if she going too fast, she will have to collect down and make the change.  If you do this every time she speeds up, she'll learn that if she speeds up she has to work harder and she will start to maintain the lope as you want her to.  If you're not comfortable asking for the fast, tight direction changes you can also work on her transitions, lope, trot, lope, walk, etc...  The harder you make her work, the more she will want to just lope.  After all most horses are really lazy and don't like hard work.

Answer 7

I have a TB mare who is 5 years old and have the same problem. What I find to work for us it half halting. Every 4 strides of her canter when her left leg goes forward. And sitting back. Leaning forward can be a problem or if you don't have strong legs and are squeezing your thighs to hard. I also cantered in circles in a round pen so that she could only go so fast. Which helped her and me gain confidence. But if you are losing your confidence than she will no you are somewhat angry and nervous and tense and just speed up. When your calm and collected your horse will be to.

Best Wishes

Answer 8

this is easy

it isnt about collection it is about speed instyead of trying to get your horse to go slower tell him to speed up for two laps then let him slow down for two laps always ask him to speed up and let him slow down horese are lazy and want to go slow but sometimes riders have trouble with communication now collection is about length of stride not speed

have a great day and thankgod for horses  

Answer 9

Try giving and taking on the reins untill she is at the speed you want

Answer 10

just be relaxed.

the horse i used to ride did this and whenever i relaxed she was relaxed. you should just try to continue collecting and counting, maybe doing some circles and just making them bigger.

Answer 11

Keep trying to collect, and also make sure that your not the one getting nervous and pressing her to go faster.

Just stay calm the worst thing a horse wants to do is hurt you. Lots of extended trot is great for nervous horses.

Answer 12

When your riding her, just breathe, be as calm as you can be, if you are calm, it'll most likely calm her down too. And during the canter, you should half halt every stride or two, that'll make her collect herself.

During the canter, you can sit back and sit to the canter in the way nyou want to, making your body slower and steadier. Then she will realize and think (ohhhhh, I'm CANTERING, not galloping :))

Hope this helps!