Mare struggles to canter on left rein?

Question

My loan mare hasn't had much schooling (shes 10 and an ex trekking horse) but is coming on gradually. She has a lovely, smooth canter on the right rein and will go all the way around the school (all be it with a lot of encouragement!) but she really struggles on the left rein and I don't know why?

She goes into canter on the correct leg but drifts into the middle, won't go straight down the length of the school at all. And I'm lucky if I get more than two strides at a time out of her. If it is a bending issue then I don't understand why she would struggle to canter in a straight line?

Help!

Answer 1

It sounds like your mare is doing her best to please you, she just doesn't know what you want.  I would suggest you start over with her, long line her, use driving lines and get in a confined area...when you get her where she can walk, trot and canter in both leads, saddle her up and work on your leg aids...you need to keep her between your hands, seat and legs and you are not doing that, and she hasn't had the training to know what you wanted even if you tried it.  Slow down and don't expect so much from her, she is doing all that she knows to do.  In the first place, she has probably only been ridden in the right lead, and is developed more on that side.  She needs ridden in the left lead (I am assuming that is what you are referring to when you say, "left rein") more than the right until she gets caught up with the other side, then she will be equally as able to canter on either lead.  Be patient with her.

Answer 2

It's probably because shes not bending and unbalanced. If she drifting outside rein inside leg, if that dosen't work carry a crop but place in on her shoulder and tap her with it when the leg/rein doesn't work. For the bending keep your inside rein a little shorter, and your outside rein longer. Inside leg will wrap her body around your leg, and the pressure will come off her mouth when she bends, she'll eventually get that. For the balance problem your just gonna have to trot circles, canter them if you can.

Answer 3

maybe she is weaker on that side ex racehorses often have this problem because they are trained always to run on the right rein therefore they are slightly lopsided this may be the case if her previous owner rode her more on the right rein than the left.

Answer 4

To keep her moving on in canter. Get your dressage whip or short whip and use it just behind your  inside leg. Don't muck around with little bits of tapping - that is just like annoying someone with a nagging voice. Just be firm and give a good firm tap - get up and move. It normally takes 3 hits for a horse to learn. Then she'll listen to your leg more a move on smartly. Remember not to jab her in the mouth as you do this and be quick to rub her on the neck when she is good.

Then once you've established her going forward I'd work on straight. Whip with metal hand k**b (so whip held upside down) on her shoulder and you can swing it like a pendulum to keep her out.

Check your position first, is your inside hip well forward, inside leg on, outside leg gently resting back on the outside. Are your shoulders even and open the inside rein slightly.

Best of luck - this horse sounds pretty strong, as I'd imagine it would be difficult to canter and drift in. Just think how easy half pass will be for her!

Just thinking, keep your outside leg back and quite strong, as rather than falling in at the shoulder she may be swinging her hindquarters out. In which case, I'd carry my whip in the outside hand.

Answer 5

Keep your schooling whip in the inside hand.

Every horse, like every rider has a stronger side and a weaker side, a stiff side and a more supple side.  She has also been ridden by many beginners - so I would get her back checked out.  She might need some treatment.

Straight lines can only be acheived by being completely on the bit and again it is her past which is catching up.

Answer 6

you need to use ur inside leg to push her back onto the rail. like press your leg onto the part of her body closest to the center to push her over. hope this helped!

Answer 7

It's actually harder for horses to canter in a straight line down the school than it is for them to canter on a larger circle. For now I'd concentrate on just keeping her going in the canter, make sure you work her evenly on both reins and keep her working on the circle. Be sure that you are sitting in balance with her and in the correct position first. Drive with your seat. Keep a strong inside leg on her to keep her from falling in on the circle, your outside leg should be slightly further back to help encourage her to bend round your inside. Maybe carry a schooling stick in the inside hand. Make sure you don't jab her in the mouth or keep too strong a contact and allow her to bend through the neck. Never end a schooling session on a bad note, set yourself one goal and however long it takes to achieve it is how long the session lasts whether it be 5 Min's or 1hour. It will come. The only other thing I might suggest is to get her back checked by a equine chiropractor and make sure your saddle fits her properly. Good luck with her.

Answer 8

if she hasn't done much schooling i would recommend that you take things slower, remember that you are teaching your horse when schooling nor just riding it like you might a fully schooled horse. Take it a little at a time and make sure you have a perfect walk and trot before you attempt a canter in an enclosed space. walk is the hardest pace to perfect as few horses carry themselves 'properly' in walk naturally like they might in trot or canter, when they walk around in the field it is usually just to wander over to another patch of grass! make sure that your horse is walking/trotting out well with plenty of energy and at a consistant rhythm, do lots of transitions and turns and ensure that you have it's full attention. get someone to watch you when you ride and tell you if the horse is walking totally straight, to do so it needs to be supple so bending exercises using the seat aid will help a lot. when you feel that you and your horse are completely balanced and focused you can start asking for a canter, just a little at a time. maybe striking off at a corner coming up to a long side and moving back to trot before you have to bend again to start with.

it also might be a good idea to have the horse's back and saddle checked - after all it isn't fair to expect a horse to move well if it's uncomfortable or in pain. also make sure that your horse is accepting the bit and not showing any resistance to it. if so you may need to address the action of your hands and lighten them up, change bits or even try a bitless.